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Front of Legion Pulse Pre-Workout Blue Raspberry 20-serving tub

Pulse Pre-Workout

Fully dosed and naturally sweetened: 8 g citrulline malate, 3.6 g beta-alanine and a hefty 350 mg of caffeine balanced by 350 mg of L-theanine.

8.3

Good

Nutrition Reviews score

Weighted across efficacy, quality, value, experience & transparency. See breakdown

Form
Powder
Serving
2 scoops
Servings
20
Per serving
$2.50
Third-party testedcGMP facility
Sugar-free
Check price on AmazonBuy from the brand$49.99

We may earn a commission when you buy through these links — it never affects our scores. How we make money

Last reviewed September 29, 2026 by the Nutrition Reviews Editorial Team · How we review

Our verdict

Pulse is an excellent choice for experienced lifters who want clinically dosed ingredients, independent lab testing and no artificial sweeteners. The 350 mg caffeine serving is strong, so most people should start with one scoop, and the regular price is high unless you catch a sale.

Best for

  • Experienced lifters who tolerate high caffeine
  • People avoiding artificial sweeteners and dyes
  • Buyers who value independent lab testing

Skip it if

  • Caffeine-sensitive users at the full serving
  • Budget shoppers paying full price
  • Drug-tested athletes who need NSF or Informed Sport certification

How it scored

Our five-factor score out of 10. Factors are weighted by how much they matter to the outcome you’re paying for. Methodology

8.3
Good

out of 10

  • Efficacy30%8.8

    Key ingredients at clinically studied doses, and how strong the evidence is.

  • Quality & Purity25%8.5

    Third-party testing and certifications, manufacturing standards, contaminant testing, recall history.

  • Value20%7.0

    Cost per effective serving compared with category peers.

  • Experience15%8.2

    Taste, mixability, texture and tolerability from aggregated buyer and creator feedback.

  • Transparency10%9.3

    Full label disclosure (no proprietary blends), available COAs, honest marketing.

Our review

Pulse is the flagship pre-workout from Legion Athletics, the Florida supplement company founded by fitness author Mike Matthews. A full two-scoop serving delivers 8 g of citrulline malate, 3.6 g of beta-alanine, 2.5 g of betaine, 300 mg of alpha-GPC (50%) and a matched 350 mg of caffeine with 350 mg of L-theanine. Legion lists every dose with no proprietary blends, and a tub holds 20 full servings.

The ingredient choices are well supported. Citrulline malate at 8 g sits in the middle of the range used in performance studies, beta-alanine at 3.6 g clears the 3.2 g daily minimum, and betaine at 2.5 g matches the dose used in strength research. The 1:1 caffeine-to-theanine ratio is a thoughtful touch, since theanine may take the edge off caffeine's jitters while supporting attention.

The caveat is the stimulant load. At 350 mg, a full serving has more caffeine than most competitors, and Legion itself suggests half a serving for smaller or caffeine-sensitive users. Half a serving still delivers meaningful doses and stretches a tub to 40 uses.

Pulse is sweetened with stevia and erythritol and made without artificial dyes. Legion publishes Labdoor testing for purity and label accuracy and manufactures in NSF-certified, cGMP facilities, although Pulse does not carry a sport-specific certification such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport. At a regular price of $49.99 for 20 servings (about $2.50 per full serving) it is one of the pricier options, though it was on sale for $34.99 when we checked.

What’s inside

Key ingredientPer serving
Citrulline malate

Mid-range of the 4–10 g studied for blood flow, training volume and fatigue.

8,000 mg
Beta-alanine

Clears the 3.2 g daily minimum studied for high-intensity endurance; may cause tingling.

3,600 mg
Betaine anhydrous

Derived: Legion lists 15,100 mg of total actives, and the other five ingredients account for 12,600 mg. Matches the dose used in strength studies.

2,500 mg
Caffeine

A high dose; effective for output but too much for many users at a full serving.

350 mg
L-Theanine

Paired 1:1 with caffeine, a combination studied for attention and smoother energy.

350 mg
Alpha-GPC (50%)

Provides about 150 mg of alpha-GPC, a choline source with modest evidence for focus and power.

300 mg

Flavors & variants

Blue RaspberryFruit PunchArctic BlastGreen ApplePink LemonadeSour CandyTropical PunchWatermelon

Testing & quality

States that products are tested in ISO 17025-accredited labs and links certificates of analysis; Whey+ is certified by Labdoor, and two Whey+ flavors are listed as NSF/ANSI 173 contents-certified.

Creator video reviews

Independent creators reviewing Pulse Pre-Workout on TikTok and YouTube.

3 positive0 mixed0 critical

Pros & cons

What we like

  • Clinical doses of citrulline malate (8 g), beta-alanine (3.6 g) and betaine (2.5 g)
  • 1:1 caffeine to L-theanine ratio for smoother energy
  • Naturally sweetened (stevia, erythritol) with no artificial dyes
  • Labdoor-tested for purity and label accuracy; made in NSF-certified cGMP facilities
  • Very wide flavor range (more than 20 flavors on Amazon)

Watch-outs

  • 350 mg caffeine per full serving is too strong for many people
  • About $2.50 per full serving at the regular price
  • No sport-specific certification such as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport
  • Amazon listing carries a California Prop 65 warning for lead

Questions buyers ask

How many scoops is a serving of Legion Pulse?
A full serving is two scoops, which provides 350 mg of caffeine and the full doses on the label. Legion recommends starting with one scoop in 10–12 ounces of water to assess tolerance. Used one scoop at a time, a 20-serving tub stretches to roughly 40 workouts.
Is Legion Pulse third-party tested?
Yes. Legion says Pulse is lab-tested for purity and label accuracy and certified by Labdoor, and it links to the Labdoor results on its product page. It is made in NSF-certified, FDA-inspected cGMP facilities. It is not listed as NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport, which some tested athletes require.
Does Pulse contain artificial sweeteners or dyes?
No. Pulse is sweetened with stevia and erythritol and flavored with natural flavors, with no artificial sweeteners or food dyes according to Legion. Some people notice a slight stevia aftertaste compared with sucralose-sweetened pre-workouts, but many reviewers still rate the flavors highly.
Sources we checked (4)
  1. 1.legionathletics.com/products/supplements/pulse/
  2. 2.legionathletics.com/wp-json/wc/store/v1/products?search=pulse&per_page=20
  3. 3.legionathletics.com/about/
  4. 4.amazon.com/dp/B06XC5XTRQ

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Read the research

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Nutrition Reviews Editorial Team · Sep 28, 2026