Amino Acids for Weight Gain
I like Amino Bulk. It has good ingredients and is focused on putting on muscle more than a simple amino acid supplement.
That being said, brand-new supplements are notoriously expensive right out of the gate. I’ll be waiting for a better deal from a third-party retailer before I start using it regularly.
- Ingredient Quality
- Safety
- Value
- Price
The quickly-rising supplement company BlackMarket has announced a new line of amino acid products: Amino Bulk and Amino Cuts.
Amino acid supplements are a dime-a-dozen, so I was happy to see BlackMarket step up to the plate with a focused option.
I took an in-depth look at Amino Bulk.
The Ingredients
The only information we have about the ingredients come from the product page on BlackMarket’s website. There isn’t a nutritional label available, but BlackMarket has a small paragraph explaining each ingredient.
BCAAs – 6 grams
BCAAs, or branched-chain amino acid, are the most essential amino acids for sustained muscle growth. They form 35% of compounds needed for growth, and leucine is the only amino acid that can kick-start protein synthesis. [1]
A 6-grams BCAA dose is pretty standard, and the 4:1:1 ratio has been shown to be very effective.
HICA
HICA is a unique ingredient; I haven’t seen it in many products. The full name is Alfa-Hydroxy-isocaproic acid, and it has been found to improve post-workout recovery and regeneration. [2]
D-Aspartic Acid
D-aspartic acid, or DAA, is very popular for muscle growth. A form of the amino acid aspartate, DAA is a precursor to testosterone, which makes muscle growth easier. [3]
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate is without a doubt the most popular muscle-building compound in the world. It has been shown to increase muscle size, strength, and energy while reducing post-workout pain and soreness. [4]
Beta Anhydrous
Beta anhydrous is simply the dehydrated, concentrated form of betaine, a naturally-occurring compound. Betaine boosts muscle growth. [5]
Unfortunately, because BlackMarket hasn’t released the complete nutritional facts, we don’t know the ingredient doses. However, the ingredients all have clinical research to back them up.
Price and Availability
Amino Bulk is listed for $59.99 on the official BlackMarket website. Because it isn’t yet available for purchase, it isn’t offered from any other retailer.
$60 is pretty pricy for an amino product, but I imagine that price will go down after the wide release.
Pick It or Pitch It
I like Amino Bulk. It has good ingredients and is focused on putting on muscle more than a simple amino acid supplement.
That being said, brand-new supplements are notoriously expensive right out of the gate. I’ll be waiting for a better deal from a third-party retailer before I start using it regularly.
I’ll of course give a full review on dosage, buying options, price, etc. when BlackMarket releases Amino Bulk. Check back for more information!
References
[1] Shimomura Y, et al. “Effects of squat exercise and branched-chain amino acid supplementation on plasma free amino acid concentrations in young women.” Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology. 2009 Jun;55(3):288-91
[2] Mer Antii, et al. “Effects of alfa-hydroxy-isocaproic acid on body composition, DOMS and performance in athletes.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2010, 7:1
[3] Di Fiore, et al. “D-aspartic acid is implicated in the control of testosterone production by the vertebrate gonad. Studies on the female green frog, Rana esculenta.” The Journal of Endocrinology. 1998 May;157(2):199-207.
[4] Percário, Sandro et al. “Effects of creatine supplementation on oxidative stress profile of athletes.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. (2012). 9:56.
[5] Cholewa JM, et al. “Effects of betaine on body composition, performance, and homocysteine thiolactone.” Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013 Aug 22;10(1):39.
