What are BCAAs?

You’ve probably heard that protein is the building blocks of muscle.  Your muscles are basically a big pile of stored proteins in your body.  So when you train your muscles (workout) you break them down and create damage within the muscle itself.  When it repairs itself, it grows and gets bigger and stronger. Yay, that’s what we do it for!

Nutritionally, you need to ensure you have enough protein coming in to replenish and rebuild that muscle.  Dietary protein is made up of amino acids (20 of them to be exact).  Although they are all important, there are three in particular that are like the magic sweet sauce to muscle repair.  

These three are the branched-chain amino acids – leucine, isoleucine, and valine (named that for the branched molecular structure). These are the most crucial ones responsible for helping our muscles repair and grow after tough workouts. And out of the three, leucine is the real superpower – so most BCAA supplements will have a ratio of 2-1-1 (leucine being the highest).

 

What are BCAA supplements made from?

BCAAs are made from foods like meat, dairy, and legumes, but they can also be synthesized in a laboratory.  Athletes will use these supplements pre or post workout to ensure they have sufficient amounts to achieve optimal recovery.

The BCAAs in supplements are typically derived from animal sources, such as [brace yourself, it sounds kinda gross] chicken feathers, animal fur, or animal hooves. These sources are then processed and purified [take comfort in this word!] to create a powder or capsule form that can be easily consumed as a dietary supplement.

It’s important to note that the quality and purity of BCAA supplements can vary depending on the manufacturer and the source of the amino acids. Therefore, it’s important to choose a reputable brand and consult with a qualified sports nutritionist if you’re unsure. 

 

Do BCAAs have calories or dietary protein grams?

BCAA supplements do contain calories. However, the amount is insignificant.  In fact, you won’t even find a caloric nutrition label on most BCAAs.  A typical serving of a BCAA powder supplement may contain around 5-10 calories, while a capsule supplement may contain only a few calories.

They’re also not typically measured in terms of grams of dietary protein per serving. Instead, they are measured in terms of the amount of each individual amino acid they contain. A typical serving of a BCAA powder supplement may contain around 5 grams of leucine, 2.5 grams of isoleucine, and 2.5 grams of valine.

 

What are some of the most reliable sources and manufacturers of BCAA supplements that have good quality and purity?

Like all products, look for supplements that have the manufacturing process, and third-party testing and certification. Good manufacturing processes (GMPs) are essential to ensure the quality, purity, and safety of the product. Here are some key components of good manufacturing processes for BCAA supplements:

1. Ingredient sourcing: The manufacturer should source high-quality ingredients from reputable suppliers and ensure that they are pure and free from contaminants.
2. Facility cleanliness: The manufacturing facility should be clean and free from contaminants, and the equipment used to produce the supplements should be regularly cleaned and maintained.
3. Quality control: The manufacturer should have a comprehensive quality control program in place to ensure that each batch of supplements meets the desired specifications for purity, quality, and potency.
4. Testing: The manufacturer should perform rigorous testing at various stages of the manufacturing process to ensure the safety and purity of the supplements. This should include testing for contaminants such as heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial contaminants.
5. Label accuracy: The label of the supplement should accurately reflect the contents of the product, including the amount of each amino acid contained in the supplement.
6. Third-party testing: The manufacturer may choose to have their products tested by an independent third-party laboratory to ensure the above ingredients of good manufacturing processes listed above.  Look for a stamp on the label that shows that the product has been 3rd party tested – this indicates good manufacturing processes and that their products are of the highest quality and purity, and are safe for consumers to use.

 

Some brands that are known for producing high-quality BCAA supplements:

1. Optimum Nutrition: This brand is a popular choice among athletes and bodybuilders and is known for its high-quality BCAA supplements.
2. Scivation: This brand offers a variety of BCAA supplements, including powders and capsules, and is known for its quality ingredients and manufacturing processes.
3. MusclePharm: This brand offers BCAA supplements that are third-party tested and certified to ensure purity and quality.
4. BSN: This brand is known for its high-quality BCAA supplements, which are formulated with a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
5. Xtend: This brand offers BCAA supplements that are fortified with electrolytes for hydration support.

 

Join us in the Lunchbox where we spend an entire month dishing out all the science on sports performance supplements!

 

When is the best time to take BCAAs?

The timing of BCAA supplement intake hasn’t been extensively researched, but most people chose to take them around the time of a workout to give the body the materials it needs when it needs it the most for recovery.  Alternatively, using between meals can also be helpful.

1. Before and during exercise: Taking BCAAs before or during exercise may help reduce muscle fatigue and improve exercise performance. A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that taking BCAAs before and during exercise improved endurance performance and reduced muscle soreness in trained cyclists (Ra et al., 2013).
2. Post-workout: Taking BCAAs after exercise may help support muscle recovery and repair. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that taking BCAAs after resistance exercise increased muscle protein synthesis and reduced muscle protein breakdown in healthy young men (Shimomura et al., 2004).
3. Between meals: Taking BCAAs between meals may help support muscle protein synthesis and prevent muscle breakdown. A study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism found that taking BCAAs between meals increased muscle protein synthesis and reduced muscle protein breakdown in healthy young men (Norton et al., 2012).

 

There you go, my friend 👊🏼 I hope we’ve helped you understand the what, why, and how of BCAAs supplementation.  Couple last thoughts to take away –

BCAAs are a very heavily researched sports supplement product and is considered safe and effective.  That is, it actually does what it claims.  So this one gets a ✓ in our books.

Lastly, as always when sourcing products, look for those sweetened with stevia or monk fruit instead of sucralose or sugar alcohols.  They tend to be easier to digest and have less known potentially negative impacts to inflammatory and immune processes in the body (another article to dive into one day!)

 

Click here for our BCAA Slushy recipe!

 

References:

“BCAAs: Everything You Need to Know About These Muscle-Building Amino Acids.” Healthline, 20 July 2018, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/bcaa.

“Best BCAA Supplements – Top 10 Brands Ranked for 2021.” Bodybuilding.com, 23 Apr. 2021, https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/best-bcaa-supplements.html.

“Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Guidelines/Inspection Checklist.” US Food and Drug Administration, 11 Aug. 2020, https://www.fda.gov/media/116736/download.

Ra, S. G., Miyazaki, T., Ishikura, K., Nagayama, H., Suzuki, T., & Maeda, S. (2013). Additional effects of taurine on the benefits of BCAA intake for the delayed-onset muscle soreness and muscle damage induced by high-intensity eccentric exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 10(1), 1-8.

Shimomura, Y., Inaguma, A., Watanabe, S., Yamamoto, Y., Muramatsu, Y., Bajotto, G., … & Mawatari, K. (2004). Branched-chain amino acid supplementation before squat exercise and delayed-onset muscle soreness. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 14(6), 684-696.

 

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