Gold Standard Pre Workout vs Amino Energy
Gold Standard Pre Workout or Amino Energy? They're both made by Optimum Nutrition but how do they compare?
Gold Standard Pre Workout or Amino Energy? They’re both made by Optimum Nutrition but it can seem difficult to separate these two popular supplements.
Optimum Nutrition are well known for being one of the biggest and best names in the health and fitness supplements industry, with Gold Standard and Amino Energy two of their most popular pre workout products.
In this article, we’re going to do all of the hard work for you by comparing these two leading pre workout supplements in detail so you can make an informed decision about which suits you best.
We’re going to be paying particularly close attention to the ingredients formulas, the doses and the main positioning of both of these popular powder-form supplements.
Editor's note: The content on this website is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. Our articles and the products featured in them are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Always speak with a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, and/or taking any supplements.
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s kick things off and start taking a close look at both Gold Standard Pre Workout and Amino Energy in a bit more detail.
Jump To Section
Company and Product Background
At this stage, you probably already know that both of these popular supplements are made by the same company – Optimum Nutrition.
As we mentioned above, Optimum Nutrition are one of the biggest names in the supplements industry, and they make a wide variety of product ranging from protein shakes to multivitamins.
Although Gold Standard Pre Workout and Amino Energy are slightly different in terms of their ingredients formulas – they both are powder-form supplements that are designed to be mixed with water to form a drink to be consumed before starting your training or exercise session.
Let’s now focus on some of the main points about these two supplements.
Gold Standard Pre Workout vs Amino Energy (Photo: The Sport Review)
Gold Standard Pre Workout
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
• Made by Optimum Nutrition
• Contains both Caffeine and Creatine
• Uses Vitamins and Minerals
• Multiple flavours
• 30 servings per tub
• Sold on Amazon and by other retailers
• Popular brand
Amino Energy
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
• Made by Optimum Nutrition
• Contains both Caffeine and Taurine
• Uses Plant Extracts such as Green Tea and Green Coffee
• No Creatine
• Multiple flavours
• 30 servings per tub
• Sold on Amazon and by other retailers
• Popular brand
As you can see for yourself from the comparison shown above, these products are pretty similar and it can be tricky to separate them, especially because they’re made by the same company.
There are a few differences though. As you may have guessed by its name, Amino Energy contains a range of amino acids in its formula, and this is the main focus for that product.
In contrast, Gold Standard Pre Workout is more of a ‘classic’ pre workout supplement, designed to be consumed before the gym and containing popular ingredients such as Creatine.
That being said, Amino Energy does contain caffeine as a stimulant, just like the Gold Standard Pre Workout, which explains why some people may choose to use it in the same manner as a regular pre workout.
The main differences between these two products are found in the ingredients formulas, and we’ll go into more detail about this below.
The bottom line here is that both products are made by Optimum Nutrition. Amino Energy focuses more on amino acid delivery, while Gold Standard is more of a ‘classic’ pre workout supplement, although they do have a fair amount of similarities as well.
The Servings And Directions
It’s always important to carefully check the label of any supplement you’re thinking of trying for the first time.
This includes reading all of the warnings and directions, as well as the ingredients formulas. Note that the information below was accurate at the time of writing but may change from time to time.
So, how do the Gold Standard Pre Workout and Amino Energy compare when it comes to the servings and the directions?
With Gold Standard Pre Workout, you’re directed to mix one level scoop with into glass of water around 20 to 30 minutes before training.
With Amino Energy, you’re directed to mix two level scoops 20 to 30 minutes before training. The difference with Amino Energy, perhaps, is that you could also take it post-workout, or at other stages of the day if you’re looking for a boost of Amino Acids.
Gold Standard Pre Workout vs Amino Energy (Photo: The Sport Review)
The bottom line here is that the only differences between these two products when it comes to the servings are the fact that you take two scoops with Amino Energy and one with Gold Standard. That being said, the actual scoop sizes are different.
The Gold Standard Pre Workout serving size (one level scoop) is 11g in total, while the Amino Energy serving size (two level scoops) is 9g in total.
Amino Energy could perhaps be used as a post workout supplement (although you should be aware of the Caffeine content) as well as a pre workout, while Gold Standard is intended more as a ‘classic’ pre workout supplement.
The Ingredients
Next up it’s the most important category of all – the ingredients. How do these products differ when it comes to their ingredients formulas?
Please note that the information on this page was accurate at the time of writing, but you should always carefully check the label of any product you purchase, as formulas may change from time to time and therefore may differ from what’s shown here.
There are actually quite a lot of similarities between these two products when you compare the individual ingredients.
Naturally, Amino Energy concentrates more on amino acids in its formula, with its ‘Amino Blend’ containing ingredients such as L-Tyrosine, L-Arginine, L-Isoleucine and L-Glutamine,
One of the slight drawbacks when it comes to Amino Energy is that it uses a proprietary blend for some of its ingredients.
That means that although we know the separate ingredients, we don’t know exactly how much of each one is included in the product.
The Gold Standard Pre Workout, meanwhile, only uses a minor proprietary blend called AstraGIN. The other ingredients are clearly listed, along with their precise doses.
Amino Energy contains a total of 100mg of caffeine per serving. Gold Standard, meanwhile, contains slightly more caffeine per serving at 175mg.
To put these doses of Caffeine into context, you’d expect to find around 100mg of Caffeine in a regular cup of coffee.
One other difference between these two supplements is that Gold Standard uses Creatine as one of its ingredients, while Amino Energy does not.
You’re probably already familiar with Creatine for its post workout benefits, but it’s also an incredibly popular pre workout supplement ingredient as well.
If you’re interested, you can check out our updated guide to some of the best pre workout supplements on the market at the moment by following the link shown below.
Side Effects And Safety
As always, you should speak to your doctor before taking any new supplement or making any major lifestyle changes.
It’s also really important that you carefully read the entire label of any supplement you’re thinking of taking for the first time.
One of the main things to be aware of when it comes to these two supplements is their Caffeine content. You probably already know that consuming too much Caffeine can cause unwanted side effects.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep tabs on your total Caffeine intake from all sources if you are thinking of taking either of these supplements.
Because of the Caffeine content in both of these supplements, it’s probably also a good idea not to consume them within six hours of when you plan to go to sleep.
There is a warning on both of the labels of these products saying not to exceed the recommended dose instructions.
The labels also say that these supplements should not be taken by pregnant or breastfeeding women, or anyone under the age of 18.
Remember, dietary supplements are not intended to be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy overall lifestyle.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Pre Workout (Photo: The Sport Review)
The Price
Our final comparison category is the price – which of these two products offers the better value for money?
At the time of publishing this article, Gold Standard Pre Workout is currently available for $34.99 (Amazon link) per tub of 30 servings on Amazon.com.
In contrast, Amino Energy currently costs around $23.99 (Amazon link) per tub of 30 servings.
From the numbers shown above, one serving of Gold Standard Pre Workout works out at about $1.16, while one serving of Amino Energy works out at about $0.80.
Amino Energy is the slightly cheaper product but they are both in a very similar category when it comes to their price points.
Conclusion – Our Final Thoughts
So that wraps up our thorough comparison of Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Pre Workout and Amino Energy.
These are two popular products, with a few similarities but also quite a few differences.
Amino Energy is focused more on delivering some important Amino Acids along with some other ingredients such as Green Tea and Caffeine.
The Gold Standard Pre Workout is more of a ‘classic’ pre workout supplement containing some common ingredients such as Creatine, Caffeine and more.
Amino Energy does not use any Creatine in its formula and it also has a slightly lower dose of Caffeine (100mg) per serving, compared to Gold Standard Pre Workout (175mg per serving).
Be sure to check out our dedicated and in-depth guide to pre workout supplements by following the link shown below.
