  We present a lattice QCD calculation of the nucleon axial charge, gA, using a
variational approach. After a brief outline of how the variational method is
applied to the calculation of form factors, we present results for gA using
this method. We find that ground state dominance is rapid, evident in the early
onset of a clear plateau in the correlation function ratio proportional to gA.
Through a comparison with results obtained via traditional methods, we show how
excited state effects can suppress gA by as much as 8% if sources are not
properly tuned.
