Branched-Chain Amino Acids - Top 3 Supplements & Conclusion
<< Part 6 - How Much Should I Take and When? <<
Now that we’ve built up a great informational background about branched-chain amino acids you’re probably ready to start supplementing.
But where do you start?
Let me help guide you by telling you about three of some of the top rated BCAA supplements out there. Yes, I know there are TONS of BCAA supplements out there, but we're going to focus on what customers seem to like the best.
Top 3 BCAA Supplements
Optimum BCAA 5000 Powder
You can save a good amount of money by buying your branched-chain amino acids in powder form in bulk. Optimum Nutrition makes a supplement that fits right into that category.
The BCAA 5000 Powder comes in a 336 gram container, which could last you about two months depending on how many servings you take a day.
A heaping teaspoon will have 5 grams of BCAAs in it.
Their mix is 50% leucine, 25% valine and 25% isoleucine which is pretty close to the recommended ratio I mentioned earlier.
This is the ratio you’re going to see in a lot of BCAA supplements: 2:1:1.
AST BCAA 4500
If mixing powder into a beverage isn’t for you then you might want to go with AST’s BCAA 4500 supplement.
Their supplement comes in capsules so it might save you a little time and hassle.
You can get them in 500 capsule bottles but you’re going to have to pop 6 capsules to get a serving!
One bottle could last you close to 3 months depending on how many servings you take a day.
Their branched-chain amino acid is the same as above (2:1:1) but you’re only going to get 4.5 grams per serving with this supplement, so that's a minor catch 22.
But if you're OK with popping 6 capsules at a time, and not getting a full 5 grams per serving, then this might be perfect for you.
Supplement Direct BCAA
You’ll save even more if you go with Supplement Direct’s BCAA powder.
You can get a 250 gram or a 500 gram container, which should last you a while.
One scoop will only contain 2.5 grams of BCAAs but that means you get 100 to 200 servings per container, depending on the size you get. (Or 50 to 100 servings if you want a full 5 gram serving)
Their mix is the standard 2:1:1 ratio.
But hey, maybe you want more options than 3 different brands, so check out the BCAA selection over at Bodybuilding.com... they have some of the best prices around, their shipping is super fast and they usually hook you up with a bunch of free samples with every order!
I hope that you’ve learned a lot about branched-chain amino acids from this series of articles and will start seeing results from them, if you decide to start supplementing.
By now you should know:
- What BCAAs are
- How BCAA supplementation came about
- The benefits of supplementing with BCAAs
- What studies have proven BCAAs are capable of
- The possible side effects of BCAAs
- How much and when you should take BCAAs
And now you know three of the top branched-chain amino acid supplements out there today.
Have fun reaching your fitness goals and aim for progress!
