Both are essential supplement for your gym body regime. Protein is the common advice given to an individual, once you decide to have a training schedule at the neighborhood gym. Bcaa, or a group of three essential amino acids (Leucine, Isloleucine, and Valine), on the other hand, is recommended for you to build muscle.
The real debate of bcaa vs. whey arises as, a pure whey protein powder source, contains small portion of bcaa too. In other words, if you consume whey protein powder, you are also consuming bcaa. So, many a times, an individual may think, why I need to have bcaa supplement, when whey protein shake is giving me bcaa too?
Yet, it is not as simple as the stated fact. One simple answer to this confusion is how much bcaa dosage you require in a day? So, the bcaa vs. whey protein battle can be fought on different grounds like what, when, why, and which supplement to choose. Let us dig out some basic facts for you, while we continue presenting the real side of bcaa vs. whey protein isolate.
Difference between BCAA and Whey
As aforementioned, bcaa is a group of three essential amino acids, namely Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. Amino acids can be technically defined as protein producing agents in your body. Like proteins are building blocks of our body, amino acids are recognised as building blocks of protein. Amino acids are grouped into essential and non-essential.
Out of this, essential amino acids are required to be externally sourced. They are not produced by our body, and therefore, bcaa supplementation, is a critical body requirement, especially for strenuous exercises. To sum up quickly, bcaa’s are branched chain amino acids consisting of three amino acid elements, which deliver in strengthening our muscles.
Related Article: Ultimate Benefits Of Amino Acids Supplement
Leucine for example, is present in our skeletal muscles, and therefore, a growing feed of Leucine benefits your muscles, especially when you stress it out.
Whey, on the other hand, is required by our body to increase protein generation in our body. It is considered as a complete protein, as it contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is a by-product of cheese making from milk.
Whey protein isolate is a type of whey protein which has up to 90% pure protein. Please note the difference between whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate.
Whey protein isolate has lower content of carbs, lactose and fat, and is a regulated source of pure protein. Concentrate on the other hand contains protein in ratio of 30% to 80%.
I will summarize the difference between whey protein and bcaa in few points-
- Whey protein is a holistic feed to your body and contains benefits of measured portion of 9 essential amino acids including, bcaa. Please note it is not pure bcaa but pure protein supplement
- Bcaa is indirect protein supplementation to your muscles and body, as essential amino acids increase protein synthesis in your muscle tissues. It is different from protein powder, and is not a direct source of protein
- It will be correct to presume that bcaa cannot do the job of protein in your body, and likewise, whey protein cannot be a bcaa-aid to meet your body requirements
I hope I have made it easy for you to comprehend- the bcaa vs. whey- benefit to the body so far. However, the question for a gym-going person still remains; which one should I opt for, which is better bcaa or whey protein, or should I take whey and bcaa together to maximize my gym health? Well, the answers are shared below in the article.
BCAA or Whey – Which one to choose
First thing first; you need to know more about the exact functional benefits of each of these two supplements. By functional benefits, we restrict ourselves to workout (benefits) only.
Whey Protein Benefits
- Aids weight loss
- Improves muscle protein synthesis
- Promotes growth of lean mass tissue
- Helps build muscle strength
Related Article: 10 Benefits About Whey Protein You Didn’t Know
BCAA Benefits
- Preservation and growth of muscle tissue
- Prevention of muscle breakdown
- An effective aid for muscle development
- Bcaa provides oxygen to the blood vessels in your muscles releasing lot of energy while you exercise
It must be somewhat evident to you by now, what you need to have – bcaa or whey. For some, it may still seem a bit similar, especially considering the fact that whey protein is a good source of essential amino acids also. So, which is better bcaa or whey protein?
In order to put it in a correct perspective, whey protein powder (supplement) is good for moderate workouts, or even heavy exercises. But if you have purposed your gym efforts to build muscles, in other words, intense workout is your routine gym schedule, then you require a measured dose of BCAA.
It is rather simple to understand for individuals who are regular in their workouts. As for a gym beginner, it is likely you will be recommended protein shakes, and whey protein will fall in the way. Bcaa on the other hand, is heavy investment to boost your muscle strength, and may be recommended only as a part of intense muscle workout sessions.
Can we take BCAA and Whey together?
Well, the answer is a yes and no both, depending upon your workout schedule. You don’t need to feed your body with extra supplement, if it is not required. Anything extra in your body, will only load it, if you don’t release it out.
For example, a moderate gym user may be consuming whey protein for sure, but if he/she decides to take bcaa supplementation; it has to serve a purpose. If you are taking a supplement, you are feeding your body with calories, and therefore, you need to burn those calories. A moderate exercise routine may not justify the quantity of supplement load in your stomach.
The affirmed fact is that body-builders necessarily require increased supplementation, and therefore, the possibility of gulping whey protein and bcaa, in measured schedule and portions, is essential. In order to make your intense muscle workout strategy more effective, your muscle tissues require bcaa.
Like mentioned earlier, bcaa suits your muscle building regime, because of its given benefits. It is like doing PhD for your muscle health. At the same time, body builders will essentially require whey protein powder, in comparison to any other protein shakes, as whey, unlike other protein shakes, includes benefits of other essential amino acids too.
Some days, you may not really require consuming bcaa, which is really meant to spike up your performance in high dosage. Even, when consumed every day, Bcaa is to be taken in small dose because of its properties and various reasons, especially being a heavy supplement. It is expected, you will be on a protein-supplement diet every day, and whey protein shake is your best bet.
Go Shopping online for BCAA and Whey Together
It is best to check out your supplements online, so that you don’t go for a brand blind-folded. It is important to know the nutrition characteristics of your supplement, if you truly want to be gym-smart. Try MFF BCAA 5000, a high quality particle bcaa brand, which feeds 2500 grams of Leucine, and 1250 grams of Isoleucine and Valine, in a single serve.
If you study a good bcaa composition in detail, you will find many references being made to Leucine, as it is present in abundance in your skeletal muscles. There are clean Leucine supplement, to be taken with caution of course.
Before I conclude the article, I cannot help but mention about MFF 100% whey protein. Like I said, whey protein is your best source of protein consumption every day. Therefore, it is very important to buy a safe and effective product. An important mention on the label is ratio of concentrate to isolate, which is 80: 20; 26 gram protein per 32 gram serve.
It is important to be aware of your supplement, as it directly relates to your diet and daily routine of exercise. If you have a protein rich diet, and are also taking the recommended carbs, then you may need to span out a schedule for consumption of protein, and be able to signal out the difference in requirement for whey protein vs. other protein shakes.
Bcaa, is good energy source, so if you are already taking carbs in your diet, then why do you need clean bcaa supplementation? You may well be overdoing it, or going by the logic of need to outsource bcaa, you may be doing well with whey protein only. Therefore, it is important to know, the nutrient break-up of any supplement you take.
Be mindful, you are consuming calories through every supplement, and you don’t want to consume more than you burn, all in disguise of taking healthy supplements; do you?
