Which supplement works better to increase protein synthesis: branched chain amino acids or essential amino acids?

Ratings at a Glance

Supplement	Effectiveness Rating	Confidence Rating
Branched Chain Amino Acids
Essential Amino Acids

Effectiveness Rating: Branched Chain Amino Acids vs Essential Amino Acids

The effectiveness rating is a measure of the supplements' ability to increase protein synthesis. This rating answers the question of whether or not a supplement does what it claims. The evidence backing up essential amino acids to increase protein synthesis is much better than the evidence backing up branched chain amino acids. Essential Amino Acids should provide positive results while branched chain amino acids will not.

Confidence Rating: Branched Chain Amino Acids vs Essential Amino Acids

Another factor to take into account when comparing supplements is the confidence rating. This rating is a measure of how valid each supplement's effectiveness rating is. Remember, the confidence rating is a measure of how much you can trust the effectiveness rating. This rating is based on how many studies are included in the database on a supplement's claims. Ideally, you want a high effectiveness AND confidence rating.

Essential Amino Acids's confidence rating is higher than branched chain amino acids's. This means essential amino acids's effectiveness rating from above is more valid. This does not necessarily mean that essential amino acids works better, it simply means the evidence (included in this database) backing up essential amino acids is more established.