Muscle Pharm Corporation (MSLPQ)

[CWS1987]

BCAA drinks like Amino 1 aren't really analogous to standard carb/electrolyte sports drinks. While Muscle Pharm and others make hydration claims on the product and the similar looks may convince some Gatorade users to experiment, amino acids are intra-workout ingredients that promote muscle growth. There are a lot of sports nutrition users who mistakenly think they have an energy-boosting or weight loss effect, but the real benefits are buffering muscle breakdown during a workout, thus allowing faster recovery after the workout.

The interesting things about these products is that, until recently, BCAA's were fairly niche products used only by the most sophisticated sports nutrition users (body builders, elite athletes, etc.). They've gained more notoriety among gym rats, but it's hard to imagine a lot of people becoming consistent users of these products. If you were drinking Amino 1 every time you worked out, why would you opt for a $3 bottle, instead of a $0.75 scoop from a tub? Could they sell a couple hundred thousand dollars a year to curious Vitamin Shoppe/GNC customers and chronic users who buy the odd 12-pack for when they don't have time to mix it from the concentrate? Probably. But I don't see this becoming a mainstream thing, and it's certainly not going to be challenging Gatorade/Powerade for shelf space in a 7-11. Bigger, better companies (ON and Muscle Milk) have launched amino RTD's before, and you still don't see them outside supplement retailers.