7 Best-Selling BCAA Supplements for Muscle Recovery
Which BCAA supplements are right for you? Branched-Chain Amino Acids are essential nutrients that the body uses for a list of health benefits. I have created a list of the Best BCAAs to help you figure out which ones will be right for you.
Those of you who follow me, know that I am a distributor for AdvoCare and I stand by their products. I even wrote an article about their top products. With that being said I do realize that a lot of my followers don't use AdvoCare including my husband. I am perfectly okay with that and still want to help you find the best products to use.
What are BCAAs?
BCAAs are used in medicine to help treat numerous diseases, but what most people use it to prevent fatigue and improve concentration. Athletes use it to improve exercise execution and limit protein and muscle breakdown during intense exercise. Branched-chain amino acids initiate the building of protein in muscle and potentially diminish muscle breakdown.
Per one of my favorite movie quotes:
"Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands." – Elle Woods, Legally Blonde
While this is true it also causes you to release serotonin which unlike endorphins actually makes you feel tired. BCAAs can potentially aid in lowering serotonin levels during endurance workouts.
The essential amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine which are the main components of BCAAs, help transport proteins for faster absorption, which translates to faster post-workout recovery and better performance results. They also help reduce tissue damage that usually happens after intense strength training. These BCAAs are broken down in Skeletal Muscle, which suggests your body can break them down rapidly for energy..
7 Best-Selling BCAA’s
This drink mix is the number one selling BCAA mix on Amazon. It is designed with 7 grams of BCAAs.
Xtend is a sugar-free, carbohydrate-free, zero-calorie drink that uses a 2:1:1 “Research-Proven” ratio. The mixture is designed to help boost muscle growth and strength. Xtend aids in keeping the body hydrated before, during and after the workout with an electrolyte blend.
Scivation Xtend is used by professional athletes, fighters, bodybuilders and regular gym goers so they can train longer, harder and with more intensity. Xtend comes in 19 flavors and 8 different sizes.
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Optimum Nutrition Instantized BCAAs are give you 1000mg of BCAAs per serving in an easy to swallow capsule. Similar to the Xtend listed above, they also use the 2:1:1 ratio of Leucine to Isoleucine and Valine to aid in muscle growth and recovery.
The capsules are recommended to be taken first thing in the morning, 30 minutes prior to training or 30 minutes after training. Used before endurance training, the Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs) leucine, isoleucine, and valine can support your muscles.
If taken after strength training, the BCAAS aid in activating protein synthesis which plays a critical role in muscle-building. ON Instantized BCAAs come in 3 serving sizes.
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Here is another BCAA by Optimum Nutrition, in a powder form that also has Green Tea and Green Coffee extract for energy. ON Essential Amino Energy contains 100mg of Caffeine to give the extra boost of energy to get you through the day or a grueling workout.
The BCAAs are mixed in together to support muscle recovery and aid in mental focus throughout the day. It is designed to be able to take any time of the day including early mornings, afternoon or before a workout.
ON Essential Amino Energy has only 5 calories, 1G of Carbs, no sugar and is available in 11 flavors and 4 sizes.
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Zhou Nutrition Muscle BCAA was developed using the 2:1:1 ratio of essential amino acids Leucine, Isoleucine, and valine. This ratio is shown to aid in muscle recovery, building lean muscle, fighting fatigue, and increasing fat loss.
These essential amino acids are the building blocks for faster muscle recovery which helps get you back into the gym for another workout faster. These helps with all the GAINS.
Zhou Nutrition Muscle comes in capsule form designed to be taken before a workout to help fight fatigue or after a workout to aid in the recovery process.
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BCAA5000 comes in a powder with 5 grams of BCAAs per serving. It is also gluten-free. Evlution Nutrition created these BCAAs with no sugar and zero calories.
BCAA5000 supports muscle repair, lean mass, endurance, protein synthesis, and boost recovery. This mixture is designed with the 2:1:1 ratio of amino acids proven to aid in protein synthesis for muscle recovery.
BCAA5000 was made with easy mixing capabilities, simply toss in a shaker or stir with a spoon and comes in multiple flavors.
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BPI Sports Best BCAA powder stimulates muscle-building and strength by aiding in the prevention of protein catabolism. It also supports muscle repair and recovery. Best BCAA is sugar-free and helps provide proper hydration during workouts.
Best BCAA utilizes “Oligopeptide-Enzymatic Technology” which is a bonded chain of 3 key amino acids that work as an improved carrying vehicle for better absorption.
Consume one scoop prior to your workout to support better performance, one scoop throughout workouts to help burn fat and conserve muscle and/or one scoop after your workout to fast-track recovery.
Best BCAA has also received the ChromaDex Quality Verified Seal that means the meticulous, third-party testing each bottle goes through to guarantee it is of the highest quality possible.
It comes in 14 flavors and 3 sizes.
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MusclePharm created Essentials BCAA powder with 6 grams of BCAAs per serving, zero calories, zero carbs, and zero sugar. MP uses a 3:1:2 ratio of Leucine to Isoleucine to Valine.
L-Leucine is an essential amino acid that aids in promoting muscle growth and muscle protein synthesis. What this means for you is ideal recovery from intense training. L-Valine, another essential amino acid helps muscle growth and tissue repair by operating as fuel for muscle-building reactions.
If you have been paying attention, MP Essentials has a higher concentration of both of these amino acids than any of the other BCAAs that were listed.
All MuclePharm products have undergone testing to ensure that they do not contain banned substances that appear on lists from organizations such as the NFL, MLB, NCAA, AFL, NRL, and WADA. This product comes in 3 flavors and 2 sizes.
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BCAA Muscle Recovery
Regardless of which BCAAs you go with know that they help aid in muscle recovery and growth. The differences are going to come down to the amount of protein and the ration of essential amino acids. Another difference will be in how it is consumed, powder or capsules. This is really going to be a personal preference more than anything.
A few even have caffeine and other ingredients to help provide a boost of energy. If that is what you are looking for then that is great. There was even a gluten-free option. Please always read the ingredients to help figure out what will work best for you.
With all that being said I have to add a few things. There is not dependable evidence about the efficiency of branched-chain amino acids for athletic performance. Nevertheless, some research implies that it could diminish tiredness and muscle soreness connected with exercising