MuscleTech Amino Build Next Gen Energized: 4g BCAA, 50mg Caffeine

Amino Build Next Gen has already hit stores. Will you hop on the energy aminos bandwagon? This one looks great for diet soda lovers

The market for energized amino acid products and intra workout supplements has rapidly been expanding this year. We’ve seen entries into the the category from most of the major brands, most recently MusclePharm’s BCAA 3:1:2 Energy.

It was just a matter of time before MuscleTech threw their hat in the ring and released their own caffeinated BCAA supplement. After teasing Amino Build Next Gen Energized for a few months, the brand finally released the label.

Key highlights:

• 4g BCAAs (2:1:1 Ratio)
• 50mg Caffeine
• 1.25g Betaine
• 500mg glutamine, alanine, and taurine (each)

Basically, this is a great alternative for you diet soda drinkers, given the light 50mg caffeine dose.

We’ll explain exactly what it contains below, but first make sure to check the best deal and sign up for PricePlow alerts:

Note: If you want the non-stimulant version, “Amino Build Next Gen”, see below:

Amino Build Next Gen Energized Ingredients

The new version of Amino Build carries over most of the original Amino Build ingredients with BCAAs, taurine, glutamine, alanine, and betaine.

What’s missing from the new formula is citrulline malate, which has since been replaced by a blend of electrolytes for improved hydration and caffeine for energy.

Let’s see just how much of each we get:

• 2:1:1 BCAA Matrix (4g)

  

  Amino Build Next Gen carries over a lot of the ingredients from the original product and drops the citrulline malate for a more comprehensive electrolyte blend.

  Just like the original Amino Build, the Next Gen variety contains 4g of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) per scoop in the research-backed 2:1:1 ratio. That means each scoop of Amino Build Next Gen yields 2g of Leucine and 1g each of Isoleucine and Valine.

  The benefits of BCAA supplementation are well documented and don’t need much explanation. In a nutshell, they help stimulate muscle protein synthesis, increase recovery and delay the onset of muscle soreness (DOMS).^[1,2,3]

  A solid (but not huge) dose of BCAA

  What should be mentioned is that we typically like to see ~5g doses BCAAs (or more) as we did with MusclePharm’s 3:1:2 BCAA Energy or EVL’s BCAA Energy or Scivation’s Xtend GO.

  Amino Build Next Gen Energized only contains 4g which means you’ll need to use about 1.25 scoops to get at least 5 grams – but this is honestly close enough.

  The point of our “5g requirement” is just to make sure that BCAAs are high up on the formula – not in a 6g blend behind a bunch of cheaper stuff like taurine and glycine that many of the earlier energy amino products had.

• Cell-Volumizing and Recovery Complex

  • Taurine (500mg)

    Taurine is a conditionally essential amino acid found predominantly in the brain, heart, and skeletal muscles of the body. Taurine acts as a cell volumizer helping to draw water into the muscle.^[4]

    

    MuscleTech Sponsored athlete @biancahoffmann loving her Amino Build. Wait til she tries Next Gen Energized!

    As such, this should help improve endurance and help support some “water-based” pumps. Additional water and nutrients being absorbed into the muscles will also reduce the onset muscle soreness when exercising.^[5]

  • Glutamine & Alanine (500mg each)

    There’s a reason we’re combining these two ingredients under one header….follow along:

    Glutamine is one of those amino acids that supposedly helps you recover faster, but research on it is rather conflicting.^[6] See, the problem with glutamine is that it’s absorbed by the stomach before it can be absorbed in the intestines, unless it’s paired alongside alanine.

    As it just so happens, Alanine is our next ingredient and helps ensure glutamine passes through the stomach undamaged and gets to your muscles, where it belongs.^[7,8]

    Studies done on the combo use amounts ranging from 1g – 2g of the Glutamine+Alanine combo. There were no significant differences between the 1g dose and the 2g dose in terms of recovery or absorption.

    Taking 1 scoop of Amino Build Next Gen will get you the 1g you need, and if you opt for 2 scoops you’ll get 2g. Either way, you should experience some improved recovery from these two aminos.

• Strength-Enhancing Compound

  • Betaine Anhydrous (1.25g)

    Also known as trimethylglycine, Betaine is one of those ergogenic ingredients we love in a pre workout, bcaa product, or post workout. It’s become a staple in basically every new pre workout hitting the market and for good reason. This potent amino has tons of research backing it as an ergogenic aid.

    

    Beatine isn’t just for power, it also enhances the effects of creatine.

    In terms of performance, it’ll improve strength, endurance, power, and hydration.^[9,10,11] Additionally, there’s also been some research done to show it may support, and possibly enhance, the body’s synthesis and utilization of creatine. This is because betaine donates a methyl group to guanidinoacetate via methionine which then helps the body synthesize creatine in your muscle.^[12,13]

    The best studies performed used 2.5g, so to get the full clinical benefits, you’d either need 2 scoops of this or another supplement with betaine in it (there’s tons of them anymore). But even if you just get 1.25g per day, that’s still excellent.

• Electrolyte Blend

  • Sodium Chloride (80mg)

    Sodium is one of the primary electrolytes in the body and plays several key roles in the body. It’s heavily involved in muscle contraction and nerve function, and it’s responsible for maintaining fluid level throughout the body.

    Loads of electrolytes are lost through sweat during exercise, and even a 2% loss in hydration levels can result in severe cramping, performance decline, and altered CNS function^[14]

    As such, it’s vitally important to make sure you’re properly hydrated at all times.

  • Coconut Water Powder (50mg)

    Coconut water is making its way into more pre and intra workout supplements. Most likely, it’s because of its high electrolyte content that will helps maintain proper hydration levels.^[15]

    Losing too many electrolytes during exercise leads to cramping and the muscle failing to fully contract. Ensuring hydration and electrolyte levels are in check are of the utmost importance if you’re looking to really push yourself during your workouts.

    But let’s be real here, this is a miniscule dose of coconut water powder. We doubt it will alter the taste for those of you who don’t like it.

  • Watermelon juice (50mg)

    

    Watermelons and their juice are rich in citrulline which will help with DOMS and speed recovery.

    Many may not think of watermelon’s right away when trying to improve hydration or recovery. As it turns out, watermelon’s and their juice are rich sources of citrulline which has been proven to help improve recovery and offset soreness.^[16,17]

    Watermelon juice consumption likewise has been linked to delaying muscle soreness and speeding recovery in athletes.^[18]

    Our biggest question here is if this was standardized for anything, but regardless, it’s cool to see something new and unique in a supplement.

  • Dipotassium phosphate (40mg)

    As we saw with sodium, potassium is another of the all too important electrolytes involved in muscle and nerve function in the body, primarily the heart.^[19]

    Low levels of potassium in the body can lead to cramping, fatigue, and delayed reflexe, none of which you want during exercise. To offset this, Amino Build Next Gen includes a modest amount to make sure all cylinders keep firing in your muscles.

• Energy Enhancer

  • Caffeine (50mg)

    There’s be no point in calling this Energized if it didn’t have some sort of energy component to the product. Each scoop of Amino Build Next Gen contains 50mg of caffeine, which is about as much as you’d get in a can of soda. If you opt for 2 scoops you’ll edge more into the standard cup of coffee range in terms of caffeine dose and anticipated stim effects.

    This should be a nice pick me up during the day or mild energy boost to sustain you throughout your longer workouts.

    This is a bit less than most of the products in our energy aminos category, so if you want a very light touch (say you’re a Diet Coke drinker), then this is the way to go.

    But if you need to get stimmed out, this is clearly not the one.

Flavors Available

If you’re a diet soda drinker and like that light 50mg caffeine, then you might really like Amino Build Next Gen!

As far as flavors, we’ve only been able to discern which ones are going to be available from pictures MT has teased. So far, we do know that Fruit Punch Fusion and Blue Raspberry will be two of the flavors. As for the others, we’ll just have to wait and see once the product is released.

Takeaway

Amino Build Next Gen Energized provides a well-rounded mix of amino and hydrating agents to help carry you through your long workouts or for those times when you’ll have to endure many, many hours in between meals.

At only 50mg of caffeine per scoop, Amino Build could provide an ideal pick me up if you’re dragging at the office and need to make it to closing time, or just want a little caffeine before a late night workout – but are quite caffeine sensitive or just like what’s effectively a diet soda’s worth.

Either way, this niche market of amino acid products is definitely on the rise and we expect it only to grow as America’s fascination with energy products continues to fester.

Note: If you want the non-stimulant version, “Amino Build Next Gen”, see below: