Still inexperienced gym goers who want to get rid of extra pounds are often faced with a situation when the process of losing weight significantly slows down or stops altogether. This happens even if the athlete observes all the basic conditions necessary for burning fat: regular physical activity, a balanced diet with a moderate amount of fats and carbohydrates, frequent fractional meals to promote metabolism and rejection of bad habits. In such a case, sports nutrition comes to the rescue for burning fat, with which this process proceeds more dynamically and more noticeably.
Immediately, we note that we are not talking about hormonal drugs, doping and other substances that can undermine your health, and the sale and purchase of which is prohibited by current legislation. These are legal supplements that can be found in any sports nutrition store and which are not harmful to your body. In this article, we will tell you which sports nutrition is best for fat burning and how to choose “your” supplement.
How does fat-burning nutrition work?
The sports nutrition market is filled with supplements designed to reduce adipose tissue. Customer reviews and scientific studies confirm the high effectiveness of these supplements.
Depending on the main components of a particular additive, the mechanism of their work may differ. In most cases, the active substances in this type of sports nutrition help to reduce the amount of subcutaneous fat due to the following effects resulting from their intake:
- improving metabolism;
- reducing the absorption of fats and carbohydrates from the gastrointestinal tract;
- blocking the synthesis of fat cells;
- breakdown of fatty acids.
Together, these factors, supplemented by physical activity, and result in a decrease in body fat.
Note! By themselves, fat burners and other supplements are not a "magic pill" that will do everything for you at once. They only work if you follow diet and exercise. Without this, it makes no sense to apply them.
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What kind of food is suitable for burning fat?
The range of sports nutrition for fat burning includes the following types of supplements: fat burners, thermogenics, appetite suppressants and meal replacements. They are produced by both Western and domestic brands of sports nutrition.
Before purchasing any supplement, special attention should be paid to its originality. Check with the seller where the goods are shipped from. Carefully inspect the packaging: the label must be securely glued, the lid must be tightly screwed, the expiration date of the product, the composition of the product and the manufacturer's coordinates must be indicated. Note the GMP Compliance Icon. There should be no spelling errors in the text on the label. If at least one of these points is not met, with a probability of 99% you have a fake in your hands. This happens all the time, even in large retail chains of sports nutrition stores. And the funny thing about this situation is that often the seller himself does not even suspect that he is selling fake sports nutrition.
In no case do not use additives, in the originality of which you are not sure, as no one will give you a guarantee that the composition of the product corresponds to what is written on the package. In the best case, you will eat a dummy. At worst, use a product of unknown origin from the cheapest raw materials, potentially carrying a huge risk to your health, in some cases even containing narcotic substances.
Fat burners
Fat burners are a group of supplements whose action is aimed at breaking down fat cells. This effect is achieved due to the content of caffeine, L-carnitine, yohimbine, taurine, zinc, green tea extract and other substances of natural origin.
1,3-dimethylamylamine (DMAA)
There are also a number of stronger fat burners that contain stimulants that affect the functioning of the central nervous system. They increase the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, which allows us to train harder and enjoy exercise. Most often it is an extract of geranium oil (1,3-dimethylamylamine, DMAA), which has a strong energetic and euphoric effect on the body.
Geranium oil extract is banned for consumption by the World Anti-Doping Agency and is legally prohibited for distribution in some European countries. In Russia, 1,3-dimethylamylamine is completely legal.
This substance is found in many pre-workout supplements and fat burners at a dosage of 25-75 mg per serving. These supplements really "spin" your body, increase strength, improve relief, burn excess fat, but there is a dark side to the issue. With long-term use, they cease to have such a powerful effect, and very often many athletes exceed the recommended dosage in order to get a powerful stimulating effect. This is not beneficial: the cardiovascular system constantly has to work in a very difficult mode, the central nervous system is overexcited, appetite worsens, sleep is disturbed, potency weakens.
Beta Phenylethylamine (PEA)
Beta-phenylethylamine (PEA) is also often found in fat burners, which also has a psychostimulating effect. Unlike geranium oil extract, PEA is not a natural remedy. It is obtained synthetically. Phenylethylamine enhances mental focus and mood, allowing for more intense exercise. In sports supplements, it is used at a dosage of 400-500 mg.
In the Russian Federation, phenylethylamine in concentrations above 15% is prohibited and included in the list of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Ephedrine
Some manufacturers (whose legal status is questionable) add ephedrine to fat burners and pre-workout complexes, which is a narcotic drug, the sale, production and storage of which entails criminal liability. In terms of its effect on the body, ephedrine is similar to amphetamine - it has a powerful psychostimulant effect, increases energy, increases heart rate, suppresses appetite, and speeds up metabolism. All this leads to rapid weight loss, and a satisfied customer runs to the store for a new can of fat burner, once again breaking the law and risking criminal liability. But even if we ignore the legal side of the issue, then the use of ephedrine for fat burning can hardly be called appropriate. In addition to weight loss, ephedrine leads to tachycardia, arrhythmia, hypertension, angina pectoris, nausea, excessive sweating, insomnia, bouts of aggression, hyperglycemia, impaired salt balance in the body, etc.
Think about whether losing weight with drugs containing ephedrine is worth serious health problems, addiction and the risk of going to prison?
Thermogenics
This type of supplement works on the principle of increasing thermogenesis, which leads to the expenditure of more calories in training. The body's heat production increases, the body temperature rises, and the body removes a large amount of water. In addition to the main components such as caffeine or green tea extract, which are found in almost all fat burners, thermogenics also contain naringin and tyramine, which are responsible for the breakdown of glucose in the body and the production of adrenaline.
Thermogenics can be classified as "light" fat burners, they do not overload the central nervous system with large dosages of stimulants and do not contain creatine, which is intended to increase strength by accumulating ATP in cells.
Keep in mind that this type of sports nutrition for burning fat is more for women and girls who want to get ready for the beach season or just lose a few extra pounds.
Appetite suppressants
This type of supplement (also called anorexigens or anorectics) leads to faster fat burning by suppressing the hunger center and activating the saturation center located in the hypothalamus.
Main active ingredients:
- fluoxetine;
- sibutramine;
- lorcaserin;
- dexfenfluramine;
- their analogues.
Research confirms the effectiveness of these supplements. However, doctors also point out their side effects and possible harm to health: damage to heart valves, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, myocardial fibrosis, insomnia, arrhythmia, etc.
You can buy appetite suppressants not only at a sports nutrition store, but also at your regular pharmacy. They are often bought by women who do not have enough time to play sports, they hope to lose extra pounds by reducing the amount of food they eat.
However, due to the high cost and potential health risks of these supplements, it is recommended that you simply make dietary adjustments and add physical activity to your daily life - the results will be just as good and the health benefits are much greater.
Food substitutes
This is a group of supplements made by leading sports nutrition brands designed to be a complete meal replacement. This can be a cocktail that should be mixed with water in a shaker or blender, or a bar containing all the necessary nutrients.
Their advantages are obvious:
- the amount of all necessary micro and macro elements is already balanced;
- low amount of calories;
- convenience of storage;
- the speed of cooking and eating.
Meal replacement products include a complex protein containing proteins with different absorption rates, complex carbohydrates obtained from natural products, unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. They have only one drawback - the excessively high price.
Meal substitutes are good for those who sometimes cannot get a full meal due to busy times. This will have a much better effect on your weight loss or lean muscle mass than having quick snacks, fast food, sweets or flour products.
Side effects of substitutes can manifest themselves in the form of disruption of the digestive system only in case of individual intolerance to one or another component that is part of the product.
L-carnitine
L-Carnitine (Levocarnitine) is a naturally occurring substance found in dairy products, fish and red meat. It is not a fat burner, but its use during weight loss is very effective. Its benefit lies in the fact that it transports some of the adipose tissue into the mitochondria of the muscles, where it is converted into energy (ATP) and used up in strength training. In addition, L-carnitine has a number of other beneficial functions, including: increasing mental and physical activity, increasing stress resistance, lowering bad cholesterol levels and improving myocardial metabolism. It is also a powerful antioxidant. L-Carnitine is found in most fat burners, but is also sold as a standalone supplement at all sports nutrition stores. Recommended for use in a dosage of about 2 grams per day.
Food compatibility
Many athletes believe that they will be able to achieve faster results by consuming several types of weight loss supplements at the same time. This is not entirely true when it comes to fat burners or thermogenics. The principle of their work is approximately the same and the active ingredients in most supplements are practically the same. Therefore, you should not use several types of fat burners at the same time. In addition, due to this, you can exceed the recommended dosage, which will lead to unpleasant consequences in the form of headaches, nausea, insomnia, or increased blood pressure due to an overdose of caffeine and other substances that have a stimulating effect. For the same reason, it is not recommended to combine the intake of fat burners and pre-workout complexes.
Fat burners and similar supplements can be easily combined with the following types of sports nutrition:
- protein mixtures;
- vitamin and mineral complexes;
- BCAA;
- complex amino acids;
- glutamine;
- other supplements that do not interfere with fat burning and do not contain a large number of calories (for example, gainers).
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How to choose the right food?
First of all, define your goals. If you want to burn 2-3 extra pounds, then you may well do without fat burners or taking other supplements. If a little more, buy a box of L-carnitine from a sports nutrition store or drugstore. This will help you speed up metabolic processes in the body and give you extra strength for sports.
If you are a man and your goal is high-quality relief and a low percentage of subcutaneous fat, then you should buy a fat burner. When choosing sports nutrition for burning fat for men, it is better not to use fat burners containing strong stimulants (especially ephedrine). They overexcite the central nervous system, and you can put yourself into a state of overtraining. This will be accompanied by loss of muscle mass, poor sleep, apathy, and depression.
You should also pay special attention to your health. If you have problems with the cardiovascular system, any supplements containing caffeine, taurine or guarana are contraindicated for you. About DMAA or PEA, I think, everything is clear. It is better to limit yourself to L-carnitine, let's say a course intake of appetite suppressants (in no case exceeding the recommended dosage). Also, you should definitely buy a good vitamin and mineral complex, since in a diet, all body systems need additional vitamins - this will only benefit your heart.
If you have kidney or genitourinary problems, be careful with supplements that have a diuretic effect. A potent diuretic is caffeine, which is found in almost every fat burner or thermogenetic. If you are using these supplements, consume more fluids so as not to disrupt the normal functioning of all systems in your body.
