Evogen EVP Xtreme AQ RTD

Evogen is the sports nutrition brand built around Hany Rambod, the 25-time Mr. Olympia-winning coach who's spent decades developing the training and supplement systems used by some of the sport's biggest names, as detailed on Evogen's website. The Evogen EVP Xtreme AQ RTD is his attempt to take three of Evogen's best-selling pre-workout powders, EVP Xtreme N.O., EVP-3D, and EVP-AQ, and fold their core components into one ready-to-drink bottle.

That combination shows up right on the label: a heavy glycerol base for hydration, a full-dose citrulline and beta-alanine pairing for pump and endurance, a moderate 200mg caffeine stack split across two sources, and a handful of smaller additions, DMAE, Lion's Mane, S7, and a touch of yohimbe extract, that lean more nootropic and stimulant-adjacent than foundational. Here's what's actually inside, ingredient by ingredient, and how the doses stack up against the research behind each one.

Evogen EVP Xtreme AQ RTD Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 1 bottle (12 fl oz / 355mL)
• Calories: 40
• Total Carbohydrate: 10g (4% DV)
• Sodium (as Pink Himalayan Salt): 250mg (11% DV)

Evogen EVP Xtreme AQ RTD Ingredients

Each 12 fl oz bottle provides the following key actives:

• Vegetable Glycerol (as GlycoSpan™) - 10g

  Vegetable Glycerol, listed here under its trademarked GlycoSpan™ form, is the backbone of this formula at a hefty 10g per bottle. Glycerol works through simple osmotic chemistry: once it distributes through body fluids, it raises overall fluid osmolality and signals the kidneys to reabsorb more water instead of flushing it out, a state researchers call hyperhydration.^[1] Controlled trials combining glycerol with a large volume of water have shown fluid retention gains of 400 to 1,000mL over plain water, along with lower heart rate and improved time to exhaustion during exercise in the heat.^[2,3]

  Here's the catch: those studies dose glycerol at 1.0-1.2g per kilogram of body weight, which works out to 70-84g for a 70kg person, dissolved in a much larger fluid volume than a single 12oz bottle provides.^[2] At 10g, EVP Xtreme AQ delivers a fraction of the studied hyperhydration dose. That doesn't make the inclusion pointless, but it does mean you shouldn't expect lab-protocol fluid-retention numbers from a single bottle.

• L-Citrulline - 6g

  L-Citrulline shows up here at a full 6g, which lands right in the range behind the strongest evidence for this amino acid. A meta-analysis restricted to acute doses of at least 3g given more than 30 minutes before training found a small but statistically significant strength and power benefit over placebo.^[4] Citrulline works by bypassing the liver metabolism that limits oral arginine, converting to arginine primarily in the kidneys and feeding the nitric oxide pathway behind vasodilation and pump.^[5] A separate meta-analysis on citrulline malate specifically found that 6-8g taken 40-60 minutes pre-exercise increased total reps to failure by roughly 6.4%, with a stronger trend in lower-body movements.^[6] At 6g of straight L-citrulline, EVP Xtreme AQ sits squarely within the dosing window that's actually been tested for these outcomes, which is more than you can say for a lot of pre-workouts that skimp here.

• Beta-Alanine - 3.2g

  Beta-Alanine clocks in at 3.2g, the low end of the 3.2-6.4g/day range most consistently linked to increased muscle carnosine content and improved buffering capacity during high-intensity efforts lasting roughly 1-4 minutes.^[7,8] A large meta-analysis of 40 studies found beta-alanine produces a small but real ergogenic effect, with the biggest gains showing up in exercise-capacity tests between 30 seconds and 10 minutes long.^[9] Because this is a single-serving RTD rather than a daily-loading powder, you're getting one dose at once rather than the split 0.8-1.6g servings most loading protocols use throughout the day. The tingling sensation known as paresthesia is the most common side effect of beta-alanine and tends to show up more with a single larger dose, though a large safety review found it isn't harmful.^[10] Don't be alarmed if you feel it after cracking one of these.

• Acetyl L-Tyrosine - 500mg

  

  Acetyl L-Tyrosine is included at 500mg, positioned as a dopamine and norepinephrine precursor meant to support focus under stress. The mechanism is well-known at this point: tyrosine hydroxylase, the enzyme that kicks off catecholamine synthesis, becomes more sensitive to tyrosine availability specifically when neurons are firing hard under physical or cognitive stress, which is the theory behind pre-workout inclusion.^[11] The issue is dose. Most of the human research showing cognitive benefits under stress used either a fixed 2g dose or roughly 150mg per kilogram of body weight, which works out to 10-12g for an average adult.^[12,13] A 2024 RCT using a 2,000mg dose found tyrosine reduced missed responses on a Stroop task before a stress challenge.^[14] At 500mg, roughly a quarter of the smallest commonly studied dose, this inclusion reads more like a formula nod than a dose built to replicate those results.

• Coconut Water Powder - 500mg

  Coconut Water Powder shows up at 500mg, a callback to coconut water's reputation as a natural electrolyte source rich in potassium.^[15] The human rehydration research on coconut water, though, is built around drinking the actual liquid in large volumes, not a small powdered inclusion. Crossover trials rehydrating exercisers with roughly 120-150% of their fluid losses in fresh coconut water found it performed comparably to commercial sports drinks and better than plain water for fluid retention and tolerability.^[16,17] Those protocols used many hundreds of milliliters of actual coconut water, not 500mg of powder folded into a bottle where 10g of glycerol is doing the heavy hydration lifting. Here, coconut water powder reads more like a formula detail rounding out the electrolyte profile than an ingredient dosed to independently move the needle on hydration.

• DMAE - 500mg

  

  DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol, listed on the label as its bitartrate salt) is a choline-related compound often marketed for focus and mental clarity. It isn't a stimulant. Mechanistically, DMAE appears to raise blood and tissue choline levels indirectly, by inhibiting the enzymes that normally break choline down peripherally, rather than converting directly to acetylcholine in the brain.^[18] Animal studies using nicotinic DMAE esters have shown working memory improvements in maze tasks, and DMAE has a long history of anecdotal use around alertness, though that specific track record comes from a low-rigor single-author source rather than controlled trials.^[19,20] At 500mg, this product's dose sits above the 50-100mg starting range typically discussed in the available human literature, though there's no established human dose-response data to say whether more DMAE means more benefit. Treat this as a focus-support ingredient, not part of the energy stack.

• Lion's Mane Extract - 250mg

  Lion's Mane Extract (Hericium erinaceus) is dosed at 250mg here, a nootropic mushroom extract studied mainly for cognitive support tied to nerve growth factor stimulation. The clinical trials with the clearest positive signal used considerably more than this. A 16-week RCT in adults with mild cognitive impairment used 750mg/day of fruiting body powder and found improved cognitive scores versus placebo.^[21] A 12-week trial used 3.2g/day.^[22] Even the smallest acute-dose study showing a same-day cognitive effect used a full 1g single dose.^[23] At a quarter of that acute dose, and well below the multi-gram range used in the longer trials, this inclusion looks more like a formula checkbox than a dose likely to independently replicate the focus benefits reported in that research.

• Caffeine (200mg: 150mg as Green Coffee, 50mg as Di-Caffeine Malate)

  

  Caffeine provides the primary stimulant kick here, totaling 200mg per bottle split between two sources: 150mg from green coffee bean extract and 50mg from di-caffeine malate. That's a moderate caffeine dose, in line with a strong cup or two of coffee rather than an aggressive stim-heavy pre-workout. Splitting the source is a common formulation move meant to stagger onset and duration: the green coffee-derived caffeine and the di-caffeine malate both ultimately deliver the same caffeine molecule to your bloodstream, but the malate salt form is sometimes framed as gentler on the stomach and slightly slower to clear. Caffeine's core effects on alertness, focus, and perceived exertion are well established, and at 200mg total, this formula sits comfortably within a range most caffeine-tolerant adults can handle without the jittery overload that shows up in 300mg-plus formulas.

• S7® - 50mg

  S7® is a proprietary polyphenol blend of green coffee bean extract, green tea extract, turmeric extract, tart cherry, blueberry, broccoli, and kale, dosed here at 50mg. This is actually a case where the product dose lines up well with the available research: the two human trials behind S7 tested exactly 25mg and 50mg doses, and 50mg is the higher end of what's been studied. In an eight-person crossover trial, both doses reduced markers of cellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and increased circulating bioavailable nitric oxide, with the larger effects generally showing up at 50mg.^[24] A 90-day randomized trial in 42 adults confirmed the pattern, with the 50mg group showing a larger nitric oxide increase than the 25mg group by the end of the study.^[25] Worth noting: these are biomarker studies, not exercise-performance trials, so treat the nitric oxide story as demonstrated and the pump-and-performance framing as a reasonable but unproven extension.

• Pausinystalia Yohimbe Extract (bark) - 1.5mg

  

  Pausinystalia Yohimbe Extract (bark) appears at the very end of the label at 1.5mg, the stimulating outlier in an otherwise pump-and-hydration-forward formula. Yohimbe bark is the natural source of yohimbine, a compound long used in pre-workout and fat-loss products for its stimulating, alertness-boosting properties. The label here doesn't specify a standardized yohimbine percentage or an isolated yohimbine milligram amount, just the raw extract weight, so there's no way to say precisely how much active yohimbine this 1.5mg of extract delivers. That ambiguity is common with unstandardized bark extracts and is worth knowing before you stack this RTD with other yohimbine-containing products, since yohimbine can raise heart rate and blood pressure in sensitive individuals. It's the one ingredient on this label where the exact strength genuinely isn't disclosed.

• Vitamins and Minerals

  • Sodium (as Pink Himalayan Salt) - 250mg (11% DV)

    Sodium is the primary electrolyte here, pulled from Pink Himalayan Salt and providing 11% of the daily value per bottle. Sodium plays a direct role in fluid balance and plasma volume, working alongside the 10g of glycerol to support the fluid-retention angle of this formula. Pink Himalayan Salt itself is chemically similar to standard sodium chloride, with only trace mineral differences that don't meaningfully change its function here.

• Other Ingredients

  • Filtered Water - The base of the formula and the vehicle for every other ingredient in the bottle.
  • Malic Acid - A tart-tasting organic acid also involved in the body's own energy cycle, commonly used to balance sweetness and add sourness to flavored beverages.
  • Phosphoric Acid - An acidulant that helps set the drink's tartness and pH, a common addition in flavored functional beverages.
  • Citric Acid - Another naturally occurring acid used here for tartness, pH control, and as a mild preservative aid.
  • Natural & Artificial Flavors - The proprietary flavor blend responsible for the drink's taste profile.
  • Sucralose - A zero-calorie high-intensity sweetener, roughly 600 times sweeter than sugar, used to sweeten the formula without adding carbohydrates from sugar.
  • Sodium Hexametaphosphate - A stabilizing ingredient used to protect flavor and prevent mineral buildup in the beverage.
  • Acesulfame Potassium - A second non-nutritive sweetener typically paired with sucralose to round out sweetness and mask any lingering bitterness.
  • Potassium Sorbate - A common food preservative that inhibits mold and yeast growth to extend shelf life.
  • Sodium Benzoate - Another shelf-stable preservative, frequently paired with potassium sorbate in acidic beverages.
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA - A chelating agent used in trace amounts to bind stray metal ions and protect flavor and color from degrading over time.

Flavors Available

EVP Xtreme AQ RTD ships in a small lineup of flavor options, and this formula breakdown applies across all of them since the active ingredient profile doesn't change from flavor to flavor. Check the widget below for what's currently available.

• Tangerine Blast (12 Bottles: $45.95)
• Tropical Splash (12 Bottles: $45.95)

Who It's For

• Pre-workout stackers who want fewer bottles on the counter: If you've mixed a scoop of a pump product with a scoop of a stim product and a glycerol hydration powder before, this RTD is Evogen's attempt to hand you that combination pre-mixed.
• Lifters who respond well to glycerol-based hydration: The 10g glycerol dose plus 250mg sodium makes this a formula built around fullness and fluid retention as much as stimulant energy, so it fits best with people already sold on that category.

A Real Formula, Just Read the Fine Print on the Extras

EVP Xtreme AQ RTD earns its 3-in-1 pitch on the ingredients that matter most: the citrulline, beta-alanine, and caffeine doses land right where the research says they should, and the 10g glycerol inclusion is a genuine nod to the hyperhydration category even if it's well short of a full lab-dose water-loading protocol.

Obviously, this is a yohimbe-based pre-workout, so you gotta love the zippy ingredient if you're going to love this product. It's not a monster dose though, just enough to give some feel.

The tyrosine, Lion's Mane, coconut water, and DMAE amounts are more about rounding out the label than moving any needles on their own. If you want a moderate-caffeine, glycerol-and-citrulline-forward pre-workout in a single bottle, this one's worth trying, but note the yohimbe is going to amp this up more than your standard 200mg energy drink. If you're chasing the more aggressive caffeine or nootropic doses, you may need to look elsewhere, but don't sleep on this formula given the 1.5mg boost there.

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References

1. Robergs, R A, et al. "Glycerol. Biochemistry, pharmacokinetics and clinical and practical applications." Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 1998. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199826030-00002
2. van Rosendal, Simon Piet, et al. "Guidelines For Glycerol Use In Hyperhydration And Rehydration Associated With Exercise." Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2010. https://doi.org/10.2165/11530760-000000000-00000
3. Goulet, Eric D B, et al. "Pre Exercise Hyperhydration Delays Dehydration And Improves Endurance Capacity During 2 H Of Cycling In A Temperate Climate." Journal of physiological anthropology, 2008. https://doi.org/10.2114/jpa2.27.263
4. Trexler, Eric T, et al. "Acute Effects of Citrulline Supplementation on High-Intensity Strength and Power Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01091-z
5. Bailey, Stephen J, et al. "l-Citrulline supplementation improves O2 uptake kinetics and high-intensity exercise performance in humans." Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 2015. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00192.2014
6. Vårvik, Fredrik Tonstad, et al. "Acute Effect of Citrulline Malate on Repetition Performance During Strength Training: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis." International journal of sport nutrition and exercise metabolism, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsnem.2020-0295
7. Trexler, Eric T, et al. "International society of sports nutrition position stand: Beta-Alanine." Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-015-0090-y
8. Harris, R C, et al. "The absorption of orally supplied beta-alanine and its effect on muscle carnosine synthesis in human vastus lateralis." Amino acids, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-006-0299-9
9. Saunders, Bryan, et al. "β-alanine supplementation to improve exercise capacity and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis." British journal of sports medicine, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096396
10. Dolan, Eimear, et al. "A Systematic Risk Assessment and Meta-Analysis on the Use of Oral β-Alanine Supplementation." Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2019. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmy115
11. Jongkees, Bryant J, et al. "Effect of tyrosine supplementation on clinical and healthy populations under stress or cognitive demands--A review." Journal of psychiatric research, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.014
12. Deijen, J B, et al. "Tyrosine improves cognitive performance and reduces blood pressure in cadets after one week of a combat training course." Brain research bulletin, 1999. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0361-9230(98)00163-4
13. Coull, Nicole, et al. "Tyrosine Ingestion and Its Effects on Cognitive and Physical Performance in the Heat." Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000757
14. McAllister, Matthew J, et al. "Impact of L-theanine and L-tyrosine on markers of stress and cognitive performance in response to a virtual reality based active shooter training drill." Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2024.2375588
15. Yong, Jean W H, et al. "The chemical composition and biological properties of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) water." Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2009. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules14125144
16. Saat, Mohamed, et al. "Rehydration after exercise with fresh young coconut water, carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage and plain water." Journal of physiological anthropology and applied human science, 2002. https://doi.org/10.2114/jpa.21.93
17. Ismail, I, et al. "Rehydration with sodium-enriched coconut water after exercise-induced dehydration." The Southeast Asian journal of tropical medicine and public health, 2007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17883020/
18. Haubrich, D R, et al. "Deanol affects choline metabolism in peripheral tissues of mice." Journal of neurochemistry, 1981. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.1981.tb00480.x
19. Levin, E D, et al. "Effects of nicotinic dimethylaminoethyl esters on working memory performance of rats in the radial-arm maze." Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 1995. https://doi.org/10.1016/0091-3057(94)00406-9
20. Sergio, W. "Use of DMAE (2-dimethylaminoethanol) in the induction of lucid dreams." Medical hypotheses, 1988. https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-9877(88)90129-6
21. Mori, Koichiro, et al. "Improving Effects Of The Mushroom Yamabushitake Hericium Erinaceus On Mild Cognitive Impairment A Double Blind Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial." Phytotherapy research : PTR, 2009. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.2634
22. Saitsu, Yuusuke, et al. "Improvement Of Cognitive Functions By Oral Intake Of Hericium Erinaceus." Biomedical research (Tokyo, Japan), 2019. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.40.125
23. La Monica, Michael B, et al. "Acute Effects Of Naturally Occurring Guayusa Tea And Nordic Lion S Mane Extracts On Cognitive Performance." Nutrients, 2023. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15245018
24. Nemzer, Boris V. et al. "Oxidative stress or redox signalling - new insights into the effects of a proprietary multifunctional botanical dietary supplement." Free Radical Research, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/10715762.2017.1390228
25. Nemzer, Boris V. et al. "A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Randomized, Longitudinal Study on the Effects of a Plant-based Dietary Supplement on Nitric Oxide and Mitochondrial Metabolic Activity." Journal of Food Research, 2021. https://doi.org/10.5539/jfr.v10n2p21