Fat Burners: The Different Types

It can be quite overwhelming when you realise just how many different fat burner products are available. All of which will no doubt state that they are the 'ones that work'. But how do you know which fat burners to choose, and more importantly, how do you know which product is going to work for you? This article will address the issue of the different types of fat burners, and how you use this information to reach your particular goal.

Fat Burners: Thermogenics

Thermogenic means to produce heat through metabolic stimulation, and this is how thermogenic fat burners produce their affects. They aim to increase the metabolic rate of the individual taking them, subsequently increasing the caloric expenditure and burning more fat, particularly at rest. Thermogenics are most commonly used for people striving for fast weight loss, and they will often contain a controversial substance known as ephedrine; a substance that is very similar to amphetamine and methamphetamine and works by increasing noradrenaline production and androgenic receptor activity. Other common substances found in thermogenic fat burners are caffeine, synephrine, HCL, yohimbe and green tea.
There are some common side effects associated with thermogenics; increased alertness, increased energy levels, increased concentration and a fast heart rate; most of which are as a result of the stimulants present. If you know you're sensitive to stimulants, or have a heart condition, then it would be advised to seek stimulant free thermogenic fat burners. It is also advised that stimulant based products should be cycled, and you should give your body a 'rest' from them to reduce the stresses that they put on the central nervous system
So in short, thermogenic fat burners will be effective at increasing your metabolic rate and increasing energy levels, however they must be taken with prior knowledge of your ability to handle stimulants.

Fat Burners: Thyroid Regulating

The thyroid gland is located in the front part of the neck (below the voice box) and is an important hormonal gland that produces regulatory effects on the body's metabolism. The thyroid produces two hormones, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine aka thyroxine (T4). Hypothyroidism is a condition that affects individuals by not producing enough thyroid hormones to keep their metabolism working at a required rate. The resulting symptoms, amongst others, are a slowed metabolism, fat gain and feelings of fatigue.
Thyroid regulating fat burners supply the substances normally produced by the thyroid, and seek to rectify the issue of a slowed metabolism. They are specialist fat burners that seek to increase the metabolic rate and maintain an effective thyroid gland. However if an individual suffers from a severely deficient thyroid gland then they should seek medical advice before taking any dose of thyroid regulating fat burners.

Fat Burners: Carb Blockers

Carb Blockers work on the basis that in order to lose fat you need to be in a negative calorie balance. They help achieve this by blocking the absorption of the carbohydrate that is common in many of our foods. Since you don't absorb the carbohydrate, it is simply passed out of the body without being consumed as additional calories. Carb Blocker Fat Burners work by inhibiting certain enzymes that target the digestion of carboydrates that are present in the food we eat. Since carbohydrate rich foods often pose the largest problem to people trying to lose fat, these fat burners become quite efficient at solving this problem. As stated above, fat loss works as a function of total calories consumed, when you block a large percentage of these calories from ever being absorbed, you have an effective method of increasing fat loss.
It must be advised however that, although these fat burners are effective at increasing weight loss, blocking the absorption of such an important macronutrient is not always advised. After all much of being a healthy human being involves consuming a healthy balanced diet. If you were to block the absorption of some key nutrients (even though this is an effective way of increasing fat loss) it can easily produce a very negative effect on the body.

Fat Burners: Fat Blockers

As you may have worked out, Fat Blocker Fat burners work in a very similar way to Carb Blockers. They seek t prevent the digestion and absorption of the fat that is present in the food you eat. In doing so, they will be cutting out a significant amount of calories that you consume in your diet (as fat tends to contain more calories per gram). Present in Fat Blocker Fat Burners is Chitosan, a substance that binds to fat before it has been absorbed stored in the body.
Chitosan is a controversial substance that has been shown to be effective at reducing levels of body fat. There is however a concern that Chitosan could impair the absorption of other essential substances in the body, for instance, Carotenoids, which the body later converts into Vitamin A.
Again then, these fat burners are likely to be effective at burning fat at the expense of being potentially detrimental to other processes occurring in your body.

Fat Burners: Appetite Suppressors

Many people involved in high intensity and high frequency exercise regimes will feel hungry almost all the time. As Arnold Schwarzenegger was quoted saying, 'For me, life is continuously being hungry'. You are not alone with this feeling, many people have to deal with this problem when trying to lose weight, and it's not always a physiological issue. There are also psychological issues at play here, and it may even be that you have gotten used to eating a large amount of food; it takes your body a while to adapt.
Appetite Suppressers work by decreasing your appetite, thus reducing the amount of calories you consume throughout the day and subsequently increasing weigh loss. It's a perfectly logical method for burning fat, and if taken correctly, a perfectly effective one. One of the more common ingredients found in Appetite Suppressant Fat Burners is Hoodia, a plant native to Africa. It is rumoured that Hoodia has been used on long hunting expeditions in Africa where food was scarce, and produced massively favourable affects when it cam to appetite suppression.
If you suffer from having a large appetite and feel this may well be the reason you're not shifting the fat then these fat burners may well be for you. It is however important to note that cutting your daily calorie intake to less than 20% below your maintenance level is ill advised and can result in the opposite effects to correct fat loss.

Fat Burners: Cortisol Blockers

Cortisol, a steroidal glucocorticoid, is released in the body when an individual is undergoing a stressful period or event. Its production can be a dieter's nightmare as it indicates that the body is in an overly stressed state (potentially over trained) and leads to an accumulation of fat metabolism and storage in the body.
Corisol can have a massive influence on how your body deals with fat storage and usage, and the chances are that it is playing a role in inhibiting fat loss if you fit the bill of an overly stressed individual who may be over training.
A Cortisol Blocker will help prevent the negative effects of cortisol on fat loss, thus reducing the chances of you storing the fat rather than burning it as fuel. These often contain many ingredients that you will have heard of. Amongst them are, chromium, green tea, caffeine, yerba mate, guarana, l-carnitie, and CLA.

Fat Burners: Conclusion

So now you know a little but more about the different types of fat burners, you can come to a more informed decision as to which should benefit you the most. After all, the more specific your goal is, the more chance you have of reaching it; so instead of thinking 'I need to burn fat', instead think, ' I need to suppress my appetite using an Appetite Suppressant', or 'I need to increase my energy expenditure using a Thermogenic'.