# 8:1:1 4:1:1 2:1:1 what's best?



## FlunkyTurtle (Aug 5, 2013)

BCAA's specifically, i take them intra workout and i've never really paid much attention to the ratios

Which should i be buying (just about to run out)?

I'd be interested to know the difference as well.


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

it makes little difference. BCAA's are pretty much pointless unless you are incredibly huge or cutting aggressively anyway


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## 1010AD (May 30, 2009)

As Leucine is the king of the 3 id go for the 8,1,1 I think they have done studies and found that 4,1,1 is the perfect ratio but maybe 8,1,1 is better


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Here's the rough reasoning behind the ratios - 2.1.1 is approximately the ratio of leucine/isoleucine/valine stored in skeletal muscle, but when BCAAs are oxidised from muscle tissue during exercise they are oxidised closer to a rate of 4.1.1... 8.1.1, if I remember right, is the maximal ratio that plasma BCAAs can exist in without leeching leucine from the muscle which happens with higher leucine to isoleucine/valine ratios.

Worth saying there are no credible studies showing one form to be better than any other - the reasoning behind the different options is theoretical rather than anything else.

To be honest though, if using BCAA at all, I just use the standard 2.1.1 ratio - in the context of fasted studies BCAA supplementation has a decent effect, but in the context of diet with decent dietary protein intake less of a big deal at all - primarily because all decent proteins (milk proteins, eggs, red meat, poultry, chicken, most legumes, beans and pulses) are high in BCAA's, especially leucine, anyway.


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