The Power of Supplementing with Aminos and The Recovery Benefits You'll Receive!

So you all have read the reviews of mine on various amino drinks, Amino Energy and Aminolast and know that I do like them, but if you were to ever ask me what the exact purpose of each and every amino acid was, and what roll they played in the body I wouldn't be able to tell you... What I would be able to tell you from my own experience though is that without a doubt supplementing with amino acids will help you recovery a lot faster! For about 2-3 months I was taking various amino drinks (the one's I've reviewed on here) before, after, and always during my workouts, but it wasn't until I stopped taking them that I truly realized their benefits and their power.

Sure if someone asked me why I would take them or why they were good I would tell them because they help aid in recovery, to prevent the breaking down of muscle tissue, and in the case of Optimum Nutrition's Amino Energy, for an extra boost due to the caffeine in it. Like I said though I didn't really think much of them other then as a tasty way to flavor my water with possible benefits to help recovery and they are cheap, win win... Well it has been about 6 weeks since I've taken any amino supplements, but it hasn't been until recently that I noticed ever since I stopped taking them that not only has my workout intensity dropped somewhat, but more importantly that I'm getting sore after workouts now. Especially when I train legs heavy, I'll be sore for 3-4 days after.

I never really thought anything of it, or saw the possible correlation between taking aminos and being sore until a couple of days ago I had two different clients tell me that when they don't take their Amino Energy they notice that they get sore for the next couple of days after a workout! Not only that but they also said they feel like they just don't have the same intensity when they're working out either, coincidence? I think not! So because of this I decided to try supping with amino acids again to see if taking them was what was preventing me from getting as sore after my workouts. I bought some Amino Capsules from Optimum Nutrition, the same maker of the great Amino Energy because sometimes I don't want to have to make a drink with the powder; with the caps you can just pop them before and after you workout! I have yet to try them, I'm waiting for my leg day to come up before I start using them again, but without a doubt I definitely think I'm going to find that I'm not as sore afterwards; I'll keep you all posted...

Now for those of you interested more about amino acids and their functions I found a great article by Ben Green, which goes on to explain exactly what they do without being boring and making you want to fall asleep while you're reading... Definitely take a look!

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2011/04/do-amino-acids-really-help-you-exercise-or-are-nutrition-supplement-companies-pulling-a-fast-one-on-you-part-1/ 

Gaspari Nutrition: AMINOLAST Review

I originally bought AMINOLAST, Recovery & Endurance BCAA Superfuel because I wanted a tasty amino drink to sip on without all the caffeine. Some of you may have read my review on Optimum Nutrition's Amino Energy, which I love, but the only thing is it has caffeine in it. So sometimes when I'd workout at night and have that to drink I wouldn't be able to sleep. For whatever reason it may be sometime you just don't want caffeine and that's where Aminolast comes in!

It is your typical Amino drink that you can have before, during, and after your workouts as well as in between meals. Each serving has 10g of amino acids, electrolytes to aide further in recovery, and 1g of AMINOJECTtm, which is supposed to help diminish the negative effects of Ammonia buildup which slow you down while working out.

It does taste very sweet, even though there is no sugar in it, so I mix in a big (1 liter) bottle of water. It doesn't break down or mix very easily 100%, you do have to have to shake the crap out of the bottle to break it down fully. I have tried stirring it in a glass and it tends to clump a little on the top of the glass, not that big of deal though. As for the price it's a little pricey just for it being just an amino drink, I got it for 34 dollars. Each canister has 30 servings, so you're paying a little over a dollar for each serving.

I got the strawberry kiwi flavor, and again it was pretty tasty and refreshing especially if mixed with cold water. Again though a very popular trend these days is using artificial sweeteners and even though this stuff has no sugar it does taste very sweet. Which makes me worried about all of the fake sugar I'm getting in everyday and any possible side effects....

If you're already taking amino's, or bcaa's, I'd definitely recommend that you give Aminolast a try!

Product Review: Amino Energy by Optimum Nutrition

Xsport's very own "The Situation" in the
 background, Ross

Amino Energy is a simple yet effective energy and amino acid supplement which you can mix in water, hence the name Amino Energy! It can be used as a mellow pre-workout, an intra-workout, or even just taken throughout the day when you need a lasting energy boost without a crash. It has plenty of BCAA’s and other free form Aminos which can be crucial in the prevention of muscle catabolism by the body; especially during times when you’ve had minimal calories, or you are dieting! There’s only 10 calories, and about 100mg of Caffeine extracted from green tea and green coffee sources. This allows for the caffeine delivery to be dispersed slower rather than to be delivered right away making you feel cranked out then crash soon after like other pre-workout blends do. Instead you’ll be feeling alert, energized, and focused longer; also just to put the caffeine dose in Amino Energy into perspective the average cup of coffee has about 80mg of caffeine.

So it’s basically a Kool-Aid like powder you throw in some water and it mixes very easily. You can chug it down right away or sip it throughout the day. A lot of the time I’ll buy a gallon of water and just throw 2-3 scoops in there and drink it throughout the day, sometimes if I need a real kick then I’ll mix it in a small water bottle and gulp it down. As for the taste it can be really strong, but good!

 It’s relatively cheap if you go to the right places or order it online; at Xsport here in Garden City you can buy it for $17, but I know GNC has it for around $50, rip-off!

So if you’re new to supplements, especially pre-workouts I’d definitely recommend you try Amino Energy and see how you like it… 

Here’s the website so you can get a better look:
http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/Essential-Amino-Energy-p-275.html