Amino acids are the individual building blocks of protein and there are nine that are considered to be "essential". Your body doesn't produce these naturally and must get them from your diet. Three of those nine essential amino acids are regarded as the most important - leucine, isoleucine and valine. Collectively they are known as Branch Chain Amino Acids or BCAAs.
BCAAs are especially helpful for maintaining muscle while on a calorie-deficit diet - useful if you're looking to lose fat without losing muscle. Supplementing with BCAAs has been shown to help promote muscle mass, recovery and support the immune system.
It's established that BCAAs, and in particular leucine, stimulate protein synthesis, and might do so to a greater extent than a normal protein on its own. The other two amino acids, valine and isoleucine, are considered glucogenic, meaning they can be converted to glucose and used as an energy source during exercise.
The BCAAs that you typically find in your protein shake are peptide-bound to other amino acids and must be digested before being absorbed. However, BCAAs in raw supplement form are free-form, require no digestion, and are rapidly absorbed, thereby having a more immediate impact.
The Energy Booster - our pre/intra-workout powder contains BCAAs in an optimal 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine and valine along with a range of other amazing ingredients.
