Optimum Essential Amino Energy 270 Gr

Six-dimension breakdown

Why this scored 62/100

Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy is a well-established sports-nutrition product from Optimum Nutrition (Glanbia-owned, one of the largest and most-regulated sports-supplement manufacturers globally) combining ~5 g essential amino acids (including 2.5 g BCAAs) with 100 mg of caffeine per two-scoop serving. The core ingredients — EAAs plus low-dose caffeine — are both individually well-evidenced: EAAs at 3-6 g stimulate muscle protein synthesis effectively (Wolfe 2017), and 100 mg caffeine reliably improves training focus, perceived exertion, and endurance in the Grgic 2020 meta-analysis without the sleep-disruption risk of higher doses. Optimum's manufacturing is cGMP-certified with NSF-audit oversight and vitamin C fortification adds a minor cofactor benefit. Standard tier — legitimate manufacturer, honest label, evidence-based ingredients at reasonable doses. Held below Verified by transparency gaps (per-EAA milligrams shown as a group total in many editions), the use of artificial sweeteners in some flavors, and the fact that EAAs and low-dose caffeine can be sourced more cheaply and cleanly as separate products.

Evidence & sources

The Vyvata score's Evidence dimension measures the quality of published RCT support for a product's active ingredients at the label dose. Our source hierarchy: double-blind RCTs in MEDLINE-indexed journals > single-blind RCTs > open-label trials > observational studies > mechanism papers > N=1 case studies (anecdotes). Predatory journals and manufacturer-authored studies without independent replication are weighted down.

Product-specific evidence citations for this item are embedded in the analysis text on the "Analysis" tab. For the full framework and evidence hierarchy, see the methodology page.

How to read the Evidence dimension

• 80–100: Multiple double-blind RCTs in indexed journals directly testing this product OR the exact ingredients at the exact dose.
• 60–79: Single double-blind RCT + supporting ingredient literature at the studied dose.
• 40–59: Open-label trials + ingredient literature; no product-specific double-blind evidence.
• 20–39: Ingredient literature only; no product-specific trials or trials in predatory venues.
• 0–19: No credible evidence base or unverifiable claims.

FAQ data has not been generated for this product yet. See the site FAQ for general questions.

Customer reviews

All the data we have on this product

Every VSF-related metafield surfaced verbatim. Nothing hidden. If you spot data that looks wrong, let us know.

VSF score

62 / 100

Tier

Standard

Category

Supplements

Subcategory

protein amino acids

Last scored

August 29, 2026

Third-party certifications

None on record at time of scoring

Vendor

Beauty Care Bag

Product type

Vitamin & Supplement

Tags

Beauty Care Bag, Shopify Collective

Every score is set from the published rubric, audit-logged, and rescored whenever new evidence emerges (published trials, updated labels, third-party testing releases). Every vendor is scored on the same criteria — no pay-to-play. See our editorial-independence disclosure for the full policy, including brands with an editorial relationship to this site.