BPI Sports is a sports nutrition company based out in Hollywood, Florida, and they’re pretty well-known for their inexpensive protein powder and protein bars. But they’ve got a very large variety of supplements that includes ketogenic diet support and a few pre-workouts, and they also have a couple of different amino acid powders. Naturally, we wanted to try “Best BCAA,” which stands out from the pack due to its unusual method of processing the branch chain amino acids.
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BPI Sports Best BCAA Ingredients and Nutrition
There’s no calorie information, but one scoop has 5 grams of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Then there’s one gram of a “CLA Matrix,” made from powdered safflower oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil, and 250 milligrams of agmatine.
The “oligiopeptide-enzymatic technology,” which I’ll discuss in the next section, appears to require a large variety of acids, waxes, and minerals: potassium hydroxide, stearic acid, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, crospovidone, natural waxes, carboxylic acids, polyethylene glycol, and dicalcium phosphate.
[Make sure to check out our roundup of best BCAAs]
Then there’s the miscellaneous ingredients. There are a lot of flavorings: maltodextrin (a sweetener made from corn), citric acid, malic acid, natural and artificial flavors, plus the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium. There’s also a fiber blend of cellulose gum, xanthan gum, and carrageenan gum. Finally, there’s blue food dye number one.
BPI Sports Best BCAA Benefits and Effectiveness
There’s a lot of talk on the bottle about oligio-peptide enzymatic technology, which means the BCAAs are processed in a way that makes them peptide-bonded, which BPI claims helps them act as a better transport vehicle for faster absorption and recovery.
The CLA Matrix stands for conjugated linolenic acid, a type of fat that has been linked to fat loss in some studies. The thing is that the results have been decidedly mixed and even when there is an effect it’s mild, and it comes from doses of at least three to six grams. The CLA may have some positive effect, but the claim that it’s “supporting lean muscle building, preserving lean muscle mass, and reducing body fat” doesn’t have as much research consensus as I’d perhaps like to see.
Then there’s 250mg of agmatine, which is a metabolite of L-Arginine. It may act as a vasodilator, enhancing blood flow and providing a “pump” during a workout. It also may have benefits for the mood and, over time, mental health. 250mg appears to be an effective dose, too.
BPI Sports Best BCAA Price
You can pick up a tub of 30 servings for $30, which is a dollar a serving or 20 cents per gram of BCAAs. That’s not particularly cheap or expensive; competitors like Scivation Xtend and Cellucor Alpha Aminos are closer to 11 to 15 cents per gram of BCAA. While BPI Sports does have the extra agmatine, I’m not convinced that the CLA or the unusual manner of processing makes it worth the extra cash.
BPI Sports Best BCAA Taste
I tried the Blue Raspberry flavor, which was surprisingly pleasant. It tasted like raspberry candy, but it’s not as sour or sweet as most of the other BCAAs I’ve tried. It was mild, which I liked.
The Takeaway
I think BPI Sports Best BCAA may border on the pricier side, but there are some definite positives. It’s a 2:1:1 BCAA supplement with a little agmatine, though I’m not sure the CLA or the peptide-bonding adds much more than the BCAAs themselves. I like the taste and it will do the job, though I think the main benefit is from the hallmark amino acids, not the extras.
BPI Sports Best BCAA
Per Serving: $1.00
Pros
- May absorb faster than other BCAAs
- Contains an effective dose of agmatine
- No soy
Cons
- Some ingredients seem unnecessary
- Contains sucralose and acesulfame potassium
- No calorie information
