Let’s be clear about one thing; getting your body fat low enough so that you can see your abs is hard work! Unless you’re one of the elite few with great genetics, it takes hard work in the gym and a super-strict diet to get a body that turns heads on the beach.

To make the process of burning fat faster and easier, there are literally dozens of fat burning supplements available on the market. But very few of the ingredients are actually backed up by credible scientific research.

That’s why I was so interested in a recent study that put a group of thermogenic (fat burning) compounds to the test. The problem with most studies is that they only look at one ingredient in isolation but most fat burners contain more than one ingredient. And that was what really interested me about this new study – it tested a combination of thermogenic ingredients. The results really surprised me, for reasons I’ll explain in a moment. Firstly, let me explain a little more about thermogenesis and what it means for you.

Thermogenesis refers generally to the production of heat via the burning of calories. It occurs in response to things like eating and exercise but certain compounds are also said to be thermogenic. A rise in thermogenesis is linked to an increase in the burning of calories, which should (assuming, of course, that your diet is in order) mean faster, quicker fat loss.

The supplement tested in the study contained the following compounds, all of which have been shown, to one degree or another, to increase thermogenesis.

Green tea extract
All teas (green, black and oolong) are derived from the same plant, camellia sinensis. The difference is in how the leaves are prepared. Green tea is prepared by picking, lightly steaming and allowing the leaves to dry. Due to differences in the fermentation process, portions of the active compounds are destroyed in black tea, but remain active in green tea. The active constituents in green tea, called catechins, have a powerful effect on body fat, accelerating both the loss of stored fat and reducing fat storage.

Tyrosine
The amino acid tyrosine is a building block for several important brain chemicals, including epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine, several of which help to regulate thermogenesis.

Caffeine
Clinical trials show that caffeine will boost the fat burning effects of exercise by up to 30%. Research also shows that caffeine improves performance during short term, high intensity exercise, such as weight training. In addition, caffeine tends to enhance the impact of other thermogenics, making them work better for longer.

Cayenne
Cayenne contains capsaicin, the compound that produces the ‘hot’ in hot peppers. Originally from South America, the cayenne plant is now used worldwide as a food and spice. Cayenne is known to increase your metabolic rate, which is one reason why you get so hot and sweaty after eating spicy foods

Calcium
Several studies show that calcium has a small but beneficial effect on fat metabolism, making it a useful supplement for those looking to decrease weight and body fat.

That’s enough background information. Now let’s take a closer look at what happened in the study and the effect the supplement had on metabolism and body fat.

The study examined the effect of the thermogenic supplement on 97 overweight adults. A variety of measures were tracked including weight and body composition (using DEXA, which is an accurate way of measuring body fat levels). Resting metabolic rate was also measured for several hours following the intake of the supplement to see how much of an impact it was having on the metabolism.

The result:

Firstly, the supplement was shown to increase the metabolic rate for a full four hours after it was taken. So, if you were to take three servings a day, you’ll get a metabolic boost lasting 12 hours. That’s going to make a big difference to your overall rate of fat loss.

In fact, over the 8-week study period, subjects using the supplement combination lost twice as much fat as those given a placebo.

More interesting still, the thermogenic effect was maintained after eight weeks. In other words, the thermogenic nutrients didn’t become less effective over time and were still as powerful at the end of the study as they were at the start.

As with all studies, there were a few problems that you should know about. First of all, the subjects in this study did no exercise. Obviously, when exercise is combined with a good diet, you’ll see better, faster results.

Secondly, not a problem but worth noting, was the fact that this study didn’t include Bitter Orange, which is one of the most popular and effective thermogenic compounds. Other research shows that Bitter Orange can accelerate the metabolic rate, and it would be very interesting to see how even better the fat loss could have been had it been combined with the other thermogenic compounds in the research. My thoughts are it would only enhance the effects!

Conclusion

After reading this study, I looked for products on the market that contained the same thermogenic ingredients, and the one that contained the best formula was Thermobol by Maximuscle. Thermobol contains the right ingredients in the correct amounts. This is important, as too many formulas contain small doses that don’t deliver any results. A small dose isn’t going to give you the results you want, plus you also get Bitter Orange as well as a few other ingredients for added ‘bang.’

A thermogenic supplement won’t help you lose fat without the benefits of a good diet and exercise programme. But when your diet and exercise routine are in place, they can make a big difference to your rate of fat loss and help you reveal your ab muscles in record time.

By John Hortel (reprinted with kind permission of ‘Pump It’)

Reference
Belza A, Frandsen E, Kondrup J. (2007). Body fat loss achieved by stimulation of thermogenesis by a combination of bioactive food ingredients: a placebo-controlled, double-blind 8-week intervention in obese subjects. International Journal of Obesity, 31, 121-130

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