C STUDIO TRAINING PRESENTS:
AMINO ACIDS & INTERMITTENT FASTING
HOW TO OPTIMIZE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF PROTEIN & HOW TO CORRECTLY PRACTICE ONE OF THE BEST FAT LOSS TOOLS FOR BUSY BODIES
BCAA’SBRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS
THE SCOOP ON BCAA’S
WHAT DO AMINO ACIDS DO?
• They are the building blocks of protein- protein is broken down into various amino acids
• Maintains muscle mass during a caloric deficit (allows you
to eat less calories but still maintain your built up muscle mass)
• Lessens soreness and a quicker recovery time
• Curbs your appetite
• Aids in energy, Aids in fat loss, Boosts muscle growth
• Greater stimulation of protein synthesis
• Decreases serotonin & limitation of ammonia
• Stronger immune system
HOW ARE AMINO ACIDS MADE?
• Amino acids are made up of essential and nonessential aminos
• Essential- not made by the body, must get supplemented from food or drink
• Non Essential- made by the body but not enough for ideal results
• (Semi Essential)- May be needed by the body under certain circumstances; Histidine & Arginine
• BCAAs are able to bypass the liver and digestion and go straight into the bloodstream to the muscle
HOW DO AMINO ACIDS WORK?• When BCAA’s are taken post-workout the can lower cortisol levels & replaces them with BCAA levels in
the muscle- cortisol destroys muscles- it breaks down muscles when the body does not have enough
glucose (during stress &/or intense workouts) to create sugar
• Gives you enough consistent intensity to stimulate muscle growth
• Ideal ratio 2:1:1 (Leucine:Isoleucine:Valine); any higher works against you for energy
• Best results when taken around time of your workout
• During exercise tryptophan is converted in the brain to 5-hydroxytyptame
(5-HT) aKa serotonin. Serotonin tells the body that it is fatigued, leading to reduction of muscle strength
and endurance. Valine, one of the most important amino acids, competes with the serotonin and typically
wins
3 MOST IMPORTANT ESSENTIAL AMINOSLEUCINE, ISOLEUCINE, & VALINE MAKE UP 35% OF THE AAS IN
THE MUSCLES
• Valine- as mentioned previously with the tryptophan,
increases energy and lessens fatigue; Also important role
in muscle coordination & brain function.
• Isoleucine- aids in fat loss by increasing fat burning and
inhibiting fat storage, especially for high fat diets;
activates PPAR(- increases activity of genes that
encourage greater fat burning in the body while
decreasing activity of genes that normally increase fat
storage #moreburninglessstoring; increases body’s ability
to use glucose (carbs) more efficiently by using stored fat
3 MOST IMPORTANT AMINOSCONT.
• Leucine- the MVP of aminos; responsible for
muscle growth because of MPS (muscle
protein synthesis) the more MPS the more
muscle growth; Leucine prevents formation
of ammonia (-prevents protein synthesis);
aids in DOMS (delayed onset muscle
soreness)
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT NON/SEMI ESSENTIAL AMINOS
◦ Arginine- semi- essential AA; facilitates muscle mass gain while limiting fat storage
by utilizing your fat by encouraging lipid oxidation (>using fats for fuel); boosts
immune system (-supplemented for overtraining); precursor to Nitric Oxide which
helps your muscles receive nutrients & oxygen faster leading to faster recovery
◦ Carnitine- metabolite (Not AA) but naturally occurs in body and can be taken in
supplement form; decreases body fat and gives body more energy because of its
transportation of long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells to be used as
fuel; aids in body’s uptake of good cholesterol and promotes normal blood
circulation; ideal post-workout
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT NON/SEMI ESSENTIAL AMINOSCONT’D- GLUTAMINE!!!
• Glutamine- non-essential AA; can form 60% of your total AA’s because it can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier & aids in brain function and synthesis of muscle tissue (see below); helps get rid of bodies excess nitrogen; combats fat storage by getting converted into Glucose in the kidneys without effecting insulin levels, this bypasses fat deposition normally caused by insulin; sustains healthy growth hormone levels; great for improving diabetes & blood sugar.
- Intense activity depletes Glutamine= Glutamine is produced & secreted in the brain in the Pituitary gland, once released it stimulates the liver to make an insulin-like growth factor I(GF-1), this hormone triggers the growth & repairing of bones/body tissue (muscles, skin & organs); because this is a nonessential amino that slows with age (drastically decreases in 20s) this is why children heal faster, high school athletes recover quicker etc)
WHERE TO GET BCAA SUPPLEMENTS
• You can supplement amino acids through diet and eating a balanced variety of healthy foods, but
the easiest/time efficient way is getting a powder that you typically put 1-2 scoops into 16oz
water
• Vitamin Shoppe & GNC are local stores to go get a hands on look at powder’s to add to water.
Also Amazon & bodybuilding.com are other trusted sources for quick online shopping, many
IG/social media fitness influencers have codes you can use for certain brands that can give you up
to 30% when purchasing their sponsored product using their code (Local RI native
@amandabuccifit Amanda Bucci has code AMANDA for 30% off PE Science- bodybuilding.com)
• BCAAs that I have used and loved (&where I got them): Xtend BCAAs (GNC), Intraload (Alpha Pro
Nutrition @ amazon.com), and Gold Standard Optimum Nutrition (bodybuilding.com/ local
supplement stores)
THE SKINNY ON INTERMITTENT
FASTINGWHY DO IT
HOW TO DO IT
WHEN TO DO IT
WHY SHOULD YOU INTERMITTENT FASTING?
• Do you wake up in the morning and not feel hungry? Then don’t eat! This is the type of person that
is ideal for IF. If you are someone that needs to graze and snack all day, then this is not the tool
for you. However, it is good to test options out and see if you can push yourself to try something
new that may benefit to your goal, especially if you are looking for major fat loss.
• Every time you eat, you spike insulin (not just when you eat carbs/sugar). Insulin is needed to make
lean muscle protein, as it is the key to the cell that lets Amino Acids in to work their magic in protein
synthesis. However only 1 teaspoon of sugar per gallon of blood is needed to open this cell door
to let the aminos in to do their work. The average person takes in about 21 tsp of sugar per day,
this is apprx 20 tsp above recommended amount of sugar which can lead to insulin resistance. IR is
when the pancreas creates too much insulin because it is not getting a response that the cells
received it, causing more insulin to be made which in turn, causes fat storage.
INSULIN RESISTANCE CONTD
& HOW TO FIX IT
• Since insulin is such a powerful hormone
who’s main responsibility is to store fat,
this makes it impossible to loose fat
when you have too much of it built up.
• Growth Hormone is another
powerhouse hormone that counters
Insulin and instead is the most
authoritative fat burning hormone.
Growth Hormone is released when
exercise takes place, especially high
intensity training and heavy resistance
training.
HOW TO DO THE CELLULAR CLEANSE
• IF is not a diet! It is a pattern of eating & not eating. You do not
cut calories or eat certain foods, just instead consume them in a smaller time frame.
• The fast gives your cells time to cleanse themselves of effects from bad diet to the
mitochondria, the cells need to repair in order to function at maximum potential.
• Ideal fat burning zone is a 16:8 [also known as “lean gains”](16 hours fasting 8 hours
eating window). However, to start you may want to begin your fast with a smaller
window, such as 12:12 (12 hour fast and 12 hour eating window). Best part? This can
include your sleeping time! Example: stop eating at 8pm the night before, have
breakfast at 8am next morning.
WHERE TO START
• Once you have gradually built up fasting tolerance over weeks, your ultimate
fasting window could be as limited as a 20:4 (20 hours fasting 4 hours eating
window) up to a 24-72 hour full fast. The idea being that you spend more
time in the fat burning state without an insulin spike.
• While on the longer fasts it is recommended by most professionals to take
BCAAs, as they help to provide the cells with enough nutrients to keep working
and repairing without depleting the cells energy. BCAAs must especially be
taken post workout to prevent muscle breakdown.
WHEN CAN I EAT??????• For maximum fat loss, exercise is encouraged (- Remember
growth hormone? The best fat burner our body’s make, and is made when we exercise?). Therefore fasted cardio is an amazing tool for shedding the fat efficiently.
• This means plan your workouts! When you get there and when you leave becomes important because you want to end your fast right after your workout and get some great nutrients and protein in your body right away to optimize your protein synthesis.
• However, fasting encourages more blood flow to your abdominal region, this means this is a rare instance that you can actually spot reduction fat loss to your belly! The fasting window does continue for a few hours post workout if you choose to “ride the wave” of your abdominal blood flow to maximize belly fat reduction!
• Both instances work, you can try either and see what works best for your body
SAFETY FIRST
• Woman & men have different hormones and structures in their
cells, certain amino acids & IF can interfere with either side if
not taken correctly to suit all your needs
• Seeking professional help & coaching can help ensure that you
are getting the optimized amount of each tool you may need
customized prevents hormonal imbalances & helps your results,
as you know you are going about it the correct route.
• Do your research & find what works for you & do not be
afraid to ask for guidance
• Use reliable sources- not every diagram meme on Pinterest &
Instagram has scientifically backed research
SAFETY FIRST• Because of the hormone balancing issue in
woman, the Crescendo approach to IF works
better (female hormones are very sensitive to
starvation, when our body senses it is in extreme
hunger it “freaks out” and tries to protect our
baby making parts ((ovaries)) even if you are not
pregnant by haulting ovulation, shrinking ovaries).
The Crescendo fasting only requires you to fast
on 2-3 non consecutive days for 12-16 hours, on
fasting days for exercise do only light
cardio/yoga but on non fasting days do high
intensity heavy resistance training & always stay
hydrated. Additional fasting days can be added
every 2 weeks
QUESTION TIME!
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