What are the plant-based BCAAs in the formula and why were they added? — ICONFIT Plant Protein "Apple Pie" (480g)

BCAA stands for branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are essential — the body does not synthesise them on its own, so they must come from food or supplements.

In sports nutrition, BCAAs are valued mainly because they take part in the recovery processes after exertion. Leucine, in particular, plays a key role in triggering muscle protein synthesis.

The reason they are added to plant protein specifically is related to a feature of plant protein sources: their amino acid profile is often less balanced than that of whey. Adding BCAAs makes it possible to correct this profile and make the product more complete in terms of amino acid composition.

The “plant-based” label means that the amino acids are not obtained from animal raw materials (for example, not from wool or feathers, as is the case in some supplements), which is important for vegans.