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Are you willing to make a positive change? Join the thousands of individuals on the same fitness journey!

TESTMONIALS Start Your Transformation
English Macedonian

Updated on

November 23, 2022

Best BCAA Supplements

Support your body with the essential amino acids it needs and see how it transforms into its best shape. Learn more about the best BCAA supplements!

Tose Zafirov

Mr. Olympia Representative

Introducing BCAA

Did you know that BCAA is the most used supplement in the fitness industry? Both amateur gym enthusiasts and professional athletes use BCAA because it has many benefits. Many also find the supplement a great addition to any diet because it contains the three essential amino acids the body needs to function properly.

Although you can find BCAAs in food, many choose to consume supplements, especially for better results. Thanks to the development of technology, we have a variety of top BCAA supplements available on the market, providing the body with the essential amino acids.

In this article, we’ll cover everything there is to know about BCAAs and their benefits. You’ll also get a list of the top 10 BCAA supplements.

Key Takeaways:

  • BCAA contains three essential amino acids that the body naturally needs to function
  • BCAAs have many benefits and can be used by everyone, not only people who exercise
  • The supplement can be consumed before, during, and after a workout session

What Is BCAA (Branched-Chain Amino Acids)?

Branched-chain amino acids, commonly known as BCAAs, are essential amino acids, including Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine, that stimulate muscle-building. These essential amino acids are naturally found in dairy, meat, and legumes, but the most physically active people tend to take them in the form of supplements, primarily in powder form.

Although BCAA is primarily popular among people who exercise to improve athletic performance, reduce muscle breakdown, and prevent fatigue, the branched-chain amino acids also have other incredible health benefits. For instance, BCAA has been used for reduced brain function in people with advanced liver disease and movement disorders caused by antipsychotic drugs.

Types of BCAAs

There are typically two types of BCAAs:

  • BCAAs Powders: they are easy to mix with your favorite protein shake, and you can use them before, during, or after a workout. Furthermore, they are available in an unflavored form and a huge array of delicious flavors.
  • BCAA Capsules and Pills: the less preferred option for consuming BCAA because you have to take a few pills to take the required dosage. Also, you’ll usually experience a generally slower digestion time than in powders.

What Are the Benefits of BCAAs?

BCAA is the most popular dietary supplement because it has many positive effects. Let’s review some of them and see what makes BCAA special and desired, especially among athletes.

BCAA Increases Muscle Growth

Leucine, found in BCAAs, activates muscle protein synthesis, which improves the process of muscle building. One study showed that people who consume at least 5gr of BCAA after a resistance workout had a 22% increased muscle protein synthesis.

Note

BCAAs increase muscle protein synthesis. Still, you must pair it with the other essential amino acids in whey protein for optimal results. Your body needs all the essential amino acids to successfully stimulate muscle growth.

BCAAs Reduce Exercising Fatigue

Everyone who has been physically active has experienced fatigue and exhaustion at some point. This is where BCAA comes to help. Your muscles use it during exercise, causing levels in the blood to decrease. Once the blood levels of BCAAs decrease, the levels of tryptophan, a brain chemical that converts to serotonin, increase.

Some studies even show that BCAAs can improve mental focus during exercise.

BCAAs Decrease Muscle Soreness

Muscle soreness usually develops 12-24 hours after exercising, lasting up to 72 hours. If you regularly consume BCAAs, you can decrease muscle damage and reduce muscle soreness’s length and severity.

BCAAs Effects on Hormones

The most important thing for serious weightlifters is anabolic hormones. They promote protein synthesis and play a huge role in controlling the muscle-building process.

BCAAs intake positively affects the anabolic hormone release, especially testosterone. If you regularly consume BCAA, you can increase testosterone levels post-training, improve your testosterone and cortisol ratio, and easily build muscle.

BCAA Speeds up The Fat Loss Process

Consuming BCAAs while indulging in processed and fast foods will not make you lose fat. On the other hand, if you have a clean diet, using BCAA will maximize fat loss.

Important

BCAA spares glycogen and increases insulin sensitivity, and the two processes speed up fat loss results.

BCAA Support The Immunity

High-intensity, strenuous exercise can cause reduced immunity, usually by a decrease in the amino acid glutamine, which is the fuel for immune cells. Luckily, those who regularly consume BCAA will have reduced chances of disrupting their immune system because the supplement can be converted into glutamine in muscles.

Who Should Take BCAAs?

Absolutely anyone can consume BCAAs. Everyone who doesn’t get enough amino acids from their diet can safely take BCAAs. They’re especially beneficial for people who exercise regularly and professional athletes.

Warning

Although the supplement is safe for everyone, we don’t recommend it for use if you’re undergoing surgery. To be safe, stop using BCAAs within two weeks of surgery.

How to Use BCAAs?

We already mentioned that BCAAs come in two forms: powder and pills. Depending on the concentration and serving size, you can take BCAA supplements up to three times a day.

If you choose to use powder, you can mix it with a water sports drink or add it to a protein shake. We recommend swallowing tablets whole with water.

You can take BCAA supplements before, during, and after a workout. The recommended dosage is 0.03-0.05 g per kilogram of body weight per hour or 2-4g per hour during exercise.

Important

No matter what brand of BCAA you choose, we recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions and not exceeding the daily dose recommendation.

How to Choose the Best BCAA Supplement?

It would help to consider some key factors when looking for the best BCAA supplements. Here are some criteria to follow in choosing the most effective BCAA.

Quality

The best BCAAs are tested for accuracy and purity. They are produced in special facilities that follow the current good manufacturing practices of CGMPs. Third-party organizations also evaluate the final products.

Ratio

The ratio refers to the ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The most common ratio sufficient to support people’s goals is 2:1:1.

Clean Ingredients

The most popular BCAA doesn’t contain artificial additives. They’re sugar-free, non-GMO, don’t have artificial colorings added, and have no flavor enhancement. They’re also excellent gluten-free BCAA for people who struggle with gluten allergies.

Additional Ingredients

Some BCAAs include additional ingredients such as caffeine, B vitamins, glutamine, and electrolytes.

Pro Tip

Choose a supplement that contains additional ingredients that will support your fitness goal.

Conclusion

Our body contains twenty amino acids, each playing a vital role. Nine amino acids are essential, meaning our body can’t produce them, so they must be consumed through meals or supplements. Three of those nine essential amino acids can be found in BCAA.

BCAA are safe for consumption for everyone and are preferred by professional athletes and amateur gym enthusiasts. BCAA supplements are the most popular because they can boost your health, improve muscle development, reduce muscle soreness, and speed up muscle recovery.

Choose one of the best BCAAs we discussed and feel the benefits firsthand!

Frequently Asked Questions

BCAA contains three essential amino acids that the body needs to function properly. Regularly consuming BCAA works and has many benefits, especially for physically active people.

BCAAs improve athletic performance, reduce muscle breakdown, and prevent fatigue. They also support protein synthesis, which leads to improved muscle growth.

BCAA is 100% safe if you follow the recommended daily dose intake.

It’s not obligatory to take any supplement, but if you want the best results, build muscle mass and reduce muscle breakdown, we recommend taking BCAA. It’s especially beneficial if you consume it with whey protein.

The recommended dosage for men is 15-20 grams per day. Men who have a more intensive workout regime can increase their BCAA dose. The recommended dosage for most women is 3-5 grams per serving, or 12 grams daily.

Still, the actual dose for any person depends on body mass, activity level, and dietary intake.

BCAA can be consumed daily if you follow the recommended daily dose intake, even by people who don’t exercise.

Although there’s not an ideal time for taking BCAAs, we recommend consuming a BCAA supplement before and during your workout to prevent further fatigue.

BCAA contains calories, and the amount of calories depends on the brand and manufacturer. There are also BCAA brands that produce no-calorie BCAA powders.

Taking BCAA supplements on an empty stomach is safe, can boost your energy, and give you more endurance and power.

BCAA activates muscle protein synthesis, which improves the process of muscle building; therefore, BCAA is an excellent supplement for building muscle mass.

Although both options are excellent, satisfying the daily intake of BCAA requires taking more pills, and digestion times are generally slower than in powders. Simply put, you can take less BCAA powder and still achieve the same effect.

Although BCAA consumption has many benefits, it might lead to side effects, including stomach problems, diarrhea, bloating, and loss of coordination.

You can get branched-chain amino acids from milk, corn, eggs, beef, chicken, fish, chickpeas, lentils, whole wheat, and brown rice.

Most protein and amino acids can be taken by consuming food from animal sources. The best animal sources with BCAA include red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products.

Combining a healthy diet and BCAA will maximize fat loss. BCAA spares glycogen and increases insulin sensitivity, and the two processes speed up fat loss results.

BCAA is great for everyone, even for those who don’t exercise. Some people don’t take enough amino acids a day to keep their bodies functioning properly, so supplementing with BCAA is the best choice for them as well.

There are no studies that indicate that using BCAA causes hair loss.

There’s no evidence to indicate that BCAA and Creatine can’t be used together or that their consumption has any unsafe negative effects.

Generally, BCAA acts as a substrate to produce protein, but this doesn’t mean it can replace protein. To get the most out of your exercise routine, we recommend using both BCAA and protein.

Not only will BCAA give you energy, but it will also support your immunity, reduce exercise fatigue, and promote muscle building.

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