Fat Burners 101: How They Work & The Main Ingredients

Implementing a practical, effective and sustainable weight-loss plan is the simplest way towards your dream body. But simply including at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise or cardio into your daily routine without making any alteration in the diet might not burn off visceral fat as easily as you think. Losing weight is an ongoing process, and it takes commitment and long-term changes in your daily eating and exercise habits.

In addition to healthy eating and regular physical activity, you might consider adding some supplements to your daily intake to burn your body fat faster and hence keep the weight off over the long term. No product or supplement can replace a solid foundation. However, sometimes it’s good to support your body in its fight with excess kilograms by using fat burners and pre-workout supplements. Adding these products will speed up the rate of fat loss and will give you an extra boost.

What Are Fat Burners?

Fat burners are any dietary supplements or related substances that claim to help you lose weight or at least make it easier to lose weight by burning excess fat from your body. Like pre-workout supplements, the fat-burning products contain caffeine and other stimulating ingredients that will accelerate fat loss and give people a boost of energy, helping them push through intense workouts.

Before buying into the hype, you would really want to know if it’s worth it. Read on to get a knowledge of how exactly fat burners work.

How Do Fat Burners Work?

Fat burners contain natural or artificial compounds. When shopping around for fat burners supplements, look for products that contain natural ingredients. If you have been eating clean and training hard, you want to be putting good stuff into your body.

The majority of fat burners for sale are marketed as increasing thermogenesis, meaning they are designed with the intention to boost metabolism and therefore increase fat burn. A thermogenic fat burner can help you lose weight by boosting energy, curbing the appetite, using fat as a fuel source, and increasing your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day, even when you are resting.

Are fat burners worth it? There’s no evidence that fat-burning supplements can effectively burn fat because manufacturers market them with various claims that have not been well researched or clinically validated. But they do typically contain ingredients that won’t hurt you in small doses when taken alone. The main ingredient in most fat burners is caffeine which can drive weight loss by increasing your metabolism so your body uses fat to produce energy more efficiently. And you will burn more calories as a result.

It is recommended that you take your fat burner in the morning at least 30 to 40 minutes before your breakfast. Your metabolism slows down during your sleep and taking your fat burner in the morning will give time for your metabolism to speed up and hence increase the fat burn. Also, it’s a good idea to take your fat burner just before working out. It will give you that extra boost of energy you might need to get through a workout, leading to you burning more calories during your workout and throughout the day as well.

What are the side effects of a fat burner? Beyond weight loss, fat burners can have a pretty big physiological effect, depending on the formula and the dosage of ingredients. Given the fact that fat-burning products contain various stimulants, there are reported side effects such as anxiety, increased blood pressure, sleeping, and gastrointestinal issues.

The Main Ingredients in Fat Burners

There are dozens of ingredients in fat burners supplements, both natural and artificial compounds. The main ingredients found in fat burners include caffeine, L-carnitine, green tea, conjugated linoleic acid, forskolin, chromium, Yohimbe, Glucomannan, and Raspberry Ketones. Let’s have a closer look at some of the more common ingredients:

Caffeine

Many fat burners use caffeine as an energy-boosting stimulant. Caffeine is an effective burner that helps with weight loss by increasing the mobilization of fatty acids as fuel during exercise. The more energy your body burns every day, the more body fat you can lose. Caffeine also can improve strength, muscle endurance, and gym performance. Taken before aerobic exercise, caffeine can increase fat burning and help you exercise longer by delaying the onset of fatigue.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea is another common ingredient found in fat burners. As one of the more natural options when it comes to giving your metabolism a boost, green tea has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss. The antioxidants found in green tea help the body lose abdominal fat and improve triglyceride levels. Green tea reduces the amount of fat you absorb from food, thanks to its natural caffeine content along with another compound known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine has been shown to be helpful with your metabolism and gives you energy. It derives from an amino acid and is found in nearly all cells of the body. L-Carnitine supports fat oxidation and its key role is a mobilization of body fat for fuel in the body. In fact, that’s why carnitine has become popular as a supplement.