If there was an award I could give to the most underrated supplement, there’s a great chance that amino acids would win. Amino acids might seem simple on the surface. But, in the right amounts, they can help with gaining more muscle and losing weight.

You’re about to learn what amino acids are, why they can help you shed pounds, and my personal picks for the best amino acid supplements for weight loss.

What Are Amino Acids?

As you know, the body transforms over time. However, many of these changes happen inside the body. While protein seems pretty simple to understand, this material forms from molecules – the same molecules called amino acids.

20 types of amino acids exist. Of these 20, your body produces 11 of them on its own. However, your body can’t produce the remaining nine amino acids. You’ll also hear these referred to as essential amino acids.

They’re known as essential amino acids because no one’s body can produce them. Because of that, you’ll have to get the following nine amino acids in supplement form:

What About Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)?

If you’ve visited a supplement website, online store, or your local supplement shop, you can probably recall seeing branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) supplements. These amino acids are a combination of three amino acids, which are leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

How Can Amino Acid Supplements Help With Weight Loss?

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Still with me? Awesome! Now let’s get into what amino acids have to do with weight loss.

Amino acids serve as bases for what later becomes protein. Considering that, your body must expend energy to complete this process. When this process happens, it burns calories.

You’ll typically find amino acids in foods that are rich in protein, such as meats, chickpeas, peanuts, eggs, and cottage cheese.

The third way amino acids help with weight loss is by generating glucose. Glucose is what your body uses for energy. Using this natural energy boost to exercise can lead to even more weight loss.

Lastly, consuming amino acids can help stabilize your blood sugar. This stabilization helps prevent you from experiencing the urge to overeat.

Best Amino Acid Supplements for Weight Loss: The 5 Best Picks

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I’ve spent the past 10 years reviewing and using workout supplements. During that time, I’ve tried a lot of amino acid supplements. This list is cultivated from nearly a decade of notes and computer spreadsheets about supplements I’ve tried. But to make things fair, I also browsed popular supplement websites and included a few top picks based on that information.

Here are the picks for the best amino acid supplements for weight loss.

1. XTEND

Why It’s Great:

In my opinion and many others, XTEND remains the leading amino acid supplement. This supplement offers seven grams of pure BCAAs per serving. Plus, it contains no sugar. Each serving of XTEND contains a 2:1:1 ratio of Leucine, Valine, and Isoleucine.

What many people love about XTEND is its many flavors. You’ll find this supplement available in the following flavor options:

XTEND Airheads

If you have a sweet tooth and didn’t think XTEND could get any better, I’ve got good news for you. Recently, XTEND announced its partnership with the popular candy, Airheads. Yes, you read that correctly.

XTEND x Airheads is a BCAA supplement that, like the original XTEND, contains seven grams of BCAAs without any sugar. However, this supplement is available in three flavors based on the candy you know and love. These flavors include Cherry, Blue Razz, and Mystery Flavor Airheads.

2. BulkSupplements Essential Amino Acids (EAA)

Why It’s Great:

BulkSupplements is a leader in the world of low-cost supplements. You probably won’t find this supplement brand in bodybuilding magazines or commercials, and I’m okay with that because it lets this company pass its savings to the customers.

There are no brand deals or influencer partnerships with this brand’s supplements. However, this no-frills company does offer a wide range of excellent products. If you’re interested in the best amino acid supplements for weight loss, look no further than BulkSupplements Essential Amino Acids.

Each serving of this supplement contains a blend of nine essential amino acids, including:

When consumed together, this high-quality amino acid supplement may help you improve how rapidly you build muscle. This proven blend of amino acids can also be an incredible help if you’re trying to lose weight and improve the control you have over your appetite.

3. Animal Juiced Aminos

Animal is the sister brand of Universal Nutrition. You might know this company from its incredibly popular Animal Pak multivitamin. However, it also makes a product called Animal Juiced Aminos you may find helpful if you need one of the best amino acid supplements for weight loss.

Animal Juiced Aminos comes in three different flavors, grape, strawberry limeade, and orange. It also delivers a potent blend of BCAAs and EAAs. Plus, this supplement mixes easily in water and tastes great.

Each serving of Animal Juiced Aminos delivers six grams of EAAs and BCAAs to help you recover and maximize your endurance. This supplement is also stimulant-free, meaning you can take it with your pre-workout.

4. Insane Labz Insane Amino

A company I (and many others) have been impressed with recently is Insane Labz. This brand is also the business behind the popular Insane Amino. Available in blue raspberry, lemonade, and fruit punch flavors, this supplement has everything to take your workouts and recovery to a whole new level.

Insane Amino contains the following amino acids:

Each serving of this supplement also contains 150 milligrams of caffeine. So, you don’t want to use this one with energy drinks or pre-workouts – it already has the caffeine you need.

5. Alpha Amino EAA & BCAA Powder

I couldn’t have this list of the best amino acid supplements for weight loss without mentioning a well-known product from Cellucor: Alpha Amino EAA & BCAA Powder. No, it doesn’t have the catchiest or shortest name. However, this supplement does have a blend of 14 amino acids.

You’ll find this supplement available in Watermelon, Icy Blue Razz (my personal favorite), and Fruit Punch. Alpha Amino EAA & BCAA Powder also contains no carbs, sugar, or calories!

There’s no question that many weight loss supplements exist. However, with so many fad products out there, you may have an easier time losing weight by checking out the best amino acid supplements for weight loss.