During periods of strenuous physical activity, a person’s muscles can sometimes burn through their preferred form of fuel – glycogen – and must break down proteins to harvest BCAAs for energy. This reduces muscle mass and causes damage to muscle tissue while you work out.

Because free-form amino acids have a much quicker absorption rate than whole proteins, your body can use them to produce energy, fight muscle degradation, and limit fatigue and soreness up to 3x faster than with whey protein shakes. In other words, you’ll see the effects of amino acid supplements right when you need them instead of having to wait for digestion to take place – part of why the pre-, mid-, and post-workout benefits of BCAAs are superior to traditional protein-based products.