Thorne Amino Complex, Momentous Vital Aminos, Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos tablets and powder, Kion Aminos and Transparent Labs Intra EAA side by side

Thorne Amino Complex Review: Leucine, Dose and Price vs 4 Other EAAs

Love Life Supplements

Published 4 November 2026. Every figure for Thorne and the other brands comes from the brand's own product page or Supplement Facts panel, read on 4 November 2026. Our own figures come from our printed labels, and our prices were read live from our UK and US stores on 6 November 2026.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not medical advice. Amino acid supplements are intended for adults. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist before taking one if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a kidney or liver condition, have been told to limit protein, take prescribed medicines, or have phenylketonuria (PKU), because every product here contains phenylalanine. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

Thorne Amino Complex review: it is a well-made, vegan, NSF Certified for Sport amino drink, but it gives less per scoop than its rivals. By Thorne's own label, one scoop supplies 3,820 mg of the nine essential amino acids (EAAs), including 1,250 mg of leucine in a 2:1:1 branched-chain ratio, plus 180 mg of cystine and tyrosine, for $52 a tub of 30 scoops, about $1.73 a serving. That is about 45 cents per gram of EAAs, the highest of the five products we compared. Buy it if you are drug tested and want a certified product. If you are not, our pick is Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos powder: 5,000 mg of all nine EAAs and 2,000 mg of leucine per scoop, every amount on the label, for 75 cents a serving on our US store and 67p on our UK store.

Our figures come from our printed labels. Each 5.8 g scoop of Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos powder supplies 5,000 mg of the nine essential amino acids: 2,000 mg of L-leucine, 750 mg of L-lysine hydrochloride, 550 mg of L-valine, 500 mg of L-isoleucine, 415 mg of L-threonine, 400 mg of L-phenylalanine, 250 mg of L-methionine, 81.5 mg of L-histidine hydrochloride and 53.5 mg of L-tryptophan, with natural flavouring and stevia and nothing else. A tub holds 60 servings for £39.95 on our UK store and $45.24 on our US store, or £35.96 and $40.72 on a first Subscribe & Save order. It is vegan, made in the UK to BRC standards, rated 4.7 out of 5 from 111 verified ratings, has batch Certificates of Analysis linked on the product page, and is covered by our 60-day money-back guarantee.

Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos EAA powder tub, 60 servings

Essential Aminos powder: 5,000 mg of all nine EAAs and 2,000 mg of leucine per scoop, every amount on the label, vegan, 60 servings.

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Quick takeaways
  • What is in a scoop: 3,820 mg of the nine EAAs by Thorne's listed amounts, with 1,250 mg leucine, 625 mg isoleucine and 625 mg valine. The other six EAAs add up to 1,320 mg.
  • Where it wins: NSF Certified for Sport, vegan, gluten, dairy and soy free, sweetened with stevia leaf (rebaudioside A), and from a brand many practitioners already use.
  • Where it loses: the lowest EAA dose and the lowest leucine per scoop of the five products here, at the highest price per gram. Matching 2 g of leucine takes about 1.6 scoops, roughly $2.77.
  • The closest certified rival: Momentous Vital Aminos, also NSF Certified for Sport, gives 5,570 mg of the nine EAAs and 2,500 mg of leucine for $49.99.
  • Best value: our Essential Aminos, 5,000 mg and 2,000 mg leucine for 75 cents (US) or 67p (UK) a serving. Not sport-certified.
  • None of them replaces food protein. Amino acids have no UK NRV and no US RDA; the targets that matter are for total protein.

Thorne Amino Complex vs the alternatives: the label table

Thorne Amino Complex has the smallest dose of essential amino acids and the least leucine per scoop of the five products below, and the highest cost per serving. Momentous Vital Aminos is the closest like-for-like option, because it is also NSF Certified for Sport. Transparent Labs Intra Workout gives the most EAAs per scoop but adds taurine, betaine, electrolytes and other actives. Every competitor figure was read from the brand's own product page or Supplement Facts panel on 4 November 2026.

Product (1 serving) Nine EAAs, as labelled Leucine Also in the scoop Sport testing mark Price per serving
Thorne Amino Complex (1 scoop, Lemon or Berry) 3,820 mg 1,250 mg (33%) Cystine 150 mg, tyrosine 30 mg; citric acid, flavour, stevia (Reb A); turmeric powder (Lemon) or fruit and vegetable juice colour (Berry) NSF Certified for Sport $1.73 ($52, 30 scoops)
Momentous Vital Aminos (1 scoop, 11.5 g) 5,570 mg 2,500 mg (45%) Arginine 525 mg, alpha-ketoglutaric acid 470 mg, cystine 150 mg, tyrosine 30 mg; 40 calories NSF Certified for Sport $1.67 ($49.99, 30 servings)
Kion Aminos powder (1 scoop, 6.58 g) 5,000 mg 2,000 mg (40%) Citric and malic acid, natural flavours, stevia, monk fruit No (says every batch is third-party tested) $1.67 ($49.95, 30 servings)
Transparent Labs Intra Workout (1 scoop, 18 g) 6,700 mg 2,669 mg (40%) Taurine 2,000 mg, betaine 1,250 mg, tyrosine 1,000 mg, coconut water powder 1,000 mg, sodium 250 mg, potassium 120 mg, calcium, magnesium, elevATP, Astragin Informed Choice mark on the tub (not NSF) $1.50 ($44.99, 30 servings)
Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos powder (1 scoop, 5.8 g) 5,000 mg 2,000 mg (40%) Natural flavouring with stevia, nothing else No (batch Certificates of Analysis published) 67p UK (£39.95), 75 cents US ($45.24), 60 servings
Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos tablets (5 tablets, US store) 5,000 mg 2,000 mg (40%) Nothing: no flavour, sweetener or tableting aids listed No (batch Certificates of Analysis published) 70 cents US ($41.84, 300 tablets, 60 servings)

Sources: thorne.com Amino Complex Lemon and Berry pages; livemomentous.com Vital Aminos page and Supplement Facts image; getkion.com Aminos Powder page and Supplement Facts image; transparentlabs.com Intra Workout page, Supplement Facts image and tub image (Informed Choice mark); our own printed labels [12],[13]. All read 4 November 2026. "Nine EAAs, as labelled" adds the nine listed amounts; lysine and histidine are given as their hydrochloride or chloride forms on several labels, so totals are label weights, not pure amino acid. Leucine share = leucine divided by the nine-EAA total. Price per serving = one-off list price divided by servings; Momentous, Transparent Labs and Thorne run their own subscription discounts, which are not included. Our tablets are sold on our US store only. Prices change, so check each site before you buy.

What is in Thorne Amino Complex?

Thorne Amino Complex contains all nine essential amino acids plus two non-essential ones, cystine and tyrosine, in a lemon or berry powder sweetened with rebaudioside A. The formula leans heavily on the branched-chain amino acids: leucine, isoleucine and valine make up 2,500 mg of the 3,820 mg of EAAs, about 65%, which is why Thorne describes it as an "EAA and BCAA formula". The other six essential amino acids total 1,320 mg, with small amounts of phenylalanine (100 mg), methionine (50 mg) and tryptophan (20 mg).

The table sets Thorne beside Momentous Vital Aminos, the other certified product, and our own formula. Thorne and Momentous share several identical figures (625 mg isoleucine, 625 mg valine, 150 mg cystine, 50 mg methionine, 30 mg tyrosine, 20 mg tryptophan) but Momentous doubles the leucine. For context, the last column shows the daily requirement for a 70 kg adult from the World Health Organization's report on protein and amino acid requirements [1]. Food should supply most of that; a supplement is a top-up.

Amino acid (per serving) Thorne Amino Complex Momentous Vital Aminos Love Life Supplements WHO daily need, 70 kg adult
L-Leucine 1,250 mg 2,500 mg 2,000 mg 2,730 mg
L-Isoleucine 625 mg 625 mg 500 mg 1,400 mg
L-Valine 625 mg 625 mg 550 mg 1,820 mg
L-Lysine 650 mg (as chloride) 725 mg (as HCl) 750 mg (as HCl) 2,100 mg
L-Threonine 350 mg 375 mg 415 mg 1,050 mg
L-Phenylalanine 100 mg 350 mg 400 mg 1,750 mg (with tyrosine)
L-Methionine 50 mg 50 mg 250 mg 1,050 mg (with cysteine)
L-Histidine 150 mg 300 mg (as HCl) 81.5 mg (as HCl) 700 mg
L-Tryptophan 20 mg 20 mg 53.5 mg 280 mg
Nine EAAs, total 3,820 mg 5,570 mg 5,000 mg
Other amino acids Cystine 150 mg, tyrosine 30 mg Arginine 525 mg, cystine 150 mg, tyrosine 30 mg (plus 470 mg alpha-ketoglutaric acid) None

Thorne from the Amino Complex Lemon and Berry ingredient lists on thorne.com (both flavours list the same amounts); Momentous from its Supplement Facts image; Love Life Supplements from our printed Essential Aminos labels (powder and tablets carry the same amounts). WHO figures are the adult requirements in mg per kg of body weight per day (leucine 39, isoleucine 20, valine 26, lysine 30, threonine 15, phenylalanine plus tyrosine 25, methionine plus cysteine 15, histidine 10, tryptophan 4) multiplied by 70 [1].

Reading the table: none of these servings covers a day's need for any amino acid, and none is meant to. Even the largest single serving here, Transparent Labs at 2,669 mg of leucine, sits just below the WHO leucine figure of 2,730 mg for a 70 kg adult, and a normal mixed diet supplies most of the requirement from meals. Think of any of these products as a concentrated top-up taken at a useful moment, not as a source of your daily amino acids.

How much leucine is in Thorne Amino Complex?

Thorne Amino Complex contains 1,250 mg of leucine per scoop, about 33% of its essential amino acids. Kion, Transparent Labs and our Essential Aminos all sit at about 40% (2,000 to 2,669 mg), and Momentous at 45% (2,500 mg). Two scoops of Thorne, the most its directions suggest in a day, bring 2,500 mg.

Leucine matters because it is the amino acid most closely linked with switching on muscle protein synthesis. In older adults, 6.7 g of EAAs containing about 2.8 g of leucine raised muscle protein synthesis, while the same amount of EAAs with 1.7 g of leucine did not [3]; in the same study young adults responded to both, so the leucine share matters most for older lifters. A 3.42 g dose of leucine taken on its own raised muscle protein synthesis by about 110% in another study [4]. The International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on protein suggests 700 to 3,000 mg of leucine per serving for exercising adults [5]. Thorne's 1,250 mg sits inside that range, at the lower end; the others sit in the middle. Our guide to EAA ratios and the 2 g leucine figure covers the research in more depth.

"When I look at an amino acid label, I add up the nine essential amino acids myself and then check the leucine. A product can be well made and certified and still give less per scoop than people expect, so the figures on the panel matter more to me than the name on the tub."

Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female

Is Thorne Amino Complex worth it?

Thorne Amino Complex is worth it if certification is your first priority: it is NSF Certified for Sport, vegan, and free of gluten, dairy and soy. If you are not drug tested, it is hard to justify on dose or price, because every other product here gives more EAAs and more leucine per scoop for the same money or less.

The cleanest way to see this is cost per gram, which corrects for the different scoop sizes. We divided each product's price per serving by its labelled EAA and leucine content.

Product Price per serving Per gram of the nine EAAs Per gram of leucine
Thorne Amino Complex $1.73 $0.45 $1.39
Kion Aminos powder $1.67 $0.33 $0.83
Momentous Vital Aminos $1.67 $0.30 $0.67
Transparent Labs Intra Workout $1.50 $0.22 $0.56
Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos powder 75 cents US / 67p UK $0.15 / 13p $0.38 / 33p
Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos tablets (US) 70 cents $0.14 $0.35

Our own calculation from the list prices and label amounts above, read 4 November 2026. US prices in US dollars, UK prices in pounds, each read from that store; we have not converted between currencies.

$2.77Thorne Amino Complex cost to reach 2 g of leucine (about 1.6 scoops).
$3.47 a dayThorne at its full directions, two scoops: 7,640 mg EAAs, 2,500 mg leucine.
75 cents / 67pOur Essential Aminos for 2 g of leucine and 5,000 mg of EAAs in one scoop (US / UK).

Transparent Labs looks cheapest per gram of the US brands, but its scoop is 18 g and carries 2,000 mg of taurine, 1,250 mg of betaine, electrolytes and branded extracts, so you are buying an intra-workout drink, not a plain EAA. If you want amino acids alone, compare Thorne with Kion, Momentous and ours.

Thorne's other strengths are real. NSF Certified for Sport means batches are screened for substances banned in sport, which matters for competitive athletes and anyone in a tested job. Its page describes the formula as "clinically validated", and the brand has a long record with practitioners. Its page also carries a California Proposition 65 warning about lead.

"If someone is drug tested in their sport, certification comes first and I would choose a product that carries it. For everyone else, I would rather they spend the difference on good protein at each meal and use an amino drink as a top-up around training."

Sarah Law, Naturopathic Nutritionist | Optimised Female

Thorne Amino Complex vs Momentous, Kion and Transparent Labs

Thorne Amino Complex vs Momentous Vital Aminos

Momentous Vital Aminos is the better buy of the two certified products on dose. Both are NSF Certified for Sport and vegan, and both list several identical amounts, but Momentous gives 2,500 mg of leucine to Thorne's 1,250 mg and 5,570 mg of the nine EAAs to Thorne's 3,820 mg, for $49.99 against $52. Momentous also adds 525 mg of arginine and 470 mg of alpha-ketoglutaric acid, and its scoop has 40 calories.

Thorne Amino Complex vs Kion Aminos

Kion Aminos gives more for slightly less: 5,000 mg of the nine EAAs and 2,000 mg of leucine for $49.95, with every amount on the label. Kion says every batch is third-party tested, but it does not claim NSF Certified for Sport, so Thorne is the choice for tested athletes. Kion keeps tryptophan very low (3.5 mg). Our Perfect Amino vs Kion Aminos comparison covers Kion in more detail.

Thorne Amino Complex vs Transparent Labs Intra Workout

These are different products. Transparent Labs Intra Workout is a training drink built on 6,700 mg of EAAs with taurine, betaine, tyrosine, coconut water and electrolytes, for $44.99. Thorne is a simpler amino drink. The Transparent Labs tub carries the Informed Choice mark, so it is also an option for tested athletes. Pick Transparent Labs if you want one scoop to sip during long sessions; pick Thorne or a plain EAA if you take amino acids on rest days or between meals too.

Thorne Amino Complex vs Love Life Supplements Essential Aminos

Ours gives 5,000 mg of the nine EAAs and 2,000 mg of leucine per scoop, 31% more EAAs and 60% more leucine than a scoop of Thorne, at 75 cents a serving on our US store against $1.73. The trade-off is certification: our powder is made in the UK to BRC standards and we publish batch Certificates of Analysis on the product page, but it is not NSF Certified for Sport. Our EAA formula comparison sets it against more brands.

Do you need an EAA supplement if you eat enough protein?

Usually not. Essential amino acids are the part of protein your body cannot make, and food protein supplies all nine. An EAA drink earns its place on convenience: a few grams of free amino acids around training, between meals, or on days when appetite is low, with far fewer calories than a protein shake.

The research on EAAs alone is consistent. After resistance exercise, 40 g of EAAs produced the same net muscle protein balance as 40 g of mixed amino acids, so the non-essential ones added nothing [6]. In older adults, 18 g of EAAs matched 40 g of balanced amino acids [7], and 15 g of EAAs raised muscle protein synthesis in both young and older adults [8]. A review pooling this work found the rise in blood EAA levels was the best predictor of the muscle response [9]. Branched-chain amino acids alone give a smaller signal: in 10 trained young men, 5.6 g of BCAAs after resistance exercise raised myofibrillar protein synthesis by 22% over a placebo drink [10], and a review of the field concludes that muscle needs all nine EAAs to build new protein, so BCAAs alone cannot sustain the response [11]. That is why the BCAA-heavy shape of a formula matters less than its total EAAs; our EAAs vs BCAAs comparison explains the difference.

Reference intakes for both markets are set for protein, not for individual amino acids. In the UK, amino acids have no NRV, and the reference intake used on food labels is 50 g of protein a day for an average adult [14]. In the US, the RDA set by the National Academies is 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight a day for adults, and there is no RDA or Daily Value for individual amino acids, which is why the Momentous, Kion and Transparent Labs Supplement Facts panels mark them "Daily Value not established" [2]. The ISSN suggests 1.4 to 2.0 g per kg for most exercising adults [5], and a meta-analysis of 49 trials found gains in muscle from protein supplements levelled off at about 1.6 g per kg a day [15]. If you already reach those figures from food, an EAA drink is optional.

A note on wording: there are no authorised health claims for amino acid supplements on the GB nutrition and health claims register [16], so we describe what studies measured rather than what any product does.

Thorne Amino Complex or an alternative: which should you choose?

Choose on certification first, then on dose per dollar.

Pick by priority

You are drug tested in sport

Thorne Amino Complex or Momentous Vital Aminos, both NSF Certified for Sport (Momentous gives twice the leucine for slightly less), or Transparent Labs Intra Workout, whose tub carries the Informed Choice mark.

You want the most EAAs per dollar

Our Essential Aminos powder: 5,000 mg and 2,000 mg leucine for 75 cents (US) or 67p (UK), or our tablets on the US store for 70 cents.

You want one drink for long sessions

Transparent Labs Intra Workout, with electrolytes, taurine and betaine alongside 6,700 mg of EAAs.

No flavour or sweetener

Our Essential Aminos tablets on the US store: 5 tablets, 5,000 mg, nothing else listed. On our UK store, choose the powder.

Essential Aminos EAA powder

Nourish Awards 2025, three stars: Essential Aminos powder, all nine EAAs, 2,000 mg leucine, vegan, made in the UK, 60-day money-back guarantee.

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Whichever you choose, check three things on the label: all nine essential amino acids listed in milligrams, the leucine figure, and the price per gram rather than per tub. Our EAA buyer's guide walks through each check, and timing EAAs around your workouts covers when to take them. If you follow a plant-based diet, EAAs for vegans and vegetarians covers the leucine gap.

Is Thorne Amino Complex safe, and who should check first?

Essential amino acids are the same compounds found in food protein, and the products here supply a few grams a day, well below what a normal diet provides. Thorne's page says not to use Amino Complex if pregnant or nursing, and not to use it if you are sensitive to any of its ingredients. Our label says Essential Aminos is not intended for people under 18 and asks anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or with a medical condition to speak to their GP first.

  • Phenylketonuria (PKU): every product here contains phenylalanine. If you have PKU, do not use an amino acid supplement without your specialist team.
  • Kidney or liver conditions, or a protein-restricted diet: ask your doctor before adding any amino acid or protein supplement.
  • Stacking: a pre-workout, an intra-workout drink and an EAA can overlap. Transparent Labs Intra Workout, for example, also carries sodium and taurine. Read each label before combining them.
  • Sport: if you are tested, choose a product with a recognised banned-substance testing mark: NSF Certified for Sport (Thorne, Momentous) or Informed Choice (the Transparent Labs tub).

How we compared these products

We read each competitor's Supplement Facts panel or ingredient list, certification statement, directions and list price from its own product page or label image on 4 November 2026. We added the nine listed EAA amounts ourselves and divided list price by servings and by grams. We did not use retailer listings or review sites, and Thorne shows a US dollar price only on thorne.com, so we have not listed a UK price for it. Our own figures come from our printed Essential Aminos labels, and our prices were read live from our UK and US stores. We have not lab-tested the competitor products and make no claim about their contents beyond what their labels and pages state. Formulas and prices change, so read this as a snapshot of the day we checked.

Thorne Amino Complex: frequently asked questions

Is Thorne Amino Complex worth it?

It is worth it if you are drug tested in sport, because it is NSF Certified for Sport, and if you want a vegan amino drink from a brand with a strong quality record. On dose per dollar it is the weakest of the five products we compared: one scoop gives 3,820 mg of the nine EAAs and 1,250 mg of leucine for about $1.73, roughly 45 cents per gram of EAAs, against 22 to 33 cents for the other brands and 15 cents for our Essential Aminos on our US store.

How much leucine is in Thorne Amino Complex?

Thorne lists 1.25 g of L-leucine per scoop, with 625 mg each of isoleucine and valine, a 2:1:1 branched-chain ratio. That is about 33% of the 3,820 mg of EAAs in a scoop. Two scoops, the most the directions suggest in a day, give 2.5 g of leucine.

Is Thorne Amino Complex vegan?

Yes. Thorne marks Amino Complex as vegan, gluten free, dairy free and soy free, sweetened with rebaudioside A from stevia. Momentous Vital Aminos, Transparent Labs Intra Workout and our Essential Aminos are also vegan.

Is Thorne Amino Complex NSF Certified for Sport?

Yes, Thorne lists Amino Complex as NSF Certified for Sport, and so is Momentous Vital Aminos. The Transparent Labs Intra Workout tub carries the Informed Choice banned-substance testing mark. Kion Aminos says every batch is third-party tested, and we publish batch Certificates of Analysis for our Essential Aminos, but neither carries a sport testing mark. If you compete in a tested sport, choose a certified product.

How do you take Thorne Amino Complex?

Thorne's directions are one scoop mixed with at least 8 ounces (about 240 ml) of water, one to two times a day, or as your practitioner suggests. Its page says not to use it if pregnant or nursing. Most people take a serving in the hour around training or between meals; total daily protein matters more than exact timing.

What is a cheaper alternative to Thorne Amino Complex?

Our Essential Aminos gives 5,000 mg of all nine essential amino acids and 2,000 mg of leucine per scoop, with every amount on the label, for about 75 cents a serving on our US store ($45.24 for 60 servings) and 67p on our UK store (£39.95). It is vegan and stevia-sweetened, but it is not NSF Certified for Sport.

Sarah Law

About the Reviewer: Sarah Law, Dip CNM

Sarah Law is a Certified Naturopathic Nutritionist and Functional Practitioner specialising in hormonal health, gut health, and evidence-based nutrition. She holds a Diploma in Naturopathic Nutrition from the College of Naturopathic Medicine (CNM, London) and is a Certified Functional Health Coach. Sarah combines naturopathic principles with modern functional nutrition science to help her clients make informed health decisions.

Learn more about Sarah.

Ben Law

About the Author: Ben Law

Ben Law is the founder of Love Life Supplements and host of the Optimised Health Show. He is a qualified Advanced Dietary Supplement Advisor and Primal Blueprint Certified Expert, and has spent 14 years building transparent, research-led formulations manufactured to GMP and BRC standards. He wrote this review from each brand's published label and from our own labels.

Thorne, Momentous, Kion and Transparent Labs are trademarks of their respective owners and are not affiliated with Love Life Supplements. Learn more about Ben.

References

  1. WHO/FAO/UNU Expert Consultation. Protein and amino acid requirements in human nutrition. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2007;(935):1-265. PubMed
  2. Institute of Medicine (National Academies). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2005. National Academies Press
  3. Katsanos CS, Kobayashi H, Sheffield-Moore M, et al. A high proportion of leucine is required for optimal stimulation of the rate of muscle protein synthesis by essential amino acids in the elderly. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2006;291(2):E381-E387. PubMed
  4. Wilkinson DJ, Hossain T, Hill DS, et al. Effects of leucine and its metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate on human skeletal muscle protein metabolism. J Physiol. 2013;591(11):2911-2923. PubMed
  5. Jäger R, Kerksick CM, Campbell BI, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:20. PubMed
  6. Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, et al. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am J Physiol. 1999;276(4):E628-E634. PubMed
  7. Volpi E, Kobayashi H, Sheffield-Moore M, et al. Essential amino acids are primarily responsible for the amino acid stimulation of muscle protein anabolism in healthy elderly adults. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78(2):250-258. PubMed
  8. Paddon-Jones D, Sheffield-Moore M, Zhang XJ, et al. Amino acid ingestion improves muscle protein synthesis in the young and elderly. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2004;286(3):E321-E328. PubMed
  9. Church DD, Hirsch KR, Park S, et al. Essential amino acids and protein synthesis: insights into maximizing the muscle and whole-body response to feeding. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3717. PubMed
  10. Jackman SR, Witard OC, Philp A, et al. Branched-chain amino acid ingestion stimulates muscle myofibrillar protein synthesis following resistance exercise in humans. Front Physiol. 2017;8:390. PubMed
  11. Wolfe RR. Branched-chain amino acids and muscle protein synthesis in humans: myth or reality? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:30. PubMed
  12. Brand product pages read 4 November 2026: Thorne Amino Complex Lemon and Amino Complex Berry; Momentous Vital Aminos; Kion Aminos Powder; Transparent Labs Intra Workout EAA.
  13. Love Life Supplements. Printed labels EAA_Drink_MixedBerry_P18461_310x80_v5 and EAA_Drink_Apple&Kiwi_P18579_310x80_v8 (Essential Aminos powder) and EAAs_P28222_v9 (Essential Aminos tablets).
  14. Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex XIII (reference intakes), as retained in GB law. legislation.gov.uk
  15. Morton RW, Murphy KT, McKellar SR, et al. A systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength in healthy adults. Br J Sports Med. 2018;52(6):376-384. PubMed
  16. Department of Health and Social Care. Great Britain nutrition and health claims (NHC) register. GOV.UK

Every link above was checked on 4 November 2026.

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