How Do You Make a Vegan Amino Acid Shake?

For many people who exercise, a long workout is often capped with a shake designed as a fitness supplement, products that provide some form of support to those who live active lifestyles. Among the most widely used products are protein shakes made from whey, one of the two proteins found in milk; another popular option is amino acid supplements. In either case, however, there exists an issue that has an outsized impact on vegans: these shakes are often made from animal products, so vegans who exercise cannot use them. There are vegan options out there, though, including vegan amino acid drinks. So, how do you make a vegan amino acid shake, and what benefits do they offer? To find out, keep reading as the experts at aminoVITAL® discuss this topic.

Benefits of Vegan Protein Shakes vs. Vegan Amino Acid Shakes

Though the benefits of fitness supplements – especially those made with amino acids or protein – are well-established, it’s worth considering which type of supplement might be a better fit for your routine. Both protein and amino acids are available in vegan-friendly forms; pea protein, soy protein, and hemp protein are a few of the most common varieties. Amino acids, too, can claim this benefit; those in aminoVITAL® supplements, for instance, come from a patented vegetable fermentation process that produces amino acids of the highest purity. However, there are some noteworthy differences between the two options that may factor into any decision on what a vegan might buy and use.

Most people are familiar with the benefits of protein supplements. Research has shown that these products can be effective at increasing muscle mass when used in conjunction with exercise, and they can also improve recovery times and may even help with weight loss. However, protein shakes – vegan or otherwise – also have a few drawbacks, including the fact that these products tend to come with a significant number of calories. A single scoop of vegan protein might have well over 100 calories, and that’s not counting the calories from whatever medium (such as soy or almond milk) that it’s mixed with. In addition, vegan protein shakes can take some time to kick in, as your digestive system must break the peptide bonds between the amino acids in the protein before they can be put to use.

By comparison, vegan amino acid supplements like aminoVITAL®’s Action mid-workout mix are a leaner, more efficient option. These products can provide many of the same advantages as a protein shake – including the benefits to gains, recovery times, and weight loss – plus a few others. For instance, our Action mix contains only 15 calories, far less than what a scoop of protein comes with, and because this product is designed to be enjoyed while dissolved in water, there are no added calories with this vegan amino acid shake. The activation time for vegan amino acids is also much quicker because the free-form amino acids they contain don’t need to be broken down the way whole protein does, which is why aminoVITAL® supplements take effect as much as three times faster than some leading protein supplements.

Making Your Own Vegan Amino Acid Shake

As popular supplements for pre-, mid-, and post-workout nutrition, vegan amino acids would likely make a solid addition to your exercise routine. The simplest way to do this is simply to pour a packet aminoVITAL® BCAA supplement into a bottle of water, then shake it up and enjoy. Because these products come with electrolytes (in addition to vitamins and five different amino acids), they provide superior hydration when mixed with water than what you’d get from water alone. However, there’s no reason you can’t get creative with how you use these products when you have the time and the inclination to make your own custom vegan amino acid shake.

The fruity flavors of aminoVITAL® products would pair well with many of the same ingredients that go into any fruit-based smoothie or shake. For instance, you could mix our blueberry-flavored Rapid Recovery post-workout mix with some vanilla soy milk, and add in some oats for extra fiber and nutrition (plus, they help make your shake thicker and heartier). Another option might be to take our lemon-flavored Action mix and add it to some water and simple syrup to make your own tasty lemonade, complete with vegan amino acids and some simple carbs to replenish the body’s glycogen stores.

There is one point that should be noted, however: By combining our vegan amino acid mixes with foods and drinks that could take time to digest, you may wind up delaying the effects of these products. If fast bioavailability is a priority for you – say, right after you finish a workout – then you might want to stick to water when making a vegan amino acid shake for during or after your next bout of exercise.

Try a Vegan Amino Acid Supplement for Increased Gains and a Faster Recovery

Just because you’re a vegan doesn’t mean it should be hard for you to get the nutrition you need to boost your performance at the gym and fuel greater gains after your workouts. With the vegan amino acid supplements provided by aminoVITAL®, it’s easier than ever to deliver the resources your muscles need after a hard workout in a form that can be enjoyed by all. To learn more about our vegan amino acids and how they can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit aminoVITAL® online or call us today at (888) 264-6673.