Apollon Nutrition Hooligan V5 Review: A Loaded Formula With a Load of Caffeine

Ingredients Profile

Hooligan starts off with 7 grams of L-Citrulline, which is no surprise. Citrulline is a precursor to Arginine, which can aid with pumps, endurance, and performance. At 7 grams, you are getting more than you need, which is great. Even at a ½ sering you are getting enough. Following this you get 3.5 grams of Beta-Alanine. To put it simply, Beta-Alanine buffers lactic acid, which in turn helps with endurance. At 3.5 grams, it is dosed well in Hooligan. 

Next up we have Betaine Anhydrous at 2.5 grams. Betaine Anhydrous is an ingredient that can help with power output, and at 2.5 grams is dosed correctly. Tyrosine is the next ingredient in here, and it is one of our favorite ingredients for focus. It is a precursor to dopamine and other catecholamines, and has been shown to aid with focus under stress. At 2 grams, it is dosed on the higher side, and we like to see it. Anywhere from 750mg-1.5g is what we recommend here, but 2 grams is not dangerous and nice to see. 

Agmatine Sulfate and Lion’s Mane are the next two ingredients in here. Agmatine Sulfate is a metabolite of Arginine, and while it has several benefits, is typically used for pumps. We like to see this anywhere from 500mg to 1500mg. You get 1500mg in Hooligan, which is a solid dose. Lion’s Mane is a mushroom that is growing in popularity. Lion’s Mane is typically used for focus purposes, and is commonly found in nootropics. At 1 full gram, it is dosed well. 

Alpha GPC is the next ingredient in here, and it is one of our favorite sources of Choline. Alpha GPC is a form of Choline that has a high bioavailability. Alpha GPC converts to Acetylcholine in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter. At 600mg, it is dosed well. 

Next up comes the big ingredient in this product, which will make up a big part of the effectiveness section of ths review. We all know and love Caffeine, as it is easily the most surefire way to increase your performance in just about everything you do. You get 650mg of Caffeine in Hooligan, which is double the average amount of Caffeine these days. While many may look at this and be shocked, which we were admittedly at first, people with a high Caffeine tolerance are able to take this safely. This is certainly not a pre-workout for everyone, and definitely not for a beginner, however for someone with a high tolerance who wants a strong boost in energy without the use of exotic stimulants, this is fine if you use it sparingly. This is the only stimulant in Hooligan, and comes from two sources of Caffeine, one being Anhydrous, which hits you quickly, as well as another 200mg of Caffeine coming from Di-Caffeine Malate, which is a time-released Caffeine. 

The next ingredient is Theobromine, which is part of the Xanthine family, meaning it is similar to Caffeine. Theobromine may help with energy without increasing blood pressure, however it is much milder than Caffeine and most people taking it won’t notice much from it. There are several benefits to Theobromine, and at 300mg it is dosed higher than a lot of other products on the market. T

Next up we have Pink HImalayan Salt at 250mg. This is an ingredient you find more and more in pre-workouts, and it provides trace minerals, and can help with hydration. Proper hydration is very important for performance and pumps. Next up we have Rhodiola Rosea, which is an adaptogen. Rhodiola is one of the more underrated ingredients on the market, and can help against fatigue, anxiety, and can elevate mood. At 200mg, it is dosed well, although we do wish we knew the standardization.

The last two ingredients are ElevATP® and AstraGin®. ElevATP® is a trademarked ingredient that helps with ATP production. ATP is the energy currency of your cells, meaning this ingredient can help with performance. Finally, we have AstraGin®, which is a trademarked ingredient that may aid with absorption. At 50mg, it is dosed well.

The profile all around is solid, and there is very little to complain about. Of course, the high Caffeine content makes it something to gawk at and will split many consumers. Certainly not a pre-workout for everyone, however if you cut the Caffeine in half, you have one of the better formulated pre-workouts on the market.

Effectiveness

To start this off, we had to take this sparingly, simply due to the high Caffeine content. While 600mg of Caffeine can be fine, it isn’t something we want to build a tolerance to. So of course, we will start off with the energy in Hooligan. With this amount of Caffeine, there is no way the energy wasn’t going to hit us. The energy from Hooligan is strong, however not laced with anxiety. It is certainly a strong yet somehow clean energy that puts you in a good mood. . While not an energy everybody needs to go for, since our tolerance is high here on FI, we were able to handle it and enjoy it. 

With that said, while the energy is strong and impressive (especially without the use of exotic stimulants), it isn’t something we would recommend every day. Once or twice a week is fine however. More of a pre-workout for times you are feeling frisky, and of course only if you know you have the tolerance. 

Focus is up as well, which was expected as not only can Caffeine help there (although too much can hurt focus as well), the high dose of Tyrosine, along with the solid doses of Alpha GPC and Lion’s Mane all make up for a solid mind-muscle connection, and it simply really puts you in-tune with your body. 

While the whole vasoconstriction is something that is debated with high doses of Caffeine, we were able to get a solid pump with Hooligan. With 7 grams of Citrulline and Agmatine at 1.5g, the pump was noticeable, and certainly enjoyable. Of course, you can stack it with some pump product if you wish, however it does a good job on its own.

Performance also jumped up for us on Hooligan. Caffeine, Betaine, Citrulline, and ElevATP all seem to do their job in that aspect, and there was a noticeable difference in our workouts, and it truly is an experience.

Taste

Turnpike Tea: (7.9/10)
Mango Mania: (7.3/10)

So we had both the Strawberry Margarita and Turnpike Tea flavors.

The flavors are certainly drinkable and not awful, however they are certainly not the best tasting products on the market. You certainly get a bit of a chemical taste to them, however with such a loaded profile, it can be overlooked.  Strawberry Margarita does have a similar taste to ac actual margarita, and if we could add alcohol to the flavor without the actives, it would be pretty nice.

Mixability

The mixability is quite good. While of course you get some sediment floating around, it is barely noticeable. There is a bit of dye in here, however we can’t complain too much since we’ve given the pass to many other brands.

Value

You can get Hooligan V5 for $54.95 directly from the Apollon website, and you get 20 full servings per tub. If you use coupon code INFORMANT, you get 15% off, which brings it down to slightly above $46. So you’re looking at roughly $2.33 per serving. For such a loaded formula, we find this to be a fair deal, and if you really are looking for a loaded, powerful pre-workout without the exotic stims… this is it. Since it isn’t a pre-workout you should use every day, it can last you months if you use it once or twice a week, so it really won’t hurt your wallet too bad.