BCAAs and Protein Powder

ProMix Nutrition best BCAAs BCAA Powder

Q & A with Promix Founder & CEO, Albert Matheny

“If I’m getting BCAAs in the protein powder I’ve selected, do I still need a BCAA supplement?”

Great question!

There are a few aspects to this that you need to consider. Are you using BCAAs for specific training purposes? Are you fasting, on a specific diet (ahem, hey Keto fans), or implementing BCAAs for fat loss?

(Do you need a quick reminder of what BCAAs actually are?)

Overall if you are consuming an adequate amount of protein in your diet, you do not need to supplement additional BCAAs. There are, however, a number of situations where BCAAs will help your training, performance and body composition goals.

(Calculate how much protein your body needs based on your goals, activity, and lifestyle.)

BCAAs for Athletes

BCAAs can be helpful for athletes during longer training sessions to delay fatigue and improve performance by maintaining levels of Leucine, Valine, and Isoleucine. This will also reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) post workout and improve recovery. During workouts, you need fast sources of fuel that do not require blood to be shunted away from your muscles to your assist in digestion: BCAAs efficiently go directly through your blood stream, bypassing the gut and liver.

(Pro endurance athletes swear by our BCAA supplements. Check out their advice on what to eat before running for optimal performance.)

Should I take BCAAs for Fat Loss?  What if I’m Fasting or on Keto? 

Consuming BCAAs you will not technically be fasting, but with BCAAs that have very low or no added sugar, you will be able to maintain Ketosis. Fasting for athletes or those training daily is not always the best idea because the lack of energy (calories) and nutrients can severely delay recovery, muscular repair, and all elements that help your body heal and prepare to train again.

There are benefits to fasting, from improved insulin sensitivity (how your body responds to sugar/carbs) to the more obvious fat loss through reducing your caloric intake.

But BCAAs provide an extremely efficient effect to calorie ratio. The impact of one serving (5 grams) of BCAAs can be significant in reducing muscular breakdown, assisting in muscular repair and improving our training quality. All of this in 5 calories! This very small amount of calories will still allow you to reap the benefits of fasting & ketosis while not hampering fat loss, and go a long way to help your overall body composition, recovery, and performance. Lastly, BCAAs are a great way to stay hydrated. Hydration can significantly improve performance and stabilize hunger.

What makes Promix BCAA’s better?

I spent time making a product that I knew would be better than anything else on the market. Here are the key reasons Promix BCAA supplements are a cut above.

Promix BCAAs v. The rest

  • Fermented from plant sources v. synthesized from duck feathers or hair (gross, right?)
  • Non-GMO verified v. contaminated by genetically modified organisms during processing
  • Lightly sweetened with whole leaf stevia extract v. sweetened with sucralose or aspartame
  • Real fruit extract flavoring and fruit and vegetable colors v. artificial flavors and dyes
  • Micronized powder for rapid absorption & easy mixing v. delayed absorption and clumping

See for yourself: SHOP PROMIX BCAAs

Have a question about Promix BCAAs or any other nutrition questions for me? Shoot me an email – I answer every question right here on this page.

Now, let’s get to work!

Albert Matheny, R.D., C.S.C.S. – Founder & CEO