Every person has different fitness goals and routines, as well as unique body chemistry and genetic makeup. Depending on your lifestyle and general health, you may have goals such as weight loss, maintaining body weight, building muscle, increasing performance, or burning fat. No matter which fits you, the best supplements can be a great addition to your program and help you achieve your goals.
Whether you’re wondering what the best health supplements for CrossFit are, looking for an all-in-one option, or researching what’s out there so you can build your own supplement regimen, it’s crucial to find a great fat-loss supplement. Maximizing your fat loss can help you highlight your lean muscle, improve your performance, boost your health, and – of course – lose weight. Learn more with our guide to the best fat-loss supplements.
The 5 Best Supplements for Fat Loss
As mentioned, everyone will respond differently to supplements, dietary changes, and approaches to exercise. In addition, people have different fitness goals and needs and are in different places in their journey. However, a common thread most people experience is the difficulty of losing body fat. For most, supplements are one of the best ways to support getting lean while sticking to a healthy diet and exercise routine.
Comprehensive weight loss and fat-burning supplements work well for many people, while others may want to avoid blends that overstimulate them. For this reason, it’s important to understand the different components and ingredients frequently found in fat-targeting supplements and determine which fits best into your lifestyle. To help, we’ve rounded up our top five recommendations and some essential information you need to know about each
ULTRABRN with L-Carnitine
L-carnitine is a compound derived from an amino acid that can improve energy while simultaneously helping burn fat. It achieves both by transporting fatty acids to the mitochondria within the body’s cells, ensuring the acids are used for energy as opposed to being stored as body fat. As a supplement, L-carnitine is most effective when used along with consistent exercise and/or a low-calorie diet.
While you’re experiencing an energy deficit, L-carnitine allows the fat reserves that are already stored in the body to be used up over time. This can result in a leaner form without losing developed muscle tissue, so you’ll retain your strength. Supplementing L-carnitine may also increase blood flow and aid in post-workout recovery.
The ULTRABRN supplement contains not only L-carnitine but also a host of other nutrients commonly included in weight loss clinic injections. You’ll find B-12 and chromium as well as L-methionine, L-5 hydroxytryptophan, choline, and inositol.
OMEGA Fish Oil Supplement
Omega-3s are essential fatty acids your body needs for everything from muscle activity to healthy cell growth.
There are three main types of Omega-3s:
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
- Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
- Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)
These unsaturated fatty acids are essential for good health, but your body does not make Omega-3s, so it is imperative that you get them through your diet and supplements. DHA can be found in fish and fish oil, while ALA, which can be obtained through chia seeds, flaxseeds, and avocados, must be metabolized into DHA and EPA. This conversion tends to be too minimal for significant health benefits, so it’s often recommended to add a fish oil supplement like OMEGA to your regimen.
Omega-3s can potentially increase the body’s insulin sensitivity, which is one of the key goals when you’re trying to eliminate fat.
The plasma membrane that surrounds each of your cells is where nutrients are received on a molecular level. The absorption rate of this membrane can fluctuate depending on many variables, including your diet. Omega-3s are very effective at maximizing the permeability of the cell membrane, maximizing insulin sensitivity.
In addition to supporting insulin sensitivity, Omega-3s can also decrease appetite and boost energy. Together, these characteristics can help you boost your fat-burning potential.
EG3G Green Tea Extract
In short, green tea allows you to burn more calories daily, whether you’re working out or at rest.
Other benefits of this extract’s antioxidant qualities include fighting toxins and helping the body recover after exercise.
You can certainly obtain EGCG by drinking green tea, but supplementing with EG3G is a convenient way to boost your intake without needing to brew.
Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10, or coenzyme Q10, is a natural compound that the body produces, often at declining rates as we age. Fortunately, it can be replenished through diet and supplements. CoQ10 is a crucial part of the energy production process within the body’s cells.
Coenzyme Q10 supplements can help ensure proper cell functioning. It potentially enhances workout efficiency by combating oxidative stress and regulating mitochondrial issues, both of which can hinder exercise performance and hamper energy stored within muscle tissue.
The effects of adding a CoQ10 supplement can improve bodily strength and the ability to stave off or reduce fatigue, working in tandem with other compounds to improve weight loss.
Can’t Weight Peptide Supplements
Peptides are a broad category of various chains of amino acids, with each chain variety containing anywhere between two and 50 types of amino acids. Each type of peptide has its own unique properties and health benefits.
A protein hydrolysate peptide offered in Can’t Weight targeted weight loss supplements can help reduce caloric intake at the hypothalamic and digestive levels and minimize the body’s fat reserves.
Peptides are also beneficial for maintaining gut health and consistent gastrointestinal tract functioning.
This boosts your cognitive capability and memory, increases immune system support, and aids in wound healing by regenerating skin collagen.
Recommended Fat-Burning Supplements for Athletes
Creating the ideal combination of supplements to accomplish an individual’s unique fat-burning goals is likely to take some trial and error until you understand how your body responds to the options. Some compounds and ingredients people report have helped them burn off excess fat include whey isolate protein, grains of paradise, and nitric oxide boosters like nitrates and L-citrulline.
The popularity of other fat-loss supplements and ingredients comes from anecdotal evidence as well as scientific studies. Many of these studies are initial studie, but likely warrant further research. Researched compounds include 5-HTP, forskolin, L-DOPA (levodopa), cayenne pepper extract, L-Theanine and fucoxanthin.
When considering what supplements may complement your workout routine, diet, and overall approach to wellness, be sure to evaluate the multiple options currently available through a reputable wellness company like Compounding Pharmacy of America. Then, consider which health benefits may appeal to you besides helping diminish body fat.
Creatine
Creatine has long been touted for increasing muscle growth along with increasing strength and power, helping boost post-workout recovery and improving aerobic performance. Creatine supplements are also said to help athletes reduce their weight while maintaining their strength or athletic ability. This natural, amino acid-like substance is primarily found in the body’s muscle cells stored as phosphocreatine, as well as in the brain, liver, and kidneys in smaller concentrations.
The exact levels of creatine a person may have are influenced by the amount of present hormones (such as testosterone and IGF-1), muscle mass, exercise intensity, and protein intake in the diet. Supplementing creatine may be especially effective for those wishing to burn fat through cardio while also working towards muscle building.
Multivitamins
Multivitamins are an excellent supplement to add to your routine no matter what program you are following, but they are essential for anyone who incorporates high-intensity exercise into a fat-burning plan. Sweating depletes the body’s reserves of crucial nutrients such as potassium, sodium, zinc, and calcium. When your workouts increase in intensity, it’s important to replenish your body’s store of essential nutrients.
Multivitamins provide the body with numerous vital micronutrients, supporting muscle growth, improving post-exercise recovery, and sustaining a healthy metabolism. Our adult multivitamin is a good choice, containing vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, in addition to CoQ10 for energy and fat loss support.
SLM+ Berberine HCl
Some studies have suggested that berberine HCl, or berberine hydrochloride (a bioactive chemical derived from numerous plants), has properties beneficial for decreasing fat deposits throughout the body, helping in fat loss efforts by potentially impacting insulin levels.
This compound also stimulates an enzyme in the body called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which has been found to promote fat oxidation and support a regulated metabolism.
Some people have reported that berberine can also help curb appetite. This ingredient is included in SLM+ supplements for healthy weight management, along with bitter melon fruit, which improves glucose uptake, and banana leaf extract, which promotes insulin sensitivity and balances blood sugar.
Branched-Chain Amino Acids
Similar in concept to peptides, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a popular supplement component due to their ability to control fatigue during exercise. They may also aid in preserving your muscle mass when on a low-calorie diet. This can occur as the compound promotes muscle protein synthesis and minimizes the impact of catabolism (destructive metabolism).
Retaining muscle is crucial if you’re trying to optimize burning fat because muscles are metabolically active tissue. BCAAs may also help to enhance the body’s efficiency in using stored fat as a fuel source, avoiding a loss of energy when you’re low on carbohydrates.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential nutrient for human consumption. While it isn’t produced by the body, it can be found in most multivitamins. Magnesium is also available in supplement form for athletes as well as those simply aiming for a healthier, leaner body.
Magnesium is crucial for fat loss and other exercise benefits because it’s used in hundreds of chemical reactions throughout the human body, including all reactions needed to produce energy.
Magnesium is also reported to be important in regulating muscle contraction, a vital aspect of athletic performance, and easing the discomfort of muscle recovery.
How Do Fat-Loss Supplement Products Work?
If you’re in the midst of deciding which fat-loss supplements to add to your diet and exercise program, it is important to understand how fat-burning supplements work with your body. Fat-burning supplements typically aim to boost three primary bodily functions to support fat loss.
These are:
- Appetite suppression
- Fat oxidation
- Thermogenesis
Appetite suppression can help you reach a calorie deficit – the point at which you burn more calories than you consume. If you want to lose weight, you must reach a calorie deficit, but this can prove challenging, especially for individuals engaged in high-intensity exercise. For this reason, many fat-burning supplements include ingredients that help the body feel full and decrease the likelihood of cravings or mindless snacking.
Fat oxidation is the process of using (oxidizing) fat that the body has previously stored. Products that promote fat loss tend to include specific compounds that can prompt your body to tap into these fat reserves for energy. Otherwise, the body will rely on food components you take in, such as macros (macronutrients) like carbs, fat, and protein.
Supplements can help you achieve thermogenesis, which means increasing the internal temperature of your body. This causes the body to burn calories more efficiently by working harder to cool off.
In addition to these chemical processes, supplements created for burning fat can achieve other body functions with their specific blend of ingredients. Many of these accompanying functions include improving focus, staving off fatigue, increasing stamina, enhancing performance, and retaining lean muscle tissue. With the right combination of supplementation products, you can get additional support for your goals.
Is Taking Fat Burning Supplements Safe?
In the past, drugs marketed for weight loss had a poor reputation. Fortunately, there are a number of safe weight loss supplements on the market, but it’s important to remember that fat burners may not be ideal for everyone. Be conscious of the ingredients, do your research, and remain aware of the potential side effects a fat-loss supplement may carry, especially if you have a pre-existing condition, dietary restrictions, or are taking other medications. Be sure to stick to a recommended dosage range for each supplement.
Factors to Consider When Taking Supplements for Burning Fat
It’s helpful to understand how to use a particular supplement for maximum benefit when considering taking supplements for burning fat. Fat burning supplements are regulated to ensure they don’t contain any harmful substances, but there is still some potential for unwanted side effects. For example, there are some fat loss supplement options that include stimulants such as caffeine and beta-alanine.
Many people find fat-burning ingredients helpful for boosting energy and decreasing fatigue, but they may also result in nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate, and an irregular heartbeat. If you regularly consume caffeine from another source, you may want to look for a non-stimulant fat-loss supplement.
Another thing to consider when taking fat burners is the time of day you take your supplement. For some people, taking a fat burner in the morning is an effective way to jumpstart their metabolism for the day, especially if they prefer to work out earlier in the day.
Many people focus their supplement intake shortly before their main exercise for the day. If you like to begin your workout later in the day, be sure to consider whether your fat burner is caffeinated or contains another stimulant, as this could impact your routine by making sleep more difficult.
Consider Compounding Pharmacy of America for Fat Burner Supplement Options
Whether you’re an athlete who wants to enhance an exercise and diet program to take your performance to the next level, or just someone looking to cut fat and get lean, supplements can give you that needed boost. It’s vital to obtain any supplements from a reputable source that can answer your questions about your supplementation journey. At the Compounding Pharmacy of America, we take your health and your goals seriously.
The Compounding Pharmacy of America carries a wide variety of supplements to target fat-burning objectives and get you closer to reaching your fat loss and muscle-building goals, Check out our shop for the fat-burning options that are right for your unique needs, along with any of our supplements, vitamins, and formulas that can address your fitness goals. Subscribe to our newsletter for new products, deals, timely updates, and more.
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Chief Operating Officer, The Compounding Pharmacy of America
Matthew Poteet, Pharm.D. graduated with Honors from Lee University with a Bachelors of Science in Biological Science. After his undergraduate training, he completed the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Mercer University Southern School of Pharmacy, graduating in 2004. Dr. Poteet has spent much of his pharmacy career on staff at two of the most prestigious academic teaching hospitals in the Southeast; Emory University in Atlanta and Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. At these institutions he received extensive experience and training in sterile products compounding.
He returned home to East Tennessee in 2010, where he has held the position of Pharmacy Director at two sterile products pharmacies in Knoxville. Matthew lives in Knoxville with his wife, Chris. Dr. Poteet is Tennessee’s first Board Certified Anti-Aging Pharmacist by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine.
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