Vital
Both products come from Advanced Bionutritionals, both are aimed at keeping muscle strong after 60, and the company even suggests taking them together. But they work in different ways and cost very different amounts. Here is how to choose.
Quick verdict
Advanced Amino Formula
Choose it if your main problem is not eating enough protein, or you want a simple daily habit to help maintain muscle.
from $33.25$39.95per bottle in the 6-pack
Advanced Muscle Plus
Choose it if you already do strength exercise and want to support your gains, and your doctor is fine with its high vitamin D dose.
from $66.65$79.95per bottle in the 6-pack
Side-by-side comparison
| Advanced Amino Formula | Advanced Muscle Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Supplies all 8 essential amino acids, the raw building blocks of muscle protein | Signals muscle building (dileucine) and reduces muscle breakdown (HMB) |
| Key ingredients | 5,000 mg essential amino acid blend | 2,000 mg DL185 dileucine, 1,500 mg myHMB, 200 mcg (8,000 IU) vitamin D3 |
| Daily dose | 5 tablets | 6 tablets |
| Doses disclosed? | Blend total only | Yes, fully |
| Best for | Small appetite, low protein intake, vegans | People doing strength training 2 or more times a week |
| Watch out for | PKU, kidney disease | Other vitamin D supplements, high calcium, kidney stones |
| Price per bottle (1 / 3 / 6) | $39.95 / $35.95 / $33.25 | $79.95 / $71.65 / $66.65 |
| Cost per day (6-pack) | about $1.11 | about $2.22 |
| Store rating | 4.1 out of 5 (3,144 reviews) | 4.5 out of 5 (26 reviews) |
| Guarantee | 90 days | 90 days (refund minus shipping) |
The real difference: building blocks vs signals
Think of building muscle like building a wall. You need bricks (amino acids from protein) and a builder who shows up to work (the signal to build). With age, both become a problem: many older adults eat too little protein, and their muscles respond less strongly to the protein they do eat. Our guide to keeping muscle after 60 explains this "anabolic resistance".
- Advanced Amino Formula delivers the bricks: a complete set of essential amino acids in a small, easily absorbed dose.
- Advanced Muscle Plus works on the builder: dileucine is a concentrated form of leucine, the amino acid that switches on muscle building, and HMB helps slow muscle breakdown.
Neither does the work of exercise. Strength training is still the main signal for muscle to grow; supplements make that signal more effective.
Should you take both?
The company recommends taking Advanced Amino Formula daily as a foundation and Advanced Muscle Plus after workouts. That makes sense on paper, but it costs over $100 a month. Our suggestion:
- Start with your diet: aim for 25 to 30 g of protein per meal.
- If you struggle to eat that much, add Advanced Amino Formula.
- If you train regularly and want more, add Advanced Muscle Plus, after checking the vitamin D dose with your doctor.
Both come with a 90-day guarantee, so you can try one for three months and judge it by simple measures: how many chair stands you can do in 30 seconds, how heavy your grocery bags feel, how easily you climb stairs.
Keep reading
Keeping muscle after 60
Is Advanced Bionutritionals legit?
Collagen after 60Frequently asked questions
Can I take Advanced Amino Formula and Advanced Muscle Plus together?
Yes. The company designed them to work together: the amino formula daily and Muscle Plus after workouts. Check the vitamin D in Muscle Plus if you already take vitamin D.
Which is better for building muscle after 60?
For people who train, Advanced Muscle Plus targets muscle building more directly. For people who mainly need more protein, Advanced Amino Formula is the better and cheaper starting point.
Which is cheaper?
Advanced Amino Formula, at about $1.11 a day on the 6-bottle pack, versus about $2.22 a day for Advanced Muscle Plus.
Do I need to exercise for these to work?
For real gains in muscle and strength, yes. HMB may help limit muscle loss during inactivity, but resistance exercise remains the main driver of muscle growth.