Supplementation has changed the world of bodybuilding, allowing the average weightlifter to dig deep, get stronger, run faster, and perform aggressively. Branched chain amino acids are one of the most utilized and trusted types of fitness supplement on the market. The benefits of BCAA supplementation are numerous including increased lean muscle mass and fat burning, making them a must-have for any supplement program.
If you’re new to the supplement scene and not sure what to look for in an elite BCAA brand, then this article is for you. Let’s review the breakdown, benefits, ideal ratios, and timing of BCAAs as well as the top brands.
What are BCAAs?
When you eat a protein-based food such as chicken, beef, or yogurt, your body takes that protein and breaks it down into amino acids. There are two types of amino acids: essential and non-essential. Non-essential amino acids can be created within your body from other nutrients. Essential amino acids, on the other hand, must be consumed via food or supplement as your body is not able to create them on its own. The nine essential amino acids are:
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine
The Breakdown of BCAAs
While there is a total of nine essential amino acids, only three are focused on for exercise supplementation purposes. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine make up what is commonly referred to as a BCAA supplement due to their overwhelming benefits when it comes to muscle performance, growth, and repair.
Leucine:
Activates protein synthesis
Helps post-workout recovery
Reduces catabolic processes
Isoleucine:
Amplifies fat metabolism
Boosts energy levels
Burns body fat
Valine:
Encourages lean muscle mass
Boosts protein synthesis
Increases energy levels
Top Food Sources for BCAAs
In an ideal world, we would all be able to consume enough nutrients via food sources. The reality is that we live in a fast-paced, high-stress culture and making time to eat can sometimes be compromised. For those glorious times when you are able to sit down and plan your meals, here are the best options to choose from if you want the highest levels of BCAAs.
Beef (94% to 96% Lean)
Serving Size: 6 oz. (170 grams)
Total Protein (grams): 35-36
Total BCAAs (grams): 6.5
Chicken Breast
Serving Size: 6 oz. (170 grams)
Total Protein (grams): 35-36
Total BCAAs (grams): 6.0
Turkey Breast
Serving Size: 6 oz. (170 grams)
Total Protein (grams): 39-40
Total BCAAs (grams): 5.0
Egg
Serving Size: 1
Total Protein (grams): 6
Total BCAAs (grams): 1.0
Fish (Wild Salmon)
Serving Size: 6 oz. (170 grams)
Total Protein (grams): 33-34
Total BCAAs (grams): 6.0
Fish (Fresh Tuna)
Serving Size: 6 oz. (170 grams)
Total Protein (grams): 39-40
Total BCAAs (grams): 6.5
Fish (Canned Tuna)
Serving Size: 6 oz. (170 grams)
Total Protein (grams): 32-33
Total BCAAs (grams): 5.5
Quinoa (Cooked)
Serving Size: 1 cup
Total Protein (grams): 8
Total BCAAs (grams): 1.5
Proven Benefits of BCAAs
Protein Synthesis
When it comes to your overall health, our internal protein synthesis system is absolutely critical as it assists in basic processes including cell growth and repair. From an exercise science standpoint, it is one of the sole reasons you hit the weight room. Protein synthesis ensures muscle growth, fat loss, and muscle repair, and it is fueled by amino acids. As demonstrated in this study, published in the Journal of Nutrition, amino acid supplementation ensured activation of protein synthesis. In this study, published in the American Society of Nutrition, Leucine, in particular, promoted protein synthesis and an anabolic environment that is ideal for the growth of lean muscle mass. (1,2)
Muscle Repair
One of the greatest dangers in the fitness world is over-training. Too often, it’s not taken seriously enough. This blind eye turned toward the subject may lead to a loss of hard-earned muscle mass as well as fatigue and mood swings. Put simply: Taking care of your muscles and ensuring they are able to repair themselves is of utmost important if you want a show-ready physique. Studies, such as this one published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, show that BCAA supplementation promoted a high level of performance recovery and muscle repair. (3)
Burns Fat
What could be better than building muscle while you burn fat? BCAA supplementation has been proven to trigger a powerful fat-burning effect. This benefit can be amplified when combined with temporary caloric restriction such as intermittent fasting. A study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine showed that those athletes supplementing with BCAAs burned a significant amount of fat when compared with those who used a placebo. (4)
Boosts Fitness Level
After a long day of dealing with the daily stresses of work, school, or home, it can be tough to give it your all once you get to the gym. Lucky for you, BCAA supplementation may help to give you that extra boost you’re looking for to improve performance and overall fitness level. As you will see in this study published in Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, subjects who were given BCAA supplements showed a marked improvement in their overall physical fitness with an emphasis on untrained healthy subjects. (7)
Increases Testosterone
Healthy levels of testosterone are especially important for men nearing the age of 30 as this is when levels peak and begin to decline. You can stop this decline in testosterone through a number of ways including exercise methodology, nutritional profile, and BCAA supplementation. This study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research demonstrates that subjects who were provided with BCAA supplementation showed significant increases of testosterone during and after resistance training. (8)
Side Effects of BCAAs
Every supplement has a dark side, right? Well, Branched Chain Amino Acid supplements may be the exception. Even the most pessimistic of health resources deem BCAA supplements to be safe for consumption. In the interest of playing the devil’s advocate, I tracked down the absolute worst-case scenarios for BCAA consumption. According to WebMD, you do not want to supplement with BCAAs if you have the following pre-existing conditions: (5)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
(Consumption of BCAA supplements may cause…)
Potential lung failure
Higher risk of death
Branched-Chain Ketoaciduria
Seizures
Severe mental and physical retardation
Chronic Alcoholism
Liver disease
Brain damage
While BCAA supplementation is deemed primarily safe in the medical field, it’s important to consider the long term ramifications of artificial sweetener and filler consumption. Most BCAA brands contain a number of artificial elements including sweeteners, fillers, and dyes. (You didn’t think BCAAs were naturally a bright blue or green color, did you?) Making these artificial compounds a part of your diet may hurt you in the long run. Consider the following studies, linking sweeteners to ill health, weight gain, and disease.
Aspartame
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Saccharin
Acesulfame Potassium
When purchasing your BCAA supplement, keep it simple and stick to the basics. There are a variety of brands available on the market that are free of these harmful artificial additives.
Ideal Ratio
The ideal ratio of BCAAs is 2:1:1. More specifically, 2.5 grams of leucine, 1.25 grams of iso-leucine, and 1.25 grams of valine. The other option would be 4:1:1. These two ratios have been proven in a variety of studies such as this one published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. There are plenty of supplement companies that will unnecessarily increase the amount of leucine to 8 or 10. They’ll also charge you double or triple the price. (6)
Best Time to Consume
The short answer is pre, intra, or post workout. It really depends on what your normal supplement program is like. For instance, the most critical time to take the supplement is 30 minutes before your workout; however, the exception to this would be if you drink a whey protein shake before your workout. That whey protein shake will be providing you with plenty of amino acids on its own.
If you do drink a shake pre-workout, then sip on your BCAAs during your workout as your muscles will need the boost. Another option, if you don’t drink a protein shake post-workout, is to use this as an opportunity to get in those BCAAs.
With that said, you also have the option of taking BCAAs with every meal. If you’re not eating a sufficient amount of protein to promote protein synthesis each meal which is around 25grams give or take for an average person, then it would be ideal to supplement BCAAs to ensure protein synthesis is maximize.
8 Popular BCAA Brands
Optimum Nutrition
40 servings for $38.99 (US)
Leucine (per serving): 2.5g
Isoleucine: 1.25g
Valine: 1.25g
Additional ingredients: N/A
Available Flavors: Unflavored, Fruit Punch, Orange
Cellucor
30 servings for $39.99 (US)
Leucine: 2.5g
Isoleucine: 1.25g
Valine: 1.25g
Additional ingredients: Artificial colors and sweeteners
Available Flavors: Lemon-Lime, Tropical Punch, Watermelon
BSN
30 servings for $19.99 (US)
Leucine: Proprietary blend
Isoleucine: Proprietary blend
Valine: Proprietary blend
Additional ingredients: Artificial colors and sweeteners
Available Flavors: Blue Raspberry, Fruit Punch, Grape, Green Apple, Watermelon
Muscle Pharm
32 servings for $37.99 (US)
Leucine: 1.5g
Isoleucine: 0.5g
Valine: 1.0g
Additional ingredients: Artificial colors and sweeteners
Available Flavors: Unflavored, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon
Dymatize
58 servings for $39.79 (US)
Leucine: 2.5g
Isoleucine: 1.25g
Valine: 1.25g
Additional ingredients: N/A
Available Flavors: Unflavored
Muscle Tech
200 servings for $39.99 (US)
Leucine: 0.8g
Isoleucine: 0.1g
Valine: 0.1g
Additional ingredients: Artificial colors and sweeteners
Available Flavors: Fruit Punch, White Grape, Green Apple
BPI
30 servings for $38.99 (US)
Leucine: 2.5g
Isoleucine: 1.25g
Valine: 1.25g
Additional ingredients: Artificial colors and sweeteners
Available Flavors: Arctic Ice, Blue Raspberry, Cherry Lime, Fruit Punch, Grape, Green Fusion, Passion Fruit, Watermelon Ice
Met RX
46 servings for $33.59 (US)
Leucine: 2.5g
Isoleucine: 1.25g
Valine: 1.25g
Additional ingredients: Artificial colors and sweeteners
Available Flavors: Unflavored, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon
BRAND
IDEAL BCAA RATIO?
ALLERGIC REACTIONS?
COST PER SERVING
Optimum Nutrition
Yes
No
$0.97 (US)
Cellucor
Yes
Possibly
$1.33 (US)
BSN
Unknown
Possibly
$0.66 (US)
Muscle Pharm
No
Possibly
$1.18 (US)
Dymatize
Yes
No
$0.68 (US)
Muscle Tech
No
Possibly
$0.19 (US)
BPI
Yes
Possibly
$1.29 (US)
Met RX
Yes
Possibly
$1.36 (US)
Is It Worth Your Money?
As many forum topics can attest to, this question will drive a furious debate. Should you be investing extra money into a Branched Chain Amino Acid supplement? Put simply: If your goals focus on muscle building and fat loss, then absolutely.
The research couldn’t be more clear: BCAAs support the exact processes you need to increase levels of fat burning and enhance lean muscle tissue growth. They play an important role in the post-workout recovery process, protecting muscle tissue from protein degradation (muscle loss) and muscular fatigue. These are the building blocks of lean muscle delivered to you in a convenient powder. What more could you ask for?
Now, with that said, I believe there is more to it than just mindlessly buying a BCAA supplement. It’s about fitness needs and quality.
Fitness needs equate to your goals. If you are serious about building noticeable lean muscle tissue or losing fat while working on defining your body, then BCAA supplements are going to be a powerful tool for promoting protein synthesis. Bear in mind that many fitness enthusiasts can get their daily intake of BCAAs from whole foods and protein shakes to promote protein synthesis adequately. So, if you believe you’re consuming adequate intakes of protein with each meal, then it absolutely won’t be necessary to purchase BCAAs.
But if you aren’t in that category, then you need to take into account of quality when purchasing BCAAs. Unfortunately, there are plenty of companies that are in the business to make money regardless of your fitness results. If you are going to invest in a BCAA supplement, spend the extra time and money to choose a high quality brand. Be sure to read the label! Avoid artificial fillers and sweeteners. Make sure the BCAA supplement achieves the ideal ratio of 2:1:1 (as discussed above). Lastly, it doesn’t hurt to use the power of internet search engines to track down deals.
Make a quality BCAA supplement a part of your nutritional program if it appropriate to help you reach your goals. Otherwise, stick to high-protein whole foods during your day-to-day nutritional choices.
References
1. Blomstrand E, Eliasson J, Karlsson HK, Köhnke R. Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. J Nutr. 2006 Jan;136(1 Suppl):269S-73S.
2. Norton, Layne, Layman, Donald. Leucine Regulates Translation Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle after Exercise. J. Nutr. February 2006 vol. 136 no. 2 533S-537S.
3. Negro M, Giardina S, Marzani B, Marzatico F. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2008 Sep;48(3):347-51.
4. Mourier A, Bigard AX, de Kerviler E, Roger B, Legrand H, Guezennec CY. Combined effects of caloric restriction and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on body composition and exercise performance in elite wrestlers. Int J Sports Med. 1997 Jan;18(1):47-55.
5. Branched Chain Amino Acids. WebMD. 2009.
6. Pasiakos SM, McClung HL, McClung JP, Margolis LM, Andersen NE, Cloutier GJ, Pikosky MA, Rood JC, Fielding RA, Young AJ. Leucine-enriched essential amino acid supplementation during moderate steady state exercise enhances postexercise muscle protein synthesis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Sep;94(3):809-18. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.111.017061. Epub 2011 Jul 20.
7. De Lorenzo A, Petroni ML, Masala S, Melchiorri G, Pietrantuono M, Perriello G, Andreoli A. Effect of acute and chronic branched-chain amino acids on energy metabolism and muscle performance. Diabetes Nutr Metab. 2003 Oct-Dec;16(5-6):291-7.
8. Sharp CP, Pearson DR. Amino acid supplements and recovery from high-intensity resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1125-30. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c7c655.
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