Strom EssentialMax EAA - Essential Amino Acids ActiGin

What is Strom EssentialMax EAA?

Strom EssentialMax is an essential amino acid powder to drink during training. One 15 g serving delivers 10.25 g of essential amino acids, 1,000 mg of beetroot extract and 250 mg of L-alanine, rounded out with electrolytes and three B vitamins. The flavours in the range: Cranberry, Berrylicious and Strawberry Kiwi.

Strom Sports Nutrition is a British brand that claims fully disclosed dosages. On this product the commitment is largely met: the main figures are published, which is not that common in this category.

One particularity is worth flagging straight away: the formula contains no tryptophan. It therefore brings together eight of the nine essential amino acids in the family. The manufacturer stands by that choice, and we discuss what it means further down. The rest of the brand can be browsed in our Strom Supplements range, and the other formulas in the category in our EAA selection.

What does a serving of EssentialMax contain?

10.25 g of amino acids in a 15 g scoop: that is a very high ratio, and it is this product's strongest argument. Two thirds of the powder is amino acids, the remainder being split between the beetroot extract, the electrolytes, the citric acid, the flavouring and the sweetener. Plenty of formulas in this category work at 6 or 7 g of amino acids for a scoop of comparable size.

The order of the ingredients list is instructive: leucine, isoleucine and valine come first. The three branched-chain amino acids therefore make up the bulk of the 10.25 g, with phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, methionine and threonine making up the total. The manufacturer does not publish the detailed amino-acid-by-amino-acid breakdown, and we are not going to reconstruct it on its behalf.

The absence of tryptophan is the point to understand before buying. The manufacturer removed it deliberately, tryptophan being a precursor of molecules associated with drowsiness — a consistent choice for a drink taken during exercise. The trade-off is that the panel is not complete in the strict sense: to build a protein, the body needs all nine. In practice this does not matter if your diet supplies enough protein elsewhere, and it does matter if you were counting on this drink as a protein source — which would be a bad idea in any case.

From a regulatory standpoint, only the vitamins allow a claim: vitamins B1, B3 and B6 contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism, and both B3 and B6 contribute to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Those are the official wordings. No claim, on the other hand, is authorised for the essential amino acids, the beetroot extract or ActiGin®: not for recovery, not for performance, not for circulation. Nor does the manufacturer publish the vitamin and electrolyte contents, which makes it impossible to check the thresholds.

Ingredients list

Leucine, isoleucine, valine, Beta vulgaris (97%), L-phenylalanine, L-lysine, L-histidine, L-methionine, sodium chloride, L-alanine, L-threonine, potassium chloride, ActiGin®, vitamin B1 (thiamine), vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), citric acid, sweetener (sucralose), flavouring.

No allergens in the recipe. The manufacturer states that it is made in facilities that handle MILK, EGG, SOYA, GLUTEN and NUTS: traces are possible. The formula contains no ingredients of animal origin.

How do you take EssentialMax EAA?

Serving: 1 scoop of 15 g. Liquid: 500 to 700 ml of water. Timing: during training, sipped; a serving straight after the session is possible. Frequency: one serving per session. Duration: the manufacturer sets no course length, the product is used session after session.

500 to 700 ml is a lot, and it is deliberate. This drink is not designed to be downed in one go but to be sipped across the whole session. Concentrated into 300 ml it becomes very strong in taste and loses its purpose: electrolytes are no use if you do not drink.

Shake until fully dissolved. Free amino acids, leucine in particular, dissolve poorly and readily leave a film on the surface. That is not a fault of the product: it is the nature of these molecules. A shaker with a ball, or a few extra seconds, sorts the problem out.

On a long session, add carbohydrates. The manufacturer recommends 25 to 50 g, and it is good advice: an amino acid drink supplies virtually no energy. Maltodextrin or cyclic dextrin in the same shaker rounds the drink out without changing its taste.

The formula contains no stimulants: it can be drunk at any hour, including for a late session. If you are after energy before training, what you need is a pre-workout, not this product.

Who is EssentialMax for, and who is it not for?

It is aimed at someone who trains for a long time, who sweats a lot, and who wants a session drink combining amino acids and electrolytes rather than plain water. The high amino acid dosage and the absence of stimulants make it a versatile product, usable in the morning as well as the evening.

As the formula contains no ingredients of animal origin, it suits vegetarian and vegan diets. It is, however, made in facilities that handle milk, egg, soya, gluten and nuts: in the case of a severe allergy, that point is decisive.

The manufacturer recommends not exceeding the recommended dose, keeping the product out of reach of children, checking compatibility with other stimulant supplements and consulting a healthcare professional if you are undergoing medical treatment.

What you should not expect from it. No claim exists for essential amino acids in Europe: this product does not speed up recovery and does not improve performance, whatever the rest of the category may say. And the awkward remark has to be added: if you are already consuming 1.6 to 2 g of protein per kilo of body weight over the day, an amino acid drink during the session adds nothing measurable. It makes sense if you train fasted, if your protein intake is low, or if your session runs longer than an hour. Otherwise a serving of protein after training does better, for less money.

EAA or an electrolyte drink?

This is the most useful comparison to make on this product, because the two are drunk at the same moment and for different reasons.

If your problem is sweating, it is the electrolytes that count, and you need more of them than there are here. A dedicated electrolyte drink supplies several hundred milligrams of sodium per serving, an amount this product does not disclose. On a two-hour session in a hot gym, or in summer around here, that is the decisive parameter. Our electrolytes range answers that particular need, and for far less money.

If your problem is protein intake around training, EssentialMax is better placed. 10.25 g of amino acids in a pleasant drink is a real contribution, particularly for someone training in the morning without having had breakfast. That is where this product finds its place.

And comparing it with the neighbouring category: a classic BCAA supplies only three amino acids, which is markedly less relevant than eight. On that specific point, EssentialMax is right and half the market is wrong — and it is also the reason BCAAs are losing ground everywhere in favour of EAAs.

Frequently asked questions

How many amino acids per serving?

10.25 g of essential amino acids in a 15 g scoop, close to two thirds of the powder. On top of that come 250 mg of L-alanine, a non-essential amino acid. That is a high dosage for this category, where plenty of formulas top out at 6 or 7 g.

Why does the formula contain no tryptophan?

It is the manufacturer's choice: tryptophan is a precursor of molecules associated with drowsiness, which is not desirable in a drink taken during exercise. The consequence is that the panel counts eight essential amino acids out of nine, and is therefore not complete in the strict sense.

Is the breakdown between the amino acids known?

No, the manufacturer publishes the total but not the detail. The order of the ingredients list indicates that leucine, isoleucine and valine make up the bulk of the 10.25 g. The vitamin, electrolyte and ActiGin® contents are not disclosed either.

How much water per serving?

500 to 700 ml. That is deliberately a lot: the drink is made to be sipped throughout the session, not downed in one go. In a smaller volume the taste becomes very strong and the fluid intake, which is part of the point of the product, disappears.

Does the product contain caffeine?

No, no stimulant appears in the formula. You can therefore drink it at any hour, including for a late session, with no consequence for sleep. If you are after an energising effect before training, it is another type of product that you need.

Which flavours are available?

In the range: Cranberry, Berrylicious and Strawberry Kiwi. The composition is identical in all three, only the flavouring changes. The sweetness comes from sucralose, and the citric acid gives the tart edge that characterises these drinks.

Should carbohydrates be added?

On a long session, yes: the manufacturer recommends 25 to 50 g. This drink supplies virtually no energy, only amino acids and electrolytes. A maltodextrin or a cyclic dextrin in the same shaker rounds the drink out without altering its taste.

Where can you buy Strom EssentialMax EAA?

The tub can be ordered from this page in the available flavours, and we ship all over France and Europe. At the Vendargues shop, about ten minutes from Montpellier, this is the product we put forward to those who train early in the morning without having eaten — that is the situation where an amino acid drink makes the most sense. Everyone else, we first ask what they eat during the day, and the answer often points elsewhere. The rest of our selection can be browsed in the sports nutrition range.