Bicycling Magazine – June 2006 – Your Supplement Cabinet – Glutamine: Your body uses this branched-chain amino acid to repair muscle tissue and manufacture the white blood cells that fuel your immune system. Long, hard rides can vaporize glutamine stores. Although eating a carb-heavy recovery meal helps replenish them, staying on top of glutamine demands during repeated hard efforts can be a challenge, leaving you vulnerable to stubbornly leader legs, upper-respiratory infections and other overtraining symptoms.To stay fresh, registered dietician Lisa Dorfman recommends rehydrating after hard training sessions with a glutamine-rich drink. “Amino Vital contains the right dose and is great for recovery,” she says.

Convenience Store News – May 29 2006 – A Perfect Fit – Amino Vital launches Fit Bars, the latest sports bar to hit shelves this spring. Enriched with 1,000 mg of amino acids, calcium, iron, folic acid and a plentiful supply of vitamin A, C, and E, the Fit Bars contain only 2 to 4 grams of sugar and no more than 190 calories. The bars come in Apple Pie, Chocolate Peanut, and Toasted Nut Cranberry flavors.

Chicago Tribune Magazine – April 9 2006 – Luke Donald’s 12 Favorite Things – Americans have always had a soft spot for a tousle-haired Brit with charming accent, and 28 year old PGA star Luke Donald is no exception. (at No.3 on his list) Amino Vital: Full of amino acids, it keeps me hydrated through the round.

Men’s Health – March 2006 – Chain Reaction – University of West Florida scientists recently discovered that downing a sports drink with amino acids before you lift may make your workout easier. When the study subjects drank 16 ounces of the BCAA-infused drink before doing a set of bench presses, their perceived exertion declined by 16 percent, compared with that of men who consumed a regular sports drink. In the study, the scientists were testing a product called Amino Vital.

Muscle & Fitness – March 2006 – Belly Up to the Bar – Bars are an easy, portable way to get the complete nutrition you need to power through a workout and build muscle afterward. Amino Vital, one of our favorite supplement lines, has developed amino acid-based bars specifically tailored to your pre- and post-workout nutrition needs. Picky eaters take note: The bars come in flavors like Forest Berry and Orange Cranberry, which don’t nauseate pre- or post- workout the way some of those mock chocolate ones do.

Sports Business Journal – Dec. 19th 2005 – Johnny Spillane signed on to endorse Amino Vital nutritional supplements – Amino Vital reported that Nordic Combined world champion, Johnny Spillane, and freestyle moguls skier Nate Roberts have signed deals as the company’s endorsers.

Chicago Tribune – Nov. 20 2005 – Nutritional Supplements under the Microscope – According to most sports nutritionists, modern-day athletes aren't eating right. Whether it's professional, college or high school players, most athletes are neglecting the proper nutrition their bodies need. From MuscleTech and Cytosport to Met-Rx and Amino Vital, players at every level look to supplements to help them gain an advantage on the playing field or in the weight room.

Grand Rapid Press – Nov. 16 2005 – USOC Embraces Supplements – Departing from its traditional just-say-no stance toward nutritional supplement use by athletes, the U.S. Olympic Committee has taken a new approach: signing up Amino Vital as an official supporter and requiring every batch of its product to be tested for banned performance-enhancing substances.

New York Times – Nov. 16 2005 – Just Say Yes: U.S.O.C. Hires a Maker of Nutritional Supplements and Requires Testing – The U.S.O.C. has taken a new approach: signing up a supplement manufacturer as an official supporter and requiring every batch of its product to be tested for banned performance-enhancing substances. The U.S.O.C. recently reached an agreement with Ajinomoto, a Japanese food company, to market an amino-acid replacement product called Amino Vital. Ajinomoto officials say they hope to distinguish their product from the murky lot. The company is a long time sponsor of the Japanese Olympic Committee, but has been selling Amino Vital in the United States for only two years. “We believe in clean competition and fair play,” Nishikawa (Amino Vital’s General Manager) said. “We want to be sure the supplement industry moves in the right direction.” [read entire article]

Beverage Spectrum – Oct. 2005 – Sport Drink – Amino Vital Puredge Ready-to-Drink packs a rich supply of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), the muscles’ preferred source of energy for strenuous exertion. Contains no artificial flavors, colorings or sweeteners.

Beverage Industry – Oct. 2005 – R&D Insider: Ajinomoto breaks into the finished beverage arena with two amino acid beverages for athletes and the healthy-minded – Ajinomoto launched a ready-to-drink supplement formulated with all natural ingredients. Combined with the amino acid arginine, another protein building block, BCAAs also deliver a quicker recovery with less soreness after especially tough work outs.

Chicago Tribune – Sept. 4 2005 – Leading Triathlete Never Takes a Break: Hunter Kemper – 2-time Olympian and 4-time U.S. pro champion Hunter Kemper, 29, is ranked No.1 in the world by the International Triathlon Union. When asked, “How much do you eat?” he responded, “I eat about 5,500 calories a day. My whole philosophy is never go hungry, never go thirsty. Amino Vital is one of my main sponsors. It’s an amino acid-based drink I drink throughout the day for recovery.”

Beverage Spectrum – Sept. 2005 – Brand News: Sports Drinks – Ajinomoto-manufactured Amino Vital has signed an agreement to become an official sponsor of the 2006 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams and the 2007 U.S. Pan American team, as well as the 2006 and 2008 U.S. Paralympic Teams.

Inside Triathlon – Sept. 2005 – Cool Product of the Month – Amino Vital has added two amino acids to a brace of new energy bars, citing studies that show improved athletic performance as a result. Amino Vital’s Prepare and Repair bars have the pleasing texture of a Rice Krispy treat with added berry bits to spice up the eating experience. Cool Factor: With the addition of amino acids, these bars may give you a boost where other energy bars fall short.

Men’s Health – Sept. 2005 – Eat To Win: You’re repairing muscle, so chow a 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein. Add a recovery drink like Amino Vital. The amino acids it contains are crucial raw materials.

The Courier-Journal – August 14, 2005 – PGA Championships: “We’ve played in some hot stuff this year, but this might be the very top,” Stewart Cink said. “I probably went through six or seven (bottles of water), including two complete Amino Vital sports mixes.”

New York Times – August 11, 2005 – For Some Athletes, a Little Protein Goes a Long Way: Lee Gardner, 33, a triathlete from New York, finally settled on Amino Vital for post workout recovery. “I seem to be recovering these days quicker than I did before,” he said.

Supermarket News – August 8, 2005 – Olympic Nutrition: Amino Vital will be playing a part in the Olympic Games through 2008. The amino acids sports nutrition products supplier has signed an agreement to become an official supplier/supporter of the 2006 and 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams and 2007 U.S. Pan American Team, and an official sponsor of the 2006 and 2008 U.S. Paralympic teams. Amino Vital products will have new packaging with the Olympic Games Team Supplier logo and will work with retailers to support sales and marketing efforts including brochures, literature and sell sheets, all including the official Olympic Games Team Supplier logo. The logo will also be used in a print campaign, and TV and radio ads in the fall will mention the sponsorships. Amino Vital will provide financial support for the teams and will offer its amino acid-based nutritional products to U.S. athletes.

Sports Business Journal – July 15, 2005 – Amino acid-based nutritional supplement Amino Vital became the first Japanese-owned supplier to the U.S. Olympic Committee in a deal through 2008.

Atlanta Sports & Fitness – July 2005 – Buzz: Prepare to be Repaired – Exercise can take a lot out of you. That’s why we recommend Amino Vital’s new Prepare and Repair sports bars. Prepare bars provide energy and focus during tough workouts, while Repair bars revitalize your body after strenuous exercise. Forest Berry and Orange Cranberry flavored bars do provide the energy boost they promise.

Vitamin Retailer – July 2005 (page 47) – Vitamin and Sports Drinks Add to Summer Sales: “Amino Vital contains no caffeine and does more than provide energy because of branched chain amino acids.” Ajinomoto USA, Inc.’s Nutraceuticals division’s associate director of sales development Bob Emilian added that Amino Vital has taken a totally different approach using its expertise in amino acids. “Amino Vital was developed to give your body all of the amino power needed and allowing you to hydrate, energize, maintain focus, and most importantly, encourage muscle recovery/repair. All of this is needed by any active person whether you are a weekend warrior or a serious endurance athlete.”

Whole Foods Magazine – June 2005 – Sports Bars: The company has launched Amino Vital Prepare and Amino Vital Repair sports bars. The Prepare bar, available in Forest Berry, is a pre-sports bar that provides energy and focus during intense workouts. It contains 2400 mg of amino acids, 4 grams of protein, and 50 grams of simple and complex carbohydrates. The Repair bar, available in Orange Cranberry, is a post-sports bar that’s meant to help the body revitalize after a hard workout. It has 45 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of protein, and delivers 2400 mg of amino acids. Each bar has 290 calories.

BRANDWEEK – June 13, 2005 – The Game: Extra Innings – Amino Vital will become the official sports supplement of the Las Vegas Gladiators for the 2006 Arena Football League season. Amino Vital’s list of endorsers includes New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners.

Town & Country – June 2005 – Beauty and Health: Water Power – Traditional sports drinks contain carbohydrates to boost energy. But there’s a new kind of sports water, Amino Vital Pro, that provides amino acids as well. The latest research shows that during intense exercise, your body depletes its carbs and its amino acids, causing muscles to tire and performance to flag. Amino Vital Pro delivers 3600 mg of amino acids. The key to a better workout: start drinking about thirty minutes before exercising so that your muscles will be well prepped. We especially like the fact that this drink energizes naturally, without harmful herbal stimulants or caffeine.

Baltimore Sun – May 27, 2005 – New Breed of Water: It used to be that Gatorade or Powerade were considered cutting-edge. No more: you can find them in sippy cups across the country. Today’s hard core athletes are turning to products that mix with water such as Amino Vital. Bicycling Magazine recommends these products for people looking for nutrients with fewer calories and carbs.

Best Body – May/June 2005 – Prescriptive Training – At the Gym: Make sure you have enough energy to complete your workout. Try drinking energy beverages like Amino Vital before, during and after your workouts. It is a low-calorie, amino acid-based beverage that enhances your ability to exercise at peak performance, and also helps in muscle recovery and repair after your workout.

Mountain Bike Action – May 2005 – Amino Power: Amino Vital is the energy drink that is changing the world of on-bike hydration and fuel replacement. Branched chain amino acids bypass the digestive system and immediately provide muscle fuel. IT spares muscle glycogen. The low sugar content also allows for instant distribution of hydrating fluid. This stuff is good.

Inside Triathlon – May 2005 (2005 Buyer’s Guide) – Replenishing fluids: Amino Vital, a unique blend of amino acids that are claimed to help increase fat burning, prevent dehydration and fatigue.

Bicycling – May 2005 (page 109) – A New Breed of Quenchers – The 411 on Amino Vital: “Your body will burn BCAAs during prolonged endurance activity. So while you probably don’t need it for a short spin, it could be beneficial for long rides,” says James Stevens (sports dietician with Colorado Premier Training). “Good for a second bottle on a long ride of a primary hydration source if you also pack a gel or energy bar to replace glycogen.”

Vitamin Retailer – April 2005 – A Jolt of Liquid Lightning – Ajinomoto USA’s Mitsuru Nishikawa said key active ingredients in many mainstream drinks are caffeine, taurine, and sugar. “I don’t want athletes taking caffeine. It will boost your energy levels, but will leave you feeling fatigued afterward. Sugar can cause an insulin spike. This is not good for an athlete.” Ajinomoto USA is an amino acid supplier and manufacturer of the nutrition drink Amino Vital. Nishikawa also noted the importance of the osmolarity or absorption rate. He stressed that…Amino Vital is designed to have hypo-osmolarity, meaning Amino Vital is lower than the body’s liquid osmolarity which allows Amino Vital to be absorbed more quickly, resulting in quicker hydration. Other drinks have higher osmolarity. The body will pull away water from the body causing dehydration.”

Beverage Industry – April 2005 – Sports Emmy Awards – Amino Vital, a New York City-based sports supplements company, is a sponsor of the 2005 Sports Emmy Awards, which will take place in New York in May. Organized by the National Television Academy, the Sports Emmy Awards are the most prestigious honors bestowed upon American television sports programming.

Sports Illustrated – April 5, 2005 – David Toms’ Day-by-Day Masters Routine – David Toms’ carries 2 – 3 Amino Vital powdered drink mix in his golf bag.

Us Weekly – Feb. 28th, 2005 (page 61) – Drink Up: Diet guru Oz Garcia, who helped [Hilary] Swank gain – then lose – 19 pounds for Million Dollar Baby, advises clients to drink Amino Vital ($3 at GNC), an amino acid-packed aqua favored by Jennifer Garner, 32, and Debra Messing , 36. “It keeps you unbelievably well-hydrated, and that helps prevent hunger cravings,” says Garcia.

Convenience Store News – February 7, 2005 – Maximum Hydration: Ajinomoto USA, Inc. launched Amino Vital Pro, a ready-to-drink advanced amino acid supplement beverage that will complement the company’s existing sports performance-enhancing product lines.

Golf Digest – Jan. 2005 (page 141) – Zach Johnson / What’s in My Bag - POWDER SURGE: I carry a packet of this sports supplement [Amino Vital] to drink when I play. It’s a powder that I mix with water so it’s absorbed quickly.

Mountain Bike Action – Dec. 2004 (page 32) – Editor’s Rating 5 stars – Amino Vital Mix-and-Shake: This energy drink uses a breakthrough mix of nutrients and compounds that is said to give instant energy with maximum hydration… Amino Vital’s instant hydration and immediate hit of energy work so well, it will come to your rescue during the 11th hour of any ride.

Physical – Nov. 2004 – Vital Wave: Move over Gatorade, there’s a new energy drink in town. Amino Vital by Ajinomoto is the next evolutionary step in energy and recovery drinks. Rich in arginine and branched-chain amino acids, Amino Vital delivers the power your muscles need for sustained exertion.

Business Week – Oct. 25, 2004, European Edition (page 30) – Quenching a Thirst for New Markets: Tokyo’s Ajinomoto aims its energy drinks at health-crazed Americans: Amino Vital, which also comes in powder form, is the company’s latest attempt to convert its expertise in amino acid-derived health supplements and food products into a global franchise…Amino Vital is all the rage among professional athletes, including Yankee slugger Hideki Matsui and U.S. Olympic triathlete Hunter Kemper. But it will take some marketing to sell it to the critical mass of amateur jocks, who may find all that stuff about amino acids hard to process.

VITALS – Sept. 2004 – Athletes’ Pantry: Amino Vital delivers pharmaceutical-grade amino acids, which create proteins. $3 per bottle.

New York Times Magazine – Aug. 8, 2004 Summer Olympics -- Kemper’s Intake 5000 calories: At 6-feet-3 and 165 pounds, the triathlete Hunter Kemper doesn’t have an ounce of body fat to spare: he needs all 5,000 calories a day. During his 2 hour bike ride, he takes one 24 ounce Amino Vital (amino-acid supplement recovery drink).

Inside Triathlon – Aug. 2004 – Good Eats: This season, more players have entered the growing sports-nutrition market… While many athletes still combine incongruous ingredients in search of the ultimate race-day rush, competitors today have a greater choice when it comes to sports nutrition and hydration. Amino Vital, produced by the Ajinomoto Group…provides five of the 20 amino acids (the building blocks of protein)… plus Vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Protein is a source of energy and helps to rebuild and repair muscle tissue damaged during training.

Fashion Week Daily – June 14, 2004 – Amino Vital keeps you buzzzzzed: Amino Vital, Japan’s answer to Red Bull, has a recipe with a punch. Not only are the flavors yummy (we liked orange the best), those clever scientists even found a way to provide an amino acid boost without the perils of caffeine or sugar, making the elixir a mere 90 calories per bottle.

Metro – June 11, 2004 New York Edition – New Supplements on the market to boost your energy: Amino Vital is a new line of amino acid-based products designed to refuel your body before and during exertion…There is no caffeine, ephedra or other stimulants in the products.

BRANDWEEK – June 21, 2004 – Newswire: Amino Vital, a fortified energy drink for active folks, this month extends its reach with a national distribution deal at GNCs, 1,400 store chain.

TRIATHLETE – May 2004 – Triathlete’s Ultimate Guide to Sports Fueling / Sports Supplements: Amino Vital, providing a unique blend of amino acids, including branch-chained amino acids, arginine and glutamine in the ideal concentration for a quick, yet steady absorption rate, Amino Vital has been shown to help minimize muscle damage and soreness as well as promote quick muscle recovery during intense endurance training…

L.A. Sports and Fitness Magazine – April 2004 – Focus on Running / Product Guide: Amino Vital – this new sports drink seems to be popping up all over lately. The Japan-based product contains a combination of five amino acids, which serve as a critical source of muscle energy as well as nutrition for muscle repair. Without a sufficient supply of amino acids, muscles get tired and sore during exercise. In contrast, Amino Vital provides a plentiful supply to help muscles recover and rebuild much faster…

BRANDWEEK – April 12, 2004 – Newswire: Looking to boost U.S. awareness, Japanese marketer Ajinomoto – maker of Amino Vital amino acid-fortified supplement drink created for triathletes and other active folks – signed endorsement deals with four top triathletes, including Hunter Kemper and Laura Reback. Amino Vital also joined the New York Yankees as official supplement drink

Stagnito’s New Products Magazine – January 2004 (page 32)– Ajinomoto Co. Inc, the billion dollar Japanese pharmaceutical company, will launch Amino Vital in the U.S. this spring… being marketed to extreme athletes. The company has a relationship with the Seattle Mariners and is the official amino acid drink for all U.S. sanctioned triathlons… in Japan where the enhanced water with amino acids grew into a business with $150 million a year in sales in less than a decade. In the past five years the Japanese have become very aware of amino acids and health. It may take a while for this drink, being marketed as an “exercise facilitator,” to catch on with Americans.

Beverage World – January 15, 2004 (page 12) – A hit in Japan now lands in the US / Amino Vital is the new name in sports performance and recovery: The Seattle Mariners rely on it to keep them slugging away without sore muscles. Marathon runners in the JAL Honolulu Marathon count on it to keep up their energy and endurance… Amino Vital has been a hit with professional athletes as well as everyday exercisers in its home country of Japan… Currently the No.1 sports supplement in fitness clubs in Japan, Amino Vital was a breakthrough in sports performance products because of its muscle recovery benefits… With health and fitness on the rise with consumers, Ajinomoto decided to launch an RTD amino acid supplement that fits with the on-the-go lifestyle of American consumers.

USA Triathlon Times – January 2004 – USAT signs new sponsor: Amino Vital has signed to be the Official Amino Acid Sports Supplement/Drink of USA Triathlon… “USA Triathlon is excited to partner with Amino Vital and bring this supplement to our members,” says USA Triathlon Executive Director Steve Locke. “We believe amino acid replacement is the health wave of the future and we are proud to be leading the way.”

Advertising Age – Dec. 22, 2003 – 10 Products/Trends from Asia you might see here in ’04 / 2. Amino Acid Drinks: Japan’s beverage market is inundated with fast-selling amino acid health drinks such as Ajinomoto’s Amino Vital, that claim to burn fat, restore muscles after a workout and even cure hangovers.

ESPN Magazine – Dec. 22, 2003 – Power Drink / Amino Plus: Baseball players aren’t the only Japanese import making a splash in the West. For years, the sports drink of choice among the Giants and Tigers [in Japan] has been Amino Vital, a performance supplement loaded with branched-chain amino acids and proteins that help athletes absorb water faster. Now the lemony elixir has shown up in the Mariners clubhouse, where the club’s three Japanese players extol its virtues. Says trainer Rick Griffin: “One of our pitchers takes bags of it home to give to his kids.”

In Style – Sept. 2003 – Fat Burning H2O: Amino acids in Amino Vital help muscles work harder and longer so you burn more fat when exercising… “Branched-chain amino acids do help build muscle, but you’d need to drink quite a few bottles to get a suitable dose.”