The
New Thermogenics
 Every
week on my radio show I tell people that these thermogenic
formulas ARE NOT a miracle weight loss solution. What
I can say about them is they're selling better than any category
of nutritional supplements I've ever seen. The word,
"Thermogenic" has nothing to do with "fat burning
magic." "Thermo" signifies "heat,"
and "genesis" signifies "the beginning."
Remove the mystery from the word and you come to understand,
thermogenic means "capable of initiating heat."
They use the
words "clinically proven" to sell many of the thermogenics.
That's founded in truth. There has been extensive study
on caffeine and ephedrine in the treatment of weight reduction,
and much of the research appears to prove this drug combination
effective. The best selling thermogenic formulas are
combinations of those two drugs, often in their herbal forms.
Recent research, however, seems to suggest that the weight
loss achieved through caffeine ephedrine dosing has less to
do with metabolic boost than it does with calorie deprivation.
If you understand the mechanisms behind the drugs, you'll
understand why weight loss is common, although may not be
the ultimately desired effect.
Caffeine suppresses
appetite. Ephedrine alters nuerotransmission the brain
to further suppress appetite. Of course if you back
off on eating you'll lose weight. Both drugs are stimulants.
That means your heart rate is elevated, and with the dosages
recommended on the thermogenic bottles, it's elevated non-stop.
Of course you burn more calories, but that's not necessarily
the healthful way to achieve that end. Caffeine and
ephedrine also have diuretic effects so water loss is inevitable.
These factors combine to create the illusion that these products
"work." The worst part, from the uneducated
consumer's point of view, is the fact that these products
are addictive. Many people start taking them thinking
they'll "melt fat," and wind up continuing to take
them because they feel "weak and tired" when they
stop. That's a sign that your own adrenal system is
backing off.
With all of the
cautions on the table (there have been ephedrine related deaths),
I believe there is an efficacious way to use these products,
but they're not for everyone. When I work with physique
athletes who need to shed additional fat in the final weeks
prior to a competition, the added heat can supply a supportive
caloric burn, since these people are dieting . . . but their
diets revolve around eating large quantities of proteins with
ample fats and carbs. Use thermogenics repeatedly and
you fast develop a tolerance so I suggest, for those individuals
who are free from risk factors and understand the true value
of these products, limiting use to 3 days per week.
Never ingest more than 50 mg of ephedrine in any given day.
Never use them for more than four consecutive weeks without
taking eight weeks off to protect adrenal function.
Do you need these
products? Of course not. As many products that
are overhyped and abused, these products can meet a need.
It's when marketing rolls their perceived appeal over to the
masses that dangers and risks abound.
Related
Page:
Xenadrine
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