BCAA Supplements vs. Creatine

Both BCAA supplements and creatine are great tools when it comes to working out. Whether you’re an athlete or simply passionate about pursuing a fit lifestyle, you may already be aware of them. But are you aware of the different jobs that these performance supplements do, and how they benefit your body? 

BCAA Supplements

BCAAs, which stands for branch chain amino acids, are the building blocks of protein. These guys repair muscle. As you work out, you create tiny tears in your muscle - this is inevitable. But even though these tears are commonplace and unavoidable, they need to heal as soon as possible. That’s where BCAAs come in. 

By taking BCAA supplements, your body can heal those micro-tears much faster. It’s a recovery supplement, meant to be consumed post-workout to help your body bounce back in the best way possible. 

Of course, muscle repair is necessary. But some of you might be thinking - couldn’t I repair my muscles by consuming protein in the form of meat, something like a healthy chicken dinner post-workout? The answer is layered, both yes and no. Chicken is a great source of protein, but your body still has to do the work of breaking it down. As your digestive system breaks the chicken down, it presses the pause button on most other systems. If you consume BCAAs that are already broken down, your body can continue to function as normal and conserve the energy that it would take to break down the chicken. 

That’s not to say you should substitute protein in the form of meat for BCAAs, though. A combination of both is your best bet. 

Creatine

While BCAAs are a recovery supplement, creatine is a cell volumizer. This means that, during a workout, it allows your muscle cells to absorb more, creating stronger and more powerful muscle tissue by simply absorbing water. Creatine is more of a performance enhancer than BCAAs because creatine focuses on improving the workout itself rather than aiding in the recovery period. 

As creatine is broken down, it creates ATP, and ATP provides energy. The reason why creatine is so helpful mid-workout is because it makes for bursts of energy and small increases in strength so you can get the most out of what you’re doing as you’re doing it. If you want to squeeze in an extra rep or two, creatine is the way to go. It helps you go just a little harder, just a little longer, and get the most out of your workout.

Using Both

The key to the most beneficial outcome is using both BCAAs and creatine for your workout routine. If you’re not pairing creatine with something that aids in recovery, you could be getting a whole lot of output without enough repair. 

BCAAs should be taken both before and after a workout. And with creatine, it would only make sense to take it while you’re working out, but it’s especially important to take it with water - and a lot of it. By using Protekt’s effervescent tabs, called Primer, you can plop it right into a bottle of water and go from there. Being that it’s a plant-based tab, it goes easy on your digestive system and won’t cause bloat. 

While BCAAs and creatine are fundamentally different, partnering them and double-teaming a workout will bring the most optimal results. You’ll be amazed at what your body is capable of with the help of these two supplements. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Protekt products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.