Here’s our National Bodybuilding Co. Pro Contest BCAA Review.
National Bodybuilding Co. BCAA is a brand new BCAA supplement that features 4,000mg of premium-quality BCAAs with L-Glutamine and vitamin B6.
And, like all National Bodybuilding Co. products, this supplement is completely free of unnecessary fillers and harmful additives.
Highlights
- Non-GMO, Gluten-Free
- Available exclusively in Fruit Punch flavor
- Good mixability, tastes natural and not-over-the-top
- 45 servings per tub
- Advanced formula with BCAA ratio of 2:1:1 for training recovery & muscle protection
According to the manufacturer, National Bodybuilding Co. Pre Workout is best taken pre-workout, post-workout, or between your meals. Half a scoop (6.5g), two to three times per day and you’re promised:
- Faster muscle building & recovery
- Protection from muscle breakdown & soreness
- Increased energy for all types of training
- Reduction in fatigue-inducing brain chemicals, and consequently, superior athletic endurance
It’s no secret that bodybuilders have used BCAAs for years to maximize their gains. However, what makes National Bodybuilding Co. better than your average BCAA supplement, and how will it work for you?
All of that, and more, we’ll answer below.
Reported Benefits
National Bodybuilding Co. BCAA is formulated for athletic nutritional support.
Even though it’s created to help professional athletes maintain and gain muscle while cutting fat, it can work for people of all backgrounds.
Here are the benefits you can expect from using it:
1. Increased Muscle Growth
National Bodybuilding Co. Pro Contest BCAAs specializes in accelerating the rate of protein synthesis. As a result, they can help protect and maintain your existing muscle mass when you’re cutting. [1]
However, BCAAs have also been shown to activate key enzymes that stimulate the muscle-building process. This can be especially helpful when you’re bulking and trying to pack on as much muscle as possible. [2]
2. Reduced Muscle Tissue Breakdown and Soreness
BCAAs have been extensively studied for their ability to reduce muscle tissue breakdown and inflammation.
They do this by replenishing amino acids in your muscle tissue. The same ones that get depleted during hard exercise.
In research, subjects who took BCAA supplements after training experienced notably less muscle soreness than the placebo group. Another study found evidence that BCAAs lower blood levels of two enzymes that induce muscle damage. [3, 4]
Glutamine is another amino acid that gets depleted during training. Low levels can further compromise the immune system and muscle gains. National Bodybuilding Co. Pro Contest BCAA contains 1,000mg of glutamine to prevent this.
3. Maximized Exercise Performance
BCAAs work together with vitamin B6 to increase energy levels.
Specifically, BCAAs can help optimize your aerobic and anaerobic performance by increasing ATP production in your mitochondria – small energy factories in the heart of your cells. This has been shown to have an effect on how long and how hard athletes can train. [5]
Vitamin B6 helps do the same, while also aiding in the process of conversion of food to energy.
4. Extended Endurance
When you start supplementing with BCAAs, one of the first effects you should notice is a reduction in fatigue.
Studies show that participants who took BCAAs during training experienced 15% less fatigue than a placebo. [6]
In another study, subjects who took BCAAs trained for 17% longer than the placebo group, before reaching the point of exhaustion. [7]
Interestingly, BCAAs also help modulate your brain’s serotonin levels, which is a neurotransmitter that promotes fatigue.
Ingredients
Each serving (6.5g) supplies you with the following ingredients:
- 4g of BCAAs
- 1g of L-Glutamine
- 2.5mg of Vitamin B6
You may ask; “What makes National Bodybuilding Co. Pro Contest BCAA stand out from the rest?”
For one, it has a completely transparent formula. No proprietary blends or other marketing tricks that would hide how much of the supplement you’re actually getting.
Another advantage is that is uses BCAAs in optimal ratios – 2:1:1 (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine). Many cheap BCAA supplements have a skewed ratio of these three crucial Branched-Chain Amino Acids – up to 10:1:1 sometimes.
National Bodybuilding Co. BCAA’s also features clinically dosed glutamine and vitamin B6, which further adds to the training recovery benefits of this supplement.
Flavors & Mixability
At the moment, Pro Contest BCAA is available exclusively in “Fruit Punch” flavor.
The mixability is good – it takes a minute or two for everything to completely dissolve if you’re mixing it with a spoon. However, it dissolves almost instantly in a shaker bottle.
The flavor is not overly strong. We also haven’t noticed artificial aftertaste, which is a plus.
Price & Where to Buy?
National Bodybuilding Co. Pro Contest BCAA costs $38 per tub.
This is in line with other high-end BCAA products, despite having 45 servings (when many BCAA products in this price range have only 30).
Pro Contest BCAA also offers fast shipping – however, it’s only available in the USA and Canada at the moment.
You can buy it here:
https://nationalbodybuildingco.com/products/pro-contest-bcaa
Conclusion
This concludes our National Bodybuilding Co. Pro Contest BCAA review.
Pro Contest BCAA is, in our opinion, perfectly formulated to help protect your muscles from hard training, and also help you grow stronger.
Each serving packs 4,000mg of BCAAs in the ideal 2:1:1 ratio, along with glutamine and vitamin B6 for additional recovery support.
With 45 servings per tub, it’s also one of the best value for money BCAA products out there.
References
- Blomstrand E, Eliasson J, Karlsson HK, Köhnke R. Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. J Nutr. 2006;136(1 Suppl):269S-73S. doi:10.1093/jn/136.1.269S
- Mero A. Leucine supplementation and intensive training. Sports Med. 1999;27(6):347-358. doi:10.2165/00007256-199927060-00001
- Leahy DT, Pintauro SJ. Branched-chain amino Acid plus glucose supplement reduces exercise-induced delayed onset muscle soreness in college-age females. ISRN Nutr. 2013;2013:921972. Published 2013 Mar 17. doi:10.5402/2013/921972
- Coombes JS, McNaughton LR. Effects of branched-chain amino acid supplementation on serum creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase after prolonged exercise. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2000;40(3):240-246.
- Mittleman KD, Ricci MR, Bailey SP. Branched-chain amino acids prolong exercise during heat stress in men and women. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998;30(1):83-91. doi:10.1097/00005768-199801000-00012
- Blomstrand E, Hassmén P, Ek S, Ekblom B, Newsholme EA. Influence of ingesting a solution of branched-chain amino acids on perceived exertion during exercise. Acta Physiol Scand. 1997;159(1):41-49. doi:10.1046/j.1365-201X.1997.547327000.x
- Gualano AB, Bozza T, Lopes De Campos P, et al. Branched-chain amino acids supplementation enhances exercise capacity and lipid oxidation during endurance exercise after muscle glycogen depletion. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2011;51(1):82-88.