Below we take an in-depth look into Animal Pak, to see whether this long-running product has the right ingredient balance for the best price.
Animal Pak is a multivitamin supplement aimed at the bodybuilding and sports supplement market. With more than 75 ingredients, this product aims to give customers the ‘full treatment’ when it comes to multivitamins, providing the full range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, digestive enzymes and more. The overall mix is said to improve athletic performance and mental clarity in the gym.
This long-running product has been available on the market since 1983, and is produced and sold by Universal Nutrition, an experienced American sports supplement manufacturers. Universal Nutrition seem to favour bodybuilding and sports supplements above all else, and their products are sold on customer favourites such as www.bodybuilding.com and others.
Few customer reviews mention side effects arising from the use of Animal Pak, although a notable number complain of passing fluorescent yellow or orange urine after taking the product.
The extremely high content of certain vitamins and minerals could cause specific problems over time. Long term intake of extremely high quantities of vitamin B6 (as in this product) can lead to tingling and numbness. Similarly, the high levels of calcium and phosphorus can lead to stomach upset, and the high zinc quantities can cause anaemia. Other side effects that may result from high levels of vitamins include weakness, fatigue, sleepiness, headache, loss of appetite, dry mouth, metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, and flushing.
Other side effects are rare but can take place if customers have an adverse reaction to one of the remaining ingredients. Check out the Side Effects tab for the full list.
The most cost-effective way to purchase Animal Pak is by buying the 44 serving tubs, which cost $25.64 on Amazon or £28.95 on bodybuilding.com (plus shipping). Smaller tubs tend to cost a little more per serving, with the 30 serving tubs costing around $24-$26.50 plus shipping. The smallest tubs of just 15 servings cost $14.88 on bodybuilding.com, and a whopping $28.95 on the official Universal Nutrition website. In general, stick to Amazon and bodybuilding.com for the best deals, and avoid buying from the official Universal Nutrition outlets.
Animal Pak packs in a lot for a relatively low cost (if you buy it from the right outlet). With over 75 ingredients (including all major vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, digestive enzymes and a fairly good ‘performance complex’), customers should expect to get all the healthy inputs they need to succeed at the gym. Although our list of potential side effects is long, few customer reviews report major side effects and the vast majority of customers won’t experience anything (especially when compared to far more harmful stimulant products).
Although we remain very impressed with the price and quality of the product, there are still some concerns. The quantities of some ingredients are far too high, especially for certain vitamins and minerals (this product actually turns the urine of many customers fluorescent, mainly because the quantities of some B vitamins are far too high to possibly be absorbed). We also believe that Universal Nutrition’s recommendation of 2 packs per day to be slightly ridiculous, especially as customers have to take 11 tablets per pack as it is.
At Diet Pills Watchdog, we have very high standards, and Animal Pak unfortunately falls short on one very important point: the money-back guarantee. Universal Nutrition has no real stated returns policy or money back guarantee at present, and the prices offered on the official website are unreasonably high. For this reason, we cannot recommend it, although readers should still remember that we do consider it to be a pretty high quality product overall (especially when purchased from better outlets like Amazon or bodybuiliding.com).
Overall, we do not recommend Animal Pak to our readers.
Animal Pak is a comprehensive multivitamin supplement that aims to give consumers a complex mix of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, digestive enzymes and more. Marketed as a one-stop source for all the important inputs an active body needs, this formula contains more than 75 ingredients and invites customers to take several large pills per serving.
This product is produced and sold by Universal Nutrition, a bodybuilding and sports supplement manufacturers from the USA. Although they are a rather experienced company with some loyal backers in Internet forums, Universal Nutrition’s website and packaging seems to be rather dated when compared to the competition. Although their Animal Pak product has reportedly been available since 1983, it is now sold on a flashy and modern website of its own, one which is frankly heavy on the dazzling visuals and extremely light on useful information!
Paks: Take 1 to 2 packs with breakfast or any other meal, with plenty of water. For those who compete or are training with higher intensity, two packs is suggested.
Powder: Take 1 to 2 scoops with 6 – 12 oz of your beverage of choice with breakfast or any other meal. For those who compete or are training with higher intensity, two scoops is suggested.
On the special website dedicated purely to Animal Pak, the product’s benefits are barely described at all, with the website instead relying purely on amusingly over-the-top graphics and silly marketing spiel. Luckily for us, other websites and outlets are far more upfront about the benefits of using Animal Pak.
On the official Universal Nutrition website, Amazon and others, Animal Pak is mainly presented as a bodybuilding aid. The product is described as full of the vitamins, minerals and other healthy inputs needed to activate the necessary chemical reactions for building muscle. The Universal Nutrition website claims that missing nutrients can shut down the anabolic drive needed to build muscle, effectively stopping or slowing the process. As Animal Pak contains the full range of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, digestive enzymes and more, it always ensures that every necessary input is present. The mix is also said to contain miscellaneous performance enhancers that further improve the body’s ability to achieve in the gym.
The advertising copy is right in its assessment that the body needs strong sources of vitamins, minerals and amino acids to build muscle, and the impressive number of ingredients and inputs in Animal Pak should help athletic customers to build muscle in a healthy way. The vast majority of customer reviews claim that the product gives them a healthy dose of energy and mental clarity for the gym, although readers shouldn’t expect that this product will give the same performance boost as more ‘steroid-y’ mixes (which also tend to come with far more damaging side effects).
The ingredients contained within Animal Pak are listed below. Readers should note that the ingredient quantities listed below are true for one serving of Animal Pak (which is listed as 2 packs).
Vitamin & Mineral Complex
Amino Acid Complex
Performance Complex
Antioxidant Complex
Digestive Enzyme Complex
The ingredients in the digestive enzyme complex work in tandem to treat stomach issues and improve upon digestive issues in the intestines and pancreas. Enzymes such as lipase and pancreatin essentially help to break down food and proteins.
There aren’t too many side effects reported for Animal Pak by customers, although readers should remain aware that the list of potential issues is huge. With over 75 ingredients in the mix, there are dozens of potential issues that could emerge (although the chances of some happening are rare).
The most common side effects are related to the high content of vitamins and minerals. The extremely high Vitamin B content cannot possibly be absorbed, meaning that many users report fluorescent urine. The extremely high dose of riboflavin could cause more frequent urination and light diarrhoea, and the high doses of vitamins D, C and E could cause weakness, fatigue, sleepiness, headache, loss of appetite, dry mouth, metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, and others. Niacin can cause flushing.
Long term intake of such extremely high quantities of vitamin B6 may lead to mild tingling and numbness. This amount of calcium and phosphorous may cause mild upset stomach in sensitive individuals. Long term intake of such high quantities of zinc may also lead to anaemia.
Amino acids are not often associated with side effects. However, some people experience bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and gout from arginine supplements. It may also seriously alter blood levels of potassium in people with liver or kidney disease. It also lowers blood pressure, which could be dangerous if you already have low blood pressure. BCAAs can cause fatigue and a loss of coordination.
Other side effects could take place as a result of other miscellaneous ingredients (including Siberian Ginseng, Hawthorn, Inositol, Asian Ginseng, CoQ10, Pycnogenol and the digestive enzymes). These may include drowsiness, sadness, anxiety, muscle spasms, increased blood pressure, nausea, stomach upset, sensitivity to light, itchy scalp, menstrual problems, mouth ulcers fatigue, sweating, headaches, dizziness, palpitations, nosebleeds, insomnia, agitation, and other problems.
Caution:
This product is not for use by anyone under the age of 18. This is a potent bodybuilding supplement. Do not take this if you have or are at risk for any medical condition or disease. Please consult with a physician before using this product, especially if you are using any prescription drug, over-the-counter medication, or supplements. Immediately discontinue use if any side effects occur. Keep out of reach of children. Athletes should consult with their sanctioning authority before use. Do not exceed the recommended dose. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Don’t exceed two packs daily. This product not to be used as a substitute for a varied diet. Keep out of reach of children.
Animal Pak is a popular and long-standing product, meaning that thousands of customer reviews are available to check all over the Internet. Most customer reviews are very positive in their appraisal, although some customers complain about having to take so many large pills.
I found it taking this before your workout helps give you that extra edge. If your body has all the vitamins it needs, you can bring out your full potential. However on the packet it suggests you can take two, but I could never see that happening, one is plenty.
The amount of vitamins you get in these packs is amazing for the money. Some of them are well above what your body can process but it’s OK because they are water soluble and you just excrete the excess in your urine (be prepared it looks like a highlighter spilled in the toilet). I notice a difference in energy, strength, and mental clarity when I take them. I’ve been taking Animal Paks for almost a decade and can’t say enough good about them.
Great multivitamin that fills in nutrition and training gaps while lifting/bodybuilding. A staple for any serious lifter. Warning: Will make your urine super/neon yellow but mostly due to the B vitamins in it.
$1.32 a serving … too pricey for a multi. Plus it’s very incontinent to take so many pills.
Universal Nutrition talk about a specific ‘guarantee’ of quality on the packaging for Animal Pak, encouraging dissatisfied customers to get in touch with the company. The returns policy detailed on the official Universal Nutrition website also similarly advises customers to simply get in touch if they wish to organise a return. However, there is no money back guarantee to speak of, and returns are presumably given at the discretion of the company.
Animal Pak is available to buy from the dedicated Animal Pak website, the official Universal Nutrition website, www.bodybuilding.com, Amazon, and many other international and local supplement websites.
There are some fairly good deals for Animal Pak on Amazon and www.bodybuilding.com. On Amazon, a tub containing 44 servings costs $25.64 plus shipping, with the same tub costing $28.95 plus shipping on www.bodybuilding.com. Smaller tubs containing 30 servings tend to offer far less value for money, costing around $24-$26.50 plus shipping.
On the official Universal Nutrition website, Animal Pak is much more expensive, costing a whopping $56.95 for 44 servings and $28.95 for just 15 servings. Delivery charges may also apply.
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Disclaimer: Our reviews and investigations are based on extensive research from the information publicly available to us and consumers at the time of first publishing the post. Information is based on our personal opinion and whilst we endeavour to ensure information is up-to-date, manufacturers do from time to time change their products and future research may disagree with our findings. If you feel any of the information is inaccurate, please contact us and we will review the information provided.
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