No matter how we spin it, weight loss is always a thing — even among athletes.
While the base of any weight loss strategy should always be an active lifestyle supported by a healthy diet, many athletes use fat burner supplements to boost their weight loss goals.
In this blog, we'll talk about different fat burner supplements, how they work, and what you should be wary of before use.
What Are Fat Burner Supplements?
Fat burner supplements, or fat burners, are supplements that aim to support and increase weight loss.
They have been a part of our culture since the Victorian Age, but over time, they have increased drastically in number and effects.
In terms of the latter, a fat burner's effect is largely determined by the type of fat burner you are using.
To simplify things, we've divided them into five categories.
Metabolism Boosters
Metabolism boosters are the safest and most tested option.
They are mostly based on natural ingredients, often contain stimulants (which reduce the sensation of fatigue and boost fat metabolism), and improve your ability to perform physical activity, a crucial element of weight loss.
On the flipside, the results provided by metabolism boosters are slower compared to other fat burners, but they compensate by providing long-lasting results.
The fact is that weight loss is safer, healthier, and more efficient when achieved over a prolonged period of time.
Fusion 4Endurance Pro combines its metabolism boosting abilities with adaptogens to also help you boost your VO2 max.
Appetite Suppressors
Appetite suppressors have been present on the market for a very long time and are mostly targeted to people who don't do sports.
That's why you often see them on TV sales, as that's where their target audience is most likely to hang out.
Their effect revolves around making food unpleasant, thus aiming to decrease the total amount of calories consumed.
Gymnemic acid, which is almost invariably the main ingredient of appetite suppressors, blocks the sweet taste receptors, making sweet food unappealing to consume.
Unfortunately, the effects don't linger for long, forcing you to consume high amounts of appetite suppressors to sustain their effect.
Appetite suppressors don't have a direct impact on weight loss. Instead, they aim to reduce your total calorie intake. But they can work well with thermogenics or as a crutch during the most difficult moments of your weight loss diet when low blood sugar levels increase your desire to consume sweet food.
Thermogenics
Thermogenics seem to be the most popular fat burner supplements.
The reason is that there are several studies to support their effect, they are efficient in dealing with subcutaneous fat, and they also help in suppressing appetite.
Their effect is to increase body temperature. As body temperature increases, the body goes into cooldown mode, which burns extra calories. Thermogenics also boost fat metabolism by increasing the release of adrenaline (lipolysis).
The bottom line is, thermogenics allow you to burn more calories and to boost fat metabolism, two effects that work great together in terms of weight loss.
The problem with thermogenics, especially the ones promising amazing overnight results, is that their ingredients can be very aggressive to the body, so you need to be careful which one you choose.
You don't have to worry about the dangers of thermogenics with Thermo Burn 4Energy, based on safe and natural ingredients.
Diuretics
Diuretics are amazing in the sense you can actually see results overnight or within a few days.
Their effect is very simple — they help the kidney remove excess water and salt from the body through increased urination, reduce bloating and swelling, and prevent water retention in women on their first day of menstruation or in their premenstrual period.
Some people also use diuretics to remove toxins from the system and reduce the visual effects of overeating.
Meltdown 4Endurance Pro is a great diuretic based on natural herbs with the addition of L-carnitine, which boosts fat metabolism during intense exercise.
Carb Blockers
Carb blockers, also known as starch blockers, help blocking certain enzymes responsible for the digestion of carbohydrates.
They are based on a group of compounds called alpha-amylase inhibitors, which are naturally present in certain foods.
The goal is to reduce digestion and absorption of complex carbohydrates, allowing them to pass through the digestive system without increasing calories or raising blood sugar levels.
The main problem of carb blockers is that they provide no benefits when dealing with the most problematic type of carbohydrates — all those sweet drinks, sweets, and other sugar-loaded foods.
Instead, they block the digestion of carbohydrates which are actually useful for you. For this reason, we don't recommend carb blockers to our athletes.
For an endurance athlete, carb blockers shouldn't be a thing — instead, load up on that sweet sugar and push your endurance to new heights!
Fusion
Fat burn, VO2 max
L-Carnitine Tartrate
Convert fat into energy
Meltdown
Remove excess water
Thermo Burn
Thermogenic & appetite suppressor
The Traps of Fat Burner Supplements
Gone are the times of 19th century when arsenic and tapeworms were the name of the game — we doubt anyone misses them.
Nevertheless, many producers, especially American and British, add ingredients to their fat burner supplements that may endanger your health. These ingredients are mostly banned throughout the European Union. One such ingredient is 2-4-dinitrophenol (DNP), which you should totally avoid.
As a consumer, you need to be vary of the ingredients in a fat burner (or any other supplement) and choose wisely. But to be able to do that, you need to arm yourself with knowledge.
Another common trap of fat burner supplements, and many weight loss strategies, is expecting unrealistic results.
Fat Burners only work when you do.
There is no fat burner on the planet that can make you magically lose weight. Furthermore, the stronger its effect, the more likely it is to also be harmful to your health.
So, to avoid this trap, accept that burning fat and losing weight takes time, patience, and dedication. And whatever fat burner supplement you choose to support your efforts with, know that it can only provide small margins of improvement.
How to Choose a Fat Burner Supplement?
As you see, there are several different fat burner supplements available, varying in terms of effect, efficiency, and potential downsides.
As long you know that burning fat and losing weight is a long-term goal that requires an active lifestyle and a healthy diet, you are good to go in finding the best supplement to go along with it.
Your health and well-being should always come first — yes, even before losing weight.
The first thing to consider is whether you take any other medications, such as antidepressants, heart medication, and high blood pressure medication, or if you are pregnant or nursing. If any of this is true for you, consult a doctor before using any fat burner supplement.
Another thing to consider is your sensitivity to stimulants, as many fat burner supplements contain them. In some cases, they contain A LOT of them, so be careful.
Finally, consider your budget. Since most fat burner supplements require prolonged use — remember: burning fat and losing weight are long-term strategies — you will most likely need to buy several items before reaching your goal.
If all this information makes you feel insecure about your choice, keep in mind that all fat burner supplements in our store are safe, natural, and effective — unless you want a magic pill, which unfortunately we don't have yet.
Conclusion
Safe and efficient weight loss is a long-term strategy that requires an active lifestyle and a healthy diet.
If you want to support your weight loss strategy with fat burner supplements, there is a variety of different ones on the market:
- metabolism boosters,
- appetite suppressors,
- thermogenics,
- diuretics,
- carb blockers.
Choosing the right one for you depends on several factors and your overall strategy, but for most athletes, a good metabolism booster and a good thermogenic seem to be the most efficient combination to achieve long-term results.