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The Highest Quality BCAA Powders of 2024
BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acids, are a group of 3 amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, & valine. These 3 aminos are considered “essential,” meaning you need to get them from outside sources in foods like chicken, beef, milk, eggs, and more.
That said, depending on your diet, food preferences, and lifestyle, using a BCAA supplement can be an extremely convenient (and delicious) way to support your intake.
To see how I did my review process, see here.
☑️What I Love
- The best-tasting BCAA powder (by a longshot)
- 90 servings per container
- Extremely cost-effective: Only $0.22 per serving!
- 6g of BCAAs in 2:1:1 Ratio
- Instantized BCAAs, dissolved super easy
- 3rd Party Tested (Major plus)
- Made in GMP Compliant, FDA Registered Facility (Major Plus)
- Non-GMO
- Gluten-Free
- Several Flavor Options: Comes in 5 Flavors: Grape, Raspberry Lemonade, Green Apple, Pineapple, Strawberry Kiwi
What Could Be Better
- Only Available Online
- Scooper was buried
☑️ What I Love
If you are a fan of mixing your BCAAs with your other liquids and drinks, Nutricost's BCAA (Unflavored) is definitely the way to go. I mixed this one with my pre-workout in a shaker bottle and it was awesome.
It is formulated with a 2:1:1 BCAA ratio. I also love that they call out that their BCAAs are instantized, meaning they are designed to dissolve instantly.
And one of my favorite things about Nutricost's BCAA (unflavored) was the pricing. At only $0.22 per serving, this is the best-priced BCAA powder by a mile. It is extremely cost-effective.
If you are a fan of flavored BCAAs, you're also in for a treat: I picked up their Raspberry Lemonade flavor as well, and it definitely has a refreshing taste. You can check that flavor out here.
Another major plus is that this product is third-party tested and made in a GMP Compliant facility. With this testing, I know I get exactly what is listed on the label.
This extra step lets me know the company cares about the quality of their product and the experience their customer will have.
What Could Be Better
I could only find Nutricost BCAA Powder available online. That said, it is listed on Amazon with prime shipping.
Also, I know Nutricost products, in general, are really popular, so you might run into an occasional product being low in stock. But I haven’t run into that yet.
*Individual Results May Vary - Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product's website for more information.
☑️What I Love
- Instantized BCAAs in 2:1:1 Ratio
- Amino Acid Blend + Glutamine
- Mixes well
- NSF Certified
What Could Be Better
- Flavor was ok
- Price per serving was more expensive ($0.73 per serving)
- Only 30 servings
- Couldn't see other flavor options listed
☑️ What I Love
While this powder provided slightly fewer grams of BCAAs per serving than my top-ranked BCAA powder, it utilized the 2:1:1 ratio, which was nice! And the label noted they are instantized for great dissolvability in water.
It also provided an Amino Acid Blend as well as glutamine. For those looking for a BCAA powder that provides additional aminos, this is something to consider for sure.
Additionally, this product is NSF certified, which is always a nice nod for quality control.
What could be better
The flavor was ok, but that was after I had to add quite a bit more water to my shaker bottle to dilute it a bit for my taste preference. Overall, not a terrible flavor, but definitely not the best.
The additional ingredients (Amino Acid Blend & glutamine) might be nice for some, but it didn’t move the needle for me, unfortunately. Especially considering it provides fewer BCAAs per serving than others.
At only 30 servings per tub, the cost-per-serving was also not as cost effective.
*Individual Results May Vary - Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product's website for more information.
☑️ What I Love
- 7g BCAAs in 2:1:1 Ratio
- NSF Certified
- Electrolytes
What Could Be Better
- Flavor was too subtle
- Had to keep shaking or it tasted a little more bitter
- Only 30 servings
- Price per serving is $0.73
☑️ What I Love
Scivation Xtend BCAAs provides 7g of BCAAs in the standard 2:1:1 ratio. It also provides an "Electrolyte Blend."
Additionally, it is NSF certified and gets a thumbs up for quality control.
What could be better
The flavor was pretty subtle, unfortunately. I also noticed that I had to keep shaking it throughout my workout, or it bordered on the more bitter side.
As a result, it wasn't the most refreshing thing to sip on during my workout.
At 30 servings per tub, it comes to about $0.73 per scoop. It isn't as cost-effective as others.
*Individual Results May Vary - Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product's website for more information.
☑️What I Love
- No artificial colors
- 5g BCAAs in 2:1:1 Ratio
- Proprietary BCAA Matrixes
- Omega 6 Fatty Acids & CLA Matrix
What Could Be Better
- Flavor was bitter & a little salty
- The consistency was thick
- Price per serving was more expensive ($0.82 per serving)
- Only 30 servings
☑️ What I Love
This product covers the bases when it comes to BCAAs. They even provide them in what they call a "Leucine Support Matrix, Isoleucine Muscle Matrix, & Valine Recovery Matrix."
They also provide additional ingredients in a proprietary "Omega 6 Fatty Acids & CLA Matrix."
The product mixed great, and the liquid was clear because of no artificial colors, which was also pretty unique.
What could be better
I mixed it with 8 ounces of water according to the instructions, and the consistency and flavor weren't my favorites, unfortunately.
It was a slightly thicker consistency, and not as refreshing as a result. Also, the fruit punch flavor was a little bitter, almost somewhat salty.
I ended up needing to add about 10 more ounces of water, which helped dilute things a little bit.
Lastly, the price per serving wasn't as cost-effective as I would have hoped.
Each serving comes to be about $0.82. But this might not be a big deal for those looking for a BCAA supplement with additional matrixes and ingredients. Unfortunately, it didn't give me the "bang for my buck" that I was looking for.
*Individual Results May Vary - Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product's website for more information.
☑️What I Love
- Mixed well
- 5g BCAAs in 2:1:1 Ratio
- Straightforward formula
What Could Be Better
- A little bitter
- Flavor wasn't as refreshing
- Only 30 servings
- Price per serving is $.60
☑️ What I Love
One thing that stood out to me was the straightforward formula–5g of BCAAs per scoop. That's something I love to see in a BCAA powder.
It mixed just as well as many of the other BCAAs, which was nice.
What could be better
This tasted just a little more bitter than some others, resulting in a more subtle blue raspberry flavor coming through.
And while this flavor certainly wasn't unbearable, with so many great-tasting BCAAs available, I was definitely a stickler on this aspect. That said, some might not mind the flavor at all.
*Individual Results May Vary - Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product's website for more information.
☑️What I Love
- Dye-Free
- 8g BCAAs in 9:6:5 Ratio
- Banned-Substance Tested
What Could Be Better
- Flavor was a little tart, bitter
- Fruit punch flavor was a little subtle
- Price per serving is $1.91
- Only 30 servings
☑️ What I Love
This powder provides 8g of BCAAs, which immediately checks a box for me. One interesting thing to note is they formulate their BCAAs in a 9:6:5 ratio. I haven't seen that ratio much.
Each scoop also packs in some B vitamins.
Besides the formula, the product mixed just as well as the others.
And because it didn't have any dyes in the powder, the liquid came out to be more clear.
It's also important to note that this product is tested for banned substances and made in a cGMP registered facility.
What could be better
I mixed a scoop with 17 ounces of water, and here's what solidified my ranking for this powder:
The flavor was a little tart, bitter even. It wasn't as sweet and refreshing to sip on during my workout. And while some might not mind the flavor, it didn't provide me as good of an experience as some of the others.
Lastly, at $1.91 per serving, this was the most expensive BCAA powder on the list. In my opinion, this is quite expensive for just 30 servings per container, unfortunately.
*Individual Results May Vary - Ratings are based on Society Health Ranking System and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. We encourage consumers to research by visiting each product's website for more information.
Why I Chose Nutricost
Just to recap: When looking for a BCAA Powder, I wanted something that supported my daily BCAA intake and helped fill in any potential gaps in my diet.
I wanted a high-quality product with a straightforward BCAA formula as well as something I could stick with long-term.
For fans of unflavored BCAA powders where you just mix a scoop in with your pre-workout, shake, or other flavored beverage, Nutricost BCAA (unflavored) is definitely the way to go.
Nutricost BCAAs are instantized, so everything mixes great in my shaker, and each serving provides a straightforward formula of 6g BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio.
Nutricost BCAA (unflavored) was the most cost-effective BCAA that I found by a long shot. It's worth mentioning again that at 90 servings per container, this came out to be only $.26 per serving. Talk about extremely wallet friendly!
My Review Process
Out of all the BCAA products available, I wanted to find out which one gave me the most "bang for my buck,” so to speak. I’ll explain more below!
Let's dive into my review process so I can show you how I picked the products, how I was going to review them, and then I'll reveal my top pick.
To do a proper review, I needed to make sure I was looking at the top BCAA products available.
I researched a bunch of different BCAA powders, and these were some of the things I looked for when selecting the top BCAAs to test:
- It needed to be in powder form
- The product needed to come from a reputable, well-established brand
How I Tested Them
Each day I tried out a different BCAA supplement during my workout.
I mixed each of them with water in my shaker bottle, according to the suggested use on the label. I wanted to stay true to the flavor profile and not mask it with other liquids.
As I tried out each BCAA supplement, I made notes of my overall experience.
The Four Ranking Factors I Focused On
When testing out each product, here are the 4 key factors I focused on when ranking them:
- Taste (if flavored)
- Formula
- Price Per Serving
- Mixability
Here's why those 4 factors above were extremely important to me when it came to ranking the top BCAA powder:
1. Taste (if flavored)
Simply put, I've tasted terrible fitness products in the past and always gave up on them eventually.
If a supplement doesn't taste good, it can make for a bad overall experience. So if the powder I was trying was flavored, the taste was going to be a HUGE factor when ranking each of the BCAA products.
Unflavored BCAAs wouldn’t be as much of an issue because you can throw the powder into whatever flavored beverage you prefer, like a pre-workout drink, post-workout shake, juice, etc.
2. Formula
When it comes to BCAA powders, there can be a lot of “bells & whistles.”
I supplement with other products, so the main thing I was looking for was a straightforward formula of high-quality BCAA powder in a 2:1:1 ratio, meaning 2g of leucine for every 1g of isoleucine and valine.
This is a pretty ppular ratio among BCAA products and is also the ratio studied in quite a few studies.
If there were other ingredients in the formula, that would certainly be fine. But the BCAA quality was going to be the most significant factor in my formula ranking.
3. Mixability
Clumpy products are a no-go. How well the product mixes plays a huge role in the overall experience.
I paid special attention to how well the BCAA powder mixed up in my shaker while I drank it during my workout.
4. Price Per Serving
At the end of the day, if a supplement is too expensive to continue buying, it's just not cost-effective, in my opinion.
That said, the cost-per-serving factor would play a really important part in my overall ranking.
What's the Deal with BCAA Supplements Anyways?
BCAAs have been researched for their potential to help support post-workout muscle recovery and soreness.
As a result, BCAA supplements have been making waves among the gym community for well over a decade. They’ve established themselves as a staple in any gym-goer’s supplement stack.
It's important to remember, though, that BCAA supplements aren't "magic." They are meant to supplement your hard work in the kitchen and the gym by helping fill in the gaps.
But a delicious, well-formulated BCAA powder can definitely make supporting daily BCAA intake and drinking more water super convenient.