Fat burners are such an eternal topic. These are extremely popular supplements that more and more people are investing in without knowing what conditions they work under and what they are for. Thus, even though much has been written on the subject, fat burners still remain misunderstood.
That is why we have decided to devote a separate article to this subject, to break down the combustors down to the last component and to clarify this complex topic once and for all.
What are the basic prerequisites for weight loss?
Before we get into a detailed dissection of fat burners, we should ask ourselves what the basic prerequisites for weight loss are. After all, no supplement is all-powerful and, as the name suggests, only helps to "supplement" - in the case ofIn the case of proteins, it is about supplementing a varied diet; in the case of fat burners, it is about maximizing and slightly streamlining the process. The most important prerequisites are therefore:
1. Caloric deficit
You know that there is such a thing as calories. Or at least you should, since this information, along with a specific number, is found on every packaged food. And just as a person takes in calories, they also give them out. If you want to lose weight, a simple (in)equation applies- calorie intake must be less than calorie expenditure. So being concerned about how many calories you take in from food and what your estimated expenditure is is more than desirable when dieting.
2. Limit your intake of simple sugars
The intake of simple sugars alone does not cause weight gain, the amount of calories consumed is what determines this. The problem is rather health-related, as sugar is not healthy at all and is behind the development and subsequent development of many diseases of civilisation. Not to mention the fact that increasing your caloric intake with simple carbohydrates and then throwing money away on fat burners is extremely pointless.
3. Avoiding sugary and energy drinks
The last piece of advice, not to be forgotten at the outset, is closely related to the previous ones. Sweetened drinks are the worst possible choice in a diet, because you take in large amounts of simple sugars and they don't fill you up at all, so you have to eat anyway and the total number of calories you take in increases very quickly.
Energy drinks are in a similar situation, we even covered their issue in a previous part of our series on fitness vices. They do contain caffeine, which we'll talk about a few more times in today's article, but otherwise they have incredible amounts of sugars, glucose-fructose syrup, and many other ingredients.
How do energy burners actually work?
Just as proteins differ from each other, so do individual burners. The variable here, however, is not the source of the protein, but the content of the active ingredients. It is almost impossible to cover in one article all the ingredients that manufacturers useThey are usually mixtures of various natural substances with thermogenic and metabolism-boosting properties. In this part of the article we will try to introduce you to the most important ones.most commonly used substances that you will find in fat burners.
1. Caffeine
Except for the not very common stimulant-free burners, caffeine is in almost every supplement falling into this category. Its importance lies in its ability to mobilize fat from adipose tissue and stimulate the body to break it down. As demonstrated by scientific studies, caffeine also increases the production of adrenaline, which is responsible for "burning" fat and increasing the concentration of free fatty acids in the blood.
2. Taurine
Taurine is a derivative of a non-essential amino acid called cysteine. You may be familiar with this substance because it is found almost in every energy drink, where it works in synergy with the aforementioned caffeine. It is an amino acid that is one of the most abundant components of human skeletal muscle and its effect is truly diverse. However, we are most interested in it for its positive effect on the regulation of the amount of fat in the body and the absorption of fat from the small intestine.
3. B vitamins
The B vitamins are hydrophilic vitamins that are united by their essentiality for the proper functioning of metabolism. One of the most commonly used representatives of this group is niacin, which is essential for the release of energy from food. In terms of fat burning, we are most interested in its effect on reducing the formation of VLDL and LDL lipoproteins, i.e. "bad" cholesterol (Its effect is to some extent is debatable, but it is referred to as "bad" because of its ability to deposit in the walls of arteries in excess intake).
As well as niacin, pyridoxine, which plays a very important role in glycogen metabolism, and choline, which, although not a vitamin in itself, plays a role in the body an analogous function and is a precursor to an important neurotransmitter called acetylcholine.
4. L-Carnitine
Carnitine is one of the most well-known weight loss supplements. The ideal choice is carnitine tartrate, which has a significant effect on the utilization of carbohydrates, hence its It has its advantages, for example, for improving recovery after training or with any meal containing carbohydrates. In addition to tartrate, acetyl-l-carnitine is also a good choice, but its justification is rather before training.
5. Synephrine
Synephrine is very often offered by manufacturers as a "legal substitute for ephedrine."Although this supplement falls somewhat short of the banned substance mentioned above, it can certainly have its justification. Synephrine provides stimulation of specific beta-3 receptors, thanks to which it promotes fat metabolism and thermogenesis while increasing energy expenditure.
6. CLA
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a non-essential fatty acid capable of stimulating metabolism and alleviating feelings of hunger. Unlike most of the substances mentioned above, it is not a stimulant, so it is possible toIt can be taken in the evening without disturbing the quality of sleep.
Fitness vices series #7: What are the advantages/disadvantages of energy drinks?
How do fat burners definitely not work?
Since we've talked so far about how fat burners work in a positive way, we should also talk about how fat burners definitely don't work for the sake of completeness. They definitely won't help you burn an ounce of fat if you haven't dealt with the sheer the basics of eating that we talked about in the beginning of this article and if you lack exercise. If you still have gaps in your diet and don't want to give up your favorite high-calorie foods or sweets, you would only be throwing money away on fat burners.
After all, this supplement is the imaginary top of the pyramid to your dream figure. Until you have a solid foundation, don't try to find the easiest path to success, because there are no shortcuts in this regard.
Are fat burners only suitable for bodybuilders?
When it comes to fat burners, you're probably wondering who they're suitable for and who they're not. After all, their use is definitely not only among bodybuilders who are trying to get in the best shape for competitions or to have a chiseled figure for the beach. It can be used by absolutely anyone with a diet, however they do sports - from walks in the woods to to various extreme sports - and wants to maximize fat burning with a legal supplement.
Conversely, fat burners are definitely unsuitable for people with heart disease, as they often contain stimulants to encouragewhich is not very desirable in the case of any myocardial disease. Similarly, I do not recommend strong burners for women, because they can cause nausea, for example. For women, for example, stimulant-free burners are suitable , which do not have a similar negative effect.
How and when do we recommend using fat burners?
As our article is slowly but surely coming to its conclusion, we should give youwith the ideal timing and the correct dosage of a fat burner. And it should be noted that both of these pieces of information are most likely provided by the manufacturer on the back of the supplement. And of course we recommend to follow this information.
The vast majority of fat burners are taken about 20 minutes before a workout in the gym, or any other sportsm exercise, so that the thermogenic and metabolism-stimulating effect is further maximized by the athletic load. If you choose the supplement in capsule form, it will be easier and more convenient for you to consume it before training, while not having to measure anything laboriously. However, it is important to wash down the capsules with a sufficient amount of water, as this is the only way to maximise the use of the active ingredients.
Which burner would we recommend?
As our article is coming to a close, as usual we would like to recommend a specific product. However, it is almost impossible to choose from a wide range of burners. That is why we would like to refer you to our comparison of the best fat burnerswhere we have selected the best supplements in this category.
For example, if you are looking for the most powerful fat burner on the market, Grenade Black Ops, the winner of our ranking, would be a good choice.For women, the slightly weaker Thermogel, which thanks to its practical gel form also saves a lot of work with preparation, and for athletes training in the late evening Grenade Stim Free will come in handy. A detailed description of not only these products can be found in the above-mentioned rankingwhich is designed so that everyone can find the ideal product for their needs.
Well, that's it for this article, if you have any questions that you have in thequestions not answered in the article, feel free to ask in the comments, we're always happy to answer.
More episodes from the Fitness Vices series:
- Fitness Vices Series #1: What effect does alcohol have on exercise?
- Fitness Vices #2: What effect does marijuana have on exercise?
- Fitness Vices Series #3: What effect does smoking have on working out?
- Fitness Vices Series #4: What are the pros and cons of anabolic steroids?
- Fitness series on vices #5: To what extent is drinking coffee beneficial?
- Fitness series on vices #6: Why is an uncontrolled cheat day a fast track to the bottom?
- Fitness series on vices #7: Can energy drinks replace pre-workouts?
- Fitness series on vices #8: Can fat burners really help with weight loss?
Why can you trust us?
Hey! Hey! I'm Mirek and I've been working at World Fitness almost since the beginning, except for a small break. But before that I lived only in the gym for a few years, doing deadlifts and power triathlon, going to competitions and winning a few medals.
Probably the one I value the most is the national record in the WUAP federation. But besides working out, I was also interested in food and supplements, I liked to enjoy my free timeI used to read different researches and professional books in my free time to know as much as possible.