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Once a niche athletic supplement, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) have exploded in popularity as a means to improve muscle retention, fat loss, endurance, and focus during workouts. Today, hundreds of different BCAAs on the market include stimulants, adaptogens, micronutrients, and extracts to make them stand out from the crowd. Our goal here is to help you find the best BCAA supplements for muscle gain, keto dieters, weight loss, and a lot more.
It’s not uncommon to see BCAAs packaged with other supplements like caffeine, glutamine, taurine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and other ingredients that may benefit workout performance. In this article, we’ve taken the BCAAs, the extra components, the price, and the taste into account when deciding the best brand depending on your goal.
Best BCAA Supplements
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best BCAA Overall
Our top pick is a BCAA formula with a solid blend of BCAAs that contains no artificial flavors and is vegan-friendly, which makes it a great option for most customers who want to add more amino acids to their supplement regimen.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Transparent Labs’ BCAA powder is both vegan-friendly and contains coconut water powder for hydration and a high 5,000mg dose of glutamine, which can help build muscle tissue. Transparent Labs’ supplement is simple, but still includes eight grams of quality BCAAs, and comes in six different flavors for variety. For those concerned with the transparency of their labels, this product lists every ingredient and ensures there are no artificial flavors, colors, ingredients, or preservatives.
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Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
This glutamine supplement is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial preservatives. Each container provides 30 servings that contain 5000 milligrams of L-Glutamine and 1,535 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Best BCAA for Men
For men working to build muscle, a dose of BCAAs may help you pump longer and harder. This particular supplement provides 7,000mg of BCAAs and a dose of electrolytes for hydration.
Plantrise Amino Complex
While many of BCAAs’ properties revolve around recovery, they can also help increase muscle growth. The amino acid leucine is particularly key for building muscle as it can stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and since amino acids can be depleted as you exercise, it’s important to make sure you start out with enough to work with.
Plantrise contains 3,500mg of leucine, as well as other BCAAs, like l-isoleucine and l-valine. Plus, there’s an added dose of coconut water powder for hydration to make sure you’re hitting all your marks 20 to 30 minutes before your workout. It’s worth noting that this supplement only comes in one flavor — blue raspberry — though, so if you’re looking for flavor variety, you will not find it here.
Plantrise Amino Complex
Made with 7,000 BCAAs, this formula is also infused with 50mg of coconut water to provide added electrolytes for hydration, and it comes in a delicious blue raspberry flavor.
Who Should Buy Plantrise Amino Complex
Best BCAA for Muscle Growth
If muscle growth is your goal, then your primary concern should be eating enough calories and macronutrients throughout the day. (Here’s a macro calculator for that.) But when it comes to BCAAs, you might want something that supports in-gym performance and offers optimal BCAA ingredients.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
If you’re working to build muscle in the gym, you’re likely keyed in on a lot of helpful energy-boosting and muscle-building supplements — like protein powder and pre-workout — already. If you already have a solidified regimen, you may be looking for just a basic BCAA blend without any extra ingredients — this product is just that. Along with 5,000mg of glutamine — which can be an important tool in building muscle tissue — this product also contains a blend of 4,000mg of leucine, 2,000mg of isoleucine, and 2,000mg of valine.
Outside of these key amino acids that can help with muscle growth, re-growth, and recovery, this product only contains coconut water powder and vitamin C. It also comes in six flavors — Tropical Punch, Green Apple, Sour Grape, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blue Raspberry.
10% Off
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
This glutamine supplement is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial preservatives. Each container provides 30 servings that contain 5000 milligrams of L-Glutamine and 1,535 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Best BCAAs for Electrolytes
While many BCAAs include micronutrients — like vitamin C and B vitamins — in addition to the BCAAs, this pick includes electrolytes to help promote optimal hydration.
Plantrise Amino Complex
Plantrise Amino Complex is a blend of essential amino acids, which are high in branched-chain amino acids. Along with 7,000mg of BCAAs, this formula is also infused with 50mg of coconut water to provide added electrolytes that can help with hydration, potentially leading to better athletic performance and endurance. It comes in a blue raspberry flavor and mixes seamlessly with water for easy digestion 20 to 30 minutes prior to your workout.
Plantrise Amino Complex
Made with 7,000 BCAAs, this formula is also infused with 50mg of coconut water to provide added electrolytes for hydration, and it comes in a delicious blue raspberry flavor.
Who Should Buy Plantrise Amino Complex
Best BCAA for Workouts
Essential amino acids contain all three BCAAs — leucine, isoleucine, and valine — but they also contain the other six EAAs. This is one of our favorite intra workout supplements that includes all nine essential amino acids.
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAAs is ideal if you’re looking for a supplement that not only contains the three BCAAs, but also contains the six additional EAAs. This product contains 6.7 grams of EAAs, as well as two grams of citrulline malate and one gram of ElevATP®, which both may help with strength, endurance, and power output. Plus, Transparent Labs also includes one gram of coconut water powder to potentially help with hydration during your workout. This product also comes in a Strawberry Lemonade that is quite tasty.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA not only contains the three BCAAs, but it also contains the six additional EAAs. This product includes 6.7 grams of EAAs, as well as two grams of citrulline malate and one gram of ElevATP.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA
Best BCAA Pills
There are a lot of benefits to taking your BCAAs in pill form instead: You can take them with you to the gym or on the road, which is great if you’re going for long periods between meals, as you do sometimes when you’re out and about.
Performance Lab BCAA
Though pills may not be as easily digested as powder mixed into water, they are definitely the most convenient way to take your BCAAs. Performance Lab has the best BCAA pills we’ve tried. These are extremely straightforward, with very few added ingredients, and the 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine that many customers are looking for in their BCAA supplement. Performance Lab BCAAs are fermented and vegan-friendly, plus they don’t contain any artificial sweeteners. However, this product is a little more expensive than others on this list — you’re paying for its convenience factor.
Best BCAA Pills
Performance Lab BCAA
An incredibly straightforward BCAA supplement in the 2:1:1 ratio many athletes are looking for. The BCAAs are vegan-friendly and in capsule form.
Who Should Buy Performance Lab BCAA
Best BCAA With Minerals
This pick is a great all-rounder if you want an effective supplement that contains what it claims and doesn’t have a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles.
Sculpt Nation BCAAs
This BCAA powder has some helpful extras, namely 200mg of an Aquaminineral™ complex. Its fruit punch flavor packs a delicious wallop, and the product doesn’t contain stimulants. It’s a simple, straightforward formula that’s an enjoyable drink inside and outside the gym.
Save 25%
Sculpt Nation BCAAs
Sculpt Nation's BCAAs contain 4.5 grams per serving of their amino blend, plus an added mineral complex. The fruit punch supplement packs a great deal of flavor and is best enjoyed shaken and over ice. Get 25% off site wide with code "SculptTB25".
Who Should Buy Sculpt Nation BCAAs
Best BCAA for Women
If paired with a healthy diet, BCAAs can be a great addition to a female athlete’s supplement stash for their potential to minimize fatigue and help maintain lean muscle gains made in the gym.
IdealLean BCAA
IdealLean is marketed specifically to women for its potential to boost metabolism and increase fat burn. This product has zero calories and five grams of branched chain amino acids per serving — the BCAAs have a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine. It contains the “IdealLean Fat Loss Blend” which is a mix of the amino acid phosphatidylserine, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), green tea extract, and ThermoDiamine® that may potentially help with fat loss.
It’s also got a solid dose of B vitamins, magnesium, l-citrulline, l-glutamine, and coconut water powder. This product comes in seven different flavors, which include Peach Rings, Orange Paradise, Grape Explosion, Peach Lemonade, Blueberry Pomegranate, Tropical Dragonfruit, and Strawberry Kiwi.
IdealLean BCAA
This supplement delivers over 5 grams of 2:1:1 ratio BCAAs to fuel every type of workout. It's marketed to women, but it's a great supplement for anyone looking to potentially help boost their metabolism.
Who Should Buy IdealLean BCAA
Best Tasting BCAA
If you’re trying to sneak more BCAAs into your diet, it’s important that the vehicle you’re using to sneak them in actually tastes good. This product is one of the best-tasting BCAA blends we tried.
Kaged Muscle In-Kaged
Though Kaged Muscle In-Kaged only comes in three flavors, they are three of our favorites when it comes to BCAA supplements. You can buy In-Kaged in Blue Raspberry, Cherry Lemonade, and Watermelon, all of which are naturally flavored (although not naturally sweetened). This powder dissolves well into water, and is intended to be sipped on during your workout to help prevent muscle breakdown.
In addition to BCAAs you’ll find citrulline, tyrosine, taurine, caffeine, and coconut water powder. This may be one of the more expensive products on this list though, as it comes in small containers of 20 servings, which means you’ll probably have to replenish your stock fairly often.
Get 10% Off
KAGED MUSCLE In-Kaged
Looking to put on size? The increased blood flow and focus you get from In-Kaged allows you to work harder in the gym for more muscle. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off your purchase.
Who Should Buy Kaged Muscle In-Kaged
Best BCAA Pre-Workout
While some may be looking for a straight-forward BCAA supplement, others may want to just combine their BCAAs and their pre-workout. This pre-workout contains a solid dose of BCAAs to help consolidate your supplement stash.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
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.
This product also contains caffeine (274mg), beta-alanine, citrulline, betaine, and creatine, which make for a variety of energy-boosting and workout-enhancing ingredients. Plus, there’s a good amount of taurine and tyrosine that may help with focus throughout your workout.
Kaged Muscle Pre-KAGED
A tasty pre-workout jam-packed with niacin and many other ingredients linked to power, blood flow, endurance, muscle pump, and focus, as well as antioxidants.
Who Should Buy Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
Best BCAAs for Weight Loss
Many take BCAAs to help preserve muscle when in a calorie deficit, and some products — like this one — even add extra ingredients with links to weight loss.
Disclaimer: Please note that none of these products describe themselves as weight loss supplements and should not be taken as such. Please consult with a medical professional before beginning any weight loss protocol.
IdealLean BCAA
IdealLean BCAAs for Women has the most dedicated weight loss ingredients. Along with a respected ratio of 2:1:1 of leucine to isoleucine to valine, this product includes evodiamine, a berry extract that’s been linked to fat loss in rodent studies; green tea extract; and CLA, a type of fat that may help with weight management. Note that these ingredients are present in relatively small amounts, but there may be some effect. This product also comes in seven different flavors for variety, and is fairly inexpensive compared to the other products on this list.
IdealLean BCAA
This supplement delivers over 5 grams of 2:1:1 ratio BCAAs to fuel every type of workout. It's marketed to women, but it's a great supplement for anyone looking to potentially help boost their metabolism.
Who Should Buy IdealLean BCAA
Best Vegan BCAAs
For plant-based eaters, it’s important to know that what you’re taking is free of any and all animal products — this is a solid vegan BCAA supplement.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Transparent Labs doesn’t use any animal products or artificial coloring or sweeteners in their BCAA formula. They offer complete transparency on their label, so you know exactly what you’re getting in each scoop. With a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine and valine, and a high 5,000mg dose of glutamine, these BCAAs may help boost muscle growth and assist with muscle fatigue and recovery. This product comes in six flavors and you can buy up to three tubs at a time to bring down the cost per serving.
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Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
This glutamine supplement is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial preservatives. Each container provides 30 servings that contain 5000 milligrams of L-Glutamine and 1,535 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Best BCAA for Keto
Ketogenic diets are ultra low-carb and often relatively low in protein, so many supplements with branched-chain amino acids can help retain muscle.
Cellucor Alpha Amino
Cellucor Alpha Amino is our top choice for people on a ketogenic diet. It has very few calories and no carbs, so there’s little risk of it kicking you out of ketosis, and it’s also pretty high in magnesium, sodium, and potassium — minerals that are usually recommended as important supplements for people following the high-fat diet. It contains five grams of BCAAs, which includes the desired 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine. It’s worth noting, however, that this is not the cheapest product on the market.
Cellucor Alpha Amino
With zero grams of sugar, this is an ideal formula for anyone on the low-carb, high-fat keto diet. It also packs 750mg of creatine HCL for improved in-gym performance.
Who Should Buy Cellucor Alpha Amino
It’s not uncommon to see BCAAs packaged with other supplements like caffeine, glutamine, taurine, beta-alanine, citrulline malate, and other ingredients that may benefit workout performance. In this article, we’ve taken the BCAAs, the extra components, the price, and the taste into account when deciding the best brand depending on your goal.
Best BCAA Supplements
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best BCAA Overall
Our top pick is a BCAA formula with a solid blend of BCAAs that contains no artificial flavors and is vegan-friendly, which makes it a great option for most customers who want to add more amino acids to their supplement regimen.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Transparent Labs’ BCAA powder is both vegan-friendly and contains coconut water powder for hydration and a high 5,000mg dose of glutamine, which can help build muscle tissue. Transparent Labs’ supplement is simple, but still includes eight grams of quality BCAAs, and comes in six different flavors for variety. For those concerned with the transparency of their labels, this product lists every ingredient and ensures there are no artificial flavors, colors, ingredients, or preservatives.
10% Off
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
This glutamine supplement is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial preservatives. Each container provides 30 servings that contain 5000 milligrams of L-Glutamine and 1,535 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
- Athletes looking for a quality vegan BCAA supplement. This one packs eight grams of BCAAS, five grams of glutamine, coconut water powder, and citric acid.
- Lifters who want a supplement without artificial flavors, colors, ingredients, or preservatives. Transparent Labs’ formula has none of these extras.
- Vegans and vegetarians. Transparent Labs’ BCAA product is vegan-friendly.
- Anyone looking for a supplement with a ton of extra vitamins and electrolytes — other pre-workout options might be more appealing.
- People who want a very sweet-tasting supplement regardless of flavor. This one tastes a tad dull.
Best BCAA for Men
For men working to build muscle, a dose of BCAAs may help you pump longer and harder. This particular supplement provides 7,000mg of BCAAs and a dose of electrolytes for hydration.
Plantrise Amino Complex
While many of BCAAs’ properties revolve around recovery, they can also help increase muscle growth. The amino acid leucine is particularly key for building muscle as it can stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and since amino acids can be depleted as you exercise, it’s important to make sure you start out with enough to work with.
Plantrise contains 3,500mg of leucine, as well as other BCAAs, like l-isoleucine and l-valine. Plus, there’s an added dose of coconut water powder for hydration to make sure you’re hitting all your marks 20 to 30 minutes before your workout. It’s worth noting that this supplement only comes in one flavor — blue raspberry — though, so if you’re looking for flavor variety, you will not find it here.
Plantrise Amino Complex
Made with 7,000 BCAAs, this formula is also infused with 50mg of coconut water to provide added electrolytes for hydration, and it comes in a delicious blue raspberry flavor.
Who Should Buy Plantrise Amino Complex
- Men who want a BCAA supplement they can take pre-workout to make sure they are starting their session off with plenty of amino acids.
- Anyone who’s going hard at the gym and is looking for an increase in energy and endurance, as well as a decrease in fatigue.
- Athletes who are concerned about dehydration and want a BCAA supplement with coconut water powder to help stay hydrated.
- Buyers who want to have more than one option in flavor — this product only comes in blue raspberry.
- Anyone who would prefer a BCAA supplement they should take mid-workout. There are intra-workout BCAAs out there.
Best BCAA for Muscle Growth
If muscle growth is your goal, then your primary concern should be eating enough calories and macronutrients throughout the day. (Here’s a macro calculator for that.) But when it comes to BCAAs, you might want something that supports in-gym performance and offers optimal BCAA ingredients.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
If you’re working to build muscle in the gym, you’re likely keyed in on a lot of helpful energy-boosting and muscle-building supplements — like protein powder and pre-workout — already. If you already have a solidified regimen, you may be looking for just a basic BCAA blend without any extra ingredients — this product is just that. Along with 5,000mg of glutamine — which can be an important tool in building muscle tissue — this product also contains a blend of 4,000mg of leucine, 2,000mg of isoleucine, and 2,000mg of valine.
Outside of these key amino acids that can help with muscle growth, re-growth, and recovery, this product only contains coconut water powder and vitamin C. It also comes in six flavors — Tropical Punch, Green Apple, Sour Grape, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, and Blue Raspberry.
10% Off
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
This glutamine supplement is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial preservatives. Each container provides 30 servings that contain 5000 milligrams of L-Glutamine and 1,535 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
- Bodybuilders or anyone looking to gain muscle. This formula facilitates that goal better than other picks on this list.
- People who aren’t looking for a pre-workout or any other energy-boosting ingredients in their BCAA supplement.
- Folks who want a variety of flavors to choose from — this one has six.
- Penny pinchers. This isn’t necessarily super expensive, but it’s also not the lowest budget option on this list.
- Folks who want to take their BCAAs in a pre-workout, or who want more energy-boosting or performance-enhancing ingredients in their BCAA blend.
Best BCAAs for Electrolytes
While many BCAAs include micronutrients — like vitamin C and B vitamins — in addition to the BCAAs, this pick includes electrolytes to help promote optimal hydration.
Plantrise Amino Complex
Plantrise Amino Complex is a blend of essential amino acids, which are high in branched-chain amino acids. Along with 7,000mg of BCAAs, this formula is also infused with 50mg of coconut water to provide added electrolytes that can help with hydration, potentially leading to better athletic performance and endurance. It comes in a blue raspberry flavor and mixes seamlessly with water for easy digestion 20 to 30 minutes prior to your workout.
Plantrise Amino Complex
Made with 7,000 BCAAs, this formula is also infused with 50mg of coconut water to provide added electrolytes for hydration, and it comes in a delicious blue raspberry flavor.
Who Should Buy Plantrise Amino Complex
- Athletes who prioritize hydration and want coconut water infused into their BCAA supplement.
- Anyone who follows a plant-based diet will like that these are vegan-friendly.
- People who prefer a powder supplement over a pill supplement.
- Athletes who would prefer a BCAA supplement with added vitamins will want to look for a product with a more robust ingredient list.
- Those who want more than one flavor to choose from.
- Folks who prefer a pill supplement over a powder one can find high quality BCAAs in pill form out there, as well.
Best BCAA for Workouts
Essential amino acids contain all three BCAAs — leucine, isoleucine, and valine — but they also contain the other six EAAs. This is one of our favorite intra workout supplements that includes all nine essential amino acids.
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAAs is ideal if you’re looking for a supplement that not only contains the three BCAAs, but also contains the six additional EAAs. This product contains 6.7 grams of EAAs, as well as two grams of citrulline malate and one gram of ElevATP®, which both may help with strength, endurance, and power output. Plus, Transparent Labs also includes one gram of coconut water powder to potentially help with hydration during your workout. This product also comes in a Strawberry Lemonade that is quite tasty.
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Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA
Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA not only contains the three BCAAs, but it also contains the six additional EAAs. This product includes 6.7 grams of EAAs, as well as two grams of citrulline malate and one gram of ElevATP.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA
- For those who prefer to have all nine essential amino acids in their supplement instead of just the three BCAAs, this EAA supplement is ideal.
- Anyone who wants coconut water powder included in their EAA supplement for added hydration throughout their workout.
- If you want a potential boost in strength or muscle endurance, you’ll appreciate this product’s citrulline malate.
- Anyone who is just looking for a BCAA supplement and doesn’t need the additional six EAAs included with their BCAAs.
- Folks who want a variety of flavors to choose from may need to look elsewhere, as this product only comes in Strawberry Lemonade.
Best BCAA Pills
There are a lot of benefits to taking your BCAAs in pill form instead: You can take them with you to the gym or on the road, which is great if you’re going for long periods between meals, as you do sometimes when you’re out and about.
Performance Lab BCAA
Though pills may not be as easily digested as powder mixed into water, they are definitely the most convenient way to take your BCAAs. Performance Lab has the best BCAA pills we’ve tried. These are extremely straightforward, with very few added ingredients, and the 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine that many customers are looking for in their BCAA supplement. Performance Lab BCAAs are fermented and vegan-friendly, plus they don’t contain any artificial sweeteners. However, this product is a little more expensive than others on this list — you’re paying for its convenience factor.
Best BCAA Pills
Performance Lab BCAA
An incredibly straightforward BCAA supplement in the 2:1:1 ratio many athletes are looking for. The BCAAs are vegan-friendly and in capsule form.
Who Should Buy Performance Lab BCAA
- Travelers. If you’re on a lengthy trip and airplane meals or truck stop snacks aren’t giving you the leucine you need, having BCAA pills in your backpack can be handy.
- Anyone who doesn’t like carrying a shake bottle around.
- People who want a vegan-friendly BCAA supplement.
- Anyone who wants to avoid the artificial sweeteners so common in these products.
- People looking to get the cheapest BCAA possible — these may not be better value than plain old powder.
- 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).
Best BCAA With Minerals
This pick is a great all-rounder if you want an effective supplement that contains what it claims and doesn’t have a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles.
Sculpt Nation BCAAs
This BCAA powder has some helpful extras, namely 200mg of an Aquaminineral™ complex. Its fruit punch flavor packs a delicious wallop, and the product doesn’t contain stimulants. It’s a simple, straightforward formula that’s an enjoyable drink inside and outside the gym.
Save 25%
Sculpt Nation BCAAs
Sculpt Nation's BCAAs contain 4.5 grams per serving of their amino blend, plus an added mineral complex. The fruit punch supplement packs a great deal of flavor and is best enjoyed shaken and over ice. Get 25% off site wide with code "SculptTB25".
Who Should Buy Sculpt Nation BCAAs
- Athletes who want an “any time” BCAA that doesn’t contain caffeine or other stimulants.
- Folks who are convinced that some extra minerals.
- People looking for a strong fruit punch flavor
- If you’re looking for a lot of extra, potentially performance-boosting ingredients in your BCAA supplement, you may want to look elsewhere; this is a simple, straightforward product
- Pro athletes tend to prefer supplements certified free of banned substances by organizations like NSF or Informed Sport.
- People who want lots of choices in flavor variety, as this only comes in fruit punch.
Best BCAA for Women
If paired with a healthy diet, BCAAs can be a great addition to a female athlete’s supplement stash for their potential to minimize fatigue and help maintain lean muscle gains made in the gym.
IdealLean BCAA
IdealLean is marketed specifically to women for its potential to boost metabolism and increase fat burn. This product has zero calories and five grams of branched chain amino acids per serving — the BCAAs have a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine. It contains the “IdealLean Fat Loss Blend” which is a mix of the amino acid phosphatidylserine, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), green tea extract, and ThermoDiamine® that may potentially help with fat loss.
It’s also got a solid dose of B vitamins, magnesium, l-citrulline, l-glutamine, and coconut water powder. This product comes in seven different flavors, which include Peach Rings, Orange Paradise, Grape Explosion, Peach Lemonade, Blueberry Pomegranate, Tropical Dragonfruit, and Strawberry Kiwi.
IdealLean BCAA
This supplement delivers over 5 grams of 2:1:1 ratio BCAAs to fuel every type of workout. It's marketed to women, but it's a great supplement for anyone looking to potentially help boost their metabolism.
Who Should Buy IdealLean BCAA
- Women who want a product that can potentially increase their fat burn while maintaining their muscle mass.
- Anyone looking for an added dose of B vitamins, citrulline, or magnesium with their BCAAs will appreciate that this supplement contains all of these.
- Folks who want added hydration in their BCAA supplement will like the coconut water powder here.
- Athletes who are looking to bulk — since this product contains a fat loss blend, this may not be the best option for you.
- Those who are looking for a more straightforward dose of BCAAs without all the extras.
Best Tasting BCAA
If you’re trying to sneak more BCAAs into your diet, it’s important that the vehicle you’re using to sneak them in actually tastes good. This product is one of the best-tasting BCAA blends we tried.
Kaged Muscle In-Kaged
Though Kaged Muscle In-Kaged only comes in three flavors, they are three of our favorites when it comes to BCAA supplements. You can buy In-Kaged in Blue Raspberry, Cherry Lemonade, and Watermelon, all of which are naturally flavored (although not naturally sweetened). This powder dissolves well into water, and is intended to be sipped on during your workout to help prevent muscle breakdown.
In addition to BCAAs you’ll find citrulline, tyrosine, taurine, caffeine, and coconut water powder. This may be one of the more expensive products on this list though, as it comes in small containers of 20 servings, which means you’ll probably have to replenish your stock fairly often.
Get 10% Off
KAGED MUSCLE In-Kaged
Looking to put on size? The increased blood flow and focus you get from In-Kaged allows you to work harder in the gym for more muscle. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off your purchase.
Who Should Buy Kaged Muscle In-Kaged
- For those who prioritize taste, this is a great tasting BCAA supplement to add to your regimen.
- Anyone who prefers to take their BCAA supplement while they are working out to potentially help build muscle at the gym.
- If you want an added boost of energy from the addition of caffeine to your BCAA supplement, this product contains 124mg.
- Folks who may want more than three flavors to choose from will want to look for a product with more flavor variety
- Anyone on a tight budget — this is one of the more expensive products per serving.
Best BCAA Pre-Workout
While some may be looking for a straight-forward BCAA supplement, others may want to just combine their BCAAs and their pre-workout. This pre-workout contains a solid dose of BCAAs to help consolidate your supplement stash.
Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
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.
This product also contains caffeine (274mg), beta-alanine, citrulline, betaine, and creatine, which make for a variety of energy-boosting and workout-enhancing ingredients. Plus, there’s a good amount of taurine and tyrosine that may help with focus throughout your workout.
Kaged Muscle Pre-KAGED
A tasty pre-workout jam-packed with niacin and many other ingredients linked to power, blood flow, endurance, muscle pump, and focus, as well as antioxidants.
Who Should Buy Kaged Muscle Pre-Kaged
- Athletes who prefer to take their BCAAs in a pre-workout blend.
- Folks who want a blend of potentially energy-boosting and muscle-building ingredients to knock out a number of supplements in one go.
- Anyone who prefers to take their BCAAs before their workout — rather than during or after their workout — will like this pre.
- Those who are on a budget — this product is a little more expensive than some of the others on this list.
- Anyone who wants to take a more straightforward blend of BCAAs without the added pre-workout ingredients.
Best BCAAs for Weight Loss
Many take BCAAs to help preserve muscle when in a calorie deficit, and some products — like this one — even add extra ingredients with links to weight loss.
Disclaimer: Please note that none of these products describe themselves as weight loss supplements and should not be taken as such. Please consult with a medical professional before beginning any weight loss protocol.
IdealLean BCAA
IdealLean BCAAs for Women has the most dedicated weight loss ingredients. Along with a respected ratio of 2:1:1 of leucine to isoleucine to valine, this product includes evodiamine, a berry extract that’s been linked to fat loss in rodent studies; green tea extract; and CLA, a type of fat that may help with weight management. Note that these ingredients are present in relatively small amounts, but there may be some effect. This product also comes in seven different flavors for variety, and is fairly inexpensive compared to the other products on this list.
IdealLean BCAA
This supplement delivers over 5 grams of 2:1:1 ratio BCAAs to fuel every type of workout. It's marketed to women, but it's a great supplement for anyone looking to potentially help boost their metabolism.
Who Should Buy IdealLean BCAA
- If you’re absolutely committed to losing weight, your calories are in control, and you’d like all the help you can get, it’s possible that the non-BCAA ingredients here might help you on your journey.
- Anyone who wants to add a dose of BCAAs to their diet to help with lean muscle retention.
- Folks who value having a variety of flavors to choose from.
- Those who are skeptical about supplement dosing, as the ingredients listed, though effective, may be dosed too little.
- Athletes who are trying to bulk — you can find BCAA products without ingredients that are meant to help with fat loss.
Best Vegan BCAAs
For plant-based eaters, it’s important to know that what you’re taking is free of any and all animal products — this is a solid vegan BCAA supplement.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
Transparent Labs doesn’t use any animal products or artificial coloring or sweeteners in their BCAA formula. They offer complete transparency on their label, so you know exactly what you’re getting in each scoop. With a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine and valine, and a high 5,000mg dose of glutamine, these BCAAs may help boost muscle growth and assist with muscle fatigue and recovery. This product comes in six flavors and you can buy up to three tubs at a time to bring down the cost per serving.
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Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
This glutamine supplement is gluten-free, non-GMO, and free of artificial preservatives. Each container provides 30 servings that contain 5000 milligrams of L-Glutamine and 1,535 milligrams of Vitamin C.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
- Athletes looking for a quality vegan BCAA supplement — this one has a 5,000mg dose of glutamine and a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
- Lifters who want a supplement without artificial sweeteners or colors. Transparent Labs’ formula has none of these extras.
- Anyone who wants a variety of flavors to choose from will appreciate that this one comes in six.
- People who want to take their BCAAs within a pre-workout — this product is just a straightforward BCAA supplement.
- Those who prefer to take their BCAAs in pill-form as this is a powder product.
Best BCAA for Keto
Ketogenic diets are ultra low-carb and often relatively low in protein, so many supplements with branched-chain amino acids can help retain muscle.
Cellucor Alpha Amino
Cellucor Alpha Amino is our top choice for people on a ketogenic diet. It has very few calories and no carbs, so there’s little risk of it kicking you out of ketosis, and it’s also pretty high in magnesium, sodium, and potassium — minerals that are usually recommended as important supplements for people following the high-fat diet. It contains five grams of BCAAs, which includes the desired 2:1:1 ratio of leucine to isoleucine to valine. It’s worth noting, however, that this is not the cheapest product on the market.
Cellucor Alpha Amino
With zero grams of sugar, this is an ideal formula for anyone on the low-carb, high-fat keto diet. It also packs 750mg of creatine HCL for improved in-gym performance.
Who Should Buy Cellucor Alpha Amino
- If you’re on a keto diet, this product won’t take you out of ketosis.
- The extra electrolytes here may make it a useful supplement for those who want...
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