How we know which amino acids are essential
That the body cannot make nine amino acids itself is something we know mainly thanks to the work of the American biochemist William Cumming Rose. In the 1930s and 1940s he gave test subjects and rats diets from which one amino acid at a time had been left out, and watched what happened. In this way he established which amino acids are indispensable. Along the way, in 1935, he discovered threonine, the last essential amino acid to be found.
Amino acids from cheese
Many amino acids are named after what they were first found in. Leucine was discovered in cheese in 1819 and got its name from the Greek leukos, white, after the white crystals. Tyrosine comes from the Greek tyros, cheese. Cystine was found in bladder stones, to which the Greek kystis, bladder, refers. Vital Aminos contains all three.
Free or as protein
Protein from food consists of long chains of amino acids, which digestion first cuts into free amino acids. In Vital Aminos the amino acids are already free. A scoop contains just over 6.7 grams of amino acids and alpha-ketoglutaric acid and only 35 kcal. That is less than in a protein shake; it is not a replacement for protein from food, but a light drink for during or around training.
Leucine, isoleucine and valine
Leucine, isoleucine and valine are called branched-chain amino acids, or BCAAs, after the side branch in their molecular structure. Leucine receives the most attention in sports nutrition research. A scoop of Vital Aminos contains 2.5 grams of leucine, slightly more than the 2.3 grams in a scoop of Momentous whey.
The four extras
In addition to the nine essential amino acids, Vital Aminos contains arginine, cystine and tyrosine, which the body can in principle make itself. It also contains 470 mg of alpha-ketoglutaric acid. That is not an amino acid, but a substance from the citric acid cycle, the process by which cells extract energy from food. The body also uses it in the production of glutamine and glutamate.
When to use it
On training days you take Vital Aminos during or after training. Because it contains only 35 kcal and is easy to drink, it also suits moments when a protein shake or meal is too heavy, such as just before a hard session. On other days you can take it at any time. Vital Aminos combines well with whey, creatine or Fuel.
Kelly Starrett on Vital Aminos
Kelly Starrett, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, uses Vital Aminos himself: “Momentous Vital Aminos are a perfect solution when I am keeping an eye on my muscle mass and am too close to hard training to eat. Appetite also often drops after surgery and injury, which makes it harder for athletes to meet their essential protein needs. Momentous Vital Aminos cover these needs with ease.”
NSF Certified for Sport
NSF Certified for Sport is the certification recognised by American professional leagues such as the NFL and MLB. Every batch is tested for more than 270 substances banned in sport, and it is checked that the product contains what is on the label.
Momentous and Ergomax
Since 2024, Ergomax has been the exclusive distributor of Momentous on the European mainland and ships throughout Europe.
