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Best BCAA Supplements
Standout Picks
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Effectiveness
The brand you buy needs to be able to deliver the goods, right?
In order for you to understand why these supplements are effective, in the first place, you must first know what they are. In short, BCAAs are branched-chain amino acids that feature three of the most critical essential amino acids that your body needs. You see your body needs 20 different types of amino acids to function properly. However, of those 20 only nine are considered essential and these nine can’t be made by your body. But, BCAA supplements provide you with three of them.
These three are leucine, isoleucine and valine. They make up the BCAAs and are all essential. However, you will most often see the ratio between them is 2:1:1 (in favor of leucine). The main reason for this is leucine itself is critical for muscle growth. But, even though some experts may suggest foregoing the other two amino acids, they should be included as they can increase the muscle protein synthesis even better. However, not all options on the market will deliver the same amount of BCAAs per serving. Most will offer five grams per serving but you will sometimes see more or less. As for how much your body needs, it will depend on various factors such as your gender and workout regimen.
Use
How easy a powder is to mix and subsuquently consume is going to play a major role in your decision.
Now, it is worth noting that these supplements can be bought in either powder or capsule form. But, and this is evident based on the list above, the most popular form is powder. As you may have guessed, though, you do not merely consumer the powder by itself. Doing so would be so outrageously unbearable that it would be impossible to digest. So, this means that you will need to dissolve the powder in some sort of liquid. Typically, this is going to be water but if the powder is unflavored, you may want to dissolve it in a fruit drink (or something else).
This is where a common annoyance can come into play, though. You see depending on the option that you go with, it may be nearly impossible to mix it well. The result may end up being a drink with large clumps (which no one wants to digest). Yet, if the powder is relatively easy to mix then the digesting will be much easier. So, do your research and see what other buyers have been saying about the powder.
Product Purity
It is not wise to mess around with this section as the last thing you want is to consume a formula that is not pure.
When you buy a product that is designed to improve your health in any such fashion, the purity of it will come to the forefront. As you guessed, that is no different when you go to buy a BCAA supplement. In order to ensure that you do buy a formula that is pure, you need to keep a few important things in mind. Firstly, where was the powder produced? This is not so much the geographical location as much as it is the physical location. In other words, does the manufacturer process it on state-of-the-art equipment in their own personal laboratory (or any other certified lab)?
Secondly, has it been tested? Some designers will perform rigorous testing to ensure that their formula is pure. Along the same line, you should also look for any options that are banned-substance tested. If any product is marked with this claim, it means that it was tested to be free from relevant contamination with prohibited substances. Lastly, you can look for manufacturers that obtain their BCAAs from natural botanical sources.
Potency
In addition to the actual potency of the flavor, look for a variety of flavor options.
There is one of two ways you can go about this. On one hand, you can opt for a supplement that is unflavored. Or, of course, you can go with a flavored option. Starting with the former, this can be achieved with both powders and capsules. This is pretty obvious with capsules as you merely swallow them with a glass of water or other liquid. But, with powders, there are unflavored options. Be wary, though, if you opt for this route, avoid mixing with water. Even though unflavored options will lack any one specific flavor, they are often incredibly bitter and hard to consume. To make it easier, mix these with flavored drinks (such as fruit drinks).
Now, you can also go with a specific flavor. This is probably the most popular way to go as most sellers will provide you with a strong amount of flavor options. At the same time, though, do not expect any one option to taste amazing. In fact, if you can at least get it down without gagging, you should consider that a win. Some manufacturers will compensate for the lack of sugar with added sweeteners, though, and these can be quite potent. The best thing to do is to search through consumer feedback to see what previous buyers have said about the flavor.
Value
As a consumer, you always want to spend your money wisely and here it is no different.
When you were in school, did you ever ponder to yourself when you would ever need to use math? Well, here is one such instance. If you want to determine the value of any one option then you need to look at more than just the price. While the price is one of the variables that you need to assess, there are others too. In addition, you have to keep the number of servings per bottle and how many grams of BCAAs you get per serving in mind.
So, just because one model is cheaper than the other it does not necessarily indicate that it has a better value. And, even though there is not a set algorithm to produce the best value, keeping all these variables in mind will help you buy the option you feel provides the best value.
OUR TOP PICKS FOR THE BEST BCAA SUPPLEMENTS
1. SCIVATION XTEND POWDER
When looking at all of the options on this list, none of them provide the number of acids that this powder does on a per-serving basis. That alone makes this quite compelling.
Read moreEffectiveness
In each serving, you are provided with seven grams of essential amino acids. The ratio is the common 2:1:1 (for leucine, isoleucine and valine) as this has been research-proven.
Absorption
It is recommended to take this in a bottle. This way, you can rigorously shake it to ensure that the powder mixes well with water.
Purity
In addition to the amino acids, this powder is also made with a proprietary blend of hydration-inducing electrolytes. Also, it is sugar-free.
Flavor Options
All in all, there are 17 different flavors to choose from (which is fantastic). Most buyers do note, though, that the end result is very sweet (perhaps too sweet).
Value
There are quite a few size options that you can choose between. You have options for 20, 30, 50, and 90 servings and each of the prices is quite reasonable.
Overall
At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong here. With each serving, you get seven whole grams of essential amino acids that are going to boost your exercising performance.
2. MP ESSENTIALS
If you are looking for something truly unique then this is the powder for you. Unlike virtually every other supplement out there, this one implements a 3:1:2 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine amino acids.
Read moreEffectiveness
All in all, you get six grams of amino acids with each serving of this. However, as mentioned, the ratio is much different at 3:1:2 (it is a patent-pending ratio).
Absorption
Not all powders are going to mix easily but this seems to be one that actually does. That alone is an extra incentive to go with this option that is for sure.
Purity
Because the manufacturer cares so much about the products that they put into your body, they ensure their customer base that their formula is banned-substance tested and certified by Informed-Choice.
Flavor Options
Now, this is actually served in a blue raspberry flavor. Overall, most users feel that the taste is less than to be desired. A few buyers even claim it can leave a potent aftertaste.
Value
Each individual bottle has 30 servings and in combination with the price of admission (which is not incredibly expensive), it makes the value quite good.
Overall
The unique patent-pending ratio of amino acids is what stands out here. Most BCAA supplements you see will integrate a 2:1:1 ratio; so, the 3:1:2 ratio is quite different.
3. EVLUTION NUTRITION
As with most of the top-end options on the market and on this list, this next supplement is extremely effective but not the best tasting. That is the price you pay for some of these.
Read moreEffectiveness
This formula is pretty standard as you are provided with five grams of amino acids with the ratio of 2:1:1 (again, between leucine, isoleucine, and valine).
Absorption
Whether you want to toss this in a shaker with some water or merely mix it with a spoon in some water, both methods are fairly easy.
Purity
In addition to the high quality of BCAAs, this also provides you with green coffee and green tea which are natural caffeine sources for cleaner energy.
Flavor Options
It seems that most buyers are split right down the middle. Some of them actually enjoy the flavor and others are appalled by it. Either way, though, there are 15 different flavors to choose from.
Value
Both of the capacity options come at a decent price. For the record, these options are for 30 servings or 65 servings.
Overall
In a way, you could consider this the cliché BCAA supplement. It has a flavor that can be hard to take for some of you and also the classic ratio of amino acids per serving.
4. TRUTH NUTRITION
What is so amazing about the formula that Truth Nutrition has put forth here is that it does not feature any synthetics of any kind. Instead, it is a 100 percent natural, vegan formula.
Read moreEffectiveness
Due to the 2:1:1 ratio of essential amino acids here, this is going to promote enhanced muscle endurance and reduced fatigue during your workouts. Oh yeah, and with each serving, you receive five full grams of BCAAs.
Absorption
As this is a powder, you will need to dissolve it in water. Doing so is quite convenient as the powder is going to mix rather easily in liquid.
Purity
As Truth Nutrition points out, they extracted only the best amino acids from their plants. They avoided synthesizing them with non-edible sources such as duck feather and pigskin.
Flavor Options
There are actually only two color options to choose from here. Of the two (red raspberry and watermelon), watermelon has been touted as the better flavor. Still, even some reviewers have not liked the taste.
Value
This is one of the most expensive options on the market, bar none. You get 30 servings per container and the price of one container is not cheap.
Overall
If nothing else, Truth Nutrition deserves a lot of credit for developing a supplement that is 100 percent natural. For some of you, that is extremely important.
5. OPTIMUM NUTRITION
It is quite an audacious claim for any company to label their product the gold standard. Well, that is exactly what Optimum Nutrition has done here and they were not too far off with their claim.
Read moreEffectiveness
In addition to the five full grams of amino acids (with the classic 2:1:1 ratio), you also receive 250 milligrams of wellmune and 220 milligrams of electrolytes.
Absorption
One of the issues that powder supplements can have is that they can sometimes not easily dissolve in water. Well, this has been documented as an issue by a few buyers with this product.
Purity
It is noted that this provides the quality you can expect from a brand you trust. With that said, this has been banned-substance tested for maximum purity.
Flavor Options
While there have been a few users who have criticized the flavors, this option is available in four different ones. Some of which have even been positively received by various consumers.
Value
It seems apropos that a “gold standard” product would cost a bit more than usual. That is indeed the case here and for the price, you actually only get 28 servings.
Overall
Even though this BCAA supplement is not the best on the market, no one is going to argue too much with its claim as the gold standard. Why don’t you find out for yourself?
6. BSN AMINO X
While this is yet another option that sports the infamous 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs, it delivers more grams per serving than most options on the market. If only BSN tamed it down a bit on the added sweeteners.
Read moreEffectiveness
Indeed, per each serving you take of this you will receive 10 grams of essential amino acids in the classic 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Absorption
It is advertised that this powder will mix easily without clumping. Of course, all options will be advertised in this manner but one buyer did back up this claim.
Purity
Amino X is free of any stimulants and yes, this means that it is indeed free of caffeine.
Flavor Options
As mentioned, this would probably have fared better without so many added sweeteners. However, there are 12 different flavors to choose from, so that is nice.
Value
It is mentioned in the product description that there are two main serving sizes available (30 and 70). For the price of admission, either way, this is a pretty good value.
Overall
It is easy to appreciate this option as it delivers a 10-gram blend of BCAAs per serving. If you can stomach the potency of the sweeteners, then you could have a winner here.
7. IDEALLEAN BCAA
For all you women readers out there, IdealLean has developed a formula that is specifically for you. This right here is designed to maximize weight loss for all you women out there.
Read moreEffectiveness
Looking past the 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs, this supplement also delivers coconut powder, glutamine, and citrulline to take this to the next level.
Absorption
One buyer specifically mentioned that this powder mixed quite easily with water. Speaking of which, you should mix a serving of this with around 16 ounces of water.
Purity
It is worth noting that there are both natural and artificial flavors that are included in this formula. The aforementioned additional ingredients are very nice, though.
Flavor Options
Though there are a strong variety of flavors available, most of them have been deemed too sweet. Part of the reason why is with no sugar added, too much sweetener was included.
Value
Though the value is not horrendous, each container you buy only gives you 30 servings for a pretty high price.
Overall
Much like with the last option, you will need to put up with the extra sweetness of this supplement. With that said, this is an excellent option for women.
8. BULKSUPPLEMENTS
This option is unique in a way that you may not have expected it to. For whatever reason, it is packaged in a pouch instead of in a bottle. While this can be annoying at times, the formula itself is very effective.
Read moreEffectiveness
Though this delivers all the amino acids you come to expect in a BCAA supplement, it only provides 1.5 grams per serving. As compared to others, this is significantly lower.
Absorption
Let’s just say that this is a very fine powder. While this makes mixing much easier, it also makes transferring the powder from the package much messier.
Purity
There are no fillers or additives present in this formula. In addition, it is lab-tested for the utmost purity.
Flavor Options
It is advised to mix this powder with smoothies or other fruit drinks. The reason for this is the powder is extremely bitter tasting and not pleasant in the slightest.
Value
Your eyes have not been deceived; this has 333 servings (with other size options available). The serving size only provides 1.5 grams of BCAAs but the entire package does account for 500 grams (making this an excellent value).
Overall
In spite of the packaging flaws, this is actually a very strong option. The amino-acid count is a bit lower (per serving), but the package does a hold a ton of substance.
9. OPTIMUM NUTRITION INSTANTIZED
Coming up next is another option from Optimum Nutrition. However, while it is more than effective, both the taste and ease of mixing have been criticized by various users.
Read moreEffectiveness
What else would you expect from Optimum Nutrition? Their formula that is present here delivers five full grams of amino acids in the optimal 2:1:1 ratio.
Absorption
As one annoyed reviewer pointed out, you may need a blender to efficiently mix this powder in liquid. If you plan to mix it by hand, you better exert some elbow grease.
Purity
One reason you can put your faith in a company such as Optimum Nutrition is they own and operate state-of-the-art production facilities. Oh yeah, and each of them is GMP compliant.
Flavor Options
While you can buy this with a specific flavored option, the option is also there to buy an unflavored powder. As with most options, though, the taste is going to depend on your personal preferences.
Value
For the price of admission for the 60-serving container, the value is pretty darn good. Factor in the high amount of BCAAs per serving and the value becomes even better yet.
Overall
When it comes down to it, it really is hard to go wrong with anything that this seller produces. Admittedly, though, a drawback is how difficult the powder can be to mix.
10. NOW SPORTS
As great as this last option is, it probably has the two most common issues of these types of supplements (alluding to the flavor and the mixing). It is certainly effective, though.
Read moreEffectiveness
Per serving, you get right around five grams of leucine, isoleucine, and valine in the classic 2:1:1 ratio. You really can’t go wrong with this, folks.
Absorption
Here is the good news; you can buy this in capsule form. If you do go with the powder, do not that it has been crucified for being utterly unmixable.
Purity
In addition to the fact that this is soy-free and gluten-free, it has also been produced in a state-of-the-art testing laboratory. Here, this has undergone rigorous testing to ensure optimal purity.
Flavor Options
Spoiler alert, this is not flavored. A common complaint with this brand is that the bitterness can be tasted regardless of what it is mixed with.
Value
Overall, the value is quite good here. There are different seller options available and you can even buy in bulk if you so desire.
Overall
It is reassuring to know just how much thought and care has been exerted into this supplement. For some of you, though, that alone will not be enough to overcome the unpleasant taste and pain of mixing.
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