BCAAs are essential for building muscle while working out, so an increased amount of BCAA increases the speed of muscle growth throughout the body, making those intense pumps even more worthwhile. This includes reading all of the warnings and directions, as well as the ingredients formulas. Note that the information below was accurate at the time of writing but may change from time to time.

Optimum Nutrition is a large sports nutrition company that’s best known for their whey protein powder, Gold Standard Whey. But they sell a huge variety of workout products and while we recently tried out their Amino Energy pre-workout, we wanted to see if their Gold Standard BCAA could possibly measure up to the standards set by their whey protein. Because of the Caffeine content in both of these supplements, it’s probably also a good idea not to consume them within six hours of when you plan to go to sleep. Don't waste time with small doses, poor-quality BCAAs that have no noticeable effect on performance, or overpriced tablets that barely last a month - invest in your health and gains wisely with some of the most potent BCAAs available anywhere. The best BCAAs at a glance:Well, it looks like a pretty solid supplement. It has a solid 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs, which a few studies suggest may improve muscle protein synthesis, endurance, and focus during workouts. They are also praising it for the extra energy they get from using it which allows them to train with more intensity and for longer.

I was less impressed by the taste. It tastes like straight cherry flavored syrup, and it’s pretty intensely sour — I’d recommend mixing it with a good two cups of water. The TakeawaySome think it contains too many sweeteners and sugars…which probably means they just think it’s too sweet, they don’t make exactly what they are saying very clear. A composition of vitamin C, zinc and magnesium, that is designed to reduce fatigue and tiredness so you can train for longer Not only does it allow you to power through your lifts like you’re on aviation fuel, it also allows you to complete your workouts faster too. We found it shortened our workouts by around 10-15 minutes, plus most of our lifts were up too! It’s also really important that you carefully read the entire label of any supplement you’re thinking of taking for the first time.

There’s no caffeine, so while the rhodiola is good for attenuating fatigue (some prefer it to caffeine), it won’t amp you up as much as some pre-workouts. But I think that just makes it more versatile — you can probably take it any time, and although rhodiola might not be a good idea late at night, there’s a lot less discomfort from taking a lot of rhodiola than there is from too much caffeine.

Price…

Gold Standard BCAA Train And Sustain is a fantastic choice if you’re looking for enhanced energy, strength, performance, recovery, and growth following your workouts. One of the main things to be aware of when it comes to these two supplements is their Caffeine content. You probably already know that consuming too much Caffeine can cause unwanted side effects.

When I first saw the Vitamin C, I thought it was probably unnecessary, but it turns out that taking Vitamin C during a workout may reduce lipid peroxidation, which refers to the cell damage that can occur during exercise. (The bad kind of cell damage, not the microtears that help you build muscle.) The bottom line here is that the only differences between these two products when it comes to the servings are the fact that you take two scoops with Amino Energy and one with Gold Standard. That being said, the actual scoop sizes are different. The primary BCAAs are known as leucine, isoleucine and valine - all of which are involved in the promotion of muscle growth for the entire body. The boost in muscle protein synthesis during exercise also helps prevent muscle breakdown; the loss of muscle mass during rest days or even amidst exercise - helping you consistently gain muscle.Optimum Nutrition deliver a quality BCAA powder with an odd skew: helping you sustain health for your next workout, and I think they have accomplished this. Quality BCAA, hydration from the electrolytes, followed by rhodiola rosea to fight fatigue and the beta-glucans may invigorate the immune system though oral ingestion. As you would expect with a product from Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard BCAA Powder does what it says on the tin.