Early on in my streaming journey, I stumbled upon a company looking for streamers to promote their brand of gaming glasses, No Scope. At the time, I wrote for a different magazine and offered to do a review. I was intrigued at the idea of glasses that reduced strain, but vowed to not support anything I didn’t enjoy using, so I set out to do the review first. After buying a pair myself, for the company was just getting started and couldn’t afford to send a review set to such a small journalism outpost, I tested them out and wrote the review. I thoroughly enjoyed the glasses and use them in my day job to this day, which led to me being sponsored by them after filling out a simple form and being approved.
Being sponsored by No Scope is a minor thing, but just having a sponsor on my Twitch channel was a huge confidence booster for me. What does all of this have to do with mints? Catalyst Mints is a new product by the same team by those who made No Scope Glasses.
My initial connection to Catalyst was through No Scope, as my sponsorship was rolled over into this new product as well, making for two sponsorships with minimal effort. Once again, I vowed to promote nothing that I didn’t enjoy myself. This time I was offered a review sampling of three tins of mints, plenty to try for an extended period of time, as well as some to share with friends. Before diving into my experience with this replacement for energy drinks, lets do a bit of research on what they are.
Catalyst Mints are a formulated tablet packed with caffeine, B-Vitamins, Taurine, and Siberian Eleuthero Root. Mints are formulated, mixed, and packed in the US in an FDA registered facility. The goal of the mint is to provide superior focus to gamers in a way that’s safe and effective. This seems to be an answer to the increase of E-Sports players using drugs like Ritalin to play League of Legends with the ability to shut out everything around them.
Siberian Eleuthero, the main ingredient on display in Catalyst Mints, is a type of ginseng root. After a bit of research, I learned that its found in Eastern Aisa and has in fact been found to increase mental performance, especially when combating fatigue and distraction. Its important to note that too much of this ginseng can cause lower blood sugar, slow blood clotting, and induce sleepiness and drowsiness.
The recommended amount to take of Catalyst Mints is one to two before a match, as three equal a typical energy drink. Obviously this is beneficial for dental health as a typical energy drink is hard on enamel, while the mint is a quick pop for similar effects. Catalyst Mints are also sugar free so if one is watching calorie intake, but still needs a boost this could be a game changer. Also, taking just one or two tablets gives all the benefits of part of a typical energy drink, without leaving some in the fridge to go flat.
As of now, Catalyst only ships in the US, with plans to go international in the future. Check out their website for more factual information and how to purchase a tin to try them out.
Now, lets move away from the science of what these mints are and focus more on my personal experience with them. My anecdotes may not coincide with everyone, as these ingredients could have different effects on different people. Those who are sensitive to caffeine or energy supplements shouldn’t probably use Catalyst Mints, or if they do should stick to a much smaller dose. On to my thoughts!
For starters, I live an incredibly busy lifestyle. I work two part time jobs that can sometimes have me waking up early in the morning and coming home well after midnight. Aside from that I produce video content for my Youtube channel whenever I can, stream on my Twitch channel, appear on Podcasts from time to time, and write short stories in hopes to one day be published. Obviously, I write frequently for Marooners’ Rock on various subjects whether it be news, reviews, or opinions. When all that’s said and done, I volunteer my time helping out my local guild of Extra Life charity.
Needless to say, I’m always on the move. Caffeine fuels my life, for better or worse. Just about everyday starts with a hot cup of coffee, with an evening cup in bound after my morning job wraps up. Catalyst Mints make things a bit easier as far my work life is concerned. On days when I’m rushing into work, unable to fire up the coffee pot, or if I just feel myself dragging more than usual, I’ll pop a few mints and feel energized in a few minutes. My day job is in retail, and with a few mints in my system, I can go through shipment like a storm and sell product like a machine. The increase in production is fairly substantial and I don’t have the stomach problems that come with typical coffee.
I also tested Catalyst Mints as a writer. Most of my news writing happens in the evening during a split shift, so in a couple hours I try to get a few short articles up on the site, while constantly staying connected to my editor and friends on various social media sites to prepare for larger projects. However, during my writing time, the guys at work are trying to find ways to keep themselves occupied, normally watching Netflix, playing Poker, or changing my Youtube channel image to a koala. . . Oddly enough, after a couple Catalyst Mints and putting in some of my favorite jams on my headphones, I can tune out the craziness of my workplace easily. On days when there’s plenty of interesting news, I can crank out 3-5 articles while using Catalyst. If a deadline is coming up, I toss one in and go deep into writing mode. I also don’t seem to crash nearly as often while using Catalyst as I do with a traditional cup of coffee and this is with sixteen hour workdays.
Finally, I tested Catalyst Mints with their intended use, gaming. While most of Catalyst Mint’s core audience will be multiplayer gamers, I’m really into single player experiences, with my latest obsession being the God of War franchise. I missed out on a few games in the series, so I sought out the two portable titles and the latest one on PS3, Ascension. Ascension has some extremely frustrating segments that require precise movements, all while the camera fights against the player. Couple this with some tough bosses and Ascension on normal difficulty leads to a lot of “You died” screens. I did notice that after grabbing some Catalyst Mints, those frustrating segments became easier. I ended up finishing the game on the standard difficulty in about eight hours in a single day.
The battle with the manticore definitely felt easier after Catalyst.
It would be hard to determine if Catalyst Mints actually helped my gaming sessions, but in every instance I saw triumph after taking a couple.
Overall, after spending a few weeks using Catalyst Mints in various situations, I can honestly recommend trying them at the least. As far as taste goes, they are a bit lacking, but its something that’s so fleeting that I became used to it in no time. I would love to see multiple flavors for future releases!
At the end of the day, this product will need to be tried. Do know that going overboard is not wise, just like drinking too many Red Bulls. I do love that Catalyst are providing an alternative to the drugs that have been appearing in E-Sports of late. If this takes off and proves to be effective, it could lead to a cleaner competitive environment.
To see what Catalyst Mints offer, you can visit their website here. You can even save 5% with the coupon code PULSE, while that promotion is in effect.
If anyone happens to try out Catalyst Mints, please share your stories with us on social media or in the comments below.
Also know that while I am sponsored by Catalyst Mints and they did provide the review sampling, their involvement did not affect my opinion of the product. If I did not like the mints I would definitely say so, but its something I can see myself buying every now and again, especially when I start planning some 24 hour streams.
