Posted by M H
For years, BCAAs were the default thing to sip during a workout. The research has since moved on, and the reason is simple: your muscles need more than three amino acids to build new tissue.
BCAAs and EAAs: what's the difference?
There are nine essential amino acids (EAAs), which your body can't make and has to get from food. Three of them, leucine, isoleucine and valine, are called branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
BCAAs became popular because leucine acts as the "on switch" for muscle protein synthesis, the process of building new muscle.
Why BCAAs alone fall short
Flipping the switch isn't the same as finishing the job. To actually build new muscle protein, your body needs all nine essential amino acids. If you only take BCAAs, it has to pull the other six from your own muscle tissue, which limits how much building can happen.
A 2017 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that BCAAs on their own cannot support a meaningful increase in muscle protein synthesis.1 A study of resistance-trained people on a diet found that BCAA supplementation didn't preserve lean mass any better than a carbohydrate drink.2
What EAAs do better
EAAs give your body everything it needs to finish the job. Studies show that a full EAA dose stimulates muscle protein synthesis much more than BCAAs alone, and does it quickly, because free amino acids don't need to be digested first.1
How much leucine do you need?
Research suggests around 2 to 3 g of leucine per serving is enough to fully switch on muscle protein synthesis in most adults, as long as the other essential amino acids are there to back it up.
When EAAs make the most sense
- Training fasted or early in the morning
- Long or twice-a-day sessions
- Dieting, when total protein is harder to hit
- Between meals if you struggle to eat enough protein
Where you'll find EAAs at VNDL
- VITAL EAA Recovery & Hydration: all nine essential amino acids with 3.35 g of leucine per scoop, plus electrolytes, taurine and citrulline for hydration and pumps.
The bottom line
BCAAs flip the switch. EAAs give your muscles the full set of building blocks. If you are going to drink something during or around training, make it EAAs.
This article is for education only and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition, talk to your doctor before starting any supplement.
References
- Wolfe RR. Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:30.
- Dieter BP, et al. The effects of BCAA supplementation on body composition in resistance-trained individuals during a calorically restricted diet. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2016;56(9):1052-1062.
