BCAAs making me SUPER sleepy: any advice? (Please!!)

[E-Beth]

Hi there,
I've started taking BCAAs before, during and after 'exercise', but have found that they've made me super lethargic for up to three days afterwards. I'd love to keep taking them, as they've reduced post-exercise lactic acid/muscle pain considerably, but cannot cope with being this drowsy.

I've tried to read as much as possible on the net - two ideas seem to be that they lower cortisol levels (=more sleepy) and made reduce dopamine and serotonin levels, but I can't decipher all the mumbo-jumbo I've heard that most people don't want to raise cortisol as it increases muscles soreness.

If the above are the problem, any suggestions on how to fix this?

 

[E-Beth]

Update: I think the problem was low cortisol, but my body seems to have gotten used to them overtime and now I couldn't live without them

 

[Gondwanaland]

Beth, my husband and I just run into something similar from supplementing zinc (read here). Curiously, I started zinc together with BCAAs, and probably both pooled to make me worse.

For us copper has helped. Copper is needed for the production of a number of hormones including testosterone and for converting dopamine into adrenaline.

Warning: it is safer to always take copper with zinc.

We are taking a multimineral compounded locally with the following dosage:

• Zn chelated 8mg
• Cu chelated 600mcg
• Mn chelated 500mcg
• Se chelated 80mcg

 

[E-Beth]

Thanks heaps, @Gondwanaland . I can't tolerate any zinc at all (sends me to bed for at least 24 hrs), even transdermally or a tiny fraction of a tablet. I've tried tiny amounts of copper in the past -- I seem to handle a tiny bit before my body freaks out.

 

[Gondwanaland]

Yes, I have just learned to never take one without the other
Mind you that my dr decided I needed more copper back in February - and in fact I did and still do - and she upped my dose to Zn 15mg + Cu 1mg and my adrenals crashed badly. So she decided I should take zinc only -- and I had anemia, the worst fibromyalgia flare and weakness... I have learned my lesson, always the hard way though

 

[Thinktank]

Same here. BCAA in combination with electrolytes causes severe brain fog in me after exercise that will last a few days. On the upside it greatly improves my endurance DURING exercise by 30 to 40%, reduces lactic acid buildup, reduces polyuria (excessive urination) and my skin/muscles feel hydrated. I've never found out why the fatigue occurs exactly so i had to give up on it. I was using quite high amounts of BCAA so maybe i will try it again soon in a lower dosage.