Top 3 BCAA Powders
As discussed in previous article (3 Most important supplements), BCAA’s are a great supplement for building muscle, preventing muscle breakdown and gaining that vital energy for your hard training.
Milos Sarcev, IFBB bodybuilder and one of the most sought after bodybuilding trainers praises value of BCAA’s. He says that they are much better than any protein powders, because they are pure – there are no fats, no flavors, and no carbohydrates. All of which makes BCAA’s perfect not only for competing bodybuilders, but also for those who are very strict about their diet and they just don’t want any more sugars and fats in their system.
He recommends using BCAA’s on a daily basis for team sports players (hockey, football, basketball), fitness persons and bodybuilders. They will be equally valuable for any athlete.
What are BCAA’s?
Branched-chain amino acids are 3 essential amino acids (body cannot produce them on its own) and they are responsible for protein synthesis. These are – Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine.
Why powder is better than capsules?
There are 3 main reasons for that. First of all, powder is absolutely pure, it doesn’t have any other elements in it, which are required to fill a capsule and hold it together. Secondly, it’s usually slightly cheaper, for the same reason – it doesn’t have any other elements in it and it doesn’t need any additional processes (putting the powder in capsules). And thirdly, you are 100% sure that you are getting great product, because you actually see the powder and its granules. Believe it or not, it’s a common practice to fill some part of the capsule with cheaper ingredients. You wouldn’t even notice, if 25% of the capsule was filled with cheap glutamine or creatine. Obviously this happens with less known brands and the ones that are new, but you cannot be sure about anything in this industry. Unless you have results from latest FDA inspection.
Some complain about horrible taste of the powder, but that’s just beyond silly. Man up! And remember a great quote from Jack LaLanne “If it tastes good, spit it out.”.
Let’s get to our 3 leaders:
1) Modern BCAA from USP Labs
This supplement is awesome. Not only it’s an incredibly potent mix (8:1:1 – Leucine/Valine/Isoleucine), it also has electrolytes in it is ultra-micronized (you can’t get any purer than that). For those who can’t stand BCAA’s without a flavoring, is should be a perfect choice as well. They have 3 solid flavors which kill the original “horrible” taste. And all that was achieved without adding a single unnecessary ingredient. Just 3 ingredients are responsible for the flavor.
USP labs always had great products and they continue to deliver pure, potent supplements for reasonable prices.
2) Xplode from Olimp Nutrition
These are not quite mainstream, and not a lot of people know about this product. This is a shame, since it’s a fantastic BCAA product. It has a good taste (2 flavors), it mixes easily and the price is affordable. Packs quite a punch too. It also has vitamin B6 in it, which helps with anabolic effects. I’ve experienced great results from using Xplode BCAA’s and it’s definitely can compete with other big guys in the industry.
3) Instantized BCAA 5000 from Optimum Nutrition
Very solid amino acids (well, everything Optimum Nutrition creates is solid). They mix easily hence their instantized formula, they are potent (not nearly as powerful as Modern BCAA though), and also highly-concentrated. They are not flavored and can be easily added to any shake or drink for easier consumption.
The only problem is price – costs almost the same as Modern BCAA powder, but it has significantly less product in the container, roughly on 200 grams (which is a big deal, when we are talking about amino acids).