Fat Burners and Bodybuilding: What You Should Know
By Leslie Radford
What are Fat Burners?
How Fat Burners Can Help Bodybuilders
What to Look For in a Fat Burner
When it comes to metabolisms, it’s safe to say no two are alike. The same can be said about fat burners. Different ingredients are going to work for different people in different ways. What works for your gym buddy may not work for you. You’ll have to find what works for you by trial and error.
Luckily, Nutrition Nation has trained staff that can point you in the right direction when it comes to choosing which fat burner to add to your stack.
What are Fat Burners?
Fat burners are supplements that may help increase metabolism, burn fat, and promote weight loss. They’re classified according to their intended “fat-burning” action:
THERMOGENESIS
Thermogenesis is the dissipation of energy through the production of heat. While this is a natural metabolic process, this type of fat burner can increase that production.
LIPOLYSIS
Lipolysis breaks down lipids, aka fat. Excess energy is stored as fat and when glucose stores run low, that’s what we burn.
APPETITE SUPPRESSION
Appetite-suppressant supplements work in different ways including blocking the absorption of macronutrients that contain calories, make our stomach feel full, and/or impact hunger hormones.
How Fat Burners Can Help Bodybuilders
You put a lot of work into your bodybuilding regime. You are pushing your body to its limit with self-restraint and work ethic. A fat burner could give you an extra push in your efforts.
Bodybuilding relies heavily on nutrient timing, weight room stimulus, sleep, and clean supplements to get the look you’re going for.
We all know that carbs give you energy, but they also can be stored as fat. During a cut, you’ll need to pay extra attention to diet and training, and this typically means adjusting your carb/caloric intake to lose body fat. When you remove carbs from the equation, your body will be able to dip into fat storage for the energy you need.
While losing stubborn fat is its own struggle, a bodybuilder’s biggest concern tends to be muscle protein preservation. Bodybuilders should look for the best fat burner and muscle builder supplement that mobilizes whatever body fat they have left and increases metabolism while protecting muscle.
What to Look For in a Fat Burner
Lots of fat burners on the market are loaded with stimulants and substandard ingredients.
Stimulants might sound good, however, they’re not necessarily effective at the cellular level. Look for a supplement that can:
- Accelerate metabolism
- Increase mobilization of adipose tissue
- Combat hunger
- Decrease muscle breakdown
- Improve lean body mass
Taking Fat Burners for Better Results
Next month, we’ll dive into the ingredients in fat burners and the benefits of each. In the meantime, come see the staff at Nutrition Nation — we will get you started.
