During and after. After is obvious for recovery but during to help with lactic acid...I read that it helps, I think it does and maybe a placebo effect but it certainly doesn't hurt during training/racing.

Before and immediately after (within 15 minutes and before protein). I think my bottle says 45 minutes before, but I never plan that far ahead. Makes a big difference in recovery for me.

Disclaimer: I work for GU as the Colorado Event Rep.

GU makes their own BCAAs but you can obviously find them under a lot of brands and a lot of different independent studies. Me personally, I have found they work best after workouts/runs AND I usually have to take them daily for at least 4 consecutive days before I start to feel the affects and have less fatigue in my legs. Then usually continue them daily for 3 week until my rest week. GU CEO Brian Vaughn takes them during his workouts and races all the time. He has said they really helped him finish Leadville 100 MTB. Me, I do not notice them during exercise (but I havent tried them for 4+ days during workouts).

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Jeff Abbott - @run1fast
jabbott@headsweats.com
Headsweats - Custom Team singlets $8 / Cycling Jerseys $25
Abbott Event Solutions - Brand Rep and Event Manager

So...since you work there, perhaps you can talk to the right person. The ones without BCAAs, discontinue or change formula. Standardize the amount of BCAA, Salts, and Caffeine in every GU. I suspect you could go Caffeinated and Not-Caffeinated. But, me, as the consumer gets annoyed when I'm trying to build out my race nutrition and the formula of Salts and BCAA is not standardized. THANKS.

I guess it depends on how deficient you are. If you're a vegetarian/Vegan/non-Red Meat person then a lot more often.

If you do eat Red Meat, red meat is loaded with BCAAs. So then you could just do intra workout. Depending on how hard I workout I may have a scoop afterwards but I always have a single serving when lifting.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Usually take them before and during workouts. I find I recover better definitely.
Just use powder, and throw a few scoops in with your normal electrolyte/carb drink.

You can also get tablets, so pop a few every so often if you're out on the road when cycling.

I'm just the Colorado rep, but I can pass along your comments to the right team.

I think the rational is to provide different options for different folks with different needs. Not being a scientist either, I wonder if there are some combinations of ingredients that cant go together? Hence the need for Electrolyte caps to be different from the Roctane BCAA caps.

But thanks for the input. See ya out on the trails.
Jeff

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Jeff Abbott - @run1fast
jabbott@headsweats.com
Headsweats - Custom Team singlets $8 / Cycling Jerseys $25
Abbott Event Solutions - Brand Rep and Event Manager

Well since you asked.....

I use a BCAA and amino mix (two different products) but just a little more bump on the BCAA part. I typically use it twice a day during the week while training and in my bottles for outdoor rides. The amino mix has a light flavoring added that hides some of the BCAA taste. Training twice a day 5 days a week and then long weekend rides I figure I am always recovering from something. I use these things not for the current training, but for what I have already done previously.

I eat constantly and because a whey protein drink does not age well in bottles sitting for 5 hours the aminos work well for my goals. The amino/bcaa blend does not sour during a long hot ride. I use the mix in the morning gym hours because I am training on an empty stomach and like a little insurance the recovery that is going on from the previous night has something trickling in to feed that need. I don't think this is a super critical issue for timing (before, during or after) and use really comes down to the user and if they feel like it is good insurance to training needs and economics.


On a side note
I've read a lot of research papers over the years. If new studies are saying something different, I will gladly live amongst Bro Science any day of the week. Meaning I will keep on keeping on with using :-)