BCAA Vs. CREATINE: Which one to choose? Which one is better?

Gym freaks and sports enthusiasts have a variety of supplements to choose from in order to perform at their best. The choices include proteins, EAAs, pre-workouts, post-workouts, etc. Today, we are going to look at two of the very popular supplements – BCAA & Creatine. We will test which one is better and which one you should choose.

Let us first understand what BCAA & CREATINE

BCAAs or Branched Chain Amino Acids are a combination of three essential amino acids – Valine, Leucine & Isoleucine. These are called essential amino acids as our body cannot produce them and thus, we require to get them from the food we eat or through supplements. Many studies have found that consuming BCAA drink intra-training can help increase fat and mass burning and help reduce muscle soreness and recovery time.

Creatine or Creatine Monohydrate is a combination of two amino acids – Arginine & Methionine. However, like BCAAs, these are not as essential as our body is capable of producing them naturally. However, taking creatine supplements has been shown to improve performance, boost energy, increase muscle mass and reduce the risk of injury. 

BCAA Vs CREATINE

BCAAs, as studies suggest, have many benefits right from reducing muscle damage and soreness to reducing recovery time. Thus, if you are not able to get enough BCAA from your diet then a BCAA supplement is a must for you, especially for those involved in muscle-building and weight-lifting. Having said that, creatine supplements offer various benefits to their users. It aids in increasing muscle force, power and mass. However, one needs to beware of creatine loading that can lead to water retention and if you are not adequately hydrated then you may also suffer from stomach cramps.

Therefore, to conclude, both BCAA and Creatine supplements are beneficial. Those with low protein intake can consume BCAA to promote muscle protein synthesis, while creatine; on the other hand, can help build more muscle strength.

Unfortunately, there is no definite answer to the question, of which one is better as it depends on your goals. Thus, no side – BCAA or Creatine, comes out as a clear winner.