Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard BCAA Train + Sustain, Amino Acids Pre Workout Powder, Sports Drink with Vitamin C, Zinc, Magnesium and Electrolytes, Strawberry Kiwi Flavour, 28 Servings, 266 g

Product Information

AbuMoh’d, M. F., Matalqah, L., & Al-Abdulla, Z. (2020). Effects of Oral Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) Intake on Muscular and Central Fatigue During an Incremental Exercise. Journal of human kinetics, 72, 69–78. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2019-0099

Used in the biosynthesis of proteins, this branched-chain amino acid may help prevent muscle breakdown, and promote fat burning. ( 9) Valine Increased hydration so that you can train for longer and with the intensity needed to get the best results. Anyone who wants to avoid the artificial sweeteners that can be so common in these products. All you’re getting here is BCAAs and a gelatin capsule. A ubiquitous addition to pre-workouts, one-and-a-half to four grams of this stuff has been shown to improve endurance and possibly hypertrophy. It’s possible that it also has some anti-aging effects, as it can increase the amount of carnosine (an antioxidant) in the body. ( 13) Citrulline Malate Anyone who doesn’t want to take six pills at a time for a three-gram dose (or more to reach a 10-gram dose).This may not seem like an important factor, but when you’re dieted down, a great-tasting BCAA can be a godsend. Optimum offers four refreshing flavors—Fruit Punch, Strawberry Kiwi, Cranberry Lemonade and Watermelon. 6. Low Calorie Fielding, R., Riede, L., Lugo, J. P., & Bellamine, A. (2018). l-Carnitine Supplementation in Recovery after Exercise. Nutrients, 10(3), 349. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10030349 Anyone looking for a supplement with a ton of extra vitamins — other options might be more appealing. Athletes who are looking for ingredients that specifically help with fat loss can find other BCAA supplements to support them.

Men who want a BCAA supplement they can take before, during and/or after their workout to make sure they are replenishing lost amino acids to help with muscle gains. Swolverine INTRA has a formula that’s optimized to support tough workout sessions with ingredients designed to potentially aid in endurance, recovery, and hydration. The BCAA matrix is 4,300mg of a 2:1:1 ratio of aminos to potentially aid in endurance and recovery. Each scoop also provides 800mg of ginseng, which may help increase energy. The hydration-oriented ingredients are 500mg of coconut water powder and 400mg of pink Himalayan salt. Physical activity can activate mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways, which signals that the muscles need to recover and rebuild. Leucine, in particular, helps to ‘switch on’ muscle protein synthesis by signaling and regulating mTOR pathways. Over time, resistance training combined with proper rest and nutrition can lead to muscle growth – otherwise known as hypertrophy. BCAAS CAN SERVE AS A FUEL SOURCE FOR WORKING MUSCLESThose who are on a budget — this product is a little more expensive than some of the others on this list. BCAAs have the potential to act as a fuel source for exercising muscle and other tissues. BCAAs can be used as fuel during prolonged activities and endurance activities like cycling and running. BCAAS FOODS Protein powders, especially high-quality whey isolates, have naturally occurring BCAAs in them. Swolverine’s whey protein isolate has around 5.5g of BCAAs per serving, which comes from 26g of whey protein. While this may be lower than some standalone BCAA supplements, it’s still a solid amount, and if you consider the additional amino acids you get from 26g of protein, that’s a substantial potential stimulus for muscle recovery.

Gleeson M. Dosing and efficacy of glutamine supplementation in human exercise and sport training. J Nutr. 2008 Oct;138(10):2045S-2049S. doi: 10.1093/jn/138.10.2045S. PMID: 18806122.Anyone who prefers to take their BCAA supplement while they are working out to potentially help build muscle at the gym. This is an intra-workout supplement. Athletes who want coconut water powder included in their supplement for potential added hydration throughout their workout. Athletes who want a protein powder that may be easier to digest thanks to the inclusion of digestive enzymes. No caffeine, so you can feel secure using this product any time of day, knowing that it won’t impact your sleep. Perfect for those who are caffeine-sensitive!

If you’re looking for a naturally sweetened BCAA product without a bunch of added carbs or fats you’ll appreciate that this is almost entirely protein. A zero-calorie option that you can enjoy at any time, which is important if you’re dieting or looking to make lean gains. Anyone who is hoping to get some micronutrients from this formula will appreciate it contains 100 percent of your RDI for B6. Muscle wasting is a sign of malnutrition and occurs with chronic infections, cancer, periods of fasting, and as a natural part of the aging process ( 19, 20).

Suggested Use

Anyone who wants to take a more straightforward blend of BCAAs without the added pre-workout ingredients. Pre-Kaged is one of the most versatile BCAA supplements on this list as it’s not a dedicated BCAA supplement, but rather a pre-workout supplement that contains BCAAs. Though BCAAs are less common in pre-workouts, this one has a solid dose of fermented BCAAs, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, all of which can help with muscle growth, fatigue, and recovery. Note that if your priority is building muscle mass, you still need to eat enough calories and protein, get enough sleep, eat the right micronutrients, and so on. Nonetheless, on days when you haven’t been hitting every macronutrient goal, many athletes find BCAAs useful. How Much Do BCAAs Cost? A serving of Swolverine’s whey isolate contains 26g of protein, which provides approximately 5.5g of BCAAs, and remains otherwise lean with just half a gram of fat and one gram of carbs. The added digestive enzymes can potentially help break down the larger protein molecules into smaller amino acids more efficiently, as well, which can help with the effectiveness of the BCAAs.