Pulse Pre-Workout

Name: Legion Athletics Pulse Pre-Workout
Brand: Legion Athletics
Price: 44.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Worth BuyingPre-Workout-2 Hype

A fully dosed, no-proprietary-blend pre-workout from the brand founded by evidence-based fitness author Mike Matthews. High caffeine (350mg), clinical doses of citrulline and beta-alanine. Legitimate, but the caffeine is aggressive.

82/ 100

Biorank Score

Independently ranked

82/ 100

Biorank Score

Independently ranked by Biorank Laboratories

Our Verdict

Worth Buying

Legion Pulse earns strong formulation and transparency marks for using clinical doses with full disclosure. The 2-point hype penalty reflects the aggressive 350mg caffeine dose — this exceeds the optimal range for most users and is arguably a stimulant play rather than a performance play. The evidence-based marketing from Mike Matthews is generally honest, but the high caffeine contributes to perceived 'effectiveness' beyond what the other ingredients deliver. Value score is moderate at $2.25/serving.

Key Findings

Uses pure L-citrulline (not malate) at 8g — potentially more citrulline per gram than malate forms
2-point hype penalty: 350mg caffeine exceeds the evidence-based optimal range for most users
Full ingredient transparency — every dose disclosed, no proprietary blends
Only 20 servings per container makes effective cost $2.25/serving — above average for pre-workouts
L-theanine at 350mg is a smart addition to smooth the aggressive caffeine dose

Evidence Analysis

Legion Pulse uses clinically dosed ingredients with published evidence. L-citrulline at 8g (note: pure citrulline, not citrulline malate) may be more effective than the malate form per gram. Beta-alanine at 3.6g matches the ISSN position stand (Trexler et al., 2015). Caffeine at 350mg is at the upper end of ergogenic doses — Goldstein et al. (2010) meta-analysis supports 3-6mg/kg bodyweight, and 350mg exceeds that for most individuals under 80kg. Alpha-GPC at 300mg has preliminary evidence for power output (Ziegenfuss et al., 2008). Theanine at 350mg is included to smooth the caffeine response (Haskell et al., 2008).

Ingredient Breakdown

Ingredient	Dose	Effective Dose	Verdict
L-Citrulline	8g	6-8g	Optimal
Beta-Alanine	3.6g	3.2-6.4g	Optimal
Caffeine Anhydrous	350mg	150-300mg	Adequate
L-Theanine	350mg	100-400mg	Optimal
Alpha-GPC	300mg	300-600mg	Adequate

True Cost Analysis

Properly Dosed -- What You Pay Is What You Get

Listed Price

$2.25/serving

$67.50/month at 1 serving/day

True Cost Per Effective Dose

$2.25/effective dose

$67.50/month for effective dosing

Value Score

Decent value

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Where It Falls Short

350mg caffeine is too much for most people under 80kg — exceeds the 3-6mg/kg evidence-based range. At $2.25/serving with only 20 servings per container, this is one of the more expensive pre-workouts. Alpha-GPC at 300mg is below the 600mg used in power output studies. The high caffeine dose can cause anxiety, jitters, and sleep disruption if taken after 2pm. Only 20 servings per container means frequent repurchasing.