7 Best BCAA Supplements Of 2025: Top Picks For Every Goal

If you want to improve your health and wellness, it’s recommended that you exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet. Part of this involves choosing the right supplements for your needs and exercise goals. Supplement intake, previously estimated to be 40%–100% among athletes worldwide, remains a key focus area in the fitness industry.

Branched-chain amino acids have exploded in popularity as we seek new ways to gain an extra performance edge. These amino acids comprise three essential ones, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine. The body can’t produce enough on its own to meet the required quantities. Therefore, supplementation through the diet or with branched-chain amino acid or BCAA supplements is needed.

The suggested benefits of these supplements include improved muscle retention, increased focus, and better energy during workouts. However, the debate continues regarding their effectiveness and potential applications. 

With so many BCAA brands promising the world, how do you know which one to choose? To help you out, we’ve chosen and reviewed our seven best BCAA supplements to consider taking in 2025. Alongside this, we’ve discussed the potential benefits, considerations, and situations when they might be useful.

7 Best BCAA Supplements

After a thorough review process, these are the seven best BCAA supplements to consider taking in 2025. We’ve used our team of Endomondo experts to come up with the top choices designed for different exercise goals.

*Medical Disclaimer — This BCAA supplement guide is meant to be informative and should not replace qualified medical advice. Furthermore, the opinions presented within this guide are not meant to replace qualified medical advice. 

If you have any questions about supplements for muscle growth, speak to a qualified healthcare professional. This may include a primary care doctor or dietitian who can offer detailed recommendations and support.

Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine

• The glutamine, coconut water, and vitamin C offer additional recovery and hydration benefits.
• Uses high-quality third-party testing from a respected laboratory.
• No added artificial sweeteners or flavors.

• More expensive than other options.
• Some reviews mention a bad taste for some flavors.

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When buying from Transparent Labs, you’re getting a high-quality supplement with excellent third-party testing. The BCAA Glutamine powder offers exactly that, with a huge dose of BCAAs and several added support ingredients.

Each serving contains 8 grams of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio, which is backed by research. This means that there are 2 grams of leucine to every gram of isoleucine and valine. 

Transparent Labs has included glutamine for muscle recovery and coconut water powder for hydration support. Furthermore, you have vitamin C for immune system support.

While you’re paying more than with other options, you’re getting a high-quality BCAA that uses quality ingredients and offers several benefits. At USD 1.33 per serving, it is one of the more expensive BCAAs on our list. 

As is the case with all Transparent Labs products, it’s third-party tested, with certificates of analysis provided. Furthermore, the Informed Choice logo is on the tub, making it suitable for performance athletes.

Transparent Labs uses Stevia as a natural sweetener and natural flavors, meaning there’s nothing artificial. You have five flavors to choose from, including an unflavored version.

We really can’t fault anything about the Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine powder. It’s our best overall BCAA powder and gets our editor’s choice award.

Kaged BCAA 2:1:1

• Informed Sport Certified, making it suitable for tested athletes.
• Uses fermented BCAAs for better purity. 
• It offers excellent value for money and has a huge tub size.

• Only comes as an unflavored option.

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Kaged has kept things simple with its BCAA 2:1:1 powder, doing the basics well while prioritizing quality. 

It’s formulated using fermented BCAAs. Therefore, you’re getting a supplement that’s been minimally processed, ensuring higher quality. It’s vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and non-GMO.

Each serving contains 5 grams in a 2:1:1 ratio, which is in the range of the research-backed intake amount. Kaged offers an unflavored version with nothing artificial. This makes it a great choice if you want a natural BCAA offering to mix with other supplements.

In terms of transparency and third-party testing, it’s Informed Sport Certified, making it suitable for tested athletes. With this, you’re getting a high-quality BCAA supplement that contains exactly what it says.

With 72 servings per tub, it offers fantastic value for money at USD 0.42 per serving. Because of this, we’ve given it our best BCAA powder award. It offers quality, excellent third-party testing, and uses a natural formulation.

Jacked Factory BCAA – Fermented

• Manufactured using Current Good Manufacturing Practice facilities.
• The price per serving offers excellent value for money.
• A simple BCAA supplement for those preferring something pure.

• No information regarding third-party testing.

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If you’re looking for a simple and effective pure BCAA powder, the Jacked Factory Fermented BCAAs is a great option. It contains 6 grams of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio with absolutely nothing else. It’s a pure powder designed for those looking for a basic BCAA supplement. 

In terms of ingredient quality, the BCAAs are manufactured in a Current Good Manufacturing Practice of cGMP-certified facility. This ensures that you’re getting good-quality BCAAs, as they’re regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA.

However, there’s no mention of third-party testing on the Jacked Factory website. Because of this, you should exercise caution if you’re a performance athlete. This is something that the brand needs to improve on for future formulations.

Jacked Factory offers one flavor choice, which is fruit punch. While they have more, this seems to be the only one available. Furthermore, there’s no unflavored option for those who prefer mixing it with other supplements.

At USD 0.83, it comes at a mid-range price point for BCAA powder. It does the basics well by keeping things simple with no added thrills. It’s the best simple BCAA powder in our top seven list.

GAT Sport BCAA Powder

• Good 2:1:1 BCAA ratio.
• No artificial colors or flavors are used.
• Budget-friendly price per serving.

• No flavor options to choose from (Only unflavored).
• No mention of third-party testing.

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GAT Sport has formulated its BCAA powder while following the science. Each serving contains 5 grams of BCAAs in the suggested 2:1:1 ratio. They’re sourced from plants and contain nothing else, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

You have one unflavored flavor option, meaning there’s nothing artificial to worry about. Furthermore, they’ve been manufactured in the US, which should ensure better overall quality. However, there’s no mention of third-party testing on the website, making them unsuitable for tested athletes.

They’re one of the cheapest powders on our list at USD 0.40 per serving. This gives you excellent value for money if you’re okay with the lack of third-party testing and unflavored option.

Overall, the GAT Sport BCAA Powder is another simple BCAA offering that does the basics well. Because of this, it’s our best BCAA for men who want a plain BCAA offering great value for money.

Optimum Nutrition BCAA 1000

• The capsule formulation is great for taking on to go or when traveling.
• Optimal 2:1:1 BCAA ratio.
• Different tub sizes to choose from.

• You need to take ten capsules to match the suggested daily BCAA intake.

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Optimum Nutrition has firmly established itself as one of the world’s leading supplement companies. It offers a large range of high-quality supplements catered to performance athletes. Its BCAA 1000 capsules are designed to give you an easy option that can be taken anywhere.

Each two-capsule serving contains one gram of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio. There’s nothing else included except the gelatin capsules. However, you would need to take around 10 capsules daily for the research-backed serving. 

As is the case with most Optimum Nutrition products, its BCAA 1000 capsules are Informed Choice Certified. This means that they’ve undergone a rigorous testing process, making them suitable for performance athletes. While you might be paying slightly more, you’re getting a high-quality supplement from a well-respected brand.

We like that Optimum Nutrition has given you three tub options. You have 60, 200, and 400 serving tubs, allowing you to purchase in bulk and save money.

At USD 0.39 per serving, they offer good value for money. However, you should be taking more than the suggested serving to meet your daily intake goal.

Overall, the Optimum Nutrition BCAA 1000 Capsules are a solid choice if you’re okay with taking multiple pills. We’ve given them our best BCAA capsule award.

BPI Best BCAA

• Six exciting flavor choices, including rainbow ice.
• Optimum 2:1:1 BCAA ratio.
• The added ingredients may offer additional benefits.

• Uses proprietary blends, meaning you don’t know the amounts of each ingredient.
• Contains artificial ingredients.

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BPI is slowly becoming a more popular name in the supplement industry. Its Best BCAA Powder is one of its main offerings. 

Each serving contains 5 grams of BCAAs in the scientifically suggested 2:1:1 ratio. However, BPI has used proprietary blends, meaning we can’t tell how much of each BCAA is included. 

Furthermore, they’ve added an omega-6 fatty acid and a conjugated linoleic acid blend alongside agmatine sulfate. These are both designed to support overall health by aiding exercise metabolism. 

One of the main selling points of the BPI Best BCAAs is their exciting flavor range. You have six flavors, including rainbow ice and fruit punch. However, bear in mind that artificial flavors are used.

Furthermore, there’s no sign of third-party testing on the main product page. Because of this, performance athletes should take care when using these. 

At USD 1.00 per serving, they come at a mid-range price point. While they lack third-party testing, they do contain a lot of possibly beneficial ingredients. They’re the best BCAA for women looking for interesting BCAA flavors to add to their supplement stack.

Thorne Amino Complex

• Naturally sweetened with Stevia and without artificial ingredients. 
• National Sanitation Foundation Certified for Sport, meaning it’s suitable for tested athletes.
• Contains different amino acids alongside the BCAAs.

• The BCAA amount is underdosed compared to the scientifically suggested amount.

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Last on our top seven list is a unique offering from Thorne. Instead of focusing purely on BCAAs, the brand has used an amino acid blend. Alongside BCAAs, they’ve included several other essential amino acids.

Each serving contains 2.5 grams of BCAAs, which is lower than the scientifically suggested amount. However, with the added essential amino acids, you’re getting a more complete amino acid supplement.

Throne offers two flavors, which are lemon and berry. It’s naturally sweetened with Stevia and uses fruit and vegetable juice to give it color. Therefore, there are no artificial ingredients.

Furthermore, Thorne’s Amino Complex is National Sanitation Foundation Certified, which is a highly respected testing organization. With this, you’re getting a high-quality amino acid blend that’s suitable for tested athletes.

Overall, the Thorne Amino Complex is a quality supplement containing a well-rounded amino acid blend. With 2.5 grams of BCAAs and excellent testing, it’s our best EAA and BCAA blend.

How We Chose The Best BCAA Supplements 

With so many different BCAA supplements on the market, choosing our top seven was no small task. However, with the help of our in-house experts here at Endomondo, we managed to narrow down our list. Once each supplement was reviewed, one of our medical editors checked the information for scientific accuracy.

Each supplement was reviewed using several key factors before making our top seven list. These are the ones we feel were most important to get a scientifically-backed, effective BCAA supplement. We’ll discuss these more in the section below.

• Supplement Formulation — Check how many grams of BCAAs are in each serving. Consider the ratio of each essential amino acid. Alongside this, check if there are any artificial ingredients.
• Brand Transparency And Third-Party Testing — The amount and type of each ingredient should be clearly stated on the supplement tub or pouch. Check to see if the brand has used third-party testing. If so, does it come from a well-respected laboratory?
• Flavor Options And Taste — Consider how many flavor options the brand offers. Are they reported to taste good? Also, see if the brand offers an unflavored version for those looking to mix their BCAAs.
• Value For Money — Verify if the ingredient formulation offers value for money when looking at the price per serving. How does this compare to other brand offerings?
• Customer Experiences — How did the customers find the overall purchase process, from the website to the delivery process? Look at the brand’s return policy and the customer reviews.

Benefits Of BCAAs

BCAAs are essential amino acids that play important roles as the building blocks of protein. If you’re consuming a complete protein source, you’re most likely consuming BCAAs. 

While they might not be needed with sufficient protein intake, there are some situations in which they may offer benefits. These are some of the main benefits you can expect with correct usage.

Improving Muscle-Building Processes

Muscle-building requires a suitable exercise stimulus and sufficient protein intake. Protein provides the building blocks, or amino acids, needed to rebuild and repair muscle tissue following exercise. Therefore, getting enough protein is crucial for muscle-building to occur. 

BCAAs are well-documented to stimulate muscle protein synthesis when ingested following exercise. Leucine is a key driver as it activates important muscle-building pathways. Therefore, BCAAs may help improve muscle-building processes.

However, it’s important to note that BCAAs do not offer the full range of essential amino acids needed for muscle building. Therefore, a complete, high-quality protein source that contains all the amino acids would be the better option. 

With this, the effectiveness of BCAAs for muscle building may be limited to times when protein intake is suboptimal. This might include when dieting or when normal food intake isn’t possible. 

Enhancing Exercise Performance 

As you exercise, your energy stores are depleted to provide energy for muscular contractions to take place. This allows you to generate sufficient power and force needed for exercise. The extent and amount of energy used depends on the intensity and type of exercise.

BCAAs can serve as an additional energy source during long-duration exercise once your carbohydrate stores (glycogen) are depleted. Therefore, they may enhance exercise performance in the absence of correct dietary intake. 

Furthermore, studies have shown that BCAAs can reduce serotonin levels in the brain. This is a key neurotransmitter that can cause central nervous system fatigue during sustained exercise.

With this, it seems as though BCAAs may increase exercise capacity and improve long-duration exercise performance. However, with some studies showing no differences, the potential of BCAAs for exercise performance remains up for debate. 

In most cases, a carbohydrate gel or drink can be used to achieve the same benefits. Therefore, BCAA supplementation may only be warranted if this is not possible.

Better Post-Exercise Recovery 

The physical demands and energy requirements of intense exercise cause the muscles to break down. While this is a normal adaptive response needed for muscle growth, it can lead to delayed-onset muscle soreness or DOMS. This can lead to a decline in muscle function until a suitable rest period has been carried out.

Post-exercise recovery is where BCAAs have the most promising evidence. Studies have repeatedly shown reduced DOMS and markers of muscle damage following BCAA supplementation. 

Therefore, BCAA supplementation may be effective for enhancing post-exercise recovery following intense exercise.

Potential Drawbacks Of BCAAs

As is the case with all dietary supplements, there are always potential drawbacks to consider.

Generally speaking, BCAAs are considered safe for use when taken in the recommended doses. Furthermore, BCAAs can be taken daily, with no need to cycle them on and off. 

However, taking BCAAs with other added ingredients may cause potential side effects. Common examples include known allergens or artificial sweeteners. Potential side effects include:

• Digestive Issues.
• Bloating.
• Nausea.
• Cramping.

Some studies have linked chronically elevated BCAA intake to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. However, this doesn’t seem to reflect the dietary BCAA intake. 

*Before taking BCAAs, check with your doctor if you have any underlying health conditions. If you do experience any unwanted side effects or unusual changes, consult a doctor immediately.

Factors To Consider When Choosing A BCAA

BCAA Ratio

The BCAA ratio refers to the amount of the different essential amino acids in the BCAA supplement. These are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Common ratios include 2:1:1, 4:1:1, or 8:1:1, in rare cases.

Look for a BCAA supplement with a 2:1:1 ratio. This means that it included twice the amount of leucine compared to isoleucine and valine. With leucine playing a leading role in muscle building, having a higher amount means it will be more effective. 

While higher leucine amounts would be thought better, a 2:1:1 ratio is considered the optimal ratio. It’s also the one most commonly used in research.

Ingredients

This refers to the amount and type of BCAAs included as the main ingredients. When looking at the ingredient list, check the BCAA dosage per serving and compare this to the research-backed amount. 

A recent review found that a minimum leucine dose of 3 grams is needed to effectively stimulate muscle growth. This would equal around 5–7 grams per dose, depending on the BCAA ratio. Therefore, look for a BCAA supplement that offers at least 5 grams of BCAAs per serving. 

Formulation

The BCAA formulation refers to the delivery method used. This is commonly done using powders, pills, or liquids. 

Powders tend to be better for your workouts, offering fast absorption rates. Furthermore, they can easily be mixed with other supplements, such as a post-workout protein shake. 

Pills can be handy, especially when traveling or at work. However, they take longer to absorb, so they are less commonly used around training sessions. 

Liquid formulations also offer rapid absorption rates but are much less common. Because of this, they are often much more expensive than powders or pills. 

With this, the formulation can help answer the question: “When is the best time to take BCAAs?”. 

Flavor And Taste

While flavor and taste are often seen as less important, they should still be part of the decision-making process. BCAAs have a naturally bitter flavor, which may taste unpleasant to some people. Because of this, many BCAA supplements use natural and artificial flavors to enhance the taste.

Check each BCAA supplement for the available flavors. A wide range of flavors allows you more freedom to try new flavors and switch when needed. An unflavored BCAA supplement may be best if you’re adding it to a flavored protein powder.

Alongside this, check the customer reviews to see the reports on the different flavor tastes. If a flavor tastes good or bad, you have an idea of what to expect and what not to choose.

Additional Ingredients

If you’re looking for only BCAAs, you’ll need a pure supplement with no added ingredients. If you want something that offers multiple potential benefits, you can choose one with added ingredients. Common ones include electrolytes, glutamine, citrulline, and caffeine. 

The suitability of each of these depends on your exercise goals, specifically if you’re focusing on performance, recovery, or pure muscle-building.

Furthermore, make sure that you check for potentially harmful added ingredients. These may include artificial sweeteners, fillers, colors, and flavorings. Aim to choose a BCAA supplement that limits their use. 

Quality And Third-Party Testing 

Supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. This means that brands may include whatever ingredients they want without them being properly regulated. This includes BCAAs, meaning that they may contain potentially harmful or unwanted ingredients.

If a BCAA supplement is third-party tested, it means that it’s been analyzed by a different laboratory. During this, they test the ingredients for purity and correct doses. Therefore, you know exactly what’s in the supplement that you’re taking.

If you’re a tested performance athlete, look for the Informed Sport or National Sanitation Foundation logos. This ensures that they have been tested for banned substances, allowing performance athletes to take them without the potential to fail a drug test.

Who Should Take BCAA

BCAAs may offer several benefits when correctly implemented into a well-organized supplement routine. These include better muscle metabolism, energy production, and enhanced exercise recovery. These benefits seem to be most effective for certain populations.

Physically Active Individuals And Athletes

BCAAs are metabolized in skeletal muscle, making them readily available during exercise, Furthermore, leucine plays a key role in stimulating muscle protein synthesis. With this, they may play key roles in energy metabolism, muscle building, and muscle recovery.

Therefore, they would be best suited to physically active individuals and athletes regularly engaging in intense exercise.

People On A Low-Protein Diet

Hundreds of different dietary trends exist, each with their potential merits and drawbacks. While animal-based protein sources tend to contain a full amino acid profile, plant-based sources are often incomplete. 

Therefore, a larger variety of plant sources or supplementation is needed to meet your daily needs. One potential option would be supplementing with BCAAs to ensure a full amino acid profile. 

This may then help support muscle building, recovery, and general health. Examples of those who may be on a low-protein diet include vegans and vegetarians. 

Older Adults And Those With Muscle-Wastage Conditions

As the aging process takes place, the body becomes less responsive to the ingestion of protein. As a result, a progressive loss of muscle mass is seen, also known as sarcopenia. 

Older adults suffering from muscle-wastage conditions such as sarcopenia, cancer, and severe injury may benefit from supplementation. The addition of BCAAs may help meet their increased protein needs and plug potential nutritional gaps.

Conclusion

While BCAAs continue to be a popular supplement choice for many gym populations, their effectiveness is still being debated. Their potential beneficial effects tend to relate to muscle metabolism, energy production, and muscle recovery. Of these, muscle recovery seems to be the most promising research avenue.

Our top seven BCAA supplements represent some of the best options currently on the market in 2025. Take a look at each one while considering the points we’ve raised to see if it’s right for you. Add BCAAs to your supplement routine, and you may start to enjoy some of the potential benefits that they offer!

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