Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy drink is a carbonated beverage that is rich in electrolytes and amino acids. This caffeinated beverage is made by a sports nutrition company called Optimum Nutrition.
It is a good energy drink for people who lead a healthy and active lifestyle. It can improve your focus and physical performance.
For this reason, this energy drink is trendy among people who need an energy boost regularly. It may leave you wondering if the energy drink is vegan-friendly or not.
In this article, I’ll have a look at the ingredients of Amino Energy drink and explore if the energy drink is suitable for a vegan diet or not.
Page Contents
What Can You Find In A Can Of Optimum Energy Drink?
First of all, let’s have a look at the nutrients of Amino Energy drink:
| Nutrition | Amount Per Serving | DV% (Daily Value) |
| Calories | 5 | – |
| Sodium | 100mg | 4% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 1g | 0% |
| Total Fat | 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugar | 0g | 0% |
| Protein | 0g | 0% |
Ingredients List
Here’s the ingredients list of Amino Energy drink:
- Calories
- Caffeine
- Magnesium phosphate
- Carbonated water
- Amino acids
- Carbohydrate
- Salt
- Potassium chloride
- Sucralose (artificial sweetener)
- Natural flavors
- Potassium sorbate (preservative)
- Tartaric acid (in strawberry and grape flavors)
- Artificial flavors
- Citric acid
- Malic acid
- Potassium benzoate (preservative)
- Acesulfame potassium (sweetener, used in grape flavor)
- Sodium citrate
Is Optimum Amino Energy Drink Vegan-Friendly?
To answer you briefly, Optimum Amino Energy drink isn’t really vegan-friendly.
You can find out about this information on Amazon. In this Q&A section, a sales rep of Amazon replied that Amino Energy drink isn’t vegan.
This is probably because of its 5g blend of essential amino acids. Among these amino acids, BCAAs can be derived from animal sources or plant-based sources. There is no mention of the source on the label of a can.
Some sports nutrition companies use animal-based ingredients in their beverages. That’s why Amino Energy drink can be one of them.
However, you can still consider Amino Energy drink in a vegetarian diet. If you look at the ingredients list above, you can see that the rest are either plant-based or synthetic.
I’ll discuss more regarding it later.
What Is Amino Blend In Optimum Amino Energy Drink?
Optimum Amino Energy drink contains around 5g of essential amino acids. It is one of the most important ingredients in the beverage, as the name suggests.
There are eight amino acids in the essential amino blend of Amino Energy drink. They are:
- L-Threonine
- L-Citrulline
- L-Lysine Hydrochloride
- L-Theanine
- Sustamine L-Alanyl
- L-Leucine
- L-Glutamine
- Micronized Taurine
These amino acids are needed for important functions in our bodies, such as:
- growth and development
- providing energy
- healing and repair
- normal digestion
What Are The BCAAs In Optimum Amino Energy Drink?
BCAA refers to the three branched-chain amino acids called L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine. The amino blend of Amino Energy drink only contains L-leucine.
L-leucine is known to have these benefits:
- muscle building
- muscle recovery
- weight control
- prevention of muscle loss
For these benefits, BCAA supplements are prevalent among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Does Amino Energy Drink Contain Too Much Caffeine?
A 12 fl. oz. can of Optimum Amino Energy drink has around 100mg of caffeine. It has a modest amount of caffeine compared to the strongest energy drinks like Reign.
The caffeine is sourced from coffee beans and tea leaves, so it is definitely vegan. Plus, it provides a lot of benefits like:
- improving memory
- decreasing fatigue
- preventing type 2 diabetes
- improving mental functions
- lowering the risk of liver disease
- protecting against Parkinson’s disease
This study suggests that low doses of caffeine can enhance your exercise performance and help you exercise for a longer duration.
However, you shouldn’t consume more than 400mg of caffeine in a 24-hour period. Otherwise, you may undergo serious side effects, such as:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Digestive issues
- Addiction
- Frequent urination
- High blood pressure
- Fatigue
Is There Any Sugar In A Can Of Amino Energy Drink?
Optimum Amino Energy drink doesn’t have any sugar. This energy drink uses two artificial sweeteners as a substitute for sugar.
Sucralose is one of the artificial sweeteners used in Amino Energy drinks. It is synthesized from sugar, so it is definitely vegan. It is generally sold under the brand name Splenda, and it is around 600 times sweeter than sucrose.
Another good thing is it doesn’t mess with your insulin levels and blood sugar levels.
The grape flavor of Amino Energy drink also uses acesulfame-K with sucralose. This artificial sweetener is around 200 times sweeter than sugar when blended with sucralose.
You’ll be glad to know this artificial sweetener is vegan as well.
However, consuming a high amount of artificial sweeteners can lead to obesity and other problems. That’s why you should always consume products with artificial sweeteners in moderation.
Is Amino Energy Drink Vegetarian?
In a vegetarian diet, you cannot consume meat or fish, but you can consume animal byproducts that don’t involve slaughtering any animal. Eggs, dairy products, honey are some of these byproducts.
The ingredients list of the energy drink doesn’t seem to have any ingredient that requires the slaughter of animals.
Therefore, you can consume a can of Amino Energy drink on a vegetarian diet without any worries.
Is Optimum protein vegan?
Optimum Nutrition offers a range of protein supplements, and some of their products are suitable for vegans. These vegan options are typically made from plant-based protein sources like peas, rice, or hemp and do not contain animal-derived ingredients.
To determine whether a specific Optimum Nutrition protein product is vegan, it’s important to check the product label and ingredient list. Look for certifications or labels indicating that the product is vegan-friendly. Keep in mind that Optimum Nutrition offers both whey-based and plant-based protein products.
Are Optimum Nutrition bars vegan?
Not all Optimum Nutrition bars are vegan. The ingredients of each bar vary, and some contain dairy-derived ingredients like whey protein or milk solids, making them non-vegan. To find vegan options, look for Optimum Nutrition bars explicitly labeled as “vegan” or those made from plant-based ingredients like nuts and seeds.
Reading the ingredient list and checking for vegan certifications is essential for those following a vegan diet to ensure they select bars that align with their dietary preferences and restrictions.
Can Amino Energy Drink Help You Lose Weight?
Just drinking a can of Amino Energy drink might not help you lose weight. If you don’t do any physical work, its artificial sweeteners may increase your weight instead.
That being said, if you consume a can of Amino Energy drink before your workouts or other physical tasks, then it can actually help you lose weight. Its caffeine can boost your metabolism rate and help your body to burn fats.
This way you can lose a lot more weight by consuming Amino Energy drinks.
Is Optimum Essential Amino Energy Drink Bad For You?
Optimum Essential Amino Energy drink shouldn’t be harmful to you if you consume it in moderation.
If you can handle one or two cups of coffee per day, this amount of caffeine should be okay for you. But, if you can’t handle that much caffeine or you’re caffeine sensitive, you need to stay away from Amino Energy drink.
If you still consume Amino Energy drink, you may experience these side effects:
- racing heartbeat
- restlessness
- insomnia
- headache
- jitters
- nervousness
- restlessness
- insomnia
Is Amino Energy Drink Good For A Keto-Diet?
You can drink Amino Energy drinks while following a keto diet.
In a ketogenic diet, you need to cut back on carbohydrates and replace them with fats. When you follow this diet, your body is in a state called ketosis. In this state, your body burns fats and turns them into energy.
Amino Energy drink has only 1g of carbohydrates and 0g of sugar. Plus, it contains only 5 calories. The artificial sweeteners in this energy drink are also low-calorie.
Therefore, Optimum Amino Energy drink can be a good option if you follow a ketogenic diet.
Flavors Of Optimum Amino Energy Drink
These are the flavors of Amino Energy drink:
- Blueberry Lemonade
- Grape
- Green Apple
- Juicy Cherry
- Juicy Strawberry
- Mango Pineapple Lime
- Mixed Berry Sangria
- Peach Bellini
- Watermelon
Here’s a review of Optimum Amino Energy drink that you can check out:
Where Can You Buy Amino Energy Drinks And How Much Do They Cost?
You can buy Amino Energy drinks from physical stores or online sites. Buying it online is more convenient as it saves you a lot of trouble. You can buy Amino Energy drinks from these sites:
- Optimum Nutrition Official Storefront
- Amazon
- Walmart
It costs around $25 for a 12-can pack on their official storefront and Amazon. It is a pretty good deal as each can cost around $2.
Anyway, prices may vary depending on the retailer and online platform. It would be best if you also remembered to check the delivery charge before buying a pack of Amino Energy drinks.
Alternatives To Amino Energy Drink
If you want to try vegan-friendly energy drinks, you can try these:
The Final Say
Amino Energy drink doesn’t seem vegan as the source of the amino blend isn’t mentioned. If you’re following a vegan diet, best to avoid Amino Energy drinks.
On the other hand, there is no trace of fish or meat-related ingredients can a can label. So, if you don’t mind any animal byproducts, you can add this energy drink to a vegetarian diet.
That said, you should consume only one can of Amino Energy drink per day as it has a moderate amount of caffeine. Now, if you think it is the right drink for you, get out and buy yourself a can of Amino Energy drink!