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6 Best BCAA for Women of 2024
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- Best Overall BCAA for Women: Zhou Nutrition Muscle BCAA
- Best Value BCAA for Women: Naked BCAA
- Best BCAA for Women for Weight Loss: NOW Sports BCAA Blast
- Best BCAA for Women for Post-Exercise Recovery: Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine
- Best BCAA with Electrolytes for Women: Type Zero Ultra Clean Vegan BCAA Powder + Electrolytes
- Best BCAA With Protein Powder for Women: Garden of Life Organic Vegan Sport Protein Powder
- FAQs About BCAAs for Women
Branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, are amino acid supplements commonly used by athletes and people aiming to boost exercise performance or build muscle mass.
In addition to supporting muscle growth, BCAAs may also be used for weight loss, preventing muscle soreness, and improving liver health.
However, not all BCAAs are created equal—in this article, check out our list of the six best BCAA supplements for women, including our top pick, Zhou Nutrition Muscle BCAA, plus the best BCAAs for a post-recovery blend, weight loss, good value, and more.
| Best Overall | Best Value | for Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | Zhou Nutrition | Naked | Now Sports |
| Key Points | Contains ideal ratio of BCAAs; Coconut water, L-glutamine, and beetroot for recovery; Probiotics help digestion; Vitamin C and tart cherry for antioxidant support; Vegan | Solely contains BCAAs and sunflower lecithin; No additives or flavors; 2:1:1 BCAA ratio; Vegan | Contains caffeine (100mg); Green coffee bean extract may aid weight loss; Sodium added to replenish lost electrolytes; Vegan and GMP-certified; Contains stevia and erythritol |
| Cost | $25.99 for 30 servings ($0.86/serving) Shop Now | $34.99 for 100 servings ($0.35/serving) Shop Now | $45.99 for 34 servings ($1.35/serving) Shop Now |
Best for: Women wanting a comprehensive BCAA supplement at a good value; those wanting additional nutrients and compounds to support post-exercise recovery and digestion.
Our top pick for the best BCAA for women is Zhou Nutrition Muscle BCAA, with its abundance of nutrients and compounds to support you both during and after exercise.
This BCAA supplement contains the ideal ratio of the three branched-chain amino acids—a 2:1:1: ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine (in this case, it’s 2,500mg leucine and 1,250 mg for the latter two).
Zhou Nutrition Muscle BCAA also packs in plenty of ingredients to support post-exercise recovery, including coconut water powder, L-glutamine, and beetroot for reducing muscle tissue soreness, plus vitamin C and tart cherry for antioxidant support.
Lastly, this formula is vegan and contains probiotics (1 billion CFU of Bacillus coagulans) to help support digestion and possibly alleviate some of the gastrointestinal side effects that can be seen with BCAA supplements.
Best for: Women wanting a good value exercise supplement that just contains BCAAs; those wanting unflavored BCAA supplements.
At just $0.35 per serving, Naked BCAA is a highly affordable option for women wanting a no-frills BCAA product.
With the ingredients solely being the ideal ratio (that 2:1:1 again) of the three BCAAs and less than 1% of sunflower lecithin to aid solubility, Naked Nutrition delivers on their “naked” promise—no flavors, sweeteners, or artificial additives in Naked BCAA.
While BCAAs are beneficial on their own for muscle protein synthesis, reducing muscle fatigue during exercise, and post-exercise soreness, this supplement doesn’t contain any other compounds to support the recovery process.
Plus, the lack of flavoring has some reviewers reporting that the taste is not-so-great when mixed with water, so combining with another beverage may be best.
Best for: Women who want a BCAA supplement that may aid weight loss and/or those looking for a caffeinated BCAA option.
Although BCAA supplements are most known for supporting exercise performance, some research has indicated that they may also help improve body composition by reducing body fat.
NOW Sports BCAA Blast may be one good option for supporting weight loss, as it contains the usual three BCAAs in addition to caffeine (100mg) from green coffee bean extract.
Some studies have shown that caffeine and green coffee bean extract reduce body fat mass and weight in overweight or obese people—therefore, this NOW BCAA supplement may help aid these processes.
A few downsides to this supplement include being on the expensive side, not disclosing the ratio of each BCAA (we only know that it contains 5g total), and the stevia and erythritol.
Best for: Women who strenuously exercise and need post-workout recovery; those looking for a higher dose of BCAAs per serving.
While BCAAs help build muscle and prevent fatigue during exercise, L-glutamine helps to repair and rebuild muscles after exercise.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine combines both of these ingredients—in addition to the antioxidant vitamin C and the ultra-hydrating coconut water powder—to best support recovery after exercise.
Plus, this supplement contains higher doses of BCAAs than most others—while it still utilizes the ideal 2:1:1 ratio, the amounts are higher at 4,000mg leucine and 2,000 mg of isoleucine and valine.
However, at $1.33 per serving, this is one of the more expensive BCAA supplements.
Best for: Women who sweat a lot during workouts and need to replenish lost electrolytes.
If you’re on the sweaty side—or worked out extra hard—Type Zero Ultra Clean Vegan BCAA Powder + Electrolytes is an excellent choice for a BCAA powder that also replenishes lost electrolytes.
With their electrolyte complex of coconut water powder, potassium, magnesium, and two types of sodium, this BCAA powder helps to hydrate and replenish essential electrolytes lost during a workout.
This formulation also has the ideal 2:1:1 BCAA ratio, plus the amino acid L-arginine to support circulation, and acetyl L-carnitine, which helps to burn fat for energy.
Best for: Women wanting an all-in-one BCAA plus protein powder supplement; those looking for an organic BCAA powder.
Last but not least, sometimes people want a comprehensive protein powder that doesn’t just contain BCAAs—and Garden of Life Organic Vegan Sport Protein Powder is one great option.
With all three BCAAs plus 15 other amino acids, this protein powder delivers 15g of protein per scoop from plant-based sources, including organic pea, sprouted navy bean, sprouted lentil bean, sprouted garbanzo bean, and cranberry seed proteins.
In addition, you’ll find L-glutamine, turmeric, goji, blueberry, and tart cherry to support exercise recovery.
Plus, this Garden of Life protein powder is organic, vegan, has no added sugar, and provides 2 billion CFUs of probiotics to support digestion.
FAQs About BCAAs for Women
Do BCAAs Help Lose Belly Fat?
BCAAs may help to reduce belly fat, although the research is mixed.
Some studies have found that BCAAs reduce body fat in men but not women.
Is It Okay to Take BCAAs Everyday?
Yes, it is fine to take BCAAs every day.
BCAAs are generally considered a safe supplement when used in doses of less than 35g per day.
Are BCAAs Better Than Protein for Weight Loss?
Both protein powder and BCAAs can be beneficial for weight loss, but protein powder tends to be higher in calories—therefore, BCAAs may be better for weight loss.
Protein also tends to be better for increasing muscle size and strength, while the research on BCAAs leans more toward muscle repair and recovery post-exercise.
You can also take BCAAs and protein powder together.
What Are the Side Effects of BCAAs?
BCAAs are generally considered a safe supplement when used in doses less than 35g per day.
When consumed in high doses, BCAAs may cause gastrointestinal symptoms, fatigue, loss of coordination, nausea, headaches, or insulin resistance.
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