FAT BURNERS GET AN EDGE IN THE BATTLE AGAINST YOUR GUT The fat-loss and energy categories are arguably the most popular in the supplement industry, and it stands to reason. After all, who amongst us doesn’t want to have more energy, or get a bit leaner? Of course, supplements work best in conjunction with a sound nutritional plan and exercise regime. But the addition of quality supplements to your daily routine can result in faster progress and better results. It’s a crowded marketplace, though, so to determine what kinds of fat-burning supplement are right for you, answer these questions. 1) Do you want a fat burner or energy supplement with a serious kick? Most fat burners provide a bevy of stimulants. After all, stimulants increase the number of calories you burn each day, as well as the amount of fat. Plus, they give you the energy you may be lacking while dieting to get lean. Stimulants can also help to blunt hunger and keep you true to your diet. Now that supplement manufacturers have removed dimethylamylamine from their products, the major stimulant used is the perennial favourite, caffeine. Products that list caffeine amounts on the label let you know how much of a kick you can expect—anything at 200 mg or above is powerful. With milder stimulants added to the caffeine, the effect can be quite a wallop. See Question 2 below. 2) Do you want a fat burner or energy supplement that provides a milder but longer-lasting energy boost? While a powerful jolt is nice to wake you up in the morning, some guys feel a powerful crash after the effects wear off. Plus, they get used to the dosage pretty fast, meaning that the boost isn’t as noticeable after a while, but the crash still is. More companies today are combining milder stimulants that give you a bit of boost that lasts longer, minus the crash. If this approach appeals to you more, look for products that use guarana, theobromine, yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis), kola nut, and tyrosine. 3) Do you want a fat burner that is completely stimulant-free? Whether you’re just too sensitive to stimulants and want to avoid them during the day, or you want a fat burner that you can take later in the day to maximise fat loss all night long without interfering with your sleep, there are numerous options that are stimulant free. If this is for you, then the obvious thing to do is to look for fat burners that don’t list any of the ingredients covered in Questions 1 and 2, but include ingredients from Questions 4 to 10. 4) Do you want a fat burner that can also help reduce hunger? The most critical aspect of fat loss is burning more calories than you consume. A fat burner that has added appetite suppressants can go a long way. Look for products that include ingredients such as glucomannan, simmondsin (jojoba seed extract), 5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) and capsaicin (the active ingredient in hot red peppers). 5) Do you want a fat burner that revs up your metabolic rate? Speeding up your metabolism means you burn more calories while inactive. Take a look at the stimulants covered in Questions 1 and 2, as these also increase metabolic rate. Other nonstimulants that will help you burn calories include green tea extract, synephrine (Citrus aurantium), capsaicin and raspberry ketones. 6) Do you want a fat burner that works on a cellular level? To make sure that you’re burning off more of your body fat, you need to encourage the fat in your fat cells to leave (the process is called lipolysis) so that it can be burned for fuel. Apart from caffeine, nonstimulant ingredients that free up fat include raspberry ketones, and forskolin (Coleus forskohlii). 7) Do you want a fat burner that helps alleviate the drudgery of dieting? When calories drop while dieting, so can your mental acuity and your mood. If you find that when you diet you can’t remember where you left your gym bag, and you feel a bit “down”, then a fat burner that contains ingredients such as club moss and mucuna pruriens can boost your mental sharpness and improve your mood. AMOUNTS ON THE LABEL LET YOU KNOW HOW MUCH OF A KICK YOU CAN EXPECT—ANYTHING AT 200 MG OR ABOVE IS POWERFUL” 8) Do you need a fat burner that can help you with your carb addiction? While carbs aren’t necessarily the enemy, eating too many when dieting can work against you. If you need a supplement to help you minimise the damage when you eat too many carbs, look for one that includes white kidney bean extract (Phaseolus vulgaris), which is a carb blocker that decreases the amount of carbs your body will absorb. Or if you want a fat burner that can help make sure the carbs you eat go to your muscles rather than get stored as fat, look for ones that include ingredients like cinnamon extract, alpha lipoic acid, and chromium. Chromium has also been shown to help reduce carb cravings. 9) Do you want a fat burner that can help reduce stress and the negative effects it has on your body? If you have a stressful life, whether it’s due to work, college, or family, you might want to consider a fat burner that also helps you manage stress, lowering cortisol levels while keeping your fat burning on track. If you’re stressed out, consider fat burners that include ingredients such as magnolia bark extract, Rhodiola rosea, and phosphatidylserine
10) Do you want a fat burner that can also help you drop water weight? If you are trying to look your most shredded, consider using a fat burner for about a week before the day you want to peak. Make sure it includes the following ingredients that can help to shed more water weight: uva ursi, celery seed, and buchu leaf. 11) Do you prefer to create your own fat-burner stack? If you prefer to know exactly how much of each ingredient you are getting to maximise fat-loss efforts, then consider buying the ingredients separately and stacking them. Ingredients you can buy solo include CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), green tea extract, green coffee bean extract, and carnitine. If you want to add ingredients that provide an energy kick as well as enhance fat loss, then consider caffeine, as well as some of the milder stimulants covered in Question 2. PROTEIN POWDER FIND THE RIGHT POWDER FOR YOU AND BUILD MUSCLE FASTER THAN EVER Protein—it’s the macronutrient that every serious lifter places the most importance on, and for good reason. Research confirms that eating as much as 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight has a significant impact on muscle building, and protein supplements ensure that you get the right kinds of proteins. The problem is that with so many choices, it’s tough to know which product to buy. Answer these seven simple questions to figure out which is best for you. 1) Do you want to mix proteins yourself, or would you rather have one source that covers all your needs for the sake of convenience? If the latter, then your best bet is to buy a mixed protein that includes at least two different forms of protein, such as whey and casein. Research shows that combining fast-digesting whey and slow-digesting casein leads to a longer anabolic response and greater muscle growth. Even better, consider a mixed protein that in addition to whey and casein also includes egg and/or soya protein. 2) Do you like to play supplement scientist and mix your own proteins in the exact amounts you want? If you like to control your exact dosages, then your best bet is to buy whey and casein proteins separately. Then you can mix them yourself to make the formula you like best. And if you’re really a protein mixologist, consider buying a tub of egg protein and/or soya protein to mix in. This option may cost more up front, but it saves you money in the long run. 3) Are you allergic to dairy protein?* If so, you will need to forgo whey and casein protein. Don’t worry, there are still plenty of great options out there. Beef protein is a good substitute for whey when it’s hydrolysed (meaning predigested, or broken down), which makes it fast digesting. Another top
choice is egg protein, which is what bodybuilders swore by before whey protein became the king of protein powders. There is also soya protein, as well as rice protein and even pea protein, to name a few plant-based alternatives. *Note: Being allergic to dairy protein is not the same thing as being lactose intolerant. If you are lactose intolerant you can still use whey protein. See Question 4 below. 4) Are you lactose intolerant? If your stomach has trouble digesting the carbohydrates in milk (lactose), you can still consume whey protein. Just make sure to choose a whey protein isolate, which undergoes the most filtering and processing to remove the majority of the lactose, MARCROYCE.COM as compared with whey protein concentrates that still contain some lactose. You can also check the nutrition label on a product. Those that list zero carbs, or less than two grams per scoop, have barely any lactose at all. You may want to avoid casein, however, as most casein protein powders are not as rigorously filtered and processed as whey protein isolate and thus tend to contain more lactose. Of course, other options— if you just want to avoid dairy altogether —are egg, beef, soya, rice, pea, or even hemp protein powders. 5) Do you have trouble gaining weight? If you are the forever-skinny guy who can eat and eat and not gain any fat, let alone muscle, then you are what we call a “hard-gainer”. Your best bet is to forgo standard protein powders and use a mass gainer. In addition to providing quality protein like the milk proteins whey and casein, these powders provide ample carbohydrates and healthy fats, which will provide you the other macronutrients you need to put you in enough of a calorie surplus that you are finally able to build some muscle. Use a mass gainer at any time that you would use a protein shake, such as before and after workouts, between meals, before bed, and upon waking. 6) Are you vegan? In this case, your options are much slimmer. That means no whey, casein, egg, or beef protein. Vegetarians, however, can choose whey, casein, and egg protein. But the strict vegan still has some decent options. Consider soya protein as your first choice. Two studies done on subjects who trained with weights found that those consuming soya protein powder for several weeks to months gained as much muscle and strength as those consuming whey protein powder. And the latest research confirms that soya does not lower testosterone levels, as was feared years ago. Other options are pea protein, rice protein, and hemp protein. 7) Does your busy schedule force you to regularly skip meals? If you have a job where you are on your feet or on the move constantly, consider buying some RTD (ready to drink) proteins. They’re easy to drink and can deliver as much as 30–45 grams of protein. Be aware that it costs more to drink RTDs all of the time instead of powder, but convenience can be worth the price. Stash them in your desk, glove compartment, backpack, briefcase, or locker, and grab one when you don’t have the time for a meal. M&F Enjoy this article? Find even more detailed supplement info in our 196 page M&F Guide to Sports Nutrition, available in print and assorted digital formats at www.muscle-fitness.co.uk/books
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