What are BCAA's?

Hi Nick,

Regarding BCAAs, please see a previous answer that explains BCAAs...

(@musclemodeltobe) Do you take BCAA's before or after working out?

I personally take BCAAs as part of my Essential Amino Acid (EAA) supplement. BCAAs are also in most quality proteins and whey protein has the most per serving...

I'll get back to you on the L-carnitine shortly

Just to clarify, in a previous answer, I said that I don't take BCAAs but that I take Essential Amino Acids (EAAs). But BCAAs are 3 of the 8 essential amino acids, so by taking my EAA, I'm taking BCAAs plus other the other essential aminos needed for muscle building/recovery.

The BCAAs are Leucine, Isoleucine and valine - these BCAAs are part of the group of EAAs. The other EAAs are Lysine, Methionine, Threonine, Phenylalanine and Tryptophan. So there are 3 BCAAs and 5 other EAAs for a total of 8 EAAs.

Finally,

L-carnitine...

This is an amino acid but not a "structural" amino acid - in other words, it looks like an amino acid but it doesn't form part of the proteins that make up the various tissues in the body.

Its role is to help transport fatty acids from the body's fat cells. The body makes L-carnitine but additional carnitine may be useful in some circumstances. It has been shown that taking carnitine supplements may not increase carnitine levels in the body. However, recent research shows that if you take it with a large serving of carbohydrates (which will boost levels of the hormone insulin), then you increase carnitine retention.

This is great for athletic performance but not so good for dieting because although you may be able to transport extra fat out of the cell, the extra carbs you ingest may compensate for the increased fat burning and so you may not lose weight.

Thanks mark!!