Wondering what you can get out of using a fat burner?
Guess what!!
According to statistics, 15% of US adults use weight loss supplements at some point in their lives and collectively spend around $2.1 billion in a year.
Today’s size-obsessed culture has, no doubt, given a boost to weight loss supplements.
Hence, it’s no wonder that these products claiming to help you burn fat and achieve your dream body have proliferated widely.
But the real question is “how do fat burners work” and, more importantly, are they safe?
We are constantly bombarded with health supplements claiming to help lose weight quickly, easily, and safely.
But is losing weight as easy as taking a pill or supplement?
But before you buy into the hype, let’s see how fat burners work.
How Do Fat Burners Work?
You must have discovered fat-burning pills that often claim to melt your body fat like ice cream on a hot summer day.
Well, in short, fat burners do work but are not a replacement for a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.
Sorry to burst your bubble there, mates!
“Fat burners are a nutritional supplement that helps increase metabolism, burn fat, and eventually lead to weight loss.”
It basically is an effective tool to make your desired weight loss plan effective.
What Fat Burners Do?
Fat burners contain specific ingredients that are designed to stimulate hormonal reactions in the body and burn fat to use as fuel.
It works by triggering the metabolic process of the body and targets body fat for energy expenditure.
Moreover, fat burners are basically classified on the basis of their fat-burning action in the body.
In general, it falls under two categories:
#1. Thermogenics
#2. Lipolysis inducers
How Do Thermogenics Work?
The first category is the fat burner that boosts thermogenesis, which is a metabolic process that burns calories and generates heat.
Notably, this process of burning extra calories and generating extra thermal energy continues to take place even during rest and sleep.
It’s a part of a normal metabolic process that promotes weight loss when done in addition to a healthy diet and exercise.
To clarify, thermogenesis burns off more calories over the day.
And a low-calorie diet and physical activity are the best ways to burn fat and lose weight.
The second most effective type of fat burner is the one designed to boost lipolysis.
How Does Lipolysis Work?
Lipolysis is much more complicated than thermogenesis.
This process essentially involves breaking down body fat through enzymes and water.
During lipolysis, the free fatty acid is liberated into the bloodstream and disseminated into the whole body.
As a matter of fact, diet is predominant in this process of body fat loss. It has to do with losing about 70%-80% of your body fat. Pretty impressive, right?
But what about the rest 20%-30%?
Well, 20% of it obviously depends on your exercise schedule. And the rest is entirely dependent on the extra push that a fat burner can provide.
Fat burners are meant to support your continuous hard work to maximize fat loss.
Hence, fat burners work best when used properly.
Moreover, most fat burners contain ingredients that augment fat metabolism.
These ingredients lessen the ability to convert excess glucose into fat for storage.
Ingredients In Fat Burners That Work
There are dozens of herbal ingredients and other compounds in weight loss supplements.
Moreover, knowing how do fat burners work makes it important to understand the composition of its ingredients.
Some of the most effective fat-burning ingredients include:
#1. Caffeine
Caffeine is naturally found in foods and drinks, such as coffee, tea, and chocolate.
However, supplements contain more caffeine than natural sources.
Not to mention, a single pill of a fat burner contains many more ingredients than just caffeine.
Obviously, it wouldn’t be practical to assume you would ever get all those ingredients at once through a meal.
Caffeine is also a popular fat burner and is found in most of the best fat burner for belly fat because it mobilizes fat from tissue and amplifies the metabolic process.
However, a lot of caffeine can cause nervousness, jitteriness, increased heart rate, and insomnia.
So, take note of the amount of caffeine your fat burner has.
#2. Green Tea
Green tea extract might help burn calories and reduce fat absorption from your food.
It contains less caffeine than coffee and has antioxidants that have been proven to boost metabolism.
Moreover, green tea has been constantly praised for its natural ability to assist in fat loss.
It also contains plant-derived polyphenols that increase the liver’s ability to process fat.
These antioxidants help the body lose abdominal fat and improve triglyceride levels.
#3. L-Carnitine
It has a key role to play in the mobilization of fat in the body for fuel.
It is a popular dietary supplement, of course.
L-Carnitine transfers fatty acids to mitochondria where it is oxidized for fuel.
Hence, the more the L-carnitine, the more fat your body will burn.
#4. L-Tyrosine
It’s an amino acid used by the body to create neurotransmitters, adrenaline and noradrenaline.
Additionally, it is used by the body to make thyroid hormones essential for metabolism.
It gives rise to metabolic activity, oxidation of fat, and appetite reduction.
In short, it has a subtle impact but enough to facilitate weight loss.
#5. Soluble Fiber
Some fat burners contain high soluble ingredients that help control appetite and prevent the body from absorbing fat from foods.
Some commonly used fiber-rich ingredients are:
● Glucomannan
● Beta-glucans
● Guar-Gum
#6. Yohimbe
It is found in many weight loss supplements and is derived from the bark of an evergreen tree.
While it may be dangerous and cause high blood pressure, anxiety, agitation, and headaches, some fat burners do have this ingredient in subtle quantities.
If you wish to skip this ingredient, pay attention to the label of the fat burner you’re buying.
An interesting fact!
Yohimbe is not only used for weight loss, but it also has been used in West African medical drugs to improve sexual performance.
#7. Garcinia Cambogia
Garcinia Cambogia contains HCA that blocks enzymes used by the body to make fat.
So, in a way, you are suppressing fat storage in the first place.
This makes this particular ingredient pretty effective at combating weight loss without having to micro-manage your diet.
Not to mention, it also raises brain chemical serotonin and gives you a fuller feeling.
Other Ingredients In Fat Burners
As mentioned above, fat-burning supplements contain dozens of ingredients.
Some of the other typically used ingredients in fat burners are:
● Capsicum
● Chromium
● Forskolin
● Raspberry ketones
● Glucomannan
● Fucoxanthin
On the flip side, because some supplements are loaded with many ingredients, it’s hard to say how they affect your health.
In our observation, the best fat burners often contain fewer ingredients that are also proven by clinical studies.
However, if you’re concerned, here’s everything you need to know about the safety of a fat burner.
Possible Side Effects Of Fat Burners
Fat-burning supplements have gained so much popularity that you can now discover them in nearly any store.
It’s true that a fat burner does a lot of work to guide you towards your weight management goals.
However, apart from positive effects, fat burners also have some negative side effects.
Some of the top side effects of fat burners for ladies and men are:
#1. Psychological Effects
Fat burners might have negative side effects on a mental and emotional level.
It could become the origin of nervousness, anxiety, aggressive behavior, and mood swings.
Moreover, in severe cases, people might also cause self-harm.
#2. Insomnia
Because of caffeine content in fat burners, increased heart rate and amplified metabolism might have a negative impact on your sleep routine.
Sleep deprivation could be a source of fatigue and might affect your immune system resulting in illness.
#3. Fluctuating Blood Pressure
We all know how do fat-burning pills work.
They heat your body, boost the metabolism, and burn fat at a higher rate leading to accelerated weight loss.
Hence, accelerated heart rate and increased blood pressure increase the danger of decreased circulation.
#4. Heart Disease
Some of the fat burners contain ingredients like bitter orange which is known to have severe adverse effects on both heart rate and blood pressure.
According to the National Institute Of Health, bitter orange is linked with stroke and heart attack.
Some of the other side effects also include:
● Dehydration
● Hunger Suppression
● Liver Damage
● Stomach Illnesses
Actually, most of the side effects of fat burners are correlated with a higher dose, food intolerances, and allergies.
Hence, keeping in mind its negative effects, it’s important to read the ingredients list beforehand and stick to the recommended dose.
Given all that, a fat burner has a very less chance of causing you any adverse effects if you’ve paid due diligence in advance.
By that we mean, you should read the ingredients list and see if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients.
One of the best ways to avoid these side effects is to consume your fat-burning pill after meals or snacks and follow the prescribed dosage.
Moving on, one of the topmost queries we get from our readers is if they need a workout routine along with a fat burner.
ALSO READ: How to Choose a Fat Burner
What Happens If You Take Fat Burners Without Working Out?
So, “what happens if I take fat burners without working out?”
In general, fat burners are meant to be taken along with your training and diet program to achieve fitness goals.
Then, the question remains, “should you take fat burners on non-training days?”
Taking fat burners on the days you aren’t training can still help:
● To boost metabolism,
● protect lean muscle mass,
● reduce hunger pangs and appetite, and
● increase energy
On non-training days, the HMB (β-hydroxy-β-methyl butyrate) prevents the debasement of muscles and increases strength and fat-free mass.
Other benefits of taking fat burners on the days you aren’t training are controlling insulin and blood glucose level, boosting energy expenditure, and maximizing muscle recovery on days you aren’t exercising.
Now that we are talking about when to consume a fat burner, let’s dig a little deeper.
When To Take Fat Burners?
The two best recommended times to take your fat-burning supplements are:
1. Before workout
2. After breakfast
To avoid its side effects, you can undoubtedly consume it after breakfast.
However, the best way to consume it is at least 30-40 minutes before breakfast. The reason behind this is that your body’s metabolism is slowest in the morning.
Taking your fat burner at least 30 minutes before breakfast will give time to your metabolism to speed up and not only amplify the fat loss but also control your appetite.
Whereas, taking the fat-burning pill before working out will give you the kick of energy and push you need to get through your workouts and burn more calories.
Adding to this, for a lot of people, fat burn can also take place during sleep.
Interestingly, there are a number of fat burners that focus on your sleep timings to increase fat loss.
But do they work?
Let’s find out…
Do Night-Time Fat Burners Work?
YES!!
As your body regenerates during sleep, fat burn gets easy.
You’ll be surprised to know that your body burns around 60% of the fat when you are asleep.
Notably, after eating, calorie burn is predominantly from sugar.
And it takes around 3-4 hours after eating before the fat loss really begins.
And if you don’t eat too close to your bedtime, after 7-8 hours, your body will be burning the most fat.
Talking about fat burners, there are particular reasons why they work while you are sleeping and one of them is the type of ingredients.
Some of the ingredients in nighttime fat burners block cortisol, the stress hormone, which is also responsible for fat storage especially in the abdominal region.
This means a reduction in fat storage, lower muscle loss, and decreased stress!
It also results in better management of stress, a high energy level for exercise, and a higher metabolic rate.
But you must be cautious while using nighttime fat burners because it might hamper your sleep too, depending on its composition.
So, do nighttime fat burners work?
The answer is yes, but only if taken properly. And once again, the key is to look into its ingredients.
Additionally, there are some ways to maximize the effectiveness of a fat burner!
How To Get The Most Out Of Fat Burners?
Now if you are using a fat burner, the first question that must have come to your mind would be how fast do fat burners work.
Normally, it takes 2-4 months to see desirable results; however, you can witness visible transformation within 3-5 weeks.
Nevertheless, you can also maximize the fat-burning effects to achieve your weight loss goals sooner.
Ways To Maximize Fat Burning
Try these measures to support the process of natural fat loss through fat burners:
1. Up the intake of protein
2. Take care of adequate hydration
3. Maintain a regular sleep schedule
Here’s how you can incorporate these steps into your daily routine.
#1. Eat More Protein
Consuming more protein is essential to maintain lean muscles.
If your body isn’t getting enough protein, it will start eating the muscles to provide you with energy.
#2. Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated would be the wisest decision to make during the fat-burning process.
Intensified workout leads to sweating and eventually dehydration, resulting in slow metabolism and fatigue.
Having enough water will help fat-burning supplements to continue their work smoothly.
#3. Get A Good Night’s Sleep
Lack of sleep often leads to fatigue, tiredness, and poor food choices.
It’s important to listen to your body and allow it to sleep and rest in order to recover and rejuvenate from a tiring workout.
It not only keeps you physically active but also offers you the mental strength to continue your rigorous weight loss regime.
At last…
Fat burners do work, but they aren’t magic pills.
You must keep in mind that, with any product you use, you may see some results.
Adding to this, when you know how do fat burners work, it becomes easier for you to choose the one that’s going to work effectively for your body.
But to get the maximum benefits out of the fat-burning supplement, you have to have a proper diet and exercise routine while you use them.
In A Nutshell
While fat burners are effective when taken properly, one must also know that weight loss supplements aren’t going to make your stubborn fat cells go up in the smoke without your personal effort.
Fat burners are supplements that:
● Boosts your metabolism to help you burn more calories
● Decreases the fat absorption in your gut
● Take control of your appetite and lower your calories intake.
That’s how fat burners work in theory.
It’s a guaranteed fix but must be balanced with a healthy lifestyle.
Did you enjoy reading the blog? Did we miss something?
Leave your thoughts and queries down in the comments section.