If you’re thinking about taking a fat burner, you’ve come to the right place. Fat burners, also known as thermogenics, are dietary supplements, marketed to help assist the process of increasing fat oxidation or improving metabolism. But contrary to popular belief, fat burners are not magic pills that are going to help you melt body fat like butter. In fact, fat burners will only work and provide benefit, when taken in combination with a healthy diet and consistent exercise program. Fat burners can provide a role in your body aesthetic goals, but knowing when that is, and having the proper expectations are two important determining factors to your overall success.

What Are Fat Burners

According to the journal Obesity the term, “fat burner” is used to describe,

“A nutritional supplement that is designed or claimed to acutely increase fat metabolism or energy expenditure, impair fat absorption, increase weight loss, increase fat oxidation during exercise, or cause long-term adaptations that promote fat metabolism.” [R] 

Although this definition describes what fat burners are, and several etiologies, it doesn’t really define exactly how fat burners work.

How Do Fat Burners Work?

Fat burners typically through two distinct mechanisms. One, by increasing your internal core temperature and increasing the calorie burning process. And two through fat oxidation, utilizing body fat for energy.

Fat burners have many different mechanisms of action, or ways that they work physiologically in the body. Most clinically proven fat burning ingredients such as green tea, forskolin, and garcinia cambogia, help boost your metabolism, or the energy your body naturally burns at rest. This is also known as increasing your body’s thermal temperature, which is shown to boost the calorie-burning process. This is where the term, “thermogenic” is derived from.

Put simply, calories are just units of energy and your body’s ability to burn calories is known as your basal metabolic rate. By boosting your body’s metabolism, you’re increasing your internal temperature, (also known as the thermal effect). This thermal effect, burns more units of energy (calories), thus resulting in lipolysis or the breakdown of fat cells.

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Fat burners won’t burn body fat on their own. Fat oxidation is the process by which the body breaks down fats (triglycerides) into smaller molecules, such as free fatty acids and glycerol, which can then be used as a source of energy. This process is an important part of the body's energy and fat metabolism.

Exercise intensity and duration are important determinants of fat oxidation.

According to the journal Nutrition,

“Maximal rates of fat oxidation have been shown to be reached at intensities between 59% and 64% of maximum oxygen consumption in trained individuals and between 47% and 52% of maximum oxygen consumption in a large sample of the general population. The mode of exercise can also affect fat oxidation, with fat oxidation being higher during running than cycling. Endurance training induces a multitude of adaptations that result in increased fat oxidation. Ingestion of carbohydrate in the hours before or on commencement of exercise reduces the rate of fat oxidation significantly compared with fasted conditions, whereas fasting longer than 6 hours optimizes fat oxidation. Fat oxidation rates have been shown to decrease after ingestion of high-fat diets, partly as a result of decreased glycogen stores and partly because of adaptations at the muscle level.” [R].

Having a solid diet and exercise plan in addition to supplementing with a fat burner is crucial to the fat oxidation process. Fat oxidation, Exercise increases the oxygen in your body, and without oxygen to transport broken down fat cells, you won’t actually burn more body fat.

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Who Should Take A Fat Burner 

I’ll be incredibly straightforward here. If you are trying to lose weight and are just beginning your weight loss journey, a fat burner – is not for you.

Fat burners are not magic pills and unfortunately, they are not a short cut to weight loss. The only way you can lose weight effectively is by improving your diet and consistently participating in an exercise program. Tried and true, diet and exercise.

If you’re not sure where to start and need help creating a meal plan and need 1:1 nutrition coaching to help you get the results you want hire a certified nutrition coach at The Swole Kitchen.

Fat burners are beneficial for those that are trying to lose that last 1-2lbs of body fat, that just can’t seem to budge. They are made for those who eat a consistent clean diet, train regularly, and who want to get that last bit of definition or leaner physique, by burning an extra 30-50 calories during their workout.

For example, bodybuilders looking to cut, or athletes who want more definition, can benefit from adding a high quality fat burner in their supplement protocol. 

Fat oxidation is most effective during times of fasting. Therefore, taking a fat burner, and working out in a fasted state is going to give you the best results, when it comes to supplementing a fat burner.

Should You Take A Fat Burner: Takeaway

The bottom line is that fat burners do not melt body fat and will not fix a broken diet. If you want to see results, or need help with weight loss, it starts with your nutrition plan and exercise program. If you already eat clean and workout regularly, but just need a little help for more definition, fat burners can help curb appetite, promote fat to be used for energy, and increase your metabolism, increasing the caloric burning process.

Setting reasonable expectations, is the most important part when incorporating a fat burner into your supplement and nutrition protocol. 

Looking for an effective and proven fat burner to help you get to your body aesthetic goals?