BCAA V EAA

What is the difference between BCAA'S and EAA'S?

This is often something that is asked when supplements are discussed. Simplifying could be interpreted as:

• BCAA's contain 3 Amino Acid's, L-Leucine, Iso-Leucine and L-Valine.
• EAA's contain 9 Amino Acid's, also containing L-Leucine, Iso-Leucine and L-Valine.
• These Amino Acid's cannot be produced by the human body and are found in foods and supplement sources, the term used is ' Essential Amino Acid's '

So then what is the point of consumer a 'BCAA' supplement when I can get the same Amino Acid's from the EAA supplement plus additional ones?

Well it comes down to inclusion rates, this is the term used to determine the volume of each compound in a product.

BCAA's often are sold in a 2:1:1 ratio, which means the supplement has 4 parts with a distribution of 50%/25%/25%. So if you were to consume 5g of BCAA'S you would get 2.5g, 1.25g and 1.25g of L-Leucine, Iso-leucine and L-Valine. These numbers / amounts would increase as the serving size goes up.

Now comparing the EAA inclusion rates, the primary 3 BCAA Amino Acid's inclusion rates drop down from 5-15% depending on the profile.

EAA's however have a additional 5 or 6 Amino Acid's, these all contribute to bodily functions.

So what one do I use?

All depends on the individual, EAA's have a higher serving size and are full spectrum while your BCAA's can be smaller and heavy Leucine based trending towards exercise specific. Both can be consumed during training. Goodluck!

Image References: https://www.cnpprofessional.co.uk/blog/pick-a-side-eaas-vs-bcaas/