The cat is out of the bag:
Those “calorie-free” BCAA supplements aren’t really calorie-free at all, despite what it says on the label.
Supplement brands are knowingly taking advantage of an old food industry loophole which states that they are not required to list the calories for protein in its raw amino acid state. This is a statistically insignificant number of calories for most foods, but for BCAA supplements it accounts for the whole damn product!
Check it out:
“Protein shall not be declared on labels of products that, other than ingredients added solely for technological reasons, contain only individual amino acids.”
– Food and Drug Administration
What This Means For You
Protein contains 4 calories per gram, and free-form amino acids contain 4.6 calories per gram. (1)
That means a 30g serving of BCAAs would be roughly 138 kcals.
So now that we’ve established this, let’s use this new information to debunk some of the biggest myths surround BCAA supplementation:
- Are BCAAs calorie free?
No they’re not.
- Can BCAAs cause weight gain?
Weight loss is governed by calories in versus calories out, so if you’re consuming more calories than you need – regardless of whether that includes BCAAs – you’ll definitely gain weight.
- Can BCAAs be used while fasting?
No, because the calories in your BCAAs will break your fast.
- Can I drink BCAAs before early morning fasted cardio?
If you want, but you’ll no longer be training fasted. Read this post. (2. 3)
References:
- May M. E., et al. Energy content of diets of variable amino acid composition. Am J Clin Nutr (1990).
- Portier H., et al. Effects of branched-chain amino acids supplementation on physiological and psychological performance during an offshore sailing race. Eur J Appl Physiol (2008).
- Borgenvik M., et al. Intake of branched-chain amino acids influences the levels of MAFbx mRNA and MuRF-1 total protein in resting and exercising human muscle. Am J Physiol Endo Metab (2011).
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