Clean-label BCAA drink with 8 g fermented BCAAs, 5 g glutamine and no artificial sweeteners, but about $1.33 a serving and 1,500 mg of vitamin C per scoop.
Poor
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Last reviewed September 29, 2026 by the Nutrition Reviews Editorial Team · How we review
Our verdict
This is a thoughtfully formulated BCAA drink with a clean label and certification, but it is expensive, divisive on taste and built on an ingredient class with weak evidence for people who eat enough protein. The megadose of vitamin C is unnecessary and adds up quickly if you follow the label's multi-scoop directions. An EAA product or a protein shake is the better buy.
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Our five-factor score out of 10. Factors are weighted by how much they matter to the outcome you’re paying for. Methodology
out of 10
Key ingredients at clinically studied doses, and how strong the evidence is.
Third-party testing and certifications, manufacturing standards, contaminant testing, recall history.
Cost per effective serving compared with category peers.
Taste, mixability, texture and tolerability from aggregated buyer and creator feedback.
Full label disclosure (no proprietary blends), available COAs, honest marketing.
Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine is the premium, clean-label take on the classic BCAA drink. Each scoop provides 8 g of fermented, vegan BCAAs in a 2:1:1 ratio (4 g of leucine), 5 g of L-glutamine, 1,500 mg of vitamin C and 1 g of coconut water powder, sweetened with stevia and natural flavors rather than sucralose or dyes. The brand says every batch is third-party tested and that the product is Informed Choice certified.
The formula is well made, but it inherits the core problem with BCAA products. Muscle growth needs all nine essential amino acids, and a 2017 review by amino acid researcher Robert Wolfe concluded that claims of BCAAs alone driving muscle protein synthesis are unwarranted. If you already eat the 1.4–2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight daily that the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends, extra BCAAs add little. Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid your body makes on its own.
The vitamin C dose deserves attention. One scoop supplies 1,500 mg, three-quarters of the 2,000 mg daily upper limit for adults set out in NIH's vitamin C fact sheet, and the label permits up to three scoops a day, which would reach 4,500 mg. NIH notes that high doses can cause diarrhea, nausea and cramps.
On Amazon, the Strawberry Lemonade listing averages 4.4 stars from about 260 ratings; buyers praise quality and recovery but taste is the most common complaint. At $39.99 for 30 servings (about $1.33 each), it is one of the pricier ways to buy amino acids that most people don't need.
| Key ingredient | Per serving | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Fermented BCAAs (2:1:1 leucine, isoleucine, valine) Includes 4 g of leucine but lacks the other six essential amino acids needed to build muscle. | 8,000 mg | Includes 4 g of leucine but lacks the other six essential amino acids needed to build muscle. |
| L-Glutamine A non-essential amino acid the body can make on its own. | 5,000 mg | A non-essential amino acid the body can make on its own. |
| Vitamin C 75% of the 2,000 mg daily upper limit for adults in a single scoop. | 1,500 mg | 75% of the 2,000 mg daily upper limit for adults in a single scoop. |
| Coconut water powder Contributes small amounts of electrolytes such as potassium. | 1,000 mg | Contributes small amounts of electrolytes such as potassium. |
Flavors & variants
Testing & quality
Publishes third-party batch test results; its grass-fed whey isolate is listed as NSF Certified for Sport, and the brand states Informed Choice and Informed Protein certification.
Goals it supports
Independent creators reviewing BCAA Glutamine on TikTok and YouTube.
What we like
Watch-outs
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