About
Pathogen is a pre-workout made by Outbreak Nutrition. It is intended to boost energy, heighten muscle pumps and increase focus.
Pathogen contains nine active ingredients. Of these, L-citrulline malate is a mix of malic acid and citrulline that is said to reduce fatigue and increase training volume. Alongside L-norvaline, citrulline malate may also help increase blood flow and intensify muscle pumps.
Both caffeine and choline could help increase focus and boost training volume in the gym, while theobromine is believed to increase nitric oxide for more intense muscle pumps.
Pathogen is – or has been – sold in four flavors: “Double Barrel Berry”, “War-Torn Melon”, “Agent Orange-Pineapple” and “Nuka Colada”.
MMAFreak –
Proven Ingredients In Effective Doses With Full Disclosure…What More Could You Want?
—-Introduction—-
Thank you to Outbreak Nutrition for their support of the Troop Program. They are a company that has recently caught my eye and I have been fortunate to try a few of their products lately. Pathogen is their entry into the over saturated world of pre-workout supplements. The industry as a whole is getting better and I would say that this product is one of the few out there that is really leading the way on changing things for the better.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
So as the title indicates we have a short list of proven ingredients in their effective dose range. As with all of their products there are no prop blends or kitchen sink tactics being deployed. So lets take a closer look at what makes Pathogen a well thought out product.
Starting off is a big old dose of Citrulline Malate at 6000mg. This is a compound that has been put in PWO’s for some time now and with good reason. There is sound science to back up the claims it makes about increasing blood flow as a vasodilator. Often you see Citrulline show up in doses of 1-2g but research shows that 6-8g is the effective dose range for maximum benefit.
Next up is a hearty 3200mg of Beta Alanine. So for people newer to using PWO’s this may give a pretty strong case of the BA tingles. But the benefits of Beta Alanine on muscle fatigue are well documented and definitely worth getting used to the tingles. And once again a compound present in a proven effective dose.
Choline Bitartrate shows up in a 500mg dose and has pretty sound science to back up its claims of enhanced energy and focus.
Next is Potassium Nitrate weighing in at 350mg. PN is a pump agent and has been the subject of a bit of controversy at times. Forum threads have popped up among various websites questioning the safety of using it in supplements or as a standalone. Really nitrates in general are the subject of mild controversy. I have never personally had any adverse effects to nitrates and I think that they add a nice element to the mix. And again it is present in its effective dose range.
Getting into the meat and potatoes of the stimulants you have 350mg of caffeine anhydrous and 125mg of theacrine. I am definitely stimulant tolerant and this was a pretty damn good shot in the arm for me. If you tend to have problems with jitters at higher doses you may want to avoid this one all together. Sure you could take a half a scoop but then you are cutting the rest of the compounds in half along with the stimulants.
An interesting addition in 100mg of Theobromine shows up and admittedly I don’t think I can recall taking any supplement that contains theobromine. When someone starts spouting out that it would be easier to OD on chocolate than cannabis they are actually saying it would be easier to OD on theobromine. It’s found naturally in chocolate (cacao) and is interesting because it shows some properties of a stimulant but unlike other stimulants is actually a vasodilator. There seems to be some conflict about exactly how much a person should take as it ranges from 50mg all the way up to 400mg depending on who you ask. But it would seem that 100mg is in the low end of the range.
Rounding out the profile is 100mg of Juglans Regia Extract. I knew pretty much zero about this compound so I took an hour to scan the web and see what I could find. The condensed version is that it mimics the molecular structure of synthetic DHMA which acts as a CNS stimulant to increase energy and mental alertness. Effective range is anywhere from 25mg-100mg.
So for the most part you have proven ingredients with not one of them failing to at least fall into the low end of the effective dose range. This one is good in my book.
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
As with all PWO’s the dosing is pretty straightforward. 30 minutes or so before you work out. I had the War-torn Melon and it took me straight back to my childhood on the first sip. The flavor is spot on with a watermelon jolly rancher and I mean spot on. Seeing as that was my favorite candy as a kid it gets a 10/10 on the taste for this flavor.
—-Effectiveness—-
Obviously there is a trend of high praise for Pathogen happening here and it isn’t going to stop in this section. This product just did it for me. Energy levels were sky high throughout long workouts and the pumps were noticeably enhanced. As stated before the stimulants are dosed generously so if you don’t do well with them then you might want to steer clear. But if you enjoy a hearty dose I would highly recommend picking up a tub of Pathogen. As a disclaimer I do want to mention something. I don’t use a PWO before every workout. I don’t think that anyone should honestly. I use them when I need an extra kick because I’m not feeling naturally pumped to get after it that day. But I have tried a LOT of PWO’s over the years and this one is among one of the best if not the best I have tried.
—-Value—-
I wish this were a more widely available supplement but unfortunately your only option online is their website. As of today it is retailing for $39.99 for 28 servings. That being said their website has a cool function where you can take a spin on a wheel for the potential of additional discounts. But I can’t count that since it is random. But even if you are taking 5 servings per week you will still get over a months worth of workouts for $40. Not bad when you consider that the profile is solid and the results are spectacular. Remember that value and price are not synonymous. Something that delivers great results at a higher price point has more value than no results at a rock bottom price point.
—-Side Effects—-
Other than a few instances of insane beta alanine tingles I have no negative sides to report.
—-Conclusion—-
Outbreak Nutrition is a company with a model that will carry them far. They put out fully disclosed products full of effectively dosed compounds at a reasonable price. Pathogen is a really standout product in a completely over saturated segment of the market. And seeing as they from time to time change their products based on customer feedback I would say they are highly customer service oriented.
bctuthill –
Getting motivated in the post-apocalyptic world can be hard, but this will help…
—-Quick Summary—-
Pathogen provided reliable clean energy to carry me through an entire workout without letting me down. It was one of the better tasting PWOs I’ve had in a while as well.
—-Introduction—-
Quick thanks to Outbreak for letting me review another one of their products. I think this one was probably the best I’ve tried from this company so far.
I usually lift early in the morning, often without enough sleep, and rely heavily on a good PWO to wake me up and get me going. I chose to give Pathogen a shot because of the solid dosages of caffeine and other stimulants balanced with TeaCrine, and because of the novel pump ingredients that actually had me both nervous and excited. Throughout my run of Pathogen my training was strictly strength-based with little to no formal cardio sessions, except for short rest periods between sets and exercises to keep my heart rate elevated.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
Outbreak opted for a fully disclosed label.
Citrulline Malate 2:1 (6g) – This is a very respectable dose of the old standby pump ingredient. Few people won’t respond to this much CM and in Pathogen, it only sets the foundation.
Beta Alanine (3.2g) – Another common staple, clinically dosed.
Choline Bitartrate (500mg) – I actually thought this one was out of place. While it’s touted for its ability to improve cognition and increase anaerobic exercise capacity, the studies I was able to find showed little effect even at this dose which is on the high side for daily supplementation.
Potassium Nitrate (350mg) – This is the ingredient that scared me. It’s a common preservative found in things like cured meats, but has recently begun to be used as a supplement for improving blood flow. That said, according to what I read it’s also very dangerous to work with. Food service workers need to use masks and cover their skin because inhaling it can cause nausea; it can irritate your skin and eyes and overall just sounds like a very nasty substance. I’m not sure how it’s being used safely in a powder based supplement, but I experienced none of the side effects I was concerned I might.
Caffeine Anhydrous (350mg) – I look for 300-400mg in the morning to get me up and running. I would not recommend this much if you lift at night and are sensitive to caffeine or stimulants in general.
TeaCrine (125mg) – Outbreak sprung for the good stuff here with TeaCrine theacrine. This did a great job at preventing jitters from the caffeine and other stimulants, and also prevented any crashing later on.
Theobromine (100mg) – One of my favorite supplements to take and to say, this is a stimulant that can also improve cognition and airflow, along with a host of other benefits not necessarily workout related. The dose here is low however, and it would be great to see it increased to 500mg.
Juglans Regia (100mg) – This is a natural source of DMHA and rounds out the stimulants in Pathogen. According to massivejones.com, natural sources of DMHA are more effective than synthetics DMHA. 100mg is considered a high dose from this natural source, also according to that site.
Overall this is a fairly straight forward ingredient panel aimed at providing steady energy and a solid pump. The only thing I’d like to see adjusted here is the Choline Bitartrate. To me it seems out of place among the other ingredients and I’d encourage Outbreak to consider removing it to increase the dose of Theobromine, or replacing it with something like Alpha GPC.
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
I received War-Torn Melon (watermelon) and was impressed. Towards the end of the bottle I did start to become pretty sick of it, but I suppose that’s to be expected. It was one of the better tasting PWOs I’ve taken overall, and I’m not usually a huge fan of watermelon flavor in general.
I usually mixed this without about 4-6oz of water, which is a little less than recommended, but didn’t find the flavor too strong and prefer to just get it down quickly anyway. Normally I’d drink this on my way out the front door, and about 15 minutes prior to beginning my warmup. I found that to be plenty of time for the ingredients to kick in and to begin feeling the beta tingles take effect.
—-Effectiveness—-
I was very impressed with how clean the energy was with Pathogen. I’ve been arriving at the gym by 4:30am lately to accommodate my wife’s schedule at the hospital, and while the first couple of days were a struggle, Pathogen definitely helped. It kicked in quickly and didn’t make me feel jittery at all despite the solid doses of caffeine and DMHA. The energy lasted well through my workout and on only a few occasions did I experience any sort of fall off that I’d consider to be a crash, and when I did it was usually around 9:30– about 5-5.5 hours after taking it.
As for the pumps, those were quite good as well and long lasting. I wouldn’t say that the Potassium Nitrate did much to aid in this– it may have helped in the longevity of the pump if anything. I usually get a great pump from CM alone and would probably prefer it to be accompanied by Arginine instead because of the health concerns. Or if Outbreak wants to use a more novel ingredient, I’d like to see it accompanied by OxyStorm (red spinach leaf extract), which I’ve only tried in one product and was thoroughly impressed by. Overall though, I’d still consider the pumps to be above average but I think mostly due to the CM.
One thing I didn’t notice was a ton of focus involved with the effects. I didn’t necessarily expect it considering the ingredient panel, but feel it is worth mentioning because of the number of people who do look for that effect in their PWO and who may expect it because of the Theobromine and Choline Bitartrate.
—-Value—-
The best price I found for this was $31.46 on Suppz.com using a priceplow 10% off coupon. That’s a great price point for this and definitely upped my value rating for this product. Being able to buy this normally around $35 would be reasonable as well without the coupon.
—-Side Effects—-
None. This includes bathroom breaks from the pump ingredients. I was really surprised to see this not become a factor at 6g of CM plus the Potassium Nitrate.
—-Conclusion—-
Overall I liked this product. I’d rank it in my top 5 PWOs overall I’d say, and easily recommend it to people looking for something to get them moving. It would be great to see a bit more focus involved, but that’s not really the intent of this. It’s unfortunate you probably can’t pair it with Outbreak’s Transmit because the caffeine content between the two would push you well over 700mg of caffeine in a single serving. In any case, I’d say give it a shot next time you’re in the market for a PWO. It’s affordable and works great!
Gdolce42 –
Pathogen will infect your bloodstream, but it can be cured!
—-Introduction—-
What’s up SR community I’m here for another review this time for Pathogen a PWO from Outbreak nutrition. Overall I thought it was an average PWO with average results. I felt the PWO working, but I never got the urge to perform the 4th or 5th set with the same intensity throughout the entire workout. It has ingredients I enjoy, but next time I think I’ll get a PWO that is more effective for me.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
L-citrulline malate (6000mg) – this is meant to accelerate ammonia clearing by decrease muscle pH which can contribute to fatigue during more intense workouts. During a 2010 study of male athletes the ones who took this supplement were shown to increase bench press reps by up to 50% more than the control group.
Beta alanine (3200mg) – one of those ingredients that gives you the extra boost you need to bust out the 8-12 reps that you want when your body says “no more”.
Choline Bitartrate (500mg) – there a certain amount of choline in your body and towards the end of workouts, especially intense workouts, you want more choline in your body to increase acetylcholine in your body. This will ultimately help you muscle use that NT to improve their work capacity during workouts. (bodybuilding.com)
Caffeine (350mg) – gives you energy of course!
Potassium Nitrate (350mg)
TeaCrine (125mg) – a natural energy supplement with similar effects to caffeine which is said to help improve energy, heighten mental focus, and improved motivation. (compoundsolutions.com)
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
In regards to taste I though it was decent. The flavor that I received was Agent Orange Pineapple, which I am not entirely sure what exactly it tasted like. It was good enough where I could drink it fairly quickly and by no means was dreading every sip. Dosing was average at 12.g for 1 scoop, and for this product the scoop was large which gave a lot of powder and therefore you need to use more water. It mixed well if you used the right amount, suggested 12-16oz)
—-Effectiveness—-
I think this PWO has great potential to get to the next level. I think that ingredients are solid and it is everything I really like in a PWO, well for the most part. I always take my PWO with a solid protein/breakfast shake before I go the gym at 7am. I usually don’t like to eat a lot right when I wake up and I feel the shake gives my stomach enough in it to not let the PWO totally destroy my bowel system. I always do some sort of low level cardio from 15-20 mins which is the time you need to start to feel the PWO kick in a little. When I would realized it kicked in I felt like I was always waiting…waiting…waiting for the next surge that would give me that “kick-ass” feeling. Well I never really got that with this PWO, but I always got a decent boost of energy. As I went through my workouts my energy would deplete where I always felt like I wanted to lift more, but I just didn’t have that extra boost to. That is where this product falls short. Like I stated before I was always waiting. When I take PWO that early in the morning I always like to have the effect of it lasting throughout my day into lunch. Not with this one. The life of this PWO in my body was anywhere from 1-2 hours give or take 30 mins. It was always consistent with this timeline and I felt like I had to structure my workout around it. Now I never like to totally depend on PWO for all my energy, but lately it has been harder and harder to get to the gym in the mornings and I need a PWO that I can totally trust.
—-Value—-
On the Outbreak Nutrition site you can get this same tub for $39.99 which is slightly more than I would like to pay for a PWO, especially one that didn’t really perform for me. It is also funny because on the site it says 30 serving container and on the tub itself it says 28. Now I know it may not seem like a huge deal but you want a company that is going to be true and honest on everything they put their name on. The only other place I found this on was ebay for over $50 which it outrageous and not even worth considering.
—-Side Effects—-
none for me
—-Conclusion—-
Overall this is an average supplement that has high hopes but does not get you over the edge to perform an intense heavy lifting workout. If you are aiming for something that is going to give you a little boost to perform a light training session or if you are a beginner lifter I would suggest that you try it. For those of you that know exactly what you like in a PWO and that is the energy to get through tough heavy sets, I would suggest to go elsewhere. As always do your own research before trying a product and do not let one review deter you. All these products effect everyone differently.
jivey703 –
Pretty Intense Preworkout
—-Quick Summary—-
Pathogen gave me the energy I need to begin and complete a workout whether its after a 12 hour shift or after only getting 4-5 hours between 12 hour shifts. It mixes pretty well and does not leave clumps of it in the container and i enjoy the taste of it.
—-Introduction—-
I work a weird schedule so most of the time I’m lifting after working 12 hour shifts or between 12 hours shifts with 5-6 hours of sleep. I depend on the PWO the most when I am working nights to get the energy and drive I need to stay focused and complete the workout effectively. I have just changed up my workouts from pyramids to running 5 sets of 20 and the pathogen continues to keep me focused and keep pushing me towards the end of each set.
—-Ingredient Profile—-
—-Taste/Mixability/Dosing—-
—-Effectiveness—-
—-Value—-
You can buy a 30 day supply from outbreak website for around 45$ after paying shipping. I could not find this product in town so i had no choice but to order it.
—-Side Effects—-
The only side effect i have experienced is not being able to sleep 4-5 hours after taking it. I work 12 hour shifts putting me getting up at 4 and working from 6-6 when i get off i drink this on the way to the gym it keeps me up till between 11-12 every night i take it.
—-Conclusion—-
It is a good preworkout for someone that wants to stay focused and energetic during the workout and a couple hours after.
User –
Love this.
Got a couple of samples when this first hit the UK and was immediately sold. Despite being quite high stim, it’s a very ‘smooth’ come up. High energy and focus with no comedown or anxiety. Double Barrel Berry is delicious. I also really like F.P.S. by these guys. More of a nootropic but perfect to rotate with this one when you want less of a kick but the same mental power!