If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best intra workout BCAA for muscle growth is, then we recommend the Performance Lab® SPORT BCAA as the best one.
If you’ve been researching for ways to take your workout regime to the next level, you’ve probably run across the term “intra workout BCAA” more than a few times.
If you’ve come here looking for more information about what BCAAs actually are or to find the best intra workout BCAA supplements, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are the top intra workout BCAAs we’ll be reviewing:
- XTEND Original BCAA Powder
- Kaged Muscle IN-KAGED Intra Workout Fuel
- Animal Juiced Aminos
- BSN Amino X
- Performance Lab® SPORT BCAA
What Exactly Are BCAAs?
To understand what BCAAs are, you first need to know about amino acids. In short, amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.
They are the things inside your body that break down muscle and build up new muscle.
In total, there are 20 amino acids; 12 of these are produced naturally in your body, while eight are not.
These eight amino acids, which are normally referred to as “essential amino acids” have to be gotten from outside sources like food and vitamins.
BCAA is short for Branched Chain Amino Acids.
There are three BCAAs –leucine, isoleucine and valine – and they are all part of the eight amino acids that aren’t naturally produced in the body.
They are given the name ‘branched chain amino acids’ because of the branch chain look of their chemical makeup.
Because the body doesn’t naturally produce BCAAs, they can only be gotten through diet and/or supplements.
How Do Intra Workout BCAAs Work?
Unlike most amino acids, which are broken down in the liver, BCAAs are broken down in the body’s muscles.
This allows them to produce extra energy during exercise and aid in building larger muscles.
They can also help you feel less fatigued while you’re exercising.
Because it takes a lot of work to get enough BCAAs solely through diet alone, many people choose to take supplements instead.
What Are the Advantages of Intra Workout BCAA Supplements?
There are four main benefits to taking the best intra workout BCAA supplements you can find.
- Benefit 1: Can Help Increase Muscle Growth
- Benefit 2: Prevents the Wasting of Muscle
- Benefit 3: Decreases Muscle Soreness
- Benefit 4: Prevents/Reduces Exercise Fatigue
Additionally, BCAAs can be very beneficial to people with liver problems, but that, of course, is not a workout-specific benefit.
Why Should I Use Intra Workout Supplements?
Finding the best intra workout BCAA supplements can help activate all of these different benefits and advantages in your body, and taking the supplements will ensure that you get enough BCAA into your body in the quickest, most convenient possible way.
Trying to get enough BCAA into your system to trigger these reactions through diet alone isn’t impossible.
In fact, if you’re on a high-protein diet, you likely do get enough BCAAs through your food, but most people don’t consume enough protein to get enough BCAAs this way.
This is especially true of people on low-fat and low-calorie diets.
How Do I Pick the Right Product?
The most important thing you can do to ensure you pick the right product is to read all the reviews.
Check out what each company has to say about its product; look over the benefits and potential side effects of each, but don’t stop there.
Make sure you read verified customer reviews – both the positive and the negative – to find out what people are really saying about these products.
Are BCAA Supplements Bad for My Body?
There is some controversy around taking BCAA supplements, with some doctors and researchers claiming that the supplements can have severe negative consequences on your emotional and physical health.
However, most of these studies show that these negative consequences only happen if a person takes too many of the supplements or takes them for too long.
As long as you are taking them the way they’re meant to be taken and don’t continue on them for decades at a time, BCAA supplements should be quite safe.
Reviews of the best BCAA Supplements
XTEND Original BCAA Powder
If you’re looking for the best intra workout BCAA for muscle growth, XTEND Original BCAA Powder has to make the list.
It contains seven grams of BCAA in every serving, and it includes electrolytes and is carb-, sugar- and calorie-free.
There are also several delicious, fruity flavors from which you can choose.
Because of the amount of water most people mix with this supplement – most people use more water than directed to help lessen the sweet taste – it keeps them very hydrated, even during the most intense workouts.
Pros
- It’s excellent for people over the age of 60 because it drastically helps reduce muscle soreness and exercise fatigue.
- Most users claim it tastes like a Jolly Rancher, so it’s great if you happen to have a sweet tooth.
- It’s one of the more reasonably priced BCAA supplements.
- Many people have seen very quick results after starting this supplement.
- Almost all users agree that their energy levels were definitely heightened after taking this supplement.
Cons
- Many people claim the taste is much too sweet.
- It can trigger negative reactions in people who have sensitivity to caffeine even though there’s no caffeine in the supplement.
Kaged Muscle IN-KAGED Intra Workout Fuel
Despite its steep price, many people claim Kaged Muscle IN-KAGED Intra Workout Fuel is one of the best intra workout BCAA supplements if you’re looking for a large boost of extra energy.
It gives the same great benefits as most BCAA supplements – increased muscle development, less muscle soreness, etc. – but the lack of fatigue and boost of extra energy is where this supplement really shines.
Every serving includes 124 milligrams of Pure Caf, which is an organic form of caffeine that really helps ramp up your system.
Additionally, each serving also comes with five grams of fermented BCAAs, three grams of fermented L-citrulline and a little less than two grams of carnosyn beta-alanine, which is what helps build extra muscle mass.
Pros
- It packs a larger energy punch than most BCAA supplements.
- It’s vegan-friendly.
- Nearly all users insist it tastes delicious.
- Several users claim that this BCAA product has delivered the most results in terms of sheer physical capabilities, allowing them to do more than they could with any other product.
- It helps to keep you well-hydrated.
Cons
- It’s one of the more expensive BCAA supplements available.
- It includes caffeine, which can be a real problem for some users.
- There aren’t a lot of servings in one container.
Animal Juiced Aminos
One of the things people like most about Animal Juiced Aminos is that there are several different package sizes and options from which to choose.
This one gives you six BCAAs per serving, along with a healthy dose of EAAs as well. The flavor options aren’t as wide-ranging as with some of the other products.
Currently, there are five options – grape, peach mango, orange, pink lemonade and strawberry limeade – but normally, there are only three, with the limeade and lemonade options being limited editions.
Pros
- Most people seem to agree that the biggest advantage to this is the lack of muscle soreness, which doesn’t seem to be an issue while using this supplement.
- It’s caffeine-free and doesn’t have anything that should trigger caffeine sensitivity in users.
- It provides you with a large dose of EAAs in addition to the six grams of BCAAs.
Cons
- There are definitely conflicting opinions on the taste; some people love it, but just as many say it’s horrible.
- Some users claim it doesn’t mix well in the water, leaving clumps that have to be swallowed.
BSN Amino X
BSN Amino X is a very affordable product that also has quite a few flavor options from which to choose, as well as three different container sizes.
The supplement contains no sugar and ten grams of amino acids – both BCAAs and EAAs.
If you’re someone who isn’t a fan of drinking lots of water, you’ll appreciate that this particular supplement can be mixed with as little as six ounces.
Pros
- It’s one of the more reasonably priced BCAA supplements.
- Several people claim this product not only helped them build muscle mass but also helped them lose unwanted pounds.
- Most people agree that they definitely notice a large energy boost while taking this product on their off days.
- Most people also agree that they experience less muscle fatigue and soreness on recovery days.
Cons
- The taste is very sweet, though some users offset this by adding it to more water than is strictly necessary.
- Many users seem to have problems with this product if ordered from certain sites. These same people really love the product when bought from other places.
Performance Lab® SPORT BCAA
Performance Lab® SPORT BCAA has a lot of perks, not least of which is the fact that it comes in capsule form so you don’t have to mix it or drink it.
You simply pop it in your mouth, swallow it and go on with your day.
It gives you all the same great benefits as the BCAA supplement powder with none of the potentially nasty-tasting side effects.
Additionally, this particular product is soy-free, caffeine-free, free of synthetic ingredients and non-GMO. It’s also vegan-friendly and GMP-certified.
Pros
- There are no potentially nasty tastes, time wasted mixing or risks of drinking chunky, clumpy mixtures.
- This is a great option not only for seniors working out, but also seniors – or anyone – with arthritis or joint pain.
- Many users claim to have received a mental boost as well as a physical one from taking this particular product.
- In addition to preventing fatigue, many users claim this product has helped them get into a normal, healthy sleep rhythm as well.
- Many users claim to have noticed improvements in their overall flexibility and mobility.
Cons
- This is a pretty expensive product.
The Best of the Best
Truthfully, it’s hard to pick the best intra workout BCAA supplement because all of these have their own advantages, and what’s best for us may not necessarily be best for you for any number of reasons.
However, if we were forced to choose a particular product, we’d probably have to go with Performance Lab® SPORT BCAA.
Despite the high price, there are just too many benefits and not a lot of cons.
Even after spending a large chunk of time testing the product and talking to others who have used it, it doesn’t appear that there are too many people dissatisfied.
We also like that you get all the benefits of a BCAA supplement without having to take a risk on getting a flavor that you won’t be able to stomach, which is always a risk with any type of drink.
The fact that it’s vegan-friendly and doesn’t have any of those additives or things in it that can make it harmful is also a huge point in its favor.
This also seems to be a really excellent product for older people with muscle, joint or arthritis pain.
Several people we’ve spoken with claimed they’ve noticed a distinct lessening of pain, soreness, stiffness and fatigue after using this product for a couple of weeks.
Although it was tough for us to pick, Performance Lab® SPORT BCAA would have to win out in the end.
