Do You Need a Fat Burner?

Fat burners are one of the most popular supplements on the market. What are they and how do they work? More importantly, do they work? Do you need them? Can they actually accelerate fat loss?

Fat burners really work in several ways.

Elevated heart rate. By stimulating parasympathetic nervous system, it elevates your heart rate, which elevates your metabolism, which increases the amount of energy you use, even at rest. How much? I'm not sure, but if you're on a very low calorie diet, you need to burn as much as possible.

Increased energy. Actually, fat burners don't provide any energy at all. Calories are energy. I'm talking about perceived energy, or at least alertness. If you're eating very few calories, you're less inclined to exercise or perform small daily tasks. Your body will do everything it can to reduce the amount of movement in your daily life. You'll be as lazy as possible. If you don't have the energy to walk an extra few steps at the mall, you'll have little motivation to do purposeful exercise.

More lypolysis. If you read this blog often, then you know what lypolysis means. Of course, I'm referring to burning fat. Fat burners often contain green tea extract, which some studies show can increase the number of calories you burn by a little. Other ingredients have limited support, but a lot of claims. Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid from seawood that supports metabolism by utilizing more energy within fat cells. Bluberry leaf promote glucose metabolism and stabilize blood sugar levels. Ashwangandha extract reduce cortisol, a hormone we release when we're stressed.

Preservatoin of lean body mass. Research has shown that Tonalin CLA and branched-chained amino acids can help preserve muscles mass while dieting. This is a good thing. These supplements do not increase energy expenditure or increase metabolism, but anything that preserves muscle mass is a good thing. Dieting can lower metabolism, which will make it impossible to lose weight.

Do you need a fat burner? If your diet is clean and you're consuming less than your body utilizes, and you're working out at least five hours per week, and you're doing at least 2.5 hours of high-intensity work, then a fat burner might be the missing ingredient. If your diet sucks and you're eating pasta and potatoes at night, and you're not working very much, a fat burner is a waste of your money. Eat clean, move a lot, and then consider a fat burner. But I'd rather you take something like CLA or BCAAs to preserve lean body mass, instead of elevating your heart rate all day.

Kevin