Fat burners are supplements that help stimulate metabolic processes and break down fatty tissue in the body. Today, the main forms of release of these products are tablets / capsules and powders. However, there are special fat-burning creams and gels on the market that also help fight fat deposits and additionally tone the skin. Using them together with proper nutrition and regular exercise, you will achieve success in losing weight and acquire a healthy, athletic look.
Fat burners are one of the more popular sports supplements. From the point of view of manufacturers, their principle of action is based on accelerating metabolism, blocking hunger and normalizing metabolic processes in the body — which, in theory, should lead to weight loss.
In fact, the main ingredient in legal fat burners is caffeine, which makes your heart beat faster and suppresses your appetite. Stronger substances are prohibited by law because they can be addictive and have a long list of contraindications.
Fat burners are a category of sports nutrition designed to reduce body weight. However, contrary to the name, they cannot literally “burn fat”, and weight loss with their help is achieved solely by increasing the level of activity and slightly blocking appetite.
At the same time, only a few of the sports fat burners are able to influence even these parameters — while the vast majority of supplements contain large doses of caffeine and secondary components with a very controversial evidence base.
You need to understand that fat burners are not drugs. That is, they are not tested for compliance with safety standards and for the absence of contraindications. That is why manufacturers use the abstract phrases “improves”, “promotes”, “normalizes”.
How does it work?
Substances with an evidence base as fat burners are caffeine, ephedrine, methylhexanamine (DMAA), and phenylpropanolamine (FPA). Taking them affects the central nervous system of the body and gives a surge of vigor — as well as euphoria and related addiction.
However, the effectiveness of caffeine and other “natural” substances is rather low (plus, tolerance to caffeine quickly forms), and ephedrine is banned in the Russian Federation as a drug precursor, since a substance similar to amphetamine can be obtained from it.
Growth hormone should be mentioned separately. While it is widely believed that it is a safe fat-burning and muscle-building supplement, numerous scientific studies suggest that it accelerates the aging process and is statistically associated with earlier death.
Slimming Sports Supplements
The division of sports fat burners into types is conditional. Usually, preparations contain several active ingredients at once, which have a synergistic principle of operation. Some of them suppress appetite, others increase body temperature and increase sweating:
Thermogenics. Accelerate metabolism by increasing body temperature and activating the central nervous system. They have a large list of contraindications and side effects (irritability, sweating, tachycardia). Often close to amphetamines in molecular structure and mechanism of action.
Appetite suppressants. Most of the supplements in this fat burner category are essentially thermogenics. It is necessary to understand that there are no drugs that significantly reduce the level of appetite, but do not affect other metabolic characteristics.
Diuretics Like other laxatives, diuretics stimulate intestinal motility and inhibit the reabsorption of water. The result is a temporary decrease in weight and numbers on the scales by reducing the amount of fluid in the body. Typical side effects are diarrhea and excessive sweating.
Calorie blockers. In theory, such fat burners should inhibit the absorption of food nutrients, helping to reduce the calorie intake of the diet, such as turmeric. However, in practice, their effectiveness is low — with the exception of pharmaceutical preparations that impair the absorption of fats during digestion.
Means for improving metabolism. They are able to reduce weight and show fat burning efficiency only in case of impaired metabolism, normalizing it. They represent a large category of various substances — from L-carnitine to drugs for normalizing the thyroid gland and vitamins.
New generation fat burners
If the principle of operation of “classic” fat burners is based on activating the central nervous system, increasing the heart rate and increasing sweating (which, in theory, helps to spend more calories), then the latest generation of drugs are trying to affect the hormones of hunger and satiety.
In particular, we are talking about the effect on ghrelin and leptin — obese people often have resistance to leptin (which negatively affects the mechanisms of satiety and provokes overeating). However, as of 2020, studies of such drugs were conducted only in animals.
In theory, lowering ghrelin levels with a certain drug should turn off the mechanisms of hunger formation — preventing overeating. But in practice, this can lead to increased sensitivity to the hormone — provoking long-term negative consequences.
What is the best fat burner?
Speaking about the best fat burners, it should be noted once again that none of them can literally “burn fat”. Weight loss with the help of such supplements can be achieved solely by accelerating the general metabolic processes — and against the background of diet and exercise.
In other words, it is impossible to lose weight just by taking pills — and without normalizing your diet or exercising regularly. At the same time, even if the fat burner speeds up the metabolism, we are talking about single percentages — that is, giving up a glass of cola or sweet juice will have a comparable effect on the calorie balance.
