Pre-workout supplements get a lot of love, but taking a dedicated post-workout drink may help with soreness, muscle recovery, and muscle gain. You could always go for the tried-and-true combination of creatine supplements and whey protein powder, but a pre-mixed compound supplement can make things a little easier.
The Legion Recharge post-workout drink is exactly that. This powder combines clinically effective doses of several ingredients, including creatine, L-carnitine, and corosolic acid to supply your body with natural compounds that are said to support muscle growth and repair, increase cellular energy (via enhanced nutrient absorption), and improve insulin sensitivity. But does it work?
In this Legion Recharge Review, we’ll dig into the personal experience of two GGR testers who tried the post-workout for themselves. We’ll also take a look at the brand’s customer policies so you can decide if you think it’s worth a try.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. GGR also recommends choosing a product that has been third-party tested for quality.
We Try Everything Ourselves
Over the course of several weeks, two of our GGR testers, a team of people that includes certified nutrition coaches, certified personal trainers, and professional athletes, tested the Legion Recharge and rated it from 1 to 5 on a number of factors, including taste, solubility, effectiveness, price, transparency, and customer service. (Read more about our rigorous supplement testing methodology if you want additional details.) We always share our honest thoughts and would never recommend something to you that we wouldn’t personally take ourselves.
Legion Recharge
Legion Recharge
Product Highlights
- Nature-based post-workout drink designed to improve recovery and increase muscle growth
- Contains 5 grams of micronized creatine, 2.1 grams of L-carnitine L-tartrate, 10.5 milligrams of corosolic acid
- Research-backed levels of ingredients
- Made in a cGMP, FDA-inspected, and NSF-certified facility
- Money-back guarantee
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Great customer service
- Money-back guarantee
- Can view actual lab results
- All natural
- No added sugar
- Subscribe and save 10%
Cons
- Stevia flavor is too sweet for some
- Unflavored is actually sweetened
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for an all-natural post-workout supplement that is made of research-backed ingredients, Recharge post-workout supplement is one worth considering. Its taste and positive impact on performance is appreciated by the vast majority of users.
A Quick Look at Legion Recharge
The Recharge post-workout supplement is made by Legion Athletics (or Legion for short). The brand was founded by Michael Matthews, a certified personal trainer who wanted to create a line of supplements that was built on science (and clinically effective doses of active ingredients).
The main ingredient in Legion Recharge is creatine, but this isn’t your typical creatine powder because it also contains other active ingredients that work synergistically to help with muscle growth and strength, muscle repairs from exercise-induced muscle damage, and post-workout recovery and muscle soreness. Essentially, Recharge is meant to be an all-in-one recovery drink.
RELATED: Best Muscle Recovery Supplements
We’ll get more into the formulation and the science behind it in a bit, but for now, here are some things you should know.
Before You Buy
- It’s made in the USA and third-party tested for concentration and banned substances.
- Every ingredient is naturally sourced—there’s no artificial anything.
- It comes in 30- or 60-serving tubs; buying in bulk can save you a little bit of money.
- There’s a no-questions-asked return policy.
Is Legion Recharge Worth It?
If you’re on any sort of fitness journey—whether that’s muscle gains, weight loss, or a combination of both—we think the Legion Recharge is worth it. It’s not some gimmicky post-workout supplement with questionable ingredients. Instead, it contains all-natural, high-quality ingredients that are backed by science.
And it’s not that expensive for what you get. It breaks down to $1.20 to $1.33 per serving depending on the size. If you’re already taking creatine, you could easily replace it with this for an added boost.
Great for:
- Those looking to reap the anabolic benefits of creatine
- Anyone trying to avoid unnecessary fillers and additives
- Competitive athletes or anyone who wants a third-party tested supplement that’s free of banned ingredients
Not recommended for:
- Those who don’t like sweetened supplements (even the unflavored is sweetened)
- People who aren’t exercising regularly
- People with kidney disease, high blood pressure, or liver disease
Legion Recharge Specs
| Price per serving | $1.00-$1.07 |
| Flavors | Strawberry Lemonade, Arctic Blast, Fruit Punch, Sour Candy, Watermelon, Unflavored |
| Key ingredients | Micronized creatine monohydrate, L-carnitine L-tartrate, corosolic acid |
| Serving size | 1 scoop (9.84 g) |
| Other ingredients | Natural flavors, citric acid, stevia leaf extract, calcium silicate, silicon dioxide |
| Sweetener | Stevia |
| Third-party tested? | Yes, and manufactured in NSF-certified and cGMP-compliant facilities |
Experience Using Legion Recharge
Two of our GGR testers tried Legion Recharge over the course of several weeks: GGR senior editor Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, and GGR Everything Lead Reviewer Lindsay Scheele.
We’ll get into more specifics about their experiences, but the TL;DR from Lindsay is this:
“I will say that I do feel more recovered. I’ve been on a hard training cycle that has been wrecking me, and while I have still been sore, I have noticed an improvement. This could all be in my mind, but overall I am going to stick with this product!”
Now here’s everything else you should know.
Price Per Serving
First up is price, since that can be an immediate barrier for some people. The price of Legion Recharge is between $1.20 and $1.33 per one-scoop serving, depending on whether you get the 30- or 60-serving tub (the 60-serving tub is cheaper per serving).
While it’s a little pricey, we think it’s pretty reasonable for the cocktail of active ingredients you’re getting. For comparison, the Transparent Labs creatine is $1.50 to $1.67 per serving and it doesn’t have the same list of active ingredients.
You can save some money by subscribing to regular shipments or buying in bulk. A subscription will knock 10% off the price and you can get 10%, 15%, or 20% by buying three, four, or five tubs at a time.
Formulation
Legion Recharge gets a perfect 5 out of 5 score for formulation (which is another reason we think the price is reasonable).
It has clinically effective key ingredients:
- 5 grams1 of micronized creatine monohydrate: muscle builder that helps with strength and gains2
- 2.1 grams of L-carnitine L-tartrate: helps with muscle repair and soreness3
- 10.5 milligrams corosolic acid: enhances post-workout amino acid absorption and reduces blood sugar4
In addition to that, there are no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or dyes. All inactive ingredients are all-natural and sourced from animals and plants.
RELATED: Best Natural Pre-Workout
Taste and Solubility
As for taste and solubility, this post-workout gets perfect scores here, too. Both Nicole and Lindsay gave it a 5 out of 5 rating. Nicole tried the Strawberry Lemonade and described it as “pretty sweet, but also tart,” saying that she liked it.
Lindsay tried the sour candy and described it as “amazing,” adding that all the flavors are incredible.
“All the flavors I’ve tried from Legion so far are my favorite out of any other products I’ve tested (and I’ve tested quite a few at this point!),” she says.
The supplement also earned a 5 out of 5 for solubility. It dissolves in seconds without much effort at all. Lindsay said she added it to her water bottle, gave it a few shakes, and it was good to go.
Side Effects
Neither Nicole nor Lindsay experienced any side effects when taking Recharge, so it got a 5 out of 5 here, too.
Keep in mind that people with kidney and liver disease shouldn’t take creatine, so make sure you’re always discussing a new supplement with your doctor.
Third-Party Testing
Legion puts its supplements through rigorous third-party testing. They use a company called Labdoor that evaluates their products for purity, consistency, and potency. And all lab results are available online for all to see—a nice sign of trust and transparency from the company. Because of this, Legion gets a 5 out of 5 here too.
Legion Recharge vs Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Transparent Labs HMB
Transparent Labs Creatine HMB
Product Highlights
- Uses research-backed doses
- Available in more than 10 fruit flavors and an unflavored option
- Free from artificial sweeteners, colored dyes, fillers, and harmful additives
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 10+ flavors, 1 unflavored option
- Includes B-Hydroxy B-Methylbutyrate (HMB)
- 5 grams of creatine monohydrate per serving
- Contains no added sugar, artificial sweeteners, dyes, or fillers
- 10% off and free shipping with subscription
Cons
- No stimulant (for those looking for pre-workout boost)
- Some reviews say supplement is overly sweet
- Mixed reviews on solubility (not dissolving thoroughly)
Bottom Line
Transparent Labs’ Creatine HMB puts a unique twist on the more traditional creatine monohydrate by adding HMB to more effectively build strength, stamina and recovery. It's available in a dozen different flavors, including an unflavored option; some reviews criticize the taste of some flavors, though, saying that they're overly sweet.
Both the Legion Recharge and Transparent Labs Creatine have creatine monohydrate as the base, but the rest of the formulation is quite different.
Recharge has a combo of L-carnitine L-tartrate and corosolic acid, while the Transparent Labs Creatine has beta‐hydroxy‐beta‐methylbutyrate (HMB), vitamin D, and Bioperine. HMB is a natural compound that may help prevent muscle breakdown and improve muscle recovery5, while Bioperine helps increase absorption of nutrients6.
Really, the overall goals of these two supplements are the same, but aside from their key ingredients, there are some differences in price and flavor options. Here’s a quick side-by-side, but if you want to know more about it you can read our full Transparent Labs Creatine review.
| Legion Recharge | Transparent Labs Creatine HMB | |
| Price per serving | $1.20-$1.33 | $1.33-$1.67 |
| Flavors | Strawberry Lemonade, Arctic Blast, Fruit Punch, Sour Candy, Watermelon, Unflavored | Blue Raspberry, Sour Grape, Tropical Punch, Peach Rings, Cherry Kiwi, Fruit Punch, Watermelon, Black Cherry, Orange, Hawaiian Splash, Peach Mango, Strawberry Lemonade, Blueberry Pomegranate, Unflavored |
| Key ingredients | Micronized creatine monohydrate, L-carnitine L-tartrate, corosolic acid | Creatine monohydrate, beta‐hydroxy‐beta‐methylbutyrate (HMB), vitamin D, Bioperine |
| Serving size | 1 scoop (9.84 g) | 1 scoop (7 g) |
| Other ingredients | Natural flavors, citric acid, stevia leaf extract, calcium silicate, silicon dioxide | Malic acid, citric acid, natural flavors, stevia extract, natural coloring agents (like beetroot powder) |
| Sweetener | Stevia | Stevia |
| Third-party tested? | Yes, and manufactured in NSF-certified and cGMP-compliant facilities | Yes |
Customer Experience
Legion is really generous with their returns. They offer a “No Return Necessary” money-back guarantee—if you don’t like the supplement, they’ll give you a full refund without making you return the product or fill out forms. This is only valid for the first-time purchase of a product, though, and you can only request the refund within one year.
If you bought Recharge in bulk, they might ask you to send back multiple products, but they’ll cover return shipping.
Ordering Legion Recharge
When ordering Legion Recharge you have three options: a single purchase, a subscription, or bulk buys. With a single purchase, you’ll pay full price. If you sign up for a subscription, which will ship every 30, 60, or 90 days, you’ll get a 10% discount. If you buy three, four, or five tubs, you’ll get 10%, 15%, or 20% off, respectively.
Shipping is free and orders typically arrive in three to five business days.
You can also buy Legion Recharge on Amazon and you’ll be subject to their policies.
Customer Reviews
Between Amazon and the company’s own site, the Legion Recharge has amassed more than 10,000 reviews. It has a 4.4-star average on Amazon and a 4.7-star average on Legion’s site. Some common positive feedback is that it’s effective for increasing muscle gains and improving energy levels, and that it tastes really good.
Some people, especially those who are sensitive to stevia, say it’s too sweet. They also don’t like that the unflavored version is sweetened, and we can definitely see their point. But overall, the good outweighs the bad here.
One Amazon reviewer writes, “I have way less fatigue than before, and I’ve found I can push myself harder during my workouts. I purchased the strawberry lemonade flavor, which I like. Gonna try another flavor once it runs out, so I can’t speak to those. But overall, this is helping me reach my fitness goals faster!”
Another who left their review directly on the site writes, “I absolutely love this as a post workout. It definitely does the trick and especially helps with recovery and not being as sore the next day. I used it for triathlon training and was able to really minimize the fatigue and soreness with day-after-day training.”
Final Verdict of Our Legion Recharge Review
The Legion Recharge is a little pricey, but we think it’s worth it since you get three key science-backed ingredients that can help improve exercise performance and recovery. It also got perfect scores for taste, solubility, and formulation during our testing, which is no easy feat.
Key takeaways:
- Contains the most effective and well-researched form of creatine
- Third-party tested with lab results available directly on site
- We loved all the flavors we tried and reviewers agree that it tastes really good
Full Rating
Kaged Creating HCl
If you’re looking for a pure creatine HCL and are willing to pay for high quality, Kaged Creatine HCl may be for you.
Product Brand: Kaged
Product Currency: $
Product Price: 24.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.35
Legion Recharge: FAQs
What does Legion Recharge do?
Legion Recharge is a post-workout supplement that may help increase muscle gains, improve endurance, reduce post-exercise soreness, improve insulin sensitivity, and enhance post-workout nutrient absorption.
Is Legion a good supplement brand?
Yes, Legion is a good supplement brand. All supplements are manufactured in NSF-certified and cGMP-certified facilities and third-party tested. They’re also all-natural and made with clinically effective doses of high-quality ingredients. Legion has a full lineup of sports nutrition supplements, from pre-workouts like Legion Pulse to post-workouts like Legion Recharge, as well as protein powders and nootropics (among other things).
Are Legion supplements third-party tested?
Yes, Legion supplements are third-party tested for purity and potency by a company called Labdoor. All lab results are available on the company’s product pages.
Does Legion Recharge have creatine?
Yes, Legion Recharge has 5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate per scoop. This is considered an effective dose, and creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied and bioavailable types7.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
References
1. Naderi, A, de Oliveira, EP, Ziegenfuss, TN, Willems, MT. Timing, optimal dose and intake duration of dietary supplements with evidence-based use in sports nutrition. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016;20(4):1-12. doi:10.20463/jenb.2016.0031
2. Antonio, J, Candow, DG, Forbes, SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
3. Stefan, M, Sharp, M, Gheith, R, et al. L-carnitine tartrate supplementation for 5 weeks improves exercise recovery in men and women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutrients. 2021;13(10):3432. doi:10.3390/nu13103432
4. Miura, T, Takagi, S, Ishida, T. Management of diabetes and its complications with banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and corosolic acid. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:871495. doi:10.1155/2012/871495
5. Kaczka, P, Michalczyk, MM, Jastrząb, R, Gawelczyk, M, Kubicka, K. Mechanism of action and the effect of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on different types of physical performance – a systematic review. J Hum Kinet. 2019;68:211-222. doi:10.2478/hukin-2019-0070
6. Fernández-Lázaro, D, Mielgo-Ayuso, J, Córdova Martínez, A, Seco-Calvo, J. Iron and physical activity: bioavailability enhancers, properties of black pepper (Bioperine®) and potential applications. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1886. doi:10.3390/nu120618867. Fazio, C, Elder, CL, Harris, MM. Efficacy of alternative forms of creatine supplementation on improving performance and body composition in healthy subjects: a systematic review.J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(9):2663-2670. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003873
