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Fat burners are dietary supplements that target excess body fat and are a designed to help people burn fat faster and more efficiently than would normally be the case.
Sometimes they are produced as a standalone product, but more often than not fat burning ingredient are added to supplements that can provide other weight loss benefits such as appetite suppression or fat blocking. PhenQ is an example of a multi action fat burner that also utilizes other weight loss technologies.
However, it would be a mistake to think fat burners are only used by dieters.
Bodybuilders and other athletes also favour their use whenever they need to lower their percentage of body fat and attain a more “cut” or “shredded” appearance.
An important point to remember is that fat burning supplements are not a magic. It is not simply a case of popping a pill and your excess weight will melt away.
How Fat Burners Work
Most fat burners contain ingredients that have been selected due to their ability to trigger very specific reactions in the body and create an internal environment that results in the body burning more calories than normal, breaking down body fat, and then using the released calories as an extra source of energy.
In the case of thermogenic substances this process is set in motion by the formulation’s ability to raise the body’s core temperature and speed up the metabolism.
Other ingredients trigger the process by stimulating the release of specific hormones, but thermogenic fat burners are arguably the most popular option at the present moment in time, and this is a trend that is likely to continue because they tend to produce the best results.
There are many more, but a few popular ingredients include:
- Green tea
- Caffeine
- Green coffee bean extract
- Capsicum extract
- Raspberry ketones
Most supplements contain two or more fat burners, but it is not unheard of for powerful ingredients, like green coffee bean extract [1] and raspberry ketones, to be used as standalone weight loss providers.
However, even the best of ingredients can fail miserably if they are not utilized in sufficient quantities or are subjected to poor blending techniques.
Additional Benefits of Fat Burners
Fatty tissue is formed whenever the diet provides the body with more calories than it requires, and it serves an important function because whenever energy levels become low or depleted the fat calories are reclaimed and put to use. Fat burning supplements contain ingredients that help to break down body fat.
This means the calories are then available and can be put to use, so the use of fat burners can also result in boosted energy levels. Many thermogenic ingredients, such as caffeine, are also stimulants. [2]
This is a fact that can further increase energy and help prevent the pursuit of a lower-calorie or increased activity lifestyle from resulting in feelings of listlessness and fatigue.
Some Safety Considerations of Using Fat Burners
Diet supplement manufacture and distribution is a big money business.
It is also very competitive and the fact that dieters are presented with so many options brings its fair share of problems.
The hype can often sucker in even the savviest of buyers and the availability of so many different products can make it hard for consumers to see the wood for the trees.
Diet supplement manufacturers know this better than anybody and some of them are so focused on getting ahead of the competition they are willing to use ingredients that may prove to be a risk to the consumer’s health. [3]
The diet pill industry is renowned for its use of hype, and claims about bodies becoming “fat burning machines” and pills that will “melt away the fat” are commonplace.
Hype such as this makes fat burners sound too good to be true and consumers who mistrust the claims, but take a chance and purchase anyway, are often left feeling sad and disappointed when they discover their gut feeling was right all along.
Some consumers have fallen for the hype and been “burned” so many times they give up on supplements altogether.
This is an unfortunate situation because quality fat burning products do exist and can be particularly useful for people who are struggling to make headway or have reached a plateau.
The best way to find a safe fat burner that works is to only buy products that contain adequate amounts of quality ingredients and have been produced by a reputable manufacturer.
It is also advisable to choose products that have accrued an adequate amount of (good) customer feedback.
The use of the right fat burning product can make all the difference and the results can be especially impressive when supplementation is combined with a calorie controlled diet and regular exercise.
