Branch Chain Amino Acids

Do You Really Need Branch Chain Amino Acids?

For many years Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) were sold as an excellent supplement for weight lifters and athletes. BCAA's are the amino acids leucine, isoleucine, and valine. They are called essential amino acids because human beings need to consume these aminos via food and we cannot survive without them. Other amino acids can be made by the body via other nutrition that we consume. So it's obvious that the BCAA's are vital for athletic performance as well as general health and wellbeing.

For many years Branch Chain Amino Acids were sold in a tablet or capsule form that athletes and weight lifters used to help recover from their workouts. Other protein supplements used to be of very poor quality and some protein powders were hard to digest. The BCAA pills made sense and were very easy to use.

Whey Protein is 25% Branch Chain Amino Acids

In modern times the supplement industry has developed whey protein powders to very high quality standards. These protein powders are easy to mix and consume. Whey protein is also extremely high in Branch Chain Amino Acids. In fact, whey protein is about 25% BCAA.

Common dietary sources of BCAA's include eggs, cow’s milk and red meat. BCAA's make up 40% of the free amino acids in blood plasma. They constitute roughly 35% of the essential amino acids in food.

With the quality and affordability of whey protein the need for specific Branch Chain Amino Acids supplements has fallen away. BCAA supplements are quite expensive and it is harder now to justify spending the money when you can access higher doses of BCAA's via whey protein.