The combination of a natural sweetener (steviol glycosides from stevia) and an artificial sweetener (sucralose) is often used because each contributes a different sweetness profile and helps mask the otherwise bitter taste of pure BCAA amino acids. The advantage over products with pure sucralose is that the share of purely artificial sweetener is smaller. If you still want to completely avoid artificial sweeteners, the Instantized BCAA 2:1:1 product is also available in this category, which contains no sweetener at all.

Yes, the BCAA amino acids in this product are obtained through fermentation (as is common for free crystalline amino acids in powder form), and the formula does not contain ingredients of animal origin, making the product suitable for a vegan diet. As with all BCAA supplements, this is not a complete protein source, so vegans with limited access to plant-based proteins should not consider this product a substitute for a sufficient total protein intake from food.

One dose (6.4 g of powder) contains 5 g of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio (2.5 g leucine, 1.25 g isoleucine, 1.25 g valine). This is at the lower end of the dosage range (approximately 5-20 g/day) that research has linked to a reduction in delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) (Fouré and Bendahan, 2017; Khemtong et al., 2021). An effect is therefore possible, but likely milder than with products offering a higher recommended daily dose in this category.

For healthy adults, within the recommended daily dose, there are no known specific risks with regular daily use, even on days without exercise. However, the general recommendation for caution applies to people with maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), advanced liver disease, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, who should consult a doctor before regularly using any amino acid supplement.