What is the best BCAA supplement in South Africa?

Honestly, the best BCAA purchase is usually none: the AIS places BCAAs in Group C (not advocated), and Wolfe's 2017 review found BCAAs alone cannot sustain muscle protein synthesis. If your daily protein is adequate, you already get them from food and whey. See do BCAAs work if you eat enough protein.

If you still want one, price is the useful comparison, because the key figures (grams of BCAA per scoop) are not published in the text of most South African listings. We therefore rank per 10 g of powder, which includes flavouring, so treat it as a guide.

How do BCAA powders compare?

Notes: Evox adds glutamine, so it is not a pure BCAA. NPL's tub is a BCAA plus EAA mix, and its bigger 600 g tub is the cheapest per gram of the five. Nutritech's name states 5 000 mg BCAA, the only dose we could read.

What should you look for?

• 12:1:1 vs 2:1:1. The ratio is leucine:isoleucine:valine. Higher leucine suits the signalling role but is not a dose.
• Grams per scoop. If the pack does not state BCAA mg, you cannot compare value.
• Sweeteners and stimulants. USN states zero sugar and stimulant-free for BCAA Super. Sweetener types are not stated on the pages we read.
• Certification. USN tags BCAA Super as Halaal on its own shop; we did not check certifier registers. No third-party sport certificate is verified for any product above.

Would money be better spent elsewhere?

For the same budget, whey protein supplies BCAAs and every other essential amino acid. NPL Platinum Whey Plus 1 kg (R490, NPL shop) costs R23.52 per 30 g of protein. If you need a complete amino fix without protein, see BCAA vs EAA in South Africa and best EAA supplement. For protein, use best whey protein in South Africa.

Who should avoid BCAAs?

Anyone with maple syrup urine disease. Speak to a doctor or dietitian if you have kidney or liver disease, are pregnant, or take medication. Drug-tested athletes should favour batch-tested products.

Under-18s should meet protein needs from food rather than amino-acid or fat-loss powders.

Products mentioned