How fat burners work
- Accelerate metabolic processes. From a biological point of view, metabolism is the conversion of calories into energy necessary for the normal functioning of the body. When metabolism accelerates, the process goes faster, which promotes weight loss.
- Reduces appetite. Some supplements contain ingredients that suppress hunger. They allow you to reduce your daily caloric intake and give up unhealthy foods (sweets, flour, fast food, etc.).
- Improves the functioning of the central nervous system. Intense training combined with a strict diet is a difficult test for the nervous system: a person becomes weak, tired and depressed. Fat burners help to avoid such developments. They improve your mood, give you a boost of energy, and ensure stability in your emotional state.
- Increase thermogenesis. An increase in body temperature helps accelerate metabolic processes. As a result, the body burns more calories during exercise.
Drugs that increase metabolic rate
From the name it becomes clear that products of this type promote weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate, which helps to increase the body's consumption of calories. The main such supplement is L-carnitine.
In general, I can say that L-carnitine is the only fat burner supplement that will not harm your body. This amino acid stimulates fat metabolism and, as a result, helps normalize body weight.
In addition to the positive effect in the form of weight loss, L-carnitine has long been used in medicine as a supplement that strengthens the heart and stabilizes the functioning of the nervous system. Even with a significant increase in the dose of use, you will not be able to cause much harm to your health.
But you shouldn’t expect a stunning effect from L-carnitine. Different sources give different figures, but realistically speaking, in combination with proper nutrition and regular exercise, the drug can help you get rid of an additional 1-1.5 kg per month. But I would say that this effect can only appear during the first month of taking the drug. Subsequently, the body adapts. The manufacturer claims that with increasing dosage the effect persists. From my experience, I would say that this is not the case.
Therefore, if you want to take L-carnitine, I advise you to do this for one, maximum two months. In this case, in the second month of use, you need to slightly increase the dosage. During this time, you can really notice an increase in your metabolic rate and receive pleasant bonuses in the form of a positive effect on the heart and nervous system. Having tried L-carnitine once, I was pleasantly surprised at how positively the supplement affected my mood. However, after a few weeks adaptation occurred and this effect disappeared. Drinking L-carnitine for the purpose of losing weight on an ongoing basis does not make sense.
Types of fat burners
Lipotropics
These compounds are the safest for health. They act gently and carefully. They do not create stress for the body and do not force it to work to the limit of its capabilities. May contain plant extracts - diuretics, which have a diuretic effect and remove excess fluid from the body.
Lipotropic fat burners improve metabolism, which speeds up the process of breaking down adipose tissue. They protect liver cells from the effects of toxic substances, eliminate inflammatory processes, increase immunity and endurance, and improve the process of processing fats. The most popular lipotropic is levocarnitine.
L-carnitine
Levocarnitine, or L-carnitine, is a natural component related to B vitamins. The main function of the substance is participation in intracellular energy metabolism, the transfer of fatty acids into mitochondria for the generation of ATP energy.
Levocarnitine is produced by the human body and is found in foods.
Studies have proven that Levocarnitine helps increase mental and physical activity, and gain lean muscle mass. Reduces the percentage of body fat.
Levocarnitine can be taken not only by athletes, but also by other people (including children and the elderly). It reduces the content of “bad” cholesterol, preventing the development of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases.
Lipotropics from sports nutrition
Lipotropics are the most popular sports fat burners (they account for 50% of all weight loss supplements). These products are sold in capsules or tablets and have almost identical composition. They may contain lipoic acid, methionine, caffeine, selenium, vitamin B6 and various plant extracts.
Thermogenics
The effect of thermogenics, or thermogenics, is explained by the presence of active components that suppress appetite, increase body temperature and the rate of metabolic processes.
Fat burners may contain invigorating components in the form of caffeine, garcinia, ephedrine, guarana, green tea extract, etc. These substances provide the body with energy, increase endurance and training performance.
Thermogenics should not be used if you have heart disease (arrhythmia, tachycardia, etc.) or thyroid disease.
Adrenergic agonists
Adrenomimetics stimulate the receptors responsible for the formation and release of fat-burning hormones - norepinephrine and adrenaline. The drugs suppress appetite by affecting the part of the brain responsible for the feeling of hunger. Taking supplements is prohibited if you have diabetes, heart disease, or low or high blood pressure.
Clenbuterol
Clenbuterol is a powerful fat burner used by professional bodybuilders during cutting. The drug works by acting on beta receptors. It reduces the percentage of fat mass, suppresses appetite, increases protein synthesis, protects muscles from destruction, and helps increase strength and endurance.
Clenbuterol has a stimulating effect on the central nervous system, which explains a large number of side effects. An overdose of the substance can be fatal.
Yohimbine
Yohimbine blocks alpha receptors that interfere with normal fat burning. It stimulates the central nervous system, increases the level of physical activity, and enhances thermogenesis. Possible side effects include rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and drowsiness.
Caffeine
This substance is included in many fat burners. It affects not only the nervous system, but also beta receptors. Caffeine activates enzymes responsible for burning fat and triggers the process of lipolysis.
Fat burners with this component should be used with caution. Regular use of caffeine negatively affects the central nervous system and reduces physical and mental performance.
Synephrine
This component is a plant substance found in citrus fruits. Synephrine acts in the same way as adrenaline: it stimulates the central nervous system, improves metabolism, suppresses appetite, and enhances thermogenesis. The result is fast and safe fat burning.
Taking synephrine can cause increased blood pressure, headaches, and rapid heartbeat.
Diuretics
Supplements that help remove fluid from the body. Taking these drugs, your weight decreases for some time, but this does not affect the amount of fat. The effect of taking these drugs lasts a very short time, and after their withdrawal there is a high probability of severe swelling. If you are not a performing athlete and you are not faced with the task of getting the maximum possible relief for going on stage, then you can get rid of 1.5-2 kg of weight by simply adhering to the principles of a salt-free diet for some time.
Against the background of all of the above, I can say that I strongly do not recommend taking any fat burners with the exception of L-carnitine. Even in moderate doses, these drugs are harmful to health. There is no need to try to get rid of fat at any cost. There are a huge number of techniques both in the principles of nutrition and training that will allow you to achieve results. Just don't be lazy to work on yourself.
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Recommendations for different types
There is no clear answer to the question of how to drink the medicine correctly. The dosage regimen depends on the type of supplement:
- Lipotropics. Drink lipotropics 2-3 times a day. The first portion can be taken before breakfast, the second - half an hour before training, the third - before bed. They do not affect the central nervous system, therefore they do not cause the development of insomnia.
- Thermogenics. Use twice a day: in the morning (on an empty stomach) and 30 minutes before training. Start with the lowest possible dose to prevent the development of adverse reactions.
- Adrenomimetics are taken in the first half of the day, because they excite the nervous system. You need to be careful with dosages so as not to cause side effects.
Time to take the fat burner
Fat burners are effective, but only if they are taken at the same time. If you use supplements haphazardly, there will be no results.
The optimal time to take a fat burner is half an hour before meals.
Medicines containing central nervous system stimulants should not be taken in the afternoon. They cause a surge of energy, contributing to the development of insomnia and disruption of routine. This ensures an increase in cortisol, which destroys muscles and reduces endurance and strength.
More water
Drink more when using fat burners! Removing a large amount of fluid with insufficient supply from the outside threatens dehydration (dehydration). This condition negatively affects the speed of metabolic processes: metabolism slows down and fat deposits are burned less efficiently.
In the world of professional athletes, it is customary to drink at least 2 liters of water per day. However, there is no need to overload the kidneys. Doctors say: to calculate the daily water requirement, you need to multiply your own weight in kg by 30 ml.
To summarize
Finally, I would like to say about a simple pyramid, which sometimes turns out to be much more productive than the most effective fat burners.
- Nutrition.
- Workout.
- Rest.
Only by combining these elements in the right proportions can you really burn all the excess fat and maintain your weight at an acceptable level for a long time.
The editors do not recommend using powerful fat burners if you do not play sports at a professional level. Often, the acceleration of fat burning is much less than expected, but harm to health is always present.
The importance of sleep
You need to sleep at least 7-8 hours, and go to bed no later than 23:00 or 00:00. During sleep, important processes occur that affect the results of training: normalization of hormonal levels, restoration of muscle tissue, stabilization of the emotional state.
Constant lack of sleep has a negative impact on well-being and body quality. The person becomes lethargic, tired, and lacks energy. This will lead to a decrease in strength indicators and a slowdown in the weight loss process.
Stimulants taken in the afternoon have a negative impact on sleep quality. You can take such fat burners only before 17:00. If you still can’t fall asleep, you should reschedule taking the supplements to an earlier time of day (no later than 14:00).
Cyclic regimen for taking a fat burner
Professional athletes recommend adhering to a cyclic dosage regimen. It consists of taking the fat burner in courses lasting 3 to 4 weeks.
The breaks between courses must be at least 14 days. If giving up sports nutrition is difficult, during these periods you can take safe weight loss supplements without central nervous system stimulants.
If you ignore this recommendation and take fat burners all the time, the body will get used to the substances they contain. There will be an increase in the level of cortisol, a catabolic hormone. The result will be a halt in progress, deterioration in well-being, muscle breakdown and replenishment of fat reserves.
The listed consequences can be avoided if you use fat burners in courses with breaks between them.
What to combine fat burners with
Let's look at effective and useless combinations of fat-burning supplements with other types of sports nutrition:
- With pre-workout complex . This combination is not recommended, especially for beginner athletes. The fact is that both supplements tend to contain caffeine in high dosages. Therefore, simultaneous use may be harmful to health;
- With vitamin-mineral complex . Useful link. Many fat burners have a diuretic effect, causing the body to lose water, as well as vitamins and minerals. Therefore, simultaneous intake of supplements will make up for losses;
- With protein . Useful link. During weight loss, an athlete loses a small amount of muscle. To minimize the breakdown of muscle fibers, it is useful to take protein mixtures. The same applies to BCAA and amino acid complexes;
- With creatine . Useless bunch. There is no proven synergistic effect from simultaneous use of drugs. Moreover, some fat burners have the opposite effect of creatine. Therefore, it is better to take these supplements separately.
