If you’re an active gym goer or an athlete, you’ve definitely heard the buzz about pre-workout supplements. It’s doubtful that an active gym-goer hasn’t heard this term at least once in the passing considering how popular these supplements are and even more so because they’re considered safe, and their use is widely accepted. If you’ve tried to look up different pre-workout supplements and your search has left you confused, we don’t blame you. Considering just how popular the pre-workout trend has become, the shelves are stocked with one supplement after the other, each claiming to work miracles on enhancing your workout experience by improving your energy and endurance. But they can’t all be good, can they?
The answer isn’t quite simple. Most workouts contain the basic core ingredients, most of which are naturally occurring in our bodies, so leaving room for a bit of confusion. However, certain factors impact what makes a pre-workout supplement stand out from the rest, and so to make your decision easier, we’ve reviewed a supplement that can definitely make a place on your list.
Optimum Nutrition is not a new player in the field of supplements, rather it is pretty well known and well received and is currently one of the most sought-after brands. The reason for their success is a simple fact that their proteins are unique and serve different purposes that other supplements don’t. The supplement is more amino acid focuses, and unlike most BCAAs, Amino Energy has made a name for itself for serving a dual purpose. Its intended use is in multiple scenarios.
The Amino Energy is an all in one morning wake up, pre-workout, intra-workout, and post-workout supplement. However, just because the ON energy formula sounds fancy doesn’t mean that it should be its selling point for you. Read on to see if the formula fits your requirements.
Ingredients:
Every serving of the supplement contains around 17 separate ingredients for every two scoops you take, and the entire serving is 10grams, which means that there are additional ingredients for every 5g of the serving you take.
The basic core ingredient of the Amino Energy blend is the amino acids, which are at 5g peer servings, which are two scoops. And in this 5g alone, 14 ingredients are beyond standard BCAA. Amino Energy also includes non-essential amino acids and beta-alanine in their bend.
However, one point to be noted is that the jury is still out as to whether this is the best approach to take, considering the serving size is smaller. Moreover, the non-essential amino acid intake is also slightly unnecessary, considering the body naturally produces these as per need and the fact the additional 14 ingredients include artificial flavor and coloring. Instead, we would have preferred getting 5g of complete BCAA minus the non-essential amino acids and would also have preferred more beta-alanine in the mixture.
However, this problem isn’t without a solution, and the low BCAA amount can easily be rectified by increasing your serving amount. Most supplements are recommended to be taken at two scoops; however, you can go up to 3 servings of Amino Energy. Another point of contention arises from the fact that the supplement appears to be a propriety blend and so there is a vagueness in terms of exact ingredients used as well as if the 2:1:1 ratio of leucine, valine, and isoleucine is being used. You’re also in the dark about how much of each of the amino acids as present per serving; you only know that out of 9g of serving 5g is amino acids.
One major positive of this blend is the energy boost you get after consuming Amino Energy. You get this kick from 3 ingredients that combined makeup around 100mg of caffeine within two serving scoops. The caffeine present on the Amino Energy blend is a combination of green coffee bean extract, green tea, and EGCG standardized green tea extract. It’s a simple but effective combination.
When should I take Amino Energy?
Amino Energy will work its best when taken as a pre-workout supplement. However, there is no limitation in taking it as post-workout, as part of breakfast the first thing in the morning or intra-workout.
Nevertheless, Optimum Nutrition has given serving directions, which are as below.
- As a pre-workout, the serving is 1 to 3 servings, which is 2 to 6 scoops.
- In the morning, the serving should be 1 to 2 servings, which is 2 to 4 scoops.
- For post-workout, the serving should be 1 to 2 serving which again is 2 to 4 s
- As a pre-workout supplement, we should recommend not taking any less than two servings in order to gain those necessary BCAA levels.
Taste:
A lot of times, companies overlook the importance of having a good tasting pre-workout mixture, and for a lot of people, that is a huge letdown. After all, when you’re investing yourself into drinking the supplement every day in order to make your body feel good, the last thing you want is to associate with your workout is a horrible tasting drink.
For most of the part, customers have said they are satisfied with the taste of this particular supplement. There is some choice when it comes to flavors, although some flavors are slightly sweeter than the others that comes down to personal preference. Some customers also have mentioned an after taste, but its nothing beyond tolerance, and it’s not strong enough to not be able to shake off.
Flavors:
Here’s where things get a bit interesting. There are different forms in which you can take this pre-workout supplement, and the flavors depend on the form you’ve chosen. So, you have the selection from powder, pre-mixed liquid, and individual servings. You can choose from Watermelon, Lemon Lime, Fruit Punch, Pineapple Twist, Orange Cooler, Orange Blast, and Fruit Fusion. The flavors taste the same as they sound. Watermelon is on the sweeter side, so if you aren’t a fan of sweet flavors, avoid this one.
Consistency:
Another factor that impacts the quality of a pre-workout is how consistent it is. Most pre-workouts don’t mix well and leave residue on the bottom of your glass or shaker, and this is a usual downside from customers since it leaves a strange substance trail in your mouth, making it hard to swallow. It also means a lot of your supplement is wasted since it hasn’t mixed well. However, Amino Energy is safe from such complaints. This blend mixes well and doesn’t leave behind that terrible residue.
Who is this supplement best for?
Since this supplement isn’t high on caffeine content and is also missing some core ingredients that are needed for a strong energy boost, this is probably not the best choice for people who have been taking supplements for a while.
Instead, we would suggest the ON Amino Energy to newbies to the pre-workout realm. It will not disappoint the newcomers in terms of energy, focus, and drive needed to increase your workout game, and it won’t hit you so hard that you’re left recovering for days after your first hit. However, as time goes on and your body becomes accustomed to the ingredients and as your stamina and endurance builds, slowly, the effects of Amino Energy will wear off, and you might have to invest in another blend.
Crash and Burn:
A lot of times, after you’ve taken a pre-workout and have finished your daily routine, you suddenly feel drained of energy, and if you’ve worked out in the morning, this is the absolute worst. However, since the Amino power contains a low quantity of caffeine, this crash and burn have been easily avoided.
Price:
A 10 serving tub is $7.47, and a 30 serving tub is for $19. This pricing basically falls into the category, which isn’t too expensive but isn’t necessarily the cheapest available.
Conclusion:
Is this the best pre-workout supplement out there? Not necessarily, it does come with a fair share of drawbacks. However, does that mean it’s not effective or worth investing in? Absolutely not. There is a reason why Optimum Nutrition is a well-known brand. It all comes down to knowing what your body wants and how your body reacts to the ingredients. We’ve done our job, and now it’s up to you to make the final decision.
