BURN BABY BURN BY STEVE STIEFEL AND JIM STOPPANI Choose the perfect fat burners to help you get ripped Month by month we present diet, training and supplementation programmes for getting shredded. These form your foundation for getting lean and hard. However, if you want to crank things up a notch or if you believe that any bodyfat-reduction programme requires fat-burning products, here’s our guide to a range of those supplements. Remember that fat burners aren’t magic; they will be beneficial only if combined with the proper exercise and nutrition programmes. BUILD YOUR BURNER Deciding which thermogenic and how much to take can prove challenging. Many bodybuilders rely on the basics — caffeine or other stimulants. If one of these options works for you, great, but many bodybuilders steer clear of stimulants such as caffeine because they can cause jitters. Based on your experience and knowledge, decide whether you should substitute another thermogenic (or two or three) for caffeine or other stimulants, or whether you should simply add to the mix. FLEX gives you the lowdown on several fat-burner ingredients that are among the best available, and we provide you with two stack options for burning bodyfat (see “Stack It Up”) to help you make a choice. Keep in mind that many fat-burning ingredients work through different mechanisms and can be highly complementary. Synephrine is a good alternative to ephedrine and its actions can be augmented by caffeine. You can use 7-Keto to enhance your metabolic rate. Green tea extract is a great choice for an added fat-burning boost to stimulants such as caffeine or as a fat-loss supplement on its own. Tyrosine and forskolin also can be excellent components of an effective fat-burning stack. Of course, some bodybuilders may want to go wild with these five fat burners and add them all to their basic thermogenic combo. This is fine, as long as you have no medical conditions that would preclude taking them and you don’t mind shelling out the cash. As always, though, FLEX recommends starting slowly, adding one new supplement at a time so you can get a sense of what works best for you. Every week or two, add in another to take your fat burning to a higher level. Whatever you choose, keep dosages within the recommended amounts. This enables the fat burners to work effectively without encouraging side effects. SYNEPHRINE This product is an extract from a fruit called bitter orange, also known by its scientific name Citrus aurantium, and it may be listed on product labels as zhi shi. Its structure and its actions in the body are similar to ephedrine. This is why synephrine has popped up on the supplement scene as an ephedrine alternative. POSITIVES • Synephrine has been shown to significantly increase metabolic rate and fat loss similar to, but somewhat weaker than, ephedrine. • Its effects are enhanced when caffeine is also used. • Synephrine doesn’t raise blood pressure or heart rate to the extent that ephedrine might. • Studies have found that most subjects report a feeling of greater energy for several hours after ingesting synephrine. NEGATIVES • The increase in metabolic rate and fat loss do not appear to be quite as strong as those reported with ephedrine. • It provides a mild and temporary increase in blood pressure — do not take it if you have a history of cardiovascular problems. • Do not take it if you are on MAO inhibitors. VERDICT Synephrine appears to be a beneficial component of the ultimate fat-burner stack. DOSAGE Take 5-25 milligrams (mg) of synephrine (from a standardised Citrus aurantium extract) once or twice per day for a maximum of 50 mg. TYROSINE This nutrient is used by the body to make a number of important hormones, including the thyroid hormones, as well as the one that ephedrine mimics — norepinephrine (NE). NE is one of the main hormones in the body that promotes thermogenesis and the breakdown of bodyfat. POSITIVES • Dietary tyrosine has been shown to increase NE levels, indicating it may help improve the fat-loss effects of other stimulants such as caffeine. Tyrosine’s effect on the brain is often overlooked, presumably because some bodybuilders don’t think of the brain as being key to fat loss. Nevertheless, most of the fat-loss effect from thermogenics is the result of action on brain receptors for NE that govern appetite. In fact, boosting levels of NE in the brain is one of the most widely used methods to control appetite. • Tyrosine may be used as a substitute for ephedrine. Although its effects on metabolism and fat loss are not as strong, tyrosine does enhance NE production in a fashion similar to ephedrine. • Tyrosine helps increase the appetite-curbing effects of stimulants such as caffeine without increasing blood pressure. • Some bodybuilders experience rebound fatigue when they go off ephedra-related herbs; tyrosine can help in recovering from that fatigue. This makes sense, as tyrosine acts by providing raw material from which NE levels can be restored, a process that is depressed for a short time after ephedrine is withdrawn. NEGATIVES • Elevated levels of NE in the brain can give some people the jitters; some may notice nausea, unless a “slow and steady” dosing schedule is used. • Don’t take tyrosine if you have skin cancer, because it may speed growth of this type of tumour, and avoid it if you have a mood or bipolar disorder. VERDICT Tyrosine is a good choice as a stand-alone supplement or as a complement to other fat-burning ingredients. DOSAGE Take 500 mg to two grams (g) in the morning and 500 mg to 2 g later in the day. Some find tyrosine stimulating, so avoid it after 3 pm if it keeps you up at night. GREEN TEA EXTRACT Green tea contains several polyphenolic compounds called catechins. These are the antioxidants that are credited as being therapeutic for a host of ailments, including cancer, heart disease, liver disease and obesity. In fact, green tea is so popular as a perceived panacea that it is sold in capsule form at health-food outlets and chemists. POSITIVES • Research shows that supplementing with green tea extract over a three-month period has a fat-loss effect on the body; 270 mg of a compound called EGCG derived from green tea increases energy expenditure by about 4% per day, which can mean more than 150 extra calories burned per day for many bodybuilders. • Green tea is good for you, encouraging the death of cancerous cells of the prostate. • Green tea might also help prevent other cancers, heart disease and joint problems. NEGATIVES • Because EGCG delays blood clotting, avoid taking green tea extract before surgery or while taking blood-thinning or anti-inflammatory drugs (interaction is more likely if you are also taking vitamin E, fish oil or ginkgo biloba). VERDICT Green tea extract is a very promising candidate as part of a perfect fat burner. DOSAGE We recommend taking green tea extract standardised to 90 mg of EGCG (or 270 mg of polyphenols) two or three times per day. FORSKOLIN Coleus forskohlii is an herb containing the active ingredient forskolin (colforsin), which activates a hormone that breaks down fat stores. Forskolin has been shown to increase thyroid hormone production as well as to stimulate thyroid hormone release, thus helping to keep fat-burning operations optimal. POSITIVES • Supplementing with forskolin may help you reduce bodyfat. In addition, it can also be effective when applied topically. • Forskolin may have a muscle-preserving effect like that of ephedrine and caffeine, as it ultimately triggers the same biochemical pathway. Taking a concentrated extract of forskolin has been shown to help preserve muscle mass, and it may do the same for bodybuilders who use it as a substitute for ephedrine. • Unlike ephedrine and caffeine, forskolin causes an overall drop in blood pressure, which could be good for those with elevated blood pressure or for those who want to counter the effects of stimulants. NEGATIVES • A slight drop in blood pressure might be welcome for most bodybuilders, but it is prudent to avoid forskolin if you have a heart condition. If you have cancer of the prostate, the supplement can interfere with test results for this condition. VERDICT Use forskolin as an ingredient in your fat-burner combo to help boost and balance the effects of other fat burners. DOSAGE Extracts of Coleus forskohlii herb standardised to 18% forskolin are widely available. Take 20-50 mg two or three times daily. Avoid getting more than 150 mg total of forskolin per day. 7-KETO Three-acetyl-7-Oxo DHEA (7-Keto) is a natural metabolite of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the hormone produced by the adrenal glands to form testosterone. It increases metabolic rate either directly or through an increase in thyroid hormone. POSITIVES • Although technically a prohormone, this DHEA derivative does not have androgenic properties, which means females do not have to worry about masculinising effects. • A recent study in healthy males found the supplement to be safe at dosages up to 200 mg per day. • Several studies confirm a positive link between 7-Keto levels and thyroid hormone levels. NEGATIVES • Lack of research on its fat-loss properties in humans makes it difficult to confirm the fat-burning results of anecdotal reports. VERDICT A good supplement to take along with other fat burners. DOSAGE Take 100 mg of 7-Keto per day in two or three divided doses. Deciding to use any type of a fat burner is a personal choice. Fat burners can be a successful complement to your nutrition and training programme, helping you to accomplish your physique goals. Nothing is a substitute for hard work in and out of the gym, but finding the right fat burner can give you the edge you’re looking for. FLEX This article is for information purposes only. Weider Publishing Ltd does not accept liability for the effect of reported supplements or products, legal or illegal. It is the responsibility of the individual to abide by the dosage allowances specific to their country of residence. Always consult a doctor before commencing supplementation or changing dosage.