Supplement Review: Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy Natural

Supplement Review: Optimum Nutrition AmiN.O. Energy Natural

Imagine having the ability to prepare a comprehensive pre-workout drink with just one product. For those who have been cluttering their kitchen counters with endless supplements, it might sound too good to be true – but we’re happy to let you know it’s possible! With Optimum Nutrition’s AmiN.O. Energy Natural, you get the full spectrum of branched chain amino acids combined with a burst of energy, all in one product. AmiN.O. Energy Natural provides your body with the building blocks it needs to grow and recover, as well as the energy to get through your workout. Optimum Nutrition is proving it really can be that simple.

AmiN.O. Energy is not a new face on store shelves. However, Optimum Nutrition (ON) has extended their reach with a new line of AmiN.O. Energy Natural, which is naturally flavored. As the fitness industry is growing at an exponential rate, so are the number of consumers who prioritize their health – including their digestive health. Artificial sweeteners have long been used to make supplements taste amazing, but with more research emerging around their potential impacts on the GI system, athletes are looking for other options.

Naturally Amazing

Optimum Nutrition has risen to the challenge and has manufactured a product that delivers amazing taste without the use of artificial ingredients. In fact, our panel of expert taste testers enjoyed this line and think it’s comparable to the “non-natural” versions - which taste off the charts! One of our panelists actually thought the AmiN.O. Energy Natural is even better than the original versions for its true-to-flavor taste without being overly sweet. They also found that it sat well in their stomachs throughout their workouts, with no one experiencing any bloating or discomfort. It doesn’t hurt that the product comes in some of the most refreshing flavors on the market. Simply Fruit Punch, Simply Peach Tea, Simply Watermelon, and Simply Raspberry Lemonade complete the flavor options, of which all taste amazing mixed with twelve ounces of cold water.

”Out of the four flavours I tested, Simply Watermelon and Simply Fruit Punch are the best tasting. The others are good but these are unreal. It’s amazing that these are 100% natural. Normally, naturally flavoured BCAAs, EAAs and pre-workouts have an earthy dirt taste, but not natural AmiN.O. Energy. The team at Optimum Nutrition did an outstanding job on flavouring these.” -Scott Welch Publisher, Muscle Insider

Tasty #Protip

Looking for a healthy dessert-like treat? Mix your favorite AmiN.O. Energy flavour with water and pour it into ice cube trays or popsicle molds. Place into the freezer for a few hours and then you can enjoy this sweet, healthy treat. Or, to immediately cure your sweet tooth cravings, blend with ice and you’ve got a powerful slushy drink. It’s so refreshing and tropical, you’ll want to enjoy it with ripped abs and an AmiN.O. Energy N atural garnished with a slice of fruit and a cocktail umbrella as you lounge poolside. Maybe that’s just us though...

BCAAs and More

ON delivers another strong product with AmiN.O. Energy Natural supplement. You’ll find an incredibly comprehensive Amino Blend which extends beyond the traditional BCAAs found in most amino products. In fact, with a total of 14 amino acids, it eliminates the need to add other supplements to your arsenal. When using this product for the power of the amino acids, it’s recommended to take four scoops, which delivers 10 gm of the active Amino Blend. This will ensure your body has the building blocks it needs to support muscle growth and recovery by activating the protein synthesis process.

Beyond Energy

Providing athletes with a boost of energy pre-workout is a helpful bonus in a supplement. What makes AmiN.O. Energy even better are the sources of energy they’ve utilized. Green coffee extract and green tea leaf extract not only provide a surge in energy, they have also been found to help improve body composition for their fat loss properties.

With 100 mg of straight caffeine per serving, a mild stimulant effect is provided. In combination with the 50 mg of green tea leaf and 10 mg of green coffee bean extract, the caffeine content is boosted a little further. Specifically, the green tea leaf will add around 5 mg of caffeine, while a serving of green coffee bean extract provides around 15 mg of caffeine. This brings the total caffeine content close to 120 mg per serving of AmiN.O. Energy.

While the dosage of caffeine may seem low this is actually a benefit to the product. Remember, a serving size is two scoops of AmiN.O. Energy. Users who are sensitive to stimulants can still enjoy the product. Also, athletes who are looking for a late-afternoon boost, will enjoy the ability to use just one scoop for a small pick-me-up to get through the day without impacting their sleep. On the other hand, when using this product pre-workout, it’s easy enough to increase your dose to four scoops for a solid 200 mg of caffeine (not counting the additional caffeine from the other stimulants). The flexibility to tailor the caffeine content is truly a unique and beneficial feature of AmiN.O. Energy.

Bringing the N.O. to AmiN.O. Energy

For a product to hold its own as a pre-workout, it wouldn’t be complete without the ability to promote nitric oxide for a solid pump. Insider tip: That’s what the N.O. is for in the product name. AmiN.O. Energy goes beyond the basic BCAA blend by including L-arginine and Citrulline in its Amino Blend for this very purpose. Utilizing this product in the pre-workout timeframe not only delivers the standard amino acids, it can also improve blood flow, which puts the other active ingredients to work more effectively by shuttling them to the working muscles.

Goes Down Smooth

A look at the ingredient list explains what you get in a serving of AmiN.O. Energy, and the list is comprehensive. A factor worth noting is the use of micronized amino acids. This processing technique yields a smaller particle size, which equates to a smoother texture and more enjoyable drinking experience. The smaller the particle size, the better it absorbs into water, essentially disappearing without the need to re-shake each sip, or leave a grainy substance in your cup.

Beyond the smoothness, the micronized process reduces the natural bitterness inherent to BCAAs. This process goes a long way for AmiN.O. Energy to be able to cut artificial sweeteners from their ingredient list as they don’t need to rely on a lot of additional flavours to cover this bitter taste.

Optimum Nutrition didn’t sugar coat it, and we’re not going to either – AmiN.O. Energy Natural gets two solid shaker cups up for the Muscle Insider team!

ON – A History of Great Products

Optimum Nutrition is part of Glanbia, a large international dairy company based in Ireland. While Glanbia may not be a household name in North America, its companies definitely are. BSN, IsoPure, thinkThin, and Optimum Nutrition are familiar names to most of our readers, well-known and substantial companies which prove the staying power of this brand. With sports supplements available in over 130 countries, Glanbia is a pretty big deal. With its roots in protein powder sales, Optimum Nutrition has won more awards for its Gold Standard Whey than we can count. They pioneered their slow-digesting Gold Standard 100% Casein protein. As consumers have requested and needed more unique products, Optimum has responded. It now manufactures items in product categories from protein to pre-workouts, multi-vitamins to mass gainers, and CLAs to casein, all to meet the needs of its customers. Additionally, Optimum is one of the most available brands across the world, making it easy to access their top of the line products, no matter where you reside. In terms of total global sales, no other supplement company conglomerate sells more sports supplements than Glanbia Performance Nutrition. It isn’t one of the biggest – it IS the biggest, and we’re proud to be able to say that Glanbia has been working with MUSCLE INSIDER since 2012. 

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