JOIN TODAY
Opti-Men Reviews
Introduction
I'll be honest, I kind of hate reviewing a multi-vitamin because it's one of those products that you know you need to take, but that you can't really tell its working. This is probably my 3rd bottle of Multi-men (that's what I call it. 'cause hilarious.) Other multi-vitamins I have taken worth mentioning: Orange Triad (pretty great multi), Animal Pak (pricey, but complete), Arnold Multi (lame). This multi has some great profiles built into the ingredients. I just wish it had joint support (the one thing Arnold had that wasn't stupid.) Anyways, read on if you want more info.
Ingredient Profile
8
It has WELL above my daily value of. damn near everything. I mean taking 3 of there 'errday covers everything I need. Just a heads up, the label states "consume 3 tablets daily with food." I recommend taking one at each meal to prevent oversaturation. AKA, you won't pee green (HOHOHO, Green Giant (sorry, ADHD.)) It does not have added iron, a big plus considering how bad extra iron is for men. Also, seeing selenium as an ingredient is always nice. I also has 1g of Essential Amino Acids. which I don't really care about because I get far more than that from other sources, but still, it's nice to have them. It does have a bunch of ingredients under the Phyto Men Blend that sounds very healthy - green tea, and a bunch of fruits and veggies - can't hurt, though 100mg seems pretty low. This does have a pretty nice 50mg Viri Men Blend with classics like Saw Palmetto Extract, Ginseng, Ginko Biloba, etc. Once again, 50mg seems a bit low on this, but may have some positive effect. The enzyme blend likely helps with digestion and it's nice to see ALA, PABA, Lycopene and Alpha Carotene on the label. So overall, pretty solid. A little lower than I'd actually supplement with some of those ingredients, but decent. I wish there was a joint support in here.
Taste/Mixability/Dosing
8
Tastes. like you should drink water quickly after putting it on your tongue. Mixes great in my stomach with some agua. The dosing is good, kind of a pain to take 3 times daily, but not too inconvenient in my current location. Yeah, this isn't a protein powder, that's all I have to say about that (life is like a box of chocolates.)
Effectiveness
8
Like I said in the intro, it's a multi. It doesn't make me feel energized, or smarter, or stronger, or anything. All I know is that if I don't take a multi. I could run into vitamin deficiencies that would set my training back. So there ya go, it's as effective as any multi and does not make outrageous claims (see my Arnold review.)
9
This is really where this product shines. I don't think it's as good as Animal pak or Orange Triad (more complete multis), but damn if it isn't cheaper. I paid around $30 for 2 months. That's pretty hard to beat short of buying Centrum Men's Daily, which is garbage. So yeah, great value considering Arnold is like $30-40 for 1 month.
Side Effects
9
Uh. none? Green pee? Does that count as a side effect? I'm Ron Burgandy?
Conclusion
One of my favorite multi-vitamins because it has the stuff I need and it's cheap. Also, it's not 10 pills to swallow every day. If it had joint support,or Essential Fatty Acids. or fish oil, I'd give it a solid 9+. Of course that'd raise the price, so ehhh. If you want a better multi, get Orange Triad or Animal Pak. There's nothing else though at this level of quality AND price. So there you go, go grab a bottle.
I've tried several multi-vitamin /mineral support systems, ranging from various pack based systems to store brand generics to others targeted in the sports nutrition vein. I keep going back to Opti-Men. It is a great value, and I feel better overall when I am on it.
This is yet another review in the, "I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this yet" series. Opti-Men was the first multi that I tried beyond the store brand Men's Health varieties. That was about six years ago. I like that it is a 3 pill dose as opposed to 6+ pills. I typically split it up to add one to each of my main meals (e.g. breakfast, lunch/noon-ish, dinner).
The ads talk about the amino, viri, phyto, and enzyme blends. Truth be told, I'm not sure what most of them are supposed to do, and I feel like it is a safe bet that the dosage is low enough that it is more of a "top off" rather than a full supply. but like I said, I'm not the greatest expert on that.
The price is pretty good. Right about $15 for a month's supply. I can spend more than that on energy drinks in two days, so $15 for a MONTH? Not too bad. It is more than the drug store brands, but not as expensive as some of the other sports nutrition brands. I feel like this is a solid vitamin that you can build a foundational stack around.
The strangest thing is that I get the neon yellow pee. That seems to go away after a while, especially if I'm drinking lots of water and splitting the pills into 3 separate doses. Woohoo, B Vitamin flush.
Other factors: I don't notice any taste, the pills aren't very big and are easy to swallow, it is readily available at a variety of retailers, is a multi-vitamin AND multi-mineral,
I have tried a few different Multi-Vitamins in the past but none to this standard. They really are a good product and I will be making them a staple of my year round stack.
I find that people (including myself) tend to overlook Multi-vitamins when buying supplements but after using these it really opened my eyes as to how important they are. They may not directly build muscle but by keeping bodily functions ticking and in good health and by helping you to keep away colds and flus it could be said that they indirectly help build muscle and sty in shape.
When I first started to take these we were just starting to enter the winter (late Oct/early Nov) and usually at this stage my lips would start to crack a little and I would always get a runny nose and a slight cold but when I started to take these my lips didn't crack and much to my delight the runny nose and cold never showed itself like it did every year previous. Also I felt that my sleep quality had improved and we all like improved sleep.
Another thing I liked about this product was the low dosing needed. All you need is three a day and your good to go not like the famous seven a day pain of animal pak. I wouldnt recommend taking three all at once though because when I did my pee was a neon yellow even though I was drinking plenty of water. One thing to note though is make sure not to suck on them or hold them in your mouth for long because if you do the taste is horrific and will make you cringe every time you think of it. If you dont delay too long with swallowing it, which is easy because they arent that big, then there are no taste probs at all.
In terms of dosing and price, its highly dosed on every thing you need for daily needs so no complaints there and also no complaints on pricing either. Its well worth the money.
Overall, I really really like this product and cant see myself ever using another multi-vitamin. The reason it didnt get 10 overall was because I will never forget that horrible taste after leaving it to sit too long on my tongue. (Scarred for life) However I still cant look past them in terms of helping my body stay healthy.
Took 2 bottles of this product a little while back, I've since switched to Orange Triad which I've been taking for 2 weeks now. Anyhow, focusing on opti-men :
Optimen is a multivitamin - pretty self explanatory. Definitely a must with any sort of nutrient depleting exercise or workout regiment. This vitamin will ensure you are meeting all of your daily needs, AT a price you can afford. For a full list of the nutrient profile see here: http://www.optimumnutrition.com/products/optimen-mens-multiple-p-180.html
Value (10/10)
180 count ran me a little over $20 bucks from DPS nutrition. If you go with the suggested dose of 3/day, you're looking at 2 months worth of vitamins. At this price, very good deal. If you're not a psycho and are considering only taking 1 or 2 per day, it's an even better deal!
Taste (N/A)
It's a multivitamin. You're not going to take this with taste in mind. With that said, they don't taste horrific, just don't suck on 'em like they're tic tacs.
Effectiveness (8/10)
For me, the effectiveness of a multivitamin is so difficult to gauge. I would say the effectiveness behind taking this is more a psychological one - that I feel better about myself and my body because I know I'm doing the right thing by getting all my nutrients. If you check out the nutrient profile, you'll see you get pretty much 100% of everything.
Overall I would strongly suggest buying these if you're looking for a solid staple supplement in your arsenal. Obviously you're going to get the neon green pee, so make sure you're drinking plenty of water as per usual. Oh and take with food to aid absorption.
This has been my first multivitamin ever and it has been one positive change. I continued to hear how important these supplements were for anyone who practiced sports and decided to give it a go. Now I am a firm believer that I need a multivitamin in any stack I decide to use in the future.
I love the profile of this multi. You get all the vitamins and minerals you could possibly imagine in pretty good doses. It has a "phyto" blend which is focused in aiding with the consumption vegetables and fruits even if it is in powder form. It further does have an "enzyme" blend which should aid with better absorption of micro and macro nutrients. You can see the multivitamin is not targeted for men but for men who are active with sport, I would not recommend this to my grandad. It has an amino-blend although small dosed to ensure you get some BCAA base. It further has a viri-blend which doesn't really need an explanation why you would need that.
Probably one of the highlights of this multi, you need to take 3 pills a day, one with each meal. This is very convenient and easy to remember which is crucial with a multivitamin. The pills are not too large and go down easy, that was my experience at least because people tend to differ in this matter. No unpleasant smell or taste/aftertaste came from the pills whatsoever.
I liked how my first experience with a multivitamin turned out. I had increased energy in general terms and my digestion of foods became much more friendly. I experienced a slight but noticeable improvement of my mood and will to do things. I have been sick once since taking these and I started them back in March so I would consider this to be an improvement in comparison to when I did not take them. I would say I was indeed satisfied with my immune system improvement. Recently I have been experiencing moderate joint pain which is a reason why I am choosing a different multi afterwards.
Again, because of the dosage, this supplement does have a pretty good value compared to other multivitamins. I am able to get a 60 day supply of these in amazon for under $20 which is pretty affordable. For a good quality multivitamin such as this I would say the price is fair to say the least.
You do get the neon yellow urine as a result of taking the multi. I don't have any particular problem with this. It doesn't make pee smell bad or anything.
Perhaps the overall I am choosing seems a bit low but the thing is it mainly comes down to the effectiveness of products to me. Don't get me wrong I loved Opti-men and consider it to be a top notch multi but I think I need a multi that has some joint support. If I did not have any joint issues this would definitely be my multivitamin of choice and I highly recommend it to others. I am now going to try Orange Triad by Controlled Labs but if I am not satisfied with it I will return to using Opti-men.
Hi. I hope you will find my review of Optimum Nutrition 's Opti-Men Multivitamin useful.
First some background: I'm a regular guy, who works full-time at a desk-job. I've been in grad school the past three years and hadn't been working out at all, aside from the once a month I may go to the gym so I wouldn't feel guilty about spending money on a membership I wasn't using. I finished my degree last year and after a couple months of sleep, I decided to get back into the gym - this was July 2012.
The first month I was a sorry excuse for a man. I struggled at everything, 10 minutes of cardio winded me, I couldn't bench more than 88lbs without feeling like my arms would give out. I felt depressed that the things I used to be able to do seemed so far out of my reach: I used to bench 221 lbs for 8 reps, squat 309 lbs for 6 reps clean at a body weight of 165 lbs so I wasn't too bad not so long ago.
I started seaching the internet for advice and found this site using google. I read through it for a full month before I bought anything. So, at two months into my workouts I purchased the Opti-Men for $18.19, 180 Tablets, a 2 month supply. I think that's a cheap / cost effective proce that can't be beat.
Here is my experience with it.
I'm 5' 9", I weighed 175lbs, and I was 40 when I started to use Opti-Men. I have no problems swallowing the three tablets, I don't think they are large, and I don't think there's any real after-taste. I typically take them in the morning immediately after breakfast, and there's no upset stomach.
Before I took them I was going to the gym 3 times a week, 1 hour sessions: 30 cardio, 30 weights.
My first week, I noticed I was more alert at work, my energy stayed even throughout the day, and I peed bright yellow - a little shocking but I got used to it. I looked forward to my gym workout, instead of having to force myself to go and I found myself wanting to stay there longer. So I did.
My workouts gradually increased to where they are today: 4 times a week, 1 hour and 30 minutes per session - 1 hour of cardio, 30 minutes of weights. I've upped my bench to 105lbs and I'm confident I can keep increasing gradually till I get to a place I'm happy with.
I've also dropped 2 lbs. Another effect I noticed, I no longer feel drained at the end of my workout, although I may have muscle soreness, and most times I end my workout because of time constraints rather than feeling like I can't do more. And, finally I think I recover a bit faster on days I may push myself a little harder because I remember my joints and muscles feeling sore for days, and now it's just maybe a day of soreness.
I've used three full bottles - a six month supply - and I'm on my fourth, so I"m pretty sure of how much they helped me maintain my energy. I've used nothing else since I started back on my workouts. Losing a couple lbs was the result of consistently working out, because I've made no changes to my diet and I think these multi-vitamins have a lot to do with keeping me energetic and this keeps motivated and in a positive frame of mind.
As to how I chose my ratings:
Value - I couldn't see a better price for any other highly rated multi-vitamin, so I chose 10.
Effectiveness - I chose a 9 because although I had a great experience, I haven't tried all multi-vitamins so I thought a 9 was a good compromise.
Overall - had to be a 9, although maybe a 9 1/2 would be mathematically correct.
In closing I'll say I decided to write this review, even though it's on a product many have reviewed before, for a couple reasons:
1. I found this site to be so valubale to me I wanted to give something back.
2. Before I stopped working out I used GNC MultiPak Vitamins. From what I recall, those never gave me the balanced energy these give me and those GNC vitamins were expensive, so maybe I can save someone a few bucks they can invest in something else.
I'll stick with these for a long time, unless something else comes along that beats it. I honestly had no expectations, just some hope, and this delivered all I could ask for. Aside from the yellow pee, I've had no side effects.
I would recommend this product to anyone, and I just bought a 4 month supply for my parents, who are both in their 60s.
I discovered Optimum Nutrition 's Opti-Men Multivitamin as I was lying in bed one night fed up with cheap multivitamins from Walmart that offer false promises and usually overcharge for a product that doesn't contain enough of each vitamin/mineral for athletes. I decided to research multivitamins, and after many hours of research I noticed that one name frequently reappeared: Optimum Nutrition's Opti-men multivitamin. I was also aware of Optimum's reputation, so naturally I had to give it a shot!
I decided to write this review because I had lost 40 pounds from running, and I wanted to do more than just lose fat, I wanted to be in better overall health (and feel better); what better place to start than a good multivitamin? I knew of the importance of a good multivitamin, and this did not disappoint.
Overall: 9/10
I ordered this with great anticipation. When it came, I could immediately feel it. My hair, skin, and nails were healthier (and grew faster), I felt more energy, and I just felt better overall. I definitely recommend this in anyone's cabinet. IMPORTANT: If you do not drink enough water your urine WILL BE NEON YELLOW!
Value: 9/10
I got the 180 count bottle for something like $16-18 on Amazon. For the effectiveness of this product, you can't beat that. The multivitamins at Walmart that claim to be complete, but don't give you but a portion of what you need daily are around $12-15. Don't waste your money on those, buy these!
Taste: 6/10
A lot of people don't like the taste of these multivitamins. It's not my favorite taste ever, but its really not that bad. It is definitely better tasting than GNC 's MegaMen Sport (I can't even stand to smell those). If you down it with a meal and a good chug of water, you will be fine! I also might add that I have never experienced any aftertaste!
Effectiveness: 9/10
I'm going to reiterate how effect I've found this product. I've used Men's One-A-Day from Walmart, Centrum's Complete from Walmart, GNC's MegaMen Sport & Energy, and I can honestly say that only GNC's multivitamin even came close to giving me the overall good health and feel that Opti-Men gives. And even it doesn't really compare. This is the multivitamin that I still use, and I was hooked after the first week. My entire suite uses this product!
My diet was fairly good (low sugar, high protein ), and I hit the gym 5 days a week and do cardio for 30 minutes 3 times a week, and this product kept me going (even on mornings when I didn't want to get up)!
I think the large amount of positive reviews plus Optimum Nutrition's great reputation make this a must-have for any serious athlete/person wanting good general health. If you are looking for a multivitamin that works, and makes you feel great, I can honestly say there is NO other product I would use over this one.
Let me start by acknowledging Optimum Nutrition ; let another fantastic product that brings quality and performance to athletes.
I've tried quite a few multi-vitamins when my trainer last year expressed the body's vital need for such nutrients, and the daily boost that MV's give. I tried some of BodyStrongs MV's, but realized all too soon that these "one-a-days" didn't give much of a kick, and I really didn't feel anything. Then i switched to Animal Pak. As most of you realize, it's eleven pills. I was shocked at first, and then i went into a phase where I would just stare at them in disbelief before i chocked them down. While taking Animal Pak, i felt the effects, but it became grueling at 05:00 to take eleven pills. I'm very happy to have switched to Opti-Men because of the day-long effects and feelings. Here are a few upfront pro's that i immediately noticed:
An improved "Good" mood at the start of every day. Natural joy and contentment whereas usually I started out being beat and tired after my morning workout.
After a good week or two of being in your system, you'll start feeling the effects of enhanced energy levels throughout the day. And what athlete does not appreciate that.
Opti-men advises three pills a day, one pill per meal. That's one easy to swallow pill, in comparison to a varied arsenal of eleven pills from Animal-Pak.
Lastly, it's a fantastic bargain price-wise. I went to AllStarHealth .com to get mine, $20.00 for 180 tablets. That's a good strong month.
Also, not really included in the pro's, but a definite booster, is the Phyto-blend, which is great, and deeply appreciative.
Hope this review was helpful for someone either hoping to switch over to Opti-men, or someone looking for a worthwhile multi-vitamin to start on. I highly recommend it.
Cheers.