Hey, have you ever tried a BCAA supplement which has Vitamin D?
We’re serious.
Enter BSN AMINOx, a product which many (and we do mean many) people have raved about.
Here’s what we have to say: it’s a BCAA supplement which packs a wallop.
Enjoy the review, folks.
Table of Contents
About BSN AMINOx
BSN AMINOx is “a stimulant-free BCAA formula designed to support endurance during your workout and aid in muscle recovery post training, so you can push your performance to the next level,” per its official website. Formula notes:
- Awesome ingredient combo. Not your usual BCAA supplement.
- Has Vitamin D3. Rare BCAA product which has this ingredient.
- Increased muscle mass and pumps. Thanks to leucine, taurine, and l-citrulline components.
BSN AMINOx Supplement Facts (Blue Raz, 30 Servings) |
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Serving Size: 1 level scoop (14.5 g ‡) Servings Per Container: 30 |
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Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
Total Carbohydrates | <1 g | <1% † |
Vitamin D (as Cholecalciferol) | 500 IU | 125% |
Sodium | 160 mg | 7% |
Anabolic Amino Acid Interfusion* | 10 g | ** |
[L-Leucine (Micronized), L-Valine (Micronized), L-Isoleucine (Micronized)], L-Citrulline (Micronized) | ||
Effosorb EnDura Composite | 2 g | ** |
Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Bicarbonate and Cholecalciferol | ||
Other Ingredients: Natural & Artificial Flavors*, Silicon Dioxide, Lecithin, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium and FD&C Blue #1. | ||
Directions For AMINOx: As a dietary supplement, mix 1 level scoop with 6-8 oz. of cold water or any beverage of your choice before, during or after your workout. For best results consume at least 2 servings per day. To maximize the effects of AMINOx™ consume 120 oz. of water per day and a diet that is rich in protein and carbohydrates. Your body chemistry and weight will determine how long it takes to experience the effect of AMINOx™. AMINOx™ begins to induce its maximum effects in weeks 3-12. After 12 weeks of use, discontinue for at least 4 weeks. |
Unleash Your Performance Potential
Perhaps you’ve run into a brick wall.
You’re stuck in a rut. It just seems you can’t conquer the dreaded fitness plateau.
Take our words for it, folks: sometimes, regular training and sound nutrition are not enough.
You also need ample rest. Plus, you need to tweak your fitness program every eight weeks or so. You have to shock your body to get impressive results.
Don’t forget to supplement smart as well (we’re always here to help).
One product you need in your supplement stack is a solid BCAA product.
Why? Let us count the ways:
- Boost protein synthesis
- Increase and preserve muscle mass
- Torch fat
- Preserve hormone balance during intense exercise
- Increase strength
- Delay the onset of exercise fatigue
- Ward off muscle soreness
- Boost overall health
You might have been missing out on a BCAA product all these years. Now is as good a time as any to add one to your supplement stack (you’ll thank us for the sound advice).
Let’s see if BSN AMINOx is a worthy addition.
We’ve reviewed some BSN products before. For the most part, they’ve fallen short of expectations.
For instance, the highly-touted BSN CELLMASS 2.0 failed to make the grade (it had too many cons for our liking).
We hope BSN AMINOx can end that record of futility.
This bodybuilding product “is a stimulant-free BCAA formula designed to support endurance during your workout and aid in muscle recovery post-training, so you can push your performance to the next level,” per its official website.
The manufacturer also claims its 10-gram combo of essential BCAAs and amino acids “will help you body recover from today’s workout and prepare for tomorrow’s,” per the same source.
We like it.
Our first impression: BSN AMINOx seems like the BCAA supplement which can sustain top-notch exercise performance and help you achieve your daily fitness goals.
This is consistent with the company’s marketing slogan for this product (“Unleash Your Performance Potential”).
Of course, the spotlight is on the three BCAAs – leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
These are part of BSN AMINOx’s 10-gram Anabolic Amino Acid Interfusion blend.
The folks at BSN sum up the role of BCAA nicely.
“BCAAs can be used by muscle cells as an energy source, which may help offset muscle breakdown during endurance exercise and help support recovery and repair after weight training,” per their official website.
Spot on.
Leucine is at the forefront of any BCAA supplement. In fact, we’re certain it’s one of the first things most bodybuilding enthusiasts look for.
It’s downright simple: leucine is the most anabolic amino acid (we’ve said this many times before, but it bears repeating).
This BCAA helps activate a special protein known as mTOR. Once that happens, the muscle protein synthesis process begins.
No leucine, no muscle.
It would have been nice to know how much leucine BSN AMINOx has (just so you know, most BCAA supplements have around three grams of leucine per serving or so).
Unfortunately, that’s not possible.
That’s because the Anabolic Amino Acid Interfusion blend is proprietary in nature.
Thumbs down.
Notice the manufacturer reveals the amount of the entire blend (10 grams) but fails to break down the individuals components.
That’s the downside of proprietary blends, folks: you won’t know how much of each ingredient you’re putting in your body.
Sad but true: some manufacturers turn this whole thing into a guessing game.
Not good.
At least BSN AMINOx has leucine in it. Better than nothing, right?
For its part, isoleucine has the following benefits:
- Maintains healthy blood sugar levels
- Boosts recovery
- Helps regulate metabolism
- Maintains a positive nitrogen balance for more muscle growth
- Increases endurance
- Repairs muscle tissue
We love isoleucine’s versatility and all-around benefits. Don’t you?
For its part, valine complements leucine and isoleucine perfectly.
Valine helps shore up the immune and nervous systems, improve sleep quality, increase endurance, and repair muscle tissue.
Awesome.
BSN AMINOx also has l-alanine as one of its key ingredients.
It is a non-essential amino acid which is involved in protein synthesis (unlike the naturally-occurring beta amino acid beta-alanine which is not part of the muscle protein synthesis process).
Plus, l-alanine helps break down glucose and plays a key role in the transportation of nitrogen to and from the liver.
L-alanine is not as common as beta-alanine in many BCAA supplements; so this came as a bit of a surprise.
We feel the folks at BSN included l-alanine for its involvement in the protein synthesis and glucose breakdown processes.
Long story short, l-alanine helps increase muscle mass and ramp up your energy levels – two key benefits of BCAA supplements.
Another pleasant surprise is the inclusion of taurine.
Consumers who want to muscle up will rejoice.
Taurine is an amino sulfonic acid which helps increase the muscles’ capacity to hold more water, giving them a fuller and bigger appearance (creatine acts in the same manner).
Now, if you thought the BCAA isoleucine was a Jack of all trades, you’ve got another thing coming.
We believe taurine’s benefits are just as vital:
- Helps improve exercise performance
- Shortens recovery
- Lowers stress levels
- Incinerates fat
- Helps ward off oxidative stress
- Improves cardiovascular and neurological health
- Improves sleep quality
- Helps ramp up testosterone levels
Whew.
We are stoked BSN AMINOx has taurine. It would be awesome if more BCAA supplements include this incredible ingredient.
Speaking of incredible, you haven’t seen anything yet, folks.
That’s because BSN AMINOx also has l-citrulline.
To set the record straight, this ingredient is the free-form version of the amino acid citrulline (on the other hand, l-citrulline malate is citrulline bonded to malic acid).
L-citrulline malate is known for improving blood flow and increasing muscle pumps.
However, l-citrulline, does it one better – some fitness experts believe it increases muscle pumps better than l-citrulline malate.
Remember, l-citrulline is a precursor of nitric oxide, a compound which helps improve blood flow, regulate blood pressure, and boost nutrient uptake.
Not only that, these experts also say l-citrulline helps ramp up human growth hormone (HGH) levels.
Unbelievable.
Think about it, folks: when you combine the anabolic BCAA leucine with l-citrulline, and your muscles will grow like never before.
That’s one potent combo BSN AMINOx has which other BCAA supplements don’t.
The takeaway: we say this Anabolic Amino Acid Interfusion blend is legit.
The other key blend of BSN AMINOx is two grams of its Effosorb EnDura Composite blend per serving.
One key component is malic acid, an organic compound found in many fruits.
This ingredient helps increase energy levels and keep muscular discomfort at bay.
On the other hand, citric acid is an alkalizing agent which helps improves kidney function, ward off nasty free radicals, and boost mineral absorption.
This blend also has sodium bicarbonate (more commonly known as baking soda).
Unknown to many, sodium bicarbonate helps neutralize the buildup of lactic acid during intense exercise.
We think that’s an awesome benefit right there.
The last key ingredient of BSN AMINOx is 500 IU of Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol) per serving.
This represents a solid 125 percent of the daily value for Vitamin D (anything more than 15 percent is high).
Many individuals know Vitamin D is critical for heart health. No question about it.
However, there’s much more to Vitamin D than that:
- It helps strengthen bones
- Vitamin D helps improve muscular function
- Helps keep free radicals at bay
Cholecalciferol (more commonly known as Vitamin D3) helps improve brain health and boost the immune system.
Bear in mind BSN AMINOx is one of the rare BCAA supplements which has Vitamin D.
If you’re not getting enough sunlight, this product is a viable alternative.
All in all, we feel BSN AMINOx is a tremendous BCAA product.
It’s just unfortunate some of its chinks (namely proprietary blends and dirty ingredients) are consistent with those of other BSN products.
Bummer.
Let’s check out the formula ingredients:
- Total carbohydrates, <1 g: BSN AMINOx is a bona fide low-carb BCAA supplement at a paltry one percent of the daily value for carbohydrates (anything less than five percent has a low value). Having said that, we say this supplement will complement your lean muscle-building goals perfectly.
- Vitamin D (as cholecalciferol), 500 IU: Like we said, this much represents a solid 125 percent of the daily value for Vitamin D. This ingredient helps strengthen bones, improve muscular function, and keep nasty free radicals at bay. Awesome.
- Sodium, 160 mg: Health experts believe those who are monitoring their sodium intake should try going for a daily value of no more than five percent. While BSN AMINOx’s daily value for sodium is seven percent, it doesn’t go overboard in any way. This much should help ward off muscle cramping and increase hydration without compromising your blood pressure levels.
Anabolic Amino Acid Interfusion, 10 g
- L-leucine (micronized): The most anabolic amino acid which helps kickstart muscle protein synthesis. Believe it or not, leucine also helps preserve muscle and torch fat.
- L-valine (micronized): A BCAA which helps increase endurance, repair muscle tissue, and regulate the immune and nervous systems.
- L-isoleucine (micronized): A versatile BCAA which helps regulate blood sugar levels, shorten recovery time, increase endurance, and repair muscle tissue, among other things.
- L-alanine: An essential amino acid which helps break down glucose and transport nitrogen to and from the liver.
- Taurine (micronized): An amino acid and Jack of all trades which helps increase muscle water volume, improve exercise performance, shorten recovery time, and ramp up testosterone levels.
- L-citrulline (micronized): A free-form version of the amino acid citrulline which helps increase muscle pumps and human growth hormone levels. It also helps regulate blood pressure levels and boost nutrient uptake.
Effosorb EnDura Composite, 2 g
- Malic acid: An organic compound found in many fruits which helps ramp up energy levels and ward off muscular discomfort.
- Citric acid: An alkalizing agent which boost kidney health, improve mineral absorption, and keep free radicals at bay.
- Sodium bicarbonate: More commonly known as baking soda, this ingredient helps lower lactic acid levels for improved exercise performance.
- Cholecalciferol: Simply known as Vitamin D3, this ingredient helps strengthen bones, shore up the immune system, and boost brain health.
Formula Analysis
You heard it here first on B5, folks: BSN AMINOx is the company’s best product to date.
Heck, it’s one of the best amino acid products on the market.
We mean it.
The manufacturer’s official website says BSN AMINOx will help you “unleash your potential.”
It will. Trust us.
This BCAA product has all guns blazing – it provides just about every endurance and muscle recovery benefit imaginable.
The BCAA content (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) is just the tip of the iceberg.
The supporting cast blew us away.
Like we said, l-alanine (not beta-alanine) is a rare and underrated BCAA ingredient.
Long story short, this component will help increase exercise endurance and muscle mass.
We also say the taurine and l-citrulline combo is fantastic.
Expect bigger muscles, increased muscle pumps, better nutrient uptake, healthier blood pressure levels, and improved heart health when you take this supplement.
The inclusion of the Efforsorb EnDura Composite blend is an awesome insurance policy.
Perhaps the biggest selling point of BSN AMINOx is the inclusion of cholecalciferol (more commonly nown as Vitamin D3).
We said it once, we’ll say it again, folks: it’s one of the rare BCAA supplements which has Vitamin D.
Ergo, BSN AMINOx is a BCAA product with fantastic additional health benefits.
Plus, many consumers swear by this product’s benefits and taste.
What’s not to like?
Well, the transparency for one.
This product has two proprietary blends (nothing new among BSN supplements). The manufacturer fails to break down their individual components.
Bummer.
For that, we give the folks at BSN a C for transparency (they do reveal the total carbohydrate, Vitamin D, and sodium amounts).
Here’s where things get a bit frustrating.
Many BSN supplements (and we do mean many) have a penchant for including fillers.
For BSN AMINOx’s Blue Raz flavor, the manufacturer included sucralose (an artificial sweetener with side effects) and FD & C Blue No. 1 (which has its own set of side effects).
It seems to us BSN hasn’t learned its lesson.
Nonetheless, BSN AMINOx’s pros should outweigh its cons.
BSN AMINOx Benefits
BSN AMINOx has the following benefits, per its official website:
- Helps increase endurance
- Shortens recovery time
- Improves exercise performance
- Increases muscle protein synthesis
We agree with all of these claims. BSN AMINOx is a top-notch BCAA supplement which should help you achieve your fitness goals.
Who Takes It?
BSN AMINOx is intended for healthy and active individuals who are at least 18 years of age who want to increase muscle mass and endurance, shorten recovery time, improve exercise performance, and achieve their daily fitness goals.
Any Side Effects?
BSN AMINOx’s Blue Raz flavor contains sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda) and FD&C Blue No. 1 – two ingredients with certain side effects.
If these, or any other ingredient, make you feel doubtful, please consult your physician before purchasing.
BSN AMINOx Summary
Pros
- Awesome ingredients. One of the best ingredient combos among BCAA supplements.
- Has l-citrulline. Ingredient which helps improve blood flow, increase muscle pumps, and HGH levels.
- Includes taurine. Versatile amino acid which helps increase muscle mass and ramp up testosterone levels.
- Has Vitamin D3. Rare BCAA supplement which has this ingredient.
- Great reputation. Many customers swear by it. Trust us.
- Awesome taste. Consumers love it.
Cons
- Proprietary blends. Manufacturer fails to break down individual ingredient amounts of the two key blends. Boo.
- Has fillers. Sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda) and FD&C Blue No. 1 for Blue Raz flavor.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 1 30-Serving Container (30-Day Supply): $21.99
- 1 70-Serving Container (70-Day Supply): $42.99
- Available online and in retail
Final Word on BSN AMINOx
Despite its flaws, BSN AMINOx the best BSN supplement we’ve reviewed, hands down.
The ingredients speak for themselves.
How often do you stumble upon a supplement which has BCAAs, l-alanine, taurine, l-citrulline, and Vitamin D3?
Not everyday, for sure.
We recommend you buy BSN AMINOx. We’re confident it will help you achieve your fitness goals and give you an edge like no other BCAA product.
You will be a satisfied customer.
Now, if only the manufacturer can come up with a cleaner advanced formula without the shady proprietary blends.
[yasr_overall_rating]
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