Having gone through our detailed reviews of the top thermogenic fat burners, it’s only fitting we discuss what to look out for before purchasing one. This buyer’s guide touches on the critical factors that will influence your supplement choice. Let’s have a look!
What’s a Thermogenic Fat Burner?
Thermogenic fat burners accelerate the body’s metabolic actions regardless of any changes in physical activity, health condition, or eating habits. They combine different substances that increase internal heat generation, which burns fat.
Ingredients Used in Thermogenic Fat Burners
Caffeine, synephrine HCL, and yohimbe are popular metabolic stimulants used in thermogenic fat burners. These substances are associated with increased body energy, quickening heartbeat, increased concentration, and alertness.
Some of the other ingredients commonly used in these products include:
- acetyl L-carnitine HCl
- green tea extract
- L-theanine
- Rhodiola rosea root
- cayenne pepper
- DMAE (dimethylethanolamine)
- green coffee
- vitamin B complex
- BioPerine
- capsaicin
- Garcinia cambogia
However, it’s important to note that the prolonged use of effective thermogenic fat burners may exert excessive pressure on the central nervous system, which is just one of the reasons you should always consult a doctor before you start supplementing.
Characteristics of a Good Thermogenic Fat Burner
There are three essential qualities that every good thermogenic fat burner must have, i.e., it should accelerate your metabolism, cause minimal side effects, and it needs to be affordable. Aside from this, you should also keep an eye out for products that contain additional beneficial ingredients, that are 100% organic, and that have all the necessary certifications. Finally, while most of them are universal, some of the top-quality fat burners for men aren’t suitable for women, and vice versa.
Recommended Shopping Procedure
The safest shopping procedure for any thermogenic fat burner is to consult your healthcare provider. However, before you do that, you need a way to decide which product might be right for you. Here are some considerations you have to make.
Health and Physical Status
Certain ingredients can be dangerous for people with particular medical conditions or pregnant/breastfeeding women. Taking your medical condition into account simplifies finding a suitable product. For example, even the most effective thermogenic fat burner can be dangerous for heart-disease patients.
Investigating the Ingredients
All thermogenic fat burners are likely to have side effects, especially with long-term use, even if they’re 100% organic. Calibrating your usage is the primary safety precaution, but the first important step is to check for any possible interactions of the ingredients with medications you might be taking and with any conditions you might be suffering from.
Here are the common thermogenic fat burner contraindications:
- Increased heartbeat: This can be dangerous for people with a heart condition or high blood pressure. Since approximately 20% of adults in the US are unaware of having high blood pressure, we’d like to reiterate that you should consult a doctor before you start using a supplement of this kind. This contraindication may also cause discomfort by shortening your breath.
- Hyper-alertness: The nervous system coordinates all body activities, physical and mental. Certain ingredients (like caffeine, for instance) directly impact the nervous system, so you should take them with caution.
- Insomnia: Caffeine interferes with your ability to sleep by delaying the timing of your body clock, which reduces sleep time, or by heightening your mental alertness and body energy.
- Headaches: Even top–rated thermogenic fat burners can increase blood pressure. This can trigger a headache, especially when you haven’t eaten enough.
- Diarrhea: Thermogenic fat burners may cause this side effect due to their action of accelerating fat-burning processes in the body.
Potency and Certifications
There are other ways to estimate the potency of a thermogenic fat burner aside from actually using it. Studying its constituents, examining certifications, reading expert reviews, and scanning user feedback are just some of the ways to do this.
Most of the effective thermogenic fat burners will have some of the following certifications:
- non-GMO
- vegan
- USDA organic
- kosher
- halal
- Origin Nutraceutical
- NSF International