Do Thermogenic Fat Burners Really Work?

Should I Buy a Fat Burner If I'm Dieting?

I know a lot about thermogenic agents because I'm in the weight-loss business. I have been dieting women and men down the scale for twenty-five years. Over one thousand women and six hundred men of varying ages, shapes, and sizes have come to me to help them shed their excess fat and bring out their svelte physiques. 

Some of my clients were athletes that let themselves go in the off-season, others were moms or dads that became chubby and out of shape when the babies started coming, and others were couch potatoes who ate potato chips with one hand and controlled the remote with the other. So, yes, I can state with confidence and knowledge that I can tell you everything you want to know about over-the-counter thermogenics commonly sold as "fat burners".

Thermogenic agents like Hydroxycut, Ripped Fuel Extreme, and Xenadrine do not burn your body's fat stores no matter how many or for how long you take them. Thermogenic agents like those popular brands mentioned above, speed up the body's metabolism (the breaking down of the foods we eat in order to re-create the substances our bodies need for growth, repair, and energy) by stimulating the body's nervous system usually by using caffeine (a xanthine alkaloid which is a central nervous system stimulant) as the chemical stimulant of choice or something similar to it's C8H10N4O2 chemical structure. 

In order to burn your body's stored fat, your body must release a peptide hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is released from the liver only when your body's concentration of blood glucose is too low.  Then and only then does the liver convert stored glycogen into glucose to be used as energy for normal body processes, for thought, and for movement like exercise. Your body uses its glycogen stores before it will use its fat stores as its fuel.

The average human body stores 100 grams of glycogen in the liver and between 300-400 grams of glycogen in its muscles. Your body must use up those stored carbs before it will burn the body's stored fats through a process called lipolysis. I'm sorry to break that to you but it's true and the sooner you know how your body gets its energy, the sooner you will be able to lose your unwanted weight.

Your over-the-counter thermogenic agents or fat burners don't and can't make your body burn fat, but they can speed up your heart's contractions and cause it to beat faster and circulate your blood quicker which requires more calories be used as energy than would a resting heart. The caffeine in these fat burners will also stimulate gastrin release (a hormone made by the stomach) and gastric acid secretions which will aid in gastric motility or the movements of the digestive system and the transit of its contents more quickly. This means the food you eat may get out of your stomach quicker, go through the small and large intestine faster, and then cause you to run to the bathroom for a bowel movement. 

Basically the caffeine or similar stimulant in your store-bought fat burners will get your body's nervous system stimulated where your organs will be working faster and requiring more calories as energy to keep up this quickened pace. The caffeine can also mask hunger, coverup fatigue, and improve athletic performance due to its ergogenic effect and the sparing of muscle glycogen.  

So, to answer the question posed by this blog post: "Do Thermogenic Fat Burners Really Work?" my response is "Yes, Hydroxycut, Ripped Fuel, and Xenadrine can work for some people because thermogenic agents like these cause central nervous system stimulation which CAN burn additional calories for the person who is taking them IF that person's body hasn't adapted to high caffeine or stimulant consumption." 

Please be aware that not everyone should take or can take a thermogenic agent. Those with nervous system disorders, heart conditions, digestive disorders, or anyone who has struggled with an eating disorder may want to talk to their general practitioner before even considering taking these types of drugs. 

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read my blog. I appreciate your continued support. 

References: 

Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl. 1999;230:35-9.

-Bell Gia

Nutrition and Fitness Expert 

Should I Drink a Cup of Coffee Before I Exercise?

Will A Cup of Regular Coffee Help My Sluggish Metabolism?

If you are an avid gym goer you have no doubt seen somebody drinking a Starbucks' coffee before stepping onto the treadmill for a run. You're probably like many people who thought, "What's up with that?" 

No, this person isn't so addicted to caffeine that she or he cannot give up their vice before exercising. Caffeine, once thought to be a denigrator of human health has been shown in recent clinical research to reduce the possible risk of Parkinson's disease, protect against type 2 diabetes, promote a healthy heart, and lessen the chances of contracting liver disease or liver cancer. 

Consuming caffeinated coffee before physical activity is not the same as smoking a cigarette or slamming a shot of tequila even though many people think these three well-known recreational drugs, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, are similar.  

Research sited in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concluded that caffeine has a thermogenic effect upon the human body. The term thermogenic refers to the physical heat that results from increasing the body's metabolism. The caffeine in coffee, chocolate, tea, soda, over-the-counter medicines, and diet pills can cause thermogenesis as well as reduce appetite, and increase the excretion of urine from the body. So not only does caffeine consumption give your brain a buzz and open wide your tired eyes, but it can also kill your hunger and cause you to urinate maybe a pound or two of water weight from off the scale at the same time. 

If one cup of Joe is good, is two cups even better? It appears that caffeine does indeed have a dose-response effect. The outcome of a study also published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, that gave healthy adults caffeine in 100, 200, and 400 mg amounts concluded that the more caffeine consumed, the higher the thermogenic effect upon the coffee consumer at the 200 and 400mg amounts. 

The positive clinical results gained by this AJCN study, spawned other research involving the effects of caffeine and metabolism. The American Journal of Physiology printed a study comparing the thermogenic effects on lean and obese caffeine consumers.  

If you thought that life was undeservedly kind to the thin, fit, and muscular before, you will be sure of it now after reading the result of this AJP review. 

Clinicians gave ten obese women and ten lean women caffeine in sufficient amounts to induce caffeine-stimulated thermogenesis. The ten lean women experienced a greater thermogenic effect which raised their metabolic rate higher than the more portly females and the calorie-incinerating effect lasted longer in the leaner test subjects than it did in the obese women who consumed the exact same amount of caffeine. The American Journal of Physiology study showed, in their small sample size, that women with a lower body mass index and a higher percentage of lean-muscle mass received a greater stimuli when consuming caffeine than the women who had a BMI in the obese range and possessed a larger percentage of body fat. The conclusion, the leaner the individual, the better and lengthier the thermogenic effect.

Like the results in these two studies and maybe thinking about stopping at your local coffee house on the way to the gym? If you are, you can be pretty sure that you'll be okay doing so. Caffeine is considered safe for most people when consumed in moderation, which Mayoclinic.org has defined as less than four cups per day. Consuming in excess of four cups of coffee on a given day can result in restless night's sleep, may bring on a mind-splitting headache, or possibly cause a heart to beat irregularly. Caffeine can also interfere with some medications and antibiotics.  

Hope to see you on the treadmill next to me downing your cup of Joe. And, yes, if you are running next to me WE ARE RACING!

Thank you for inspiring me to write about what I love.

-Bell Gia

Nutrition and Fitness Expert

References: 

Am J Clin Nutr. May 1990 vol. 51 no 5 759-767

Am J Physiology Oct 1995 269(4 Pt 1):#671-8

Mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition June 2016