BCAA vs EAA

Our body needs 21 amino acids to function properly. Out of them, 6 can be produced by the body, so they are non-essential (alanine, aspartic acid, asparagine, glutamic acid, serine, selenocysteine). 

Another 6 can also be synthesized by the body except for some conditions, making them conditionally essential (arginine, cysteine, glutamine, glycine, proline, tyrosine). However, the remaining 9 cannot be produced by the body, meaning you need them through diet alone, so they are essential. They are also known as EAA. (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, pyrrolysine, tryptophan, valine). 

Among these 9, these 3 (isoleucine, leucine & valine) are called BCAA (branched-chain amino acids). Leucine, in particular, is crucial for muscle growth. but consuming it alone won’t be enough. So just consuming a BCAA supplement without eating or completing your protein intake won’t be effective. And, if you get all 9 from your diet, you don’t need BCAA anyway. Right?

And foods that contain all essential amino acids mentioned above are called complete proteins, such as these non-vegetarian (chicken, fish, seafood, meat, eggs etc.) and vegetarian foods (soy chunks, tofu, paneer, milk, curd). Even whey protein falls under complete protein category.

Looking to achieve your fitness goals?

We offer personalized nutrition & training plans tailored for fat loss, muscle gain, or any other health goal. Click below, fill out the form, and reach your fitness goals much faster than most people.

So the practical takeaway here is that if your goal is muscle growth, first priority is to complete your daily protein requirement (1.5-2g/kg of bodyweight), and secondly, most of this protein should come from complete sources to trigger muscle protein synthesis and lastly, if possible split total protein equally across meals. 

And as far as BCAA & EAA supplements are concerned, they’re just a marketing gimmick. The fact is, if you’re eating enough protein from complete sources you automatically get sufficient BCAA & EAAs needed for muscle growth.