BCAA – Or protein?

Those who train hard usually supplement their diet with several nutritional supplements. Many choose protein supplements such as BCAA to help muscles grow more easily. Anda chooses amino acids – with a similar effect. So what is the difference between these supplements? How much protein you should eat largely depends on how much you exercise. But the person’s weight also plays a role. If you train hard, a common recommendation is usually 2 grams of protein per kilogram and per day. A person who weighs 60 kg should therefore get 120 grams of protein every day. To some extent, this can happen through the diet, although many supplement with protein drinks, bars, etc.

However, the protein needs to be broken down to be absorbed by the body. It does not need amino acids as these are already broken down. Thereby, amino acids create a faster uptake, which starts the building of muscles. This is in contrast to the protein, which must first be broken down. If you eat BCAA, you can also specify which amino acids you want to increase the amount of. It can be compared to protein, which consists of several amino acids. Another advantage of amino acids is that these preparations are completely free of fat and carbohydrates. You can therefore eat amino acids to build muscle even during diet periods. However, eating protein supplements during a diet is not as effective.

Amino acids are therefore both absorbed faster and are more useful. An example shows this clearly. A classic protein drink is fully absorbed by the body after 3-4 hours. It may be filling before then but the body has not absorbed all the protein until within these hours. Such a drink also usually contains approximately 100-150 calories as well as a few grams of fat and a few grams of carbohydrates. A drink of BCAA, on the other hand, can be drunk directly during the session itself, as the body absorbs this almost immediately. The advantage is that there are no calories or carbohydrates either.

Best amino acids and BCAA

At first glance, it may appear that amino acids are the best at all points. It is faster for the body to absorb and is more useful. But protein supplements are long-term and many times these complement each other.