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Our posts may contain affiliate links and if you make a purchase through one of those links we may earn a small commission from the vendor which goes towards the upkeep of this site and WON’T cost you a penny more
In this post we will be taking a look at Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy ‘pre-workout’ which looks like being a really good choice for anyone looking for a physical and mental boost in the gym and who doesn’t respond to creatine supplements, as this one doesn’t contain any.
Instead, Amino Energy as the name suggests is designed to deliver its energy-boosting effects via its amino acid complex and caffeine content.
We should also point out here that this one isn’t specifically marketed as a pre-workout supplement, rather as an alternative to regular carbonated energy drinks which can be taken before physical exercise for a boost in energy and focus.
With this in mind it’s unlikely to be much help for anyone following a dedicated muscle building workout routine, and probably better suited to cardio, fat loss/beach body, and general fitness workouts.
In this review we will be sharing our whole experience of this particular supplement, from ordering and delivery, first impressions, right through to what it’s like to use, what other buyers are saying about it and where to get the best deal.
If you don’t have time for the full review and you’re just looking to grab yourself a tub of Amino Energy right now you can…
Or click here to compare prices on eBay…
If you are staying with us for the full review we’ll get started right away with a look at the main features…
Price: 16.99
Servings: 30
Cost per serving: 0.56
Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy Main Features…
- PACKAGING MAY VARY: New pack, the same number of servings!
- A caffeine-infused “ANYTIME ENERGY” ready-to-mix powder alternative to carbonated beverages, flavoured waters, and teas
- Essential amino acids, natural caffeine and vitamin C help BOOST YOUR ENERGY and keep your FOCUS and drive on point*
- LOW CALORIES and sugar
- Perfect as an entry point for those looking to GET INTO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE, while equally at home with experienced active core users, as well as e.g. business people or students
- A VARIETY OF FLAVOURS means you don’t have to sacrifice great flavour to get the boost you crave
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*Source: COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012
As you can see from the above, Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy is a creatine free, low sugar and low-calorie energy drink which can also provide a boost in mental focus.
It also has beta-alanine which enhances physical performance and reduces muscular fatigue.
It comes in 7 different fruit flavours too meaning that there’s probably one there for pretty much every taste, and also enough to stop you from getting bored if this one works out well for you.
Be sure to take note of the caffeine content of this one, the label states that it has 100mg per serving, however, it also states that there is also 100g of green tea extract and 25mg of green coffee extract which both contain caffeine, so the actual amount will be higher than the stated 100mg.
Click here to check it out for yourself on Amazon…
Click here to compare prices on eBay…
Ordering And Delivery…
We ordered on Amazon and it arrived the next day as we were given an automatic free trial subscription to Amazon Prime.
It also arrived intact and well packaged so no problems there.
First Impressions…
The tub is pretty decent quality, not flimsy and will easily outlast the powder and withstand being dropped.
It has the usual basic Optimum Nutrition labelling…nothing too fancy and with easy to read directions, ingredients list and general product information.
The powder itself smells pretty good…nice and fruity…and the powder is also fine and loose without any clumpy bits.
The tub is also security sealed and comes with a measuring scoop.
Ingredients…
How it mixes…
The powder mixes well and dissolves completely…the drink does have a frothy head to it though after shaking with never completely goes…
How it tastes…
Tastes pretty good…we got the berry flavour and found it tasted of mixed berries like its supposed to…natural…not too strong and not too sweet…
Side effects…
It’s pleasant to drink…no problems with digestion.
Performance…
This stuff is supposed to kick in after 20-30 mins however we didn’t notice any boost or anything like that.
No noticeable boost in strength or energy just a mild mental boost every so often.
If anything it made us feel drained and workouts were a bit of a slog.
There was also a pretty bad energy crash too with this stuff.
How to take…
The manufacturers recommend mixing 2 level scoops, which they say is 9g to 330ml of cold water and mixing.
We weighed out 1 level scoop and it weighed 5.16g, meaning that 2 scoops weigh 10.32g which is over 1g more…you can read more about scoop accuracy here…
When to take…
Optimum Nutrition recommends taking 1 daily serving either before, during or after your workout.
Who it’s for…
Basically, Amino Energy is for anyone looking for an alternative to their go to energy drink.
We would say though that this one is more of a pick-me-up than a serious pre-workout supplement.
We wouldn’t say that this was a suitable pre-workout product for serious lifters though to be fair.
Click here to check it out in full over on Amazon…
Click here to compare prices on eBay…
Customer Opinion…
At the time of writing up this review, the customer opinion on Amino Energy over on Amazon is pretty high.
Right now this supplement has received 4,254 ratings of which a very impressive 72% are 5 star, and a further 15% are 4 star, indicating that by far the vast majority of people buying it on Amazon are very happy with their purchases.
A quick look at the reviews suggests that customers are liking pretty much everything about it on one degree or another, from the way it tastes, how well it mixes and dissolves right through to experiencing better pumps in the gym and being able to perform more reps and sets too.
They also like the value for money they feel they are getting along with the improved mental focus too.
In short, they are saying it’s a great supplement right across the board, and praising it as a pre-workout.
There are of course a small number of customers who are rating it a 3 star product or less and some of the issues they are having with it are…
No noticeable effects…some users experienced no boost-physical or mental whatsoever and subsequently no improvements in their workouts.
Unpleasant side effects…others complain of felling jittery and experiencing stomach aches after taking it, along with feeling drained which negatively impacted their workouts.
Unpleasant taste…some people found that the taste wasn’t all that they expected it to be.
Poor value for money…there are some users who feel that this one just doesn’t give value for money and that it’s just not as good as a regular pre-workout drink.
Click here to check out all the customer feedback for yourself on Amazon…
Our Verdict…
We give Amino Energy 3.9 stars out of 5.
Here’s why…
It’s well packaged and everything, the tub isn’t flimsy, its security sealed and the directions for use and ingredients are clearly displayed and easy to read.
The powder is nice and loose, no clumps and it smells like it should. We ordered the berry flavour and it smelled of berries.
It mixes really well to produce a smooth Powerade like drink that’s easy to get down.
We found the taste to be a bit of a disappointment though. To be honest it just tasted weak and diluted.
I terms of effectiveness, we were disappointed here too…
We got the jitters from it, even though the caffeine is supposed to be just 100mg per serving.
Check the label though and it also has green tea extract which contains caffeine so it’s not really clear exactly how much there is per serving.
We did notice some improved focus however this was offset by a feeling of sluggishness and being drained of energy rather than feeling enhanced, which led to some struggling during workouts.
There was also a pretty nasty energy crash too.
Price wise it’s cheaper than a regular pre-workout, but then again it’s not as effective and in our opinion it’s better to pay the little bit extra for the real thing.
Best Place To Buy Your Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy…
If you fancy trying Amino Energy for yourself, and want to get it at the best price, we recommend first going over to Amazon and checking it out in depth, especially the reviews and customer answered questions, to make absolutely sure it’s what you’re looking for.
Then look at the price it’s being offered at, plus any delivery charges that may apply…sometimes they’ll offer you a free Amazon Prime trial which gives you free next day delivery, and which you can cancel once you’ve received your order…which is worth taking advantage of.
Then, go over to eBay and see if you can get a better deal there – sometimes you can especially as most sellers offer free delivery.
Then obviously you just take the best deal.
Doing it this way can save you a ton of time and you’re unlikely to find the same product cheaper anywhere else.
Click here to go over to Amazon…
Click here to go over to eBay…
Alternative Choices…
If Amino Energy isn’t quite what you’re looking for and a more traditional pre-workout powder which will give you the edge during serious muscle building workouts is what you have in mind we recommend checking out the following two options.
#1. Applied Nutrition All Black Everything…
The first one, and our overall top choice at the moment is Applied Nutrition All Black Everything.
We ordered the Blue Razz flavour so we can only speak for this one as far as flavour goes …but it really does taste amazing.
It mixes up easily too…the powder dissolves completely to give you a nice Powerade like drink.
In terms of giving you a physical and mental boost during workouts, this stuff is fantastic.
It’s not stimulant heavy either, we experienced no energy crash or jitters either.
What we did get was an overall sense of well being, greatly enhanced focus and motivation, and the strength and energy to squeeze out 2 or 3 extra reps on exercises and sets that we were previously stuck on.
Another big bonus with this stuff is that the mental boost lasts a good few hours allowing you to get things done more efficiently during the rest of your day too.
Here’s an overview…
Price: £20.66
Servings: 30
Cost per serving: 0.68
- ABE pre-workout increases your physical performance during high intensity exercise, reduces fatigue, and provides continual focus throughout your training.
- Featuring Creatine Monohydrate, ABE provides power taking your body train to the next level. Citrulline Malate supports the production of Nitric Oxide. ABE also contributes to normal red blood cell formation.
- ABE supplement contains added Vitamin B3 and B12, that help to reduce tiredness, give energy, and boost brain function.
- ABE is tested for athletes, with every batch being tested to provide the highest level of assurance.
- Maximize your body potential with All Black Everything powder preworkout ready-to-mix. Unrivalled Purity with added TheaCrine
Click here for the full review…
#2. Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre-Workout…
This one contains a full array of performance enhancing ingredients such as creatine, caffeine, beta-alanine and citrulline, along with Acetyl-L-Carnitine and Acetyl-L-Tyrosine for enhanced fat burning and muscular energy.
They also provide improved mental focus which really does make a big difference to the effectiveness of your workouts, plus these effects also least well into the day allowing you to be more focused and productive at whatever you are doing.
It also mixes really easily, tastes pretty good-it comes in 5 different flavours, and in our case there were no jitters or energy crashes either.
Here’s an overview…
Price: £21.99
Servings: 30
Cost per serving: 0.73
- PACKAGING MAY VARY: New pack, same number of servings
- An ‘INFORMED CHOICE – Banned Substance Tested’ ready-to-mix pre-workout powder catering to strength athletes, team sports athletes, endurance athletes, gym goers, and multi-faceted athletes
- Creatine Monohydrate increases physical PERFORMANCE*
- Vitamins B6, B12 contribute to the REDUCTION OF TIREDNESS and FATIGUE*
Click here for the full review…
Final Thoughts…
So there you have our full review of Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy.
Not the best pre-workout out there by any means, but technically it doesn’t claim to be.
The bottom line as far as we are concerned is if you’re looking for a definite boost in physical and mental performance during your workouts-go for something else.
Either one of our alternative choices above will do the job, and far more effectively too.
Not quite sure which one to go for?… All Black Everything would be our top choice hands down.
And that brings us to the end of this review.
We hope you found it informative and that it’s helped speed up your hunt for the best pre-workout for you.
Thanks for reading and we’ll look forward to seeing you in the next one where we’ll be taking a good look at Demon Labz Pre-Workout Demon so keep your eyes peeled for that one…
