What is the difference between Amino Acids and BCAA ?

Amino acids are carboxylic acids, and they have an amino group. Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA) are essential alpha-amino acids with one branched chain. The amino acids are divided into alpha, beta, gamma, etc. depending on where the Carboxyl group is located. The alpha amino acids are further subdivided into essential and non-essential amino acids. The Branched-Chain Amino Acids include the amino acids isoleucine, valine, and leucine.

The body synthesizes some amino acids when needed, while the food in-taken would provide others which cannot be synthesized. But BCCA always has to be supplied from the food eaten as it cannot be manufactured at all by the body. The BCCA is still metabolized in the muscles, but only three of the alpha muscles are metabolized in the muscles while most others are metabolized in the liver. The functions of amino acids include lowering of blood pressure, stimulating the secretion of growth hormone, production of vitamin, improvement of brain performance, etc., while BCCA functions by helping in restoring, building, and preventing the muscles from destruction.