Animal Pak is a multivitamin pack from Universal Nutrition built for people who lift heavy and train often. Each pack holds 11 tablets with over 60 ingredients: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, enzymes, herbs, and liver support. You take one or two packs a day with a meal.
It has been around long enough that a lot of veteran lifters know it on sight. If you've seen it on a gym bag or a kitchen counter and wondered what's in it, here's the plain version, plus who it fits and who should skip it.
What Is Animal Pak?
Universal calls Animal Pak "The True Original since 1983," and says the pack format is what launched the whole Animal brand. Ask the older guys at your gym about it. Odds are they know the box well.
The idea is simple. Instead of buying a multivitamin, a mineral formula, an amino product, and a few extras, you open one pack and take it with breakfast. It's meant to be the base of a supplement plan, not the flashy part.
- Universal Animal Pak, 44 Packs: 11 tablets per pack, over 60 ingredients, made for hard-training lifters and people dieting for a show.
What's in Animal Pak Vitamins?
Universal groups the formula into a "Complete Performance Complex." According to the product description, each pack covers:
- Vitamins: the daily basics, aimed at people with higher training demands
- Minerals: the other half of the foundation
- Amino acids: the building blocks of protein
- Antioxidants: part of what Universal calls health and immune support
- Enzymes: listed alongside the aminos as part of the core complex
- Liver support: included in every pack, not sold as a separate bottle
- Herbs and performance ingredients: the extras that make it more than a basic multi
Want exact amounts of a specific vitamin or mineral? Check the supplement facts panel on the box. Every tablet and dose is listed there, and it's the only place you should trust for numbers.
How to Take Animal Pak
The label keeps it simple:
- Take 1 to 2 packs with breakfast or any other meal.
- Drink plenty of water with it.
- Two packs a day is suggested for people who compete or train at a higher intensity.
The 44-pack box lasts 44 days at one pack a day, or 22 days at two. Take it with food. Eleven tablets on an empty stomach is not how you want to start your morning.
Animal Pak Pills vs. Powder
Not a pill person? Animal Pak also comes as a flavored powder you mix into a drink. Universal says it can go right into the same shaker as your whey protein.
- Universal Animal Pak Powder: 30 servings. Take 1 to 2 scoops in 6 to 12 oz of your drink of choice with a meal, with two scoops suggested for competitors and high-intensity training.
| Animal Pak Packs | Animal Pak Powder | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 11 tablets per pack | Flavored powder |
| Servings per container | 44 packs | 30 servings |
| Daily use | 1 to 2 packs with a meal | 1 to 2 scoops with a meal |
| Best for | Grab-and-go, travel, no mixing | People who hate swallowing pills |
Animal Pak vs. Other Multivitamins
Animal Pak isn't the only pack in town, and it isn't the right fit for everyone. Here's how it compares to a few other options we carry.
- Myogenix Myovite: another 44-packet daily formula. It adds 5,000 IU of vitamin D3, 2,310mg of beta-alanine, joint support (MSM, glucosamine, and chondroitin), greens, and probiotics. Take 1 to 2 packets a day with a meal that has some fat in it. It contains shellfish, milk, and soy.
- Optimum Nutrition Opti-Men: 3 tablets a day with food, 75+ active ingredients, including 25 vitamins and minerals. Note that it contains shellfish (oyster) ingredients.
- Optimum Nutrition Opti-Women: 2 capsules a day with food, 23 vitamins and minerals plus 17 specialty ingredients, with 18mg of iron and 600mcg of folic acid.
| Animal Pak | Myovite | Opti-Men / Opti-Women | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Packs or powder | Packets | Tablets or capsules |
| Daily serving | 1 to 2 packs (11 tablets each) | 1 to 2 packets with a meal | 2 capsules (Women) or 3 tablets (Men) |
| Extras beyond a multi | Aminos, enzymes, herbs, liver support | Beta-alanine, joint support, greens, probiotics | Botanicals, plus aminos and enzymes in Opti-Men |
| Best for | Heavy training and contest prep | Lifters who want joint and gut extras built in | Fewer pills, simpler routine |
Who Animal Pak Is For
- Lifters who train hard and often. That's who Universal built it for.
- People dieting down for a show. Strict, repetitive diets like chicken and rice leave less variety on the plate, and a broad formula helps cover the basics.
- Anyone who wants one simple daily habit. Open a pack, take it with breakfast, done.
- Old-school lifters who already trust it. If it has been working for you for years, there's no reason to switch.
Who Should Skip It
- People already taking a multivitamin. Animal Pak is a multivitamin and then some. Stacking it on top of another multi means doubling up on the same vitamins and minerals. Pick one.
- Anyone who hates swallowing pills. Eleven tablets per pack is a lot. Try the powder or a 2 to 3 pill multi instead.
- Casual or brand-new gym-goers on a budget. If you train a couple of times a week and eat a varied diet, a basic multi likely covers you. Put the money toward protein and food.
- Anyone who is pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking medication, or managing a medical condition. Talk to your doctor before starting any high-potency formula.
Common Questions
How many pills are in an Animal Pak?
Each pack has 11 tablets. At the label's two-pack serving for high-intensity training, that's 22 tablets a day.
Is Animal Pak good for women?
Nothing in the product description limits it to men. If you'd rather have a women-specific formula with fewer pills, Opti-Women is a solid alternative.
Animal Pak or Myovite: which is better?
Neither is better for everyone. Animal Pak is the long-running classic with aminos, enzymes, and liver support. Myovite builds in beta-alanine, joint support, and probiotics. Pick the one whose extras match what you actually need.
Can I take Animal Pak with my other supplements?
Universal designed it to be the foundation under the rest of your stack. Just check your other products for overlap, especially another multivitamin or a separate vitamin D or mineral formula, so you're not doubling up.
Does Animal Pak have side effects?
Some people feel off if they take a big multivitamin on an empty stomach. Follow the label: take it with a meal and plenty of water. If you take medication or have a medical condition, check with your doctor first.
The Bottom Line
Animal Pak is the old-school foundation pack: one or two packs a day with a meal, covering vitamins, minerals, aminos, and more for people who train hard. If you already take a multi or can't stand swallowing pills, skip it or go with the powder.
Want to compare packs side by side? Stop by any Get Yok'd store in Burbank, Glendale, the Glendale Galleria, North Hollywood, Pasadena, or Northridge. Or shop all multivitamins online.
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.
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