IF YOU READ ONE ARTICLE ABOUT FAT BURNERS, READ THIS ONE

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FAT BURNERS ARTICLE SUMMARY

· Many have questioned do fat burners work to burn fat. Pre-workout fat burners are less effective for weight loss than exercise and diet.

· Save your money on fat burner supplements to burn fat and build muscle

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Supplement Fat Burners 

The first supplements were whey protein powders designed to be taken post-workout and increase muscle recovery. Diets high in protein and branched-chain amino acids are well-documented to increase muscle tissue protein synthesis. To lose fat, a reduced-calorie diet and resistance exercise are essential for healthy fat loss. The newest drug to enhance weight loss is GLP-1 agonists; you can read the article about the effectiveness of GLP-1 agonists here.

32 FOODS THAT BURN BELLY FAT FAST?

People frequently search the internet for specific foods believed to boost fat loss. For some unknown reason, the focus isn’t on just 5 foods; instead, it’s on 32 foods that supposedly melt belly fat! This list features foods like dark chocolate and peppers, which some claim have magical fat-burning properties. However, no foods inherently burn fat, and overeating any food will lead to weight gain.

Apple cider vinegar remains a persistent fat-burning food myth. Despite the absence of research backing its fat-loss capabilities, many commercials and TV shows heavily promote apple cider vinegar as a fat-burning miracle.

All weightlifters and those engaged in strength training often turn to dietary supplements, especially weight loss supplements, to gain an edge. These supplements claim to boost basal metabolic rate (BMR), support weight loss, suppress appetite, manage weight, and elevate energy and activity levels. Before the rise of fat burners, these lifters would increase their caffeine intake by drinking various coffee beverages, taking caffeine pills for weight loss, or consuming other caffeine-infused drinks. It’s widely recognized that caffeine can elevate free fatty acid levels and enhance muscle performance.

LOSE BELLY FAT FAST SUPPLEMENTS: DO FAT BURNERS WORK?

If you go into any GNC or health food store, you will see a wall of FAT BURNER supplements burn fat and build muscle in various forms. Fat burners are supposed to increase metabolism, reduce appetite, and boost energy, but do fat burners work?

Research shows that women are the predominant buyers of fat burners. “Best Weight Loss Pills for Women” has 1,030,000,000 hits. There are many fat burner forms. There are fat-burner drinks, pre-workout with fat burners, fat-burning creams, keto nighttime fat burners, etc.

Fat burners are designed to increase the amount of calories you burn daily, resulting in enhanced fat loss. Fat burners pre-workout usually combine caffeine and other ingredients. A recent meta-analysis collected all the available studies on fat burners with the typical ingredients used in fat burners, such as synephrine, caffeine, green tea extract, garcinia cambogia supplements, ma huang, Irvingia gabonesis, etc.

DO FAT BURNERS WORK? THE BEST FAT BURNING PRE WORKOUT SUPPLEMENT IS…..

When the researchers crunched all the data, they found fat burners were no more effective than diet and exercise alone for reducing body fat. Diet and exercise elicited a greater effect on reducing body fat than fat burners. The overall effectiveness of combining fat burners (regardless of the type) with diet and exercise regimens does not induce beneficial effects compared to diet and exercise or even exercise alone. 

Some fat burners claim to preserve lean muscle mass while dieting; however, the review found no effect of the fat burners being able to preserve lean muscle mass. The studies also found that fat burners did not affect elevating metabolism or enhancing metabolism while in a calorie deficit. (1)

PRE WORKOUT FAT BURNERS BURN FAT BY HOW MUCH??

Caffeine is just about in every pre-workout for its ability to stimulate the central nervous system and block adenosine. Adenosine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter; when it builds up in the system, it causes sleepiness. When adenosine is blocked by the actions of caffeine, alertness occurs. There is evidence that caffeine results in a 5% increase in metabolism over 24 hours.(2)

A study in which subjects were administered an amount of caffeine that was 3 mg/kg/bw or 1.4 mg per pound of body weight before 60 minutes of cycling resulted in a modestly greater increase in calories burned during exercise.(3) See the chart below.

This calculates to about 1 extra calorie burned per minute. This may seem small, but it could contribute to weight loss over an extended period, but the increase in metabolic rate is small. Caffeine increases fat oxidation at rest due to increased catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine). Most overweight people take caffeine-based fat burners, but thermogenesis and fat oxidation are less in obese subjects than in lean subjects.(4)

The thermogenic effects of caffeine were 4.9% in obese whereas, in lean subjects, a much larger thermogenic response occurred (7.6%). The most beneficial dose is 5mg/kg/bw or 2 mg per pound of body weight. If you weighed 200 pounds, this would be about 400 mg of caffeine.

Studies have found no differences in the metabolic rate between taking 5 mg/kg/bw and 10 mg/kg/bw. Others have found that both 4mg/kg/bw and 8 mg/kg/bw equally increased metabolic rate.(5) 

KEY POINTS

· Fat burners are not effective for fat loss; there is no substitute for exercise and diet.

· Caffeine can cause a small increase in calories burned at rest.

REFERENCES

1.         Clark JE, Welch S. Comparing effectiveness of fat burners and thermogenic supplements to diet and exercise for weight loss and cardiometabolic health: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Health. 2021;27(4):445-59.

2.         Hursel R, Viechtbauer W, Dulloo AG, Tremblay A, Tappy L, Rumpler W, et al. The effects of catechin rich teas and caffeine on energy expenditure and fat oxidation: a meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2011;12(7):e573-81.

3.         Schubert MM, Hall S, Leveritt M, Grant G, Sabapathy S, Desbrow B. Caffeine consumption around an exercise bout: effects on energy expenditure, energy intake, and exercise enjoyment. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2014;117(7):745-54.

4.         Bracco D, Ferrarra JM, Arnaud MJ, Jéquier E, Schutz Y. Effects of caffeine on energy metabolism, heart rate, and methylxanthine metabolism in lean and obese women. Am J Physiol. 1995;269(4 Pt 1):E671-8.

5.         Acheson KJ, Zahorska-Markiewicz B, Pittet P, Anantharaman K, Jéquier E. Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980;33(5):989-97.

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