Are BCAAs calories?

BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids. They are a group of three essential amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. BCAAs make up around one third of the amino acids that come from the protein in your diet. They are found in high concentrations in foods like eggs, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products and legumes.

BCAA supplements have become a popular ergogenic aid, especially among athletes and people who strength train. They are claimed to enhance exercise performance and recovery. BCAAs are also sold as ingredients in pre-workout supplements and protein powders. This article examines whether BCAAs contain calories.

Do BCAAs Have Calories?

Yes, BCAA supplements contain calories, because BCAAs are a form of protein. One gram of protein provides around 4 calories.

BCAA supplements usually come in powder or capsule form. Popular brands include Optimum Nutrition, Scivation Xtend, MusclePharm BCAA and Cellucor Alpha Amino.

A typical serving size of BCAA powder is 5–10 grams. Capsules may contain 500–1,000 mg per capsule.

Here are the calorie counts for some popular BCAA supplement brands:

BCAA Supplement Serving Size Calories
Optimum Nutrition BCAA 5000 Powder 1 Scoop (5 g) 20
Scivation Xtend BCAA Powder 1 Scoop (7 g) 30
MusclePharm BCAA Capsules 6 Capsules (3 g) 12
Cellucor Alpha Amino BCAA Powder 1 Scoop (5 g) 20

As you can see, BCAA supplements contain 4–5 calories per gram, which is standard for protein supplements.

So a typical 5–10 gram serving of BCAA powder will provide around 20–50 calories.

BCAAs Are a Form of Protein

BCAA supplements contain calories because branched-chain amino acids are a form of protein.

Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. Some amino acids are non-essential, meaning your body can produce them. Others are essential, meaning you need to get them from food.

The three BCAAs — leucine, isoleucine and valine — are all essential amino acids. They are considered “branched-chain” because of their molecular structure.

Your body breaks down the protein from BCAA supplements into individual amino acids. They function just like the amino acids from the protein foods in your diet.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Just like other proteins, BCAAs get broken down and provide 4 calories per gram.

For this reason, most BCAA supplements list protein as the main nutrient on the nutrition label, along with the calorie count.

BCAAs Are Used as Fuel

When you consume BCAAs, they are digested, absorbed and transported throughout your body.

Some BCAAs get incorporated into proteins. However, the majority are broken down and used for energy, just like other amino acids from dietary protein.

Your body can use BCAAs in the following ways:

  • For energy production
  • To make glucose through gluconeogenesis
  • As a substrate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle

So in addition to providing building blocks for protein synthesis, BCAAs can also be burned for fuel.

This makes them a source of calories. The energy from BCAA supplements contributes to your total daily energy needs.

BCAAs Stimulate Energy Production

Leucine, one of the three BCAAs, actually helps stimulate energy production in your cells. It does this by activating an important energy-sensing enzyme called mTOR.

When mTOR is turned on, it signals your body to increase energy production and ramps up metabolism. Activating mTOR stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which requires energy input from BCAAs.

This helps explain why the BCAA leucine is sometimes referred to as a “nutrient signal” that helps increase energy utilization from food.

Extra Calories Can Be Stored as Fat

While BCAAs are important for energy production, muscle growth and performance, excessive intake from supplements can lead to extra calories.

If you consume more BCAAs than your body needs, the excess amino acids will be converted to glucose and used for fuel. Or they may simply be stored as body fat.

That’s why it’s important not to go overboard on BCAA supplements without accounting for the extra calories you’re taking in.

According to one study in endurance cyclists, BCAA supplements did not improve performance, but led to 0.9 lb (0.4 kg) greater fat gain over 4 weeks, compared to a carbohydrate drink (1).

How to Supplement With BCAAs on a Diet

To maintain calorie balance, the extra 20–50 calories per serving of BCAAs should be factored into your daily intake.

Here are some tips for supplementing with BCAAs:

  • Track your BCAA supplement calories just like food.
  • Reduce your daily food intake by 20–50 calories.
  • Stick to a single serving per day, around 5 grams.
  • Take BCAAs before or during workouts on training days.
  • Consider powder over capsules to control the dosage.
  • Read labels to check for added sugar and unnecessary fillers.

With a little planning, it’s definitely possible to supplement with BCAAs without consuming any excess calories.

Should You Take BCAA Supplements?

Research on the benefits of BCAA supplements for exercise performance and muscle gain is mixed.

While BCAAs play important roles in your body, you can get all the leucine, isoleucine and valine you need from high-protein foods in your diet.

For example, here are some high-BCAA foods:

Food Serving BCAAs (mg)
Whey protein 1 oz (28 grams) 2100
Chicken breast 3 oz (85 g) 1300
Beef 3 oz (85 g) 1100
Salmon 3 oz (85 g) 900
Eggs 1 large 625
Almonds 1 oz (28 g) 205

As long as you eat enough total protein each day from foods like meat, fish, eggs, dairy and legumes, BCAA supplementation is probably unnecessary.

Should You Time BCAA Supplements Around Workouts?

Some research shows that BCAA intake before resistance exercise can maximize muscle protein synthesis after your workout.

Specifically, 10 grams of BCAAs taken 30 minutes before a workout may provide performance benefits and optimize muscle growth (2, 3).

However, other studies found no major advantages, compared to post-workout or daily BCAA supplementation (4).

The jury is still out on whether Nutrient timing of BCAAs makes a big difference. However, they may provide a performance edge when taken before workouts.

Pre-workout BCAAs may help reduce fatigue and mental exhaustion during exercise. If you do supplement, aim for 5–10 grams, 30–60 minutes before your workout (5).

That said, your post-workout meal still plays a bigger role in recovery and results. Getting 20–40 grams of total protein from a meal after exercise remains a priority.

Take Home Message

BCAA supplements provide calories just like other protein sources. Depending on the serving size, BCAA powders and capsules may contain 20–50 calories.

While BCAAs play important biological roles, excessive intake from supplements could lead to unnecessary calories.

You can get all the BCAAs you need from high-protein foods in your diet. But taking 5–10 grams before workouts may provide some additional performance and recovery benefits.

To maintain your calorie balance, be sure to account for the extra calories you consume from BCAA supplements.

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