Ghost is one of the most popular workout supplement companies out there, and Ghost Legend Pre-Workout has its hard-core fans. But it’s time for Pre-Workout World to find out if Ghost Legend really lives up to its hype with our own review.
Ghost Legend Pre-Workout – a Best Pre-Workout for Beginners
Our reviews are based on testing with our unique, multi-point methodology. We may earn a commission on your purchase of some products.
Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Overall Score:
| Function | Primary Ingredients in Ghost Legend | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Caffeine Anhydrous | 80 |
| Focus | Caffeine, L-Tyrosine, Alpha-GPC, Rauwolfia vomitoria | 80 |
| Pump | L-Citrulline, L-Taurine, Nitrosigine | 80 |
| Endurance | Beta-Alanine, Senactive | 90 |
| Mood | L-Tyrosine, Alpha-GPC | 60 |
| Strength & Body Comp | Theobromine | 45 |
| Flavors | 6 flavors as of this review | 100 |
| Ingredient Quality | Good ingredient selection, but no electrolytes or strength ingredients | 80 |
| Feel/Vibe | Good beta-alanine tingles, dialed-in and focused | 90 |
| Overall Score | | 80 |
Well, I’m glad to say Ghost Legend is a darn good pre-workout, with a formula that makes it really effective for regular use. It checks all the boxes – well-dosed, proven ingredients, good flavors, and solid performance. I had all the energy, focus, and pumps I would want from a pre-workout.
We rate products based on factors including:
- Ingredients: Are they scientifically researched? Are they correctly dosed?
- Flavors: Do you have good choices? Are they enjoyable?
- Overall Effect: Do we see an effect on our workout?
Pre-Workout World’s team of fitness enthusiasts, multi-sport athletes, and experts want to point you to the pre-workout product that will get you through your routine at the highest level.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Its sole purpose is to educate and inform. Consult a licensed healthcare provider before beginning any fitness or nutritional program.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
I really love Ghost’s packaging. In a world where companies are either afraid to stand out or go way too far to stand out, Ghost is just doing their thing, and I’m here for it. The fun colors, the unique lettering, and the little ghost logo – Ghost makes fun packaging.
The fun extends even to the seal, which has its own cool design. The seal comes off smoothly, but not so easily that I’m worried it’s not sealed.
Opening up the package is my first sign that I’m in for a treat. The smell immediately says “peach,” and it doesn’t burn my nose like a lot of other pres.
Another check mark for Ghost Legend – the scoop is designed to fit into the top of the tub, so it can’t fall in and get swallowed up by the powder. Smart idea there.
THE FIRST SIP of Ghost Legend Pre-Workout
As a very fine powder, Ghost Legend mixed up great. I take the recommended serving of two scoops in 8oz of water.
Take the first sip and – holy cow. That is a good pre-workout flavor. Ghost offers some out-there flavors, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with peach, and I’m happy to see I was right. It tastes like peach, with just the right mix of sweet and tart, and it doesn’t have an aftertaste.
Heck, I’d drink this just for the flavor.
The mixture is great, too. It stays in suspension and doesn’t settle out to quickly.
BIG 3 CORE INGREDIENTS in Ghost Legend Pre-Workout
For Pre-Workout World reviews, I like to focus first on the Big 3 ingredients:
- Caffeine
- Citrulline
- Beta-Alanine
These are the building blocks of a good pre-workout, as far as I’m concerned. I want to see focus ingredients, pump ingredients, strength support, and all of that. But they have to get the Big 3 right to get my attention.
| Product | Caffeine | Citrulline | Beta-Alanine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Legend Pre-Workout | 250mg | 4g | 3.2g |
ENERGY INGREDIENTS IN GHOST LEGEND
If you’re an unmitigated stim junkie you might look at Ghost Legend and be a little disappointed to see 250mg of caffeine. There are a lot of us out there who want to see the highest dose we can take without cardiac damage.
So from that perspective, 250mg is pretty mild. That’s why Ghost also includes other energy ingredients in Legend that have an impact, like 100mg of theobromine. A derivative of cacao, theobromine has been shown in studies to have similar effects to caffeine, with fewer side effects.
If the caffeine was dosed higher, I’d be worried about getting jittery with added theobromine, but the balance seems to be right. I felt a very high energy, very dialed into my workout, but not shaky. I didn’t feel a crash when it wore off either. When it comes to energy, I think Ghost Legend has hit on a good combo.
ENDURANCE INGREDIENTS in Ghost Legend PreWorkout
At Pre-Workout World, we look at beta-alanine as one of the Big 3 for pre workout supplements, so we have to know if Ghost Legend has a solid dosage. At 3.2g, the beta-alanine in Legend is right in line with what we would see as an optimal dose – enough to give you some noticeable endurance, but not enough that your skin crawls. (Note that 4g is usually the optimal dose for testing.)
Because that is the main complaint with beta-alanine – if you love it, it’s the “tingles,” but if you hate it, it’s a full-body ick.
I’m glad to say, the beta-alanine effect kicks in quick, lasts the duration of a solid 45-50-minute workout, but is not overwhelming. It’s not like the insane 5 or 6g doses you get with some pre-workouts, but if you’re sensitive to beta, you’re going to feel it. For some athletes, that’s a deal-breaker, so you have to know that about yourself.
For endurance, Ghost Legend also includes 50mg of Senactive, a patented mixture of extracts from Rosa roxburghii (fruit) and Panax notoginseng (root). To be real, it’s hard to say how effective these extracts are on their own. The beta-alanine effect is strong enough on its own, and much more obvious as far as feeling.
PUMP INGREDIENTS in Ghost Legend Pre-Workout
Ghost Legend has put up a decent showing for pump ingredients. L-citrulline is one of our Big 3, but with just 4g of citrulline, Legend is shorting us just a little – our optimal dose is twice that at 8g.
However, don’t give up on Ghost. They’re not dosing the L-citrulline super high, but they’re including some other scientifically tested, proven ingredients in the mix.
With Ghost Legend, you’re getting 1g of taurine, which is right in the middle of the dosages typically tested (1-2g). Testing has shown taurine to have some positive effects on performance, especially blood flow and endurance.
Ghost also includes Nitrosigine, an NO-boosting arginine supplement. Nitrosigine has tested well with some small-scale studies, and shows positive effects on blood flow and pump.
With all these ingredients, Ghost Legend didn’t give me an outrageous pump, but it was good. A healthy blood flow and feeling fully engaged and strong enough to keep going one more round.
STRENGTH INGREDIENTS in Ghost Legend Pre-Workout
The main place where Ghost could stand to improve their product, when it comes to Legend, is with strength support. When we think strength ingredients for a pre-workout, we think:
- Creatine
- Betaine anhydrous
- Theobromine
With Ghost Legend, the only one of those you get is theobromine, and really, that’s more of an energy booster than a muscle builder.
It’s a little bit of a letdown. When we choose a pre-workout, we really want the most comprehensive we can get. Personally, I don’t want to pile on a bunch of supplements – I want it contained in one serving.
Basically, if Ghost Legend would include some creatine or betaine, it would make for a more well-rounded supplement.
FOCUS INGREDIENTS in Ghost Legend Pre-Workout
Focus is key to a good workout. If you’re zoning out, you’re not working effectively. That’s why we always look for nootropics and other focus ingredients. Of course, Ghost Legend has caffeine, but what else?
I like to see L-tyrosine, but Legend only has 1g. Studies have shown 2g to be the optimal dose, and I’d be happier to even see 1.5g. L-tyrosine is a proven enhancer, and low dosing doesn’t do anybody any favors.
Ghost also jumps on the Alpha-GPC bandwagon with 300mg. That’s the optimal dose, so I have to give them that. There are studies that show some benefits for alpha-GPC, mainly with focus, but it’s less well-supported than L-tyrosine.
Lastly, 1.5mg of Rauwolfia vomitoria is an optimal dosage of an extract that is actually showing some promise – in mice and rats. In humans, the jury is still out, but in all fairness, it’s been used in traditional medicine for a long time.
All in all, focus was fine on Ghost Legend, and I felt a sense of urgency that probably comes from the Alpha-GPC. I can’t say that there was any extreme sense of focus, though, just that my mind didn’t wander.
ELECTROLYTE INGREDIENTS in Ghost Legend Pre-Workout
Ghost didn’t bother to put any electrolyte ingredients in Legend, which bothers me to some degree. It’s not that electrolytes are hard to get elsewhere – it’s just that, like I said earlier, if I’m taking a pre-workout I want it to be pretty comprehensive.
Even a little sodium or potassium would tell me Ghost is looking out for all aspects of my workout. It’s not too much to ask.
FLAVORS of Ghost Legend
One thing Ghost has become well known for is its flavors. They have a lot of branded and corporate tie-in flavors like Sour Patch Kids and Warheads. It’s a large and ever-rotating list of flavors that include:
- Sonic Cherry Limeade
- Sour Patch Kids Redberry
- Lemon Crush
- Blue Raspberry
- Warheads Sour Watermelon
- Welch’s Grape
I tested one of their more traditional flavors, though – Peach. And it was good. I would drink this as a treat.
SWEETENERS IN GHOST LEGEND
There are two main sweeteners you’ll see in pre-workouts because most companies avoid any empty, unnecessary calories. So we see with Ghost Legend the typical two: sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
Both sucralose and ace K tend to give users a bitter aftertaste (or even bitter taste-taste), but I did not experience that with Ghost Legend. In fact, the peach flavor was just peachy. Now, a real peach has a little sourness and bitterness built in, so maybe I was just expecting it.
At any rate, if you hate artificial sweeteners and feel like they’re bitter on your tongue, you may find yourself having to avoid basically every pre-workout. Or get over it and chug.
DOES GHOST LEGEND HAVE ANY SIDE EFFECTS?
Ghost Legend is dosed well enough that I doubt many users would feel side effects from ingredients like caffeine or beta-alanine. That depends on individual preferences and sensitivities, though.
If you’re sensitive to caffeine, Legend still has a high enough dose that you might not feel great from it. And, again, even though the beta-alanine is at a moderate dose, people who are put off by the tingle are going to be put off.
Personally, I didn’t feel a big crash like from a high-stim pre, and I didn’t get any jitters or shakiness. Ghost Legend is a pretty even-keeled product, and that’s the way I would suggest using it.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Ghost Legend is an excellent preworkout that most athletes could probably use daily. You could use this four days a week and not get tired of it.
Ghost Legend could be a good entry-level product for someone getting into pre-workouts, or a trusted, old reliable for fitness lovers and all-around athletes. It’s not going to satisfy hard-core stim junkies or endurance athletes taking it to the edge, but if you want a good workout feeling your best, Ghost Legend is a solid choice.
WHAT WE LOVE about Ghost Legend
- Packaging is great
- Good dosages of caffeine and beta-alanine
- Fantastic flavor
WHAT WE’D IMPROVE in Ghost Legend
- Add electrolytes
- Add more strength ingredients
WHO IS GHOST LEGEND FOR?
- Average athletes who want to get the job done
- Aerobic-focused athletes
WHO IS GHOST LEGEND NOT FOR?
- Stim junkies
- Heavy weight lifting
- PRing or maxing
Scientific Studies
- Eva Martínez-Pinilla, Ainhoa Oñatibia-Astibia, and Rafael Franco. The relevance of theobromine for the beneficial effects of cocoa consumption
- Eric T. Trexler, Abbie E. Smith-Ryan, Jeffrey R. Stout, Jay R. Hoffman, Colin D. Wilborn, Craig Sale, Richard B. Kreider, Ralf Jäger, Conrad P. Earnest, Laurent Bannock, Bill Campbell, Douglas Kalman, Tim N. Ziegenfuss, and Jose Antonio. International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine
- Timothy D. Allerton, David N. Proctor, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Tammy R. Dugas, Guillaume Spielmann, and Brian A. Irving. L-Citrulline Supplementation: Impact on Cardiometabolic Health
- Jennifer A. Kurtz, Trisha A. VanDusseldorp, J. Andrew Doyle & Jeffrey S. Otis. Taurine in sports and exercise
- Jeffrey M. Rogers, Joshua Gills, and Michelle Gray. Acute effects of Nitrosigine® and citrulline malate on vasodilation in young adults
- Javier Zaragoza, Grant Tinsley, Stacie Urbina, Katelyn Villa, Emily Santos, Angelie Juaneza, Matthias Tinnin, Cory Davidson, Susan Mitmesser, Zhiying Zhang, and Lem Taylor. Effects of acute caffeine, theanine and tyrosine supplementation on mental and physical performance in athletes
- Adam G Parker, Allyn Byars, Martin Purpura, and Ralf Jäger. The effects of alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine, caffeine or placebo on markers of mood, cognitive function, power, speed, and agility
- Christina Kuhn, Bernd Bufe, Marcel Winnig, Thomas Hofmann, Oliver Frank, Maik Behrens, Tatjana Lewtschenko, Jay P. Slack, Cynthia D. Ward, and Wolfgang Meyerhof. Bitter Taste Receptors for Saccharin and Acesulfame K
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Other Ingredients
- Arginine Silicate 1.5 g
- Senactiv 500 mg
- AstraGin 50 mg
- Rauwolfia Root Extract 1.5 mg
Ingredients
- L-Citrulline 4 g
- Beta-alanine 3.2 g
- L-Tyrosine 1 g
- Taurine 1 g
- Alpha GPC 300 mg
- Caffeine 250 mg
- Theobromine 100 mg
