Michael,
I found this article by the famous strength coach Charles Poliquin. Polqiuin seems to be very highly regarded. Opps, this article is for BCAA's and body mass not aerobics!!
According to Polquin BCAA's are effective but look at the high dosages!
Glutamine also works but should be taken in high dosages. You better have lots of moola
I am in no way an expert on nothing but reseach. A friend asked me to investigate BCAA's to see if they were worth the cost. It seems the elite athletes use BCAAs. The only thing I've got athletic is my athletes foot!
Info on Charles Poliquin:
"Dorian Yates has been and is still under the care of my clinic as often as we can meet. We have had the chance to exchange concepts in training. One cannot argue with his results, but he realizes that varying the exercises more would have given him a healthier longer career."
He has coached athletes in 23 Olympic sports and from 9 different countries. He is presently coaching mainly N.H.L. and N.F.L. players. I have written over 600 articles on strength coaching for numerous lay and peer-review publications, and his work has been translated into English, Swedish, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Slovakian, and Japanese.
The Miracle Of BCAA's by Charles Poliquin
I strongly recommend that all of you use additional branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements (leucine, isoleucine, and valine), especially if your goal is to increase your lean body mass. I have learned several nutritional facts about the BCAA group from Eric Serrano, M.D., and Mauro Di Pasquale, M.D., and I have been using BCAAs with athletes who have difficulty gaining size.
It is not uncommon for individuals to gain 10 lbs. of muscle in 3-5 weeks of copious branched chain amino acid supplementation. Why does BCAA supplementation work so well? Consider:
Leucine is an important regulator of protein synthesis by reducing protein degradation in humans. Leucine spares glucose as fuel.
BCAAs promote protein synthesis.
BCAAs consumed during training raise growth hormone and insulin, hence the increased anti-catabolism and anabolism from BCAAs.
The BCAAs, unlike the other amino acids, can be used as a form of energy by muscle cells. Carli et al. [1992] showed that supplementing with branched chain amino acids prior to a workout not only prevented a decrease in post-workout testosterone levels, but actually seemed to facilitate an increase in testosterone levels following exercise.
BCAA administration has a growth effect by enhancing the testosterone/cortisol ratio.
BCAA administration reduces exercise-induced increases in the muscle concentration of tyrosine and phenylalanine. This indicates that there is a decreased net rate of protein degradation during exercise.
Post workout soreness is reduced when you use BCAAs during training.
An Italian study on natural bodybuilders revealed that 0.2 g of BCAA per kg of bodyweight 30 minutes before workouts and 30 minutes after workouts led to greater increases in lean body mass, and strength gains in the bench press and squat.
BCAAs will decrease body fat (especially visceral fat, the fat that accumulates inside the abdomen and results in that beer gut look).
I recommend taking 0.44 gram of BCAAs per kilogram of bodyweight. If you weigh 90 kilograms (198 lbs.), that is about 40 grams of branched chain amino acids/day. If you are on a restricted budget, ingest 20 grams, or don't bother.
Over the years I have experimented with varying BCAA protocols - using them before, during and after workouts. My observations are that it is best to ingest them throughout the workout. This is as simple as taking 2-3 tablets between sets.
It was with this type of dosage, that we observed gains of up to 10 lbs. of lean body mass in just 3-4 weeks using this protocol!
Link that contains article:
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/planet38.htmThis link below has information about Charles Poilquin
www.bodybuilding.com/fun/marcy4.htmHope this helps and you find the information you were looking for. I am NOT an expert, I just read alot!
As Bruce Lee said:
Take what you need and leave the rest![/b]