Branched chain amino acids, known as BCAAs, are a group of essential amino acids that can support muscular health during and after exercise. BCAA benefits include enhanced energy during exercise, reduced post-workout soreness, and muscle growth.
Essential amino acids are not made in the body so they have to come from diet. Animal proteins, like beef and chicken, are the best dietary sources of BCAAs. BCAA supplements can make up for dietary fluctuations and are especially important if you follow a plant-based diet.
Ghost BCAA is a powdered supplement designed to be mixed with water and consumed before, during, or after exercise. Each serving provides 7 grams of BCAAs. Keep reading our full Ghost BCAA review to see if this product is the ideal solution for your BCAA needs.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. GGR also recommends choosing a product that has been third-party tested for quality.
Known for Transparent Product Reviews
At GRR, we’re committed to extensively testing products and delivering our honest experiences and opinions to help connect you with products that are best matched to your needs and budget. Our testers include credentialed fitness and nutrition experts, including certified personal trainers, registered dietitians, and pro athletes.
When it comes to sports nutrition supplements, our testers try the products under real-world conditions and report back on their experience, including key takeaways regarding ease of use, taste, and any noticeable changes to energy, workout performance, or recovery. They rate each product from 1 to 5 on a variety of factors from the GGR Supplement Testing Methodology, including:
- Price
- Solubility
- Side Effects
- Formulation
- Customer Reviews
- Third-Party Testing
Ghost BCAA
Ghost BCAA
Product Highlights
- 7 g BCAA per serving
- 2:1:1 BCAA ratio
- Candy-like flavors
- Transparent label
- Formulated with Astragin
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free from soy, gluten, and sugar
- BCAAs may help muscle recovery
Cons
- Contains sucralose
- Almost $2.00 per serving
- Ultra-sweet tasting
Bottom Line
Ghost BCAAs have candy-like flavors that some reviewers appreciate and some say are too sweet. Either way, it’s formulated with Astragin, which may help improve your body’s ability to absorb key amino acids, proteins, and glucose.
A Quick Look at Ghost BCAA
Ghost is one of the more recognizable sports nutrition brands out there. They have an expansive product line known for fun flavors and transparent labeling that includes pre-workouts, whey protein, greens powders, and more.
RELATED: Ghost Whey Protein Review
If you’re shopping the Ghost lineup for a BCAA supplement, you may mix up their BCAA and Amino products. The key ingredients in Ghost BCAA are simply BCAAs.
If you’re looking for a multipurpose supplement, Ghost Amino is the better choice. It contains fewer BCAAs per serving than Ghost BCAA (2.25 grams versus 7 grams), but it’s also got 2.75 grams of other essential amino acids (EAAs), plus taurine and coconut water powder to support hydration.
RELATED: Ghost Aminos vs BCAAs
Before You Buy
- Ghost BCAA is available in five flavors, which are sweetened with sucralose.
- The SourPatch Kids flavors are artificially colored, but lemon crush and strawberry kiwi are naturally colored.
- For less flavor without cutting back on BCAA dosage, you can mix a scoop with more water.
Is Ghost BCAA Worth It?
The Ghost brand is committed to transparent labels and their BCAA product is no exception. It’s free from misleading proprietary blends, sugar, gluten, and soy. It’s also vegan-friendly, which is a perk for plant-based eaters.
If none of your other workout supplements contain BCAAs, this could be a beneficial addition to your lineup. Because it’s sugar-free, some people prefer it over sports and energy drinks, but it doesn’t contain electrolytes to support hydration. Ghost BCAA is not third-party tested and contains some artificial ingredients, so it won’t be the go-to for ingredient purists and those who prefer all-natural products.
Great for:
- Anyone looking for an easy to use BCAA supplement
- Fans of sweet and sour flavors
- Those looking for an alternative to sugary sports drinks
- Plant-based individuals
Not recommended for:
- Anyone taking a protein powder that already contains the preferred dose of BCAAs
- Individuals who avoid artificial sweeteners
- Athletes who undergo routine drug screenings, since this product is not third-party tested
Ghost BCAA Specs
| Price per serving | $0.93 |
| Flavors | SourPatch Kids Watermelon, SourPatch Kids Blue Raspberry, SourPatch Kids Redberry, Lemon Crush, Kiwi Strawberry |
| BCAAs per serving | 7,000 mg vegan fermented BCAA 2:1:1 |
| L-Leucine dosage | 3,500 mg (3.5 g) |
| L-Isoleucine dosage | 1,750 mg (1.75 g) |
| L-valine dosage | 1,750 mg (1.75 g) |
| Other key ingredients | 25 mg AstraGin |
| Calories per serving | 30 |
| Sweeteners | Sucralose |
Experience Using Ghost BCAA
GGR senior editor Erin Chancer is no stranger to BCAA supplements. She says, “I like BCAAs for making my water taste good, so I was excited to try this.” Overall, our experience with this product has been positive and it’s a solid choice for flavoring water, getting BCAAs in, and providing some muscle health benefits.
Using the GGR methodology, Erin gave Ghost BCAA 4 stars or higher for price, formulation, solubility, taste, and customer experience. Ghost BCAA isn’t third-party testing, so that’s the only low-ranking factor.
Price Per Serving
Ghost BCAA retails for $27.99 per package. With 30 servings per tub, that shakes out to $0.93 per serving. We consider any supplement under $1 per serving pretty wallet-friendly and Ghost BCAA is priced similarly to competitor products, so Erin scored it a 4.5 out of 5 for price.
The price will come down if you set up a subscription through Amazon or the Ghost website. Be on the lookout for coupons and sales to save even more.
Formulation
Erin scored this a 4 out of 5 for formulation since the ingredient list on Ghost BCAA is straightforward. There are no proprietary blends and just two active ingredients—the BCAAs and Astragrin—as well as a few inactive ingredients that contribute flavor and color.
Here’s the full ingredient rundown:
BCAAs
Each scoop contains 7 grams of vegan-fermented (read: vegan-friendly) BCAA. Researchers have found taking 2 to 10 grams of BCAAs daily can provide post workout benefits1, such as decreased muscle fatigue and soreness.
Ghost BCAA delivers the amino acids in a 2:1:1 ratio, which means you’ll get 3,500 milligrams (3.5 grams) of leucine and 1,750 milligrams (1.75 grams) each of isoleucine and valine per serving. It’s often recommended to take BCAAs in this ratio because leucine is the most important BCAA for triggering muscle growth2.
RELATED: Best Ratio for BCAAs
AstraGin
Each serving of Ghost BCAA contains 25 milligrams of AstraGin3, a patented ingredient designed to support digestion and enhance amino acid absorption. AstraGin is made from two natural ingredients: astragalus and ginger root.
Other Ingredients
Ghost BCAA contains 40 milligrams of sodium per serving in the form of Himalayan pink salt. This is just a touch of sodium compared to electrolyte powders.
All flavors of Ghost BCAA contain natural and artificial flavors and are sweetened with sucralose, a nonnutritive sweetener, which keeps the carbohydrate and sugar count at 0 grams.
They also contain citric acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid to deliver pucker-worthy tartness.
The SourPatch Kids flavors contain artificial colors. If you want to avoid artificial dyes, try kiwi strawberry or lemon crush, which are naturally colored with beetroot and turmeric powder.
It also contains anti-clumping agents, like silicon dioxide.
Taste and Solubility
Ghost BCAA is available in five flavors:
- SourPatch Kids Watermelon
- SourPatch Kids Blue Raspberry
- SourPatch Kids Redberry
- Lemon Crush
- Kiwi Strawberry
Our tester, Erin, is a fan of SourPatch Kids candy, so she chose one of the candy-inspired flavors. She gave it 5 out of 5 stars for solubility, reporting it dissolved easily in a shaker cup, and 4.5 out of 5 stars for taste. She says, “It’s not too overpowering with its sweetness, meaning it doesn’t taste like sugar water. I also tend to go lighter on the scoop.” She noted there was a slight aftertaste, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Although Erin didn’t find the taste overly sweet, some people do. It’s recommended to mix a scoop of Ghost BCAA with 8 to 10 ounces of water, but you can change this amount to fit your tastes. For a stronger taste, use a bit less water, and to dilute the flavor or sweetness level, use more water.
Third-Party Testing
Ghost products are not third-party tested. Supplements that undergo independent third-party testing earn higher ratings via our testing methodology. Third-party testing provides peace of mind that the products you’re using contain what is listed on the label, the ingredients are high-quality, and the supplement is free from harmful levels of contaminants. Competitive athletes and weightlifters subject to drug screening should consider a third-party tested BCAA supplement.
Comparison to XTEND BCAAs
XTEND BCAA
XTEND Original BCAA Powder
Product Highlights
- 7 grams of BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio
- Helps muscle recovery and growth
- May improve overall performance
- Contains zero sugar, calories, or carbs
- Added electrolytes for improved hydration and recovery
- Third-party tested
- Free from banned substances
- 8 flavors
- 30- or 90-day supply
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 8 unique flavors
- 7 grams of BCAAs per serving
- Does not have a bitter taste
- Electrolyte blend for hydration
- Third-party tested and certified
Cons
- Contains sucralose/artificial sweetener
- Contains food dyes
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a boost of electrolytes and some high-quality BCAAs, Xtend may be a good choice for you. It contains artificial sweeteners, which do a great job at masking any bitter taste but may be a dealbreaker for some. Key ingredients include L-Leucine, L-Glutamine, L-Isoleucine, L-Valine, electrolyte blend, and citrulline malate.
XTEND BCAA powder is another popular BCAA supplement option. How does it compare to Ghost BCAA? For starters, they both clock in at $0.93 per serving, contain 30 servings per tub, and deliver 7 grams of BCAAs per serving. If you love sampling a different flavored supplement every month, XTEND BCAA comes in 11 fruit-inspired flavors, while Ghost BCAA comes in just five flavors.
Both BCAA products are designed with a 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs, split between 3,500 milligrams of leucine and 1,750 milligrams each of isoleucine and valine. Each serving of XTEND also contains 2,500 milligrams of glutamine, another essential amino that’s been linked to increased muscle growth4, plus electrolytes to support hydration and vitamin B6 to support muscle health.
If you’re looking for a straight BCAA supplement, Ghost is a good choice. If you’re looking for hydration plus BCAA supplementation or a third-party tested option, go with XTEND.
To learn more, check out our full XTEND BCAA review.
| Ghost BCAA | XTEND BCAA | |
| Price per serving | $0.93 | $0.93 |
| Flavors | SourPatch Kids Watermelon, SourPatch Kids Blue Raspberry, SourPatch Kids Redberry, Lemon Crush, Kiwi Strawberry | Blue Raspberry Ice, Orange Cream, Glacial Grape, Italian Blood Orange, Knockout Fruit Punch, Freedom Ice, Smash Apple, Mango Madness, Watermelon Explosion, Lemon-Lime Squeeze, Strawberry Kiwi Splash |
| BCAAs per serving | 7 g | 7 g |
| Third-party tested | No | NSF; Informed-Choice Certified |
Customer Experience
The Ghost return policy is pretty strict. They only accept returns of unopened products, returns have to be initiated within 15 days of delivery, and you can’t return a product you bought on sale or with a promo code. To start a return, email Ghost’s customer support at support@ghostlifestyle.com.
Ordering Ghost BCAA
You can purchase on the Ghost website, Amazon, GNC, or Vitamin Shoppe. We recommend checking out Ghost or Amazon first since GNC and Vitamin Shoppe didn’t have all flavors available at the time of this review. Online ordering from any of these retailers is as simple as choosing your flavor, adding it to your cart, and proceeding to checkout. To shop in person, visit the store locator on the Ghost website.
If you shop on the Ghost site, be sure to join the rewards programs and check for promo codes. Both Ghost and Amazon let you choose between a one-time purchase or setting up a subscription to save. Ghost offers the bigger subscription discount at 25% off the retail price, but they charge $7.99 for shipping. If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping.
Customer Reviews
Based on 1,800 Amazon reviews, Ghost BCAAs have a 4.5-out-of-5-star overall rating. Most reviewers love the taste of this stuff. Some customers found some flavors to be too sweet. There’s an easy workaround, though. If the flavor you try is overpoweringly sweet, simply add more water.
Most reviewers say they enjoy sipping on Ghost BCAAs before, during, or after workouts and that it provides noticeable benefits to exercise performance, including an energy boost when taken before exercising and enhanced endurance for longer workouts.
Several customers also swear by this product for better workout recovery. “I find that it genuinely does cut down on muscle fatigue and soreness after hard workouts,” wrote one reviewer.
Final Verdict of Our Ghost BCAA Review
If you’re looking for a no-frills BCAA supplement to support muscle health, Ghost BCAA is worth considering. It contains the three BCAAs—leucine, isoleucine, and valine—in a 2:1:1 ratio, plus Astragin to boost amino acid absorption.
- Each serving of Ghost BCAA contains 7 grams of BCAAs.
- This product is easy to use, mixes well, and tastes great.
- Ghost BCAA contains some artificial ingredients, including the sweetener sucralose.
- Ghost BCAA is vegan-friendly and free of gluten, soy, and other major allergens.
Full Rating
Ghost BCAAs
Ghost BCAAs have candy-like flavors that some reviewers appreciate and some say are too sweet. Either way, it’s formulated with Astragin, which may help improve your body’s ability to absorb key amino acids, proteins, and glucose.
Product Brand: Ghost
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 27.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.06
Ghost BCAA: FAQs
What do Ghost BCAA amino acids do?
Ghost BCAA amino acids is a branched chain amino acid supplement. BCAAs can be used to support energy during exercise, muscle growth, and improved workout recovery. Each serving contains 7 grams of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), which includes all three types of BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Is BCAA actually good for you?
BCAAs are essential amino acids, meaning your body requires them for normal, healthy functioning. The human body can’t produce essential amino acids on its own, so they have to come from the diet.
BCAAs are naturally occurring in animal protein, including fish, meat, and poultry. Since dietary intake can vary day to day and some people follow plant-based diets, a BCAA supplement helps ensure you get a consistent amount.
What is the downside of BCAA?
For healthy adults, there aren’t any downsides to BCAAs. Remember: BCAAs are naturally occurring in some foods, so there are rarely significant side effects5.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
References
- Arroyo-Cerezo A, Cerrillo I, Ortega Á, Fernández-Pachón MS. Intake of branched chain amino acids favors post-exercise muscle recovery and may improve muscle function: optimal dosage regimens and consumption conditions. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2021;61(11):1478-1489. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.21.11843-2
- Mann G, Mora S, Madu G, Adegoke OAJ. Branched-chain Amino Acids: Catabolism in Skeletal Muscle and Implications for Muscle and Whole-body Metabolism. Front Physiol. 2021;12:702826. Published 2021 Jul 20. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.702826
- AstraGin. NuLivScience. Available at: https://nulivscience.com/ingredients/astragin/
- Rahmani Nia F, Farzaneh E, Damirchi A, Shamsi Majlan A. Effect of L-glutamine supplementation on electromyographic activity of the quadriceps muscle injured by eccentric exercise. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16(6):808-812.
- Holeček M. Side effects of amino acid supplements. Physiol Res. 2022;71(1):29-45. doi:10.33549/physiolres.934790
