Better Aminos, Better Results: Why Kion Aminos Win
Essential amino acids (EAAs) are everywhere now, and the claims are bold: "6x Better Than Protein," "Zero Calories," "Absorbed Immediately."
This article outlines how to cut through the hype and teaches you exactly what makes Kion Aminos "Better Aminos." After reading, you’ll understand why our formula is unmatched in terms of quality and efficacy.
If you want to drive muscle protein synthesis, build lean muscle, maintain muscle while cutting calories, or stay strong as you age, you'll want to ensure your EAA formula meets all six points outlined below.
6 Must-Haves In an EAA Formula
1) Based On Solid Research
The Kion Aminos formula is based on over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical studies.
The research we used to craft our formula shows what actually moves the needle at realistic doses and in practical settings—at rest, with meals, and around exercise (Tipton 1999b; Tipton 2001; Børsheim 2002).
We build on findings that have been reproduced across labs and populations (including older adults), so the scoop in your hand reflects what’s been tested, not marketing theory (Ferrando 2023).
2) Every Milligram Listed
You can’t verify that an EAA supplement will be effective if you don’t know what’s in it.
Because Kion Aminos was formulated with the latest peer-reviewed clinical studies, we proudly display our formula, down to the milligram.
This way, you can verify that our formula matches the science and delivers on the claims we make.
3) Extra Leucine
Leucine is the “go” signal for muscle protein synthesis. The “6x Better Than Protein” talking point only applies in contexts using leucine-enriched EAA mixes and is especially important for older adults.
This is why Kion Aminos is enriched with 40% leucine. A 40% leucine formula produced a stronger response than ~26–27% at the same total dose (Katsanos 2006).
4) No Unnecessary Fillers
Only EAAs are required to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. In Tipton 1999a, non-essential amino acids weren’t required to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis.
That’s why Kion Aminos stays focused on only the EAAs, in the precise ratios your body needs to build lean muscle, rather than padding with NEAAs or other unnecessary fillers (Tipton 1999b).
5) Full Spectrum of EAAs
Kion Aminos delivers the complete set of all nine EAAs: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Your body needs all nine EAAs to support muscle protein synthesis and the net positive balance seen in human trials (Tipton 1999b; Børsheim 2002).
Some brands list only eight EAAs, and BCAAs include only three (leucine, isoleucine, valine). Leaving even one essential out creates a bottleneck—the missing amino limits the entire building process—so the blend underperforms even if total grams look high.
6) Third-Party Tested
Kion Aminos is third-party tested, as are all of our supplements. Third-party testing verifies identity, purity, and potency by checking for contaminants, heavy metals, and under-dosed ingredients.
Without third-party testing, you have to place all of your trust in the company that is selling you a product. Using an independent, accredited lab to ensure that what’s on the label matches what’s in the tub adds an extra layer of trust from an outside source.
How to Get The Most Out EAAs
Now that you know how to choose an effective EAA formula, here’s how to put it to work.
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Make it a daily habit: Take one 5-gram serving of Aminos every day, even on rest days. Pair it with a consistent moment (morning glass of water, commute, or alongside exercise).
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Pre- vs post-workout: If it fits your routine, take Aminos before working out; post still helps—do what you’ll do consistently (Tipton 2001).
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Low- or zero-protein meals: Use Aminos with meals that skimp on protein—salads, fruit-only breakfasts, smoothies, or travel snacks—to keep essentials available without a large shake.
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Additional servings: It's completely safe, and even more beneficial, to add additional servings of Aminos. On long or double workout session days—or when meals are far apart—it’s reasonable to use more than one serving.
Bottom Line
Kion Aminos checks all the boxes: ratios formulated from 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical studies, enriched with 40% leucine, contain just the essentials (all 9 EAAs), third-party tested, and a fully transparent label to back up every claim.
Here are some frequently asked questions.
Aminos can be taken with any type of food, or on an empty stomach.
Aminos is 100% vegan and thus is derived solely from non-GMO plant sources. The individual amino acids are isolated to an extent that all that remains are pure EAAs that are indistinguishable from the parent source. Additionally, Aminos are subject to complete allergen panels through which they are found to be free of, but not limited to, corn and products thereof including vegetables or vegetable derivatives.
Yes. Aminos can be taken at any time and are especially important to take when your body’s demand for essential amino acids (EAAs) has increased. This can include periods of fasting or times when you aren’t getting enough EAAs from your diet, such as with a low-protein meal or in between meals.
Kion Aminos is a formula of free-form essential amino acids. While essential amino acids are the active component of protein that stimulates muscle protein synthesis, they are not technically a protein. At Kion, we use the FDA’s 4-4-9 rule to determine the caloric content of our products. This allows for reporting four calories per gram of carbohydrates, four calories per gram of protein, and nine calories per gram of fat. Since Kion Aminos does not contain protein, as determined by the FDA, we do not account for calories on our Kion Aminos supplement facts panel.
The citric acid in Aminos is produced by the fermentation of carbohydrates. It is free from GMOs and can therefore be used in USDA organic-certified products.
There is no evidence to suggest that taking Aminos would have a negative effect on one’s kidneys. In fact, because taking Aminos allows your body to reuse NEAAs (rather than digest new NEAAs from whole food protein sources) urea production by the liver is reduced, thus easing the burden on the kidneys to excrete additional urea and ammonia.
Consuming Aminos, like dietary protein, can increase insulin levels to an extent that would lower ketone levels (In situations where insulin increases, fatty oxidation decreases, which inhibits ketone production.) However, more of a concern is how quickly one is able to return to desired ketone/insulin levels post-consumption, which is highly variable by the individual. If you are monitoring ketone levels, pay particular attention to the time to return to desired levels, as the importance of adequate essential amino acid intake arguably outweighs any temporary drop in ketones/increase in insulin.
While it is true that exposure to heat can potentially "denature" a protein, this is often in reference to an "intact" protein wherein multiple chains of amino acids are bonded by peptides to form the final protein. However, this does not necessarily apply to isolated amino acids, as being isolated they are not necessarily bonded together in the same manner as they would be in an actual protein. If this your preferred method of taking Kion Aminos, we say go ahead, as the amino acids themselves will still be absorbed.
Aminos doesn’t contain ingredients that should interfere with sleep, but it was formulated to support fitness—specifically energy, muscle, and recovery. Aminos contains only 3.5mg of tryptophan per serving, an amount unlikely to have an effect on sleep. For sleep support, we recommend Kion Sleep, which contains a clinically proven dose of 1,000mg tryptophan, along with GABA and L-theanine. If your goal is to use Aminos before bed for muscle maintenance while you sleep, it can be used before bedtime, but should not be taken within 3 hours of taking Kion Sleep. This is because Aminos contains a high level of leucine, which has the potential to compete with tryptophan for the same pathways.
The FDA has classified EAA supplements as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS). The Food and Nutrition Board of The National Academy of Science published an extensive report which found no risk or negative side effects from EAA consumption, including determining that there was no apparent upper limit of safe consumption. However, we recommend taking no more than 15g at a time and spacing doses at least 3 hours apart. This is because taking more than 15g per serving, or more frequently than 3 hours apart does not offer any additional benefit in terms of muscle protein synthesis.
Kion supplements meet the highest standards for quality, strength, and purity. We can guarantee this because everything we sell is manufactured in a cGMP and NSF-certified facility. We have earned the trust of a number of professional athletes over the years, and our community now includes players from major associations such as the MLB, NFL, NHL, and UFC. cGMP certification guarantees that the ingredients in each Kion bottle match exactly what’s on the label, so while Kion supplements are not NSF Certified for Sport®, you can count on them to contain clean, minimal, safe ingredients—nothing more, nothing less. We do advise athletes who are subject to testing to avoid only one of our products, Colostrum. Colostrum naturally contains IGF-1, which is a commonly banned substance by most governing bodies.
Essential amino acids are the active components of protein. The reason we eat protein is to supply our body with the amino acids it needs to create its own proteins, repair damaged proteins, and build and repair muscle. When assessing the quality of a particular protein source, it’s helpful to consider three questions: 1) How digestible is the protein? 2) How many total EAAs does it have?, and 3) What are the proportions of those EAAS? Aminos is extremely digestible because it is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, whereas protein from food needs to be broken down and digested much more slowly. Aminos contains 100% EAAs, whereas even high-quality proteins contain only about 45% EAAs. (Most lower quality and plant proteins contain significantly fewer EAAs.) Finally, the proportions of EAAs in Aminos were meticulously calculated using over 20 years of the best clinical research on amino acids. It is for all these reasons that Aminos triggers MPS to an even greater degree (at least 3x more) than whole food proteins. However, Aminos is not meant to replace whole food protein sources altogether, but to supplement the body’s need for EAAs.
Essential amino acids naturally boost energy, without caffeine or other stimulants, in five very important ways: By supporting the development of new mitochondria and the quality of existing mitochondria for improved overall energy production. Similar to fasting, caloric restriction, and exercise, EAAs stimulate the eNOS-PGC-1a-mediated mitochondrial renewal mechanisms. By assuring efficient energy production by supporting mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamics, and clearance of damaged mitochondria by mitophagy. By providing direct sources of energy in the form of fatty acids or ketone bodies. Specific amino acids can be catabolized to acetyl-CoA or acetoacetate and lead to the production of fatty acids or ketone bodies. By preventing muscle fatigue by reducing the amount of muscle breakdown. When we have all 9 EAAs circulating in our bloodstream, there is no need for EAAs to be pulled from our muscle. By reducing mental fatigue based on the central fatigue hypothesis. Three of the EAAs, leucine, isoleucine, and valine, are thought to counteract the increase of 5-HTP in the brain and its subsequent increased production of serotonin. It is also postulated that these three EAAs in particular may increase the amounts of other novel excitatory neurotransmitters.
Essential amino acids, from whole food protein sources or EAA supplements, are necessary for healthy growth and development. Aminos may be an option for supplementing meals low in protein and may be helpful for diets lacking sufficient EAAs. However, you should consult your child’s health care practitioner prior to use of the product.
Scientific Research
- Ferrando AA, Wolfe RR, Hirsch KR, Church DD, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Effects of essential amino acid supplementation on exercise and performance. Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2023 [PUBMED]
- Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, Doyle D Jr, Wolfe RR. Nonessential amino acids are not necessary to stimulate net muscle protein synthesis in healthy volunteers. J Nutr Biochem. 1999;10(2):89–95. [DOI]
- Tipton KD, Ferrando AA, Phillips SM, Doyle D Jr, Wolfe RR. Postexercise net protein synthesis in human muscle from orally administered amino acids. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 1999;276:E628–E634. [DOI]
- Tipton KD, Rasmussen BB, Miller SL, et al. Timing of amino acid–carbohydrate ingestion alters anabolic response of muscle to resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2001;281:E197–E206. [DOI]
- Børsheim E, Tipton KD, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. Essential amino acids and muscle protein recovery from resistance exercise. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2002;283:E648–E657. [DOI]
- Katsanos CS, Kobayashi H, Sheffield-Moore M, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR. 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:E381–E387. [DOI]
