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This series, titled The Supplement Symposium” will take a look at various supplements and which ones you can (or should) utilize for specific goals. In Part One, we discussed the debate of whole foods vs. supplements. Part Two covered the supplements everyone should be taking for good general health. Part Three looked at the supplements that can aid in your quest to build strength and muscle mass. Now in Part 4, we will look at the supplements that can aid in your quest to lose those extra pounds and shed some fat.

 

The most common problem for people seeking out fitness advice (and the most frequent question posed to fitness professionals and personal trainers) is about how to lose those troublesome few pounds of fat. The supplement industry caught on to this a long time ago and thousands of different programs and supplements have been created to give people a quick solution for shedding some fat. The real question is, do any of these products--some based on some really whacky science-- actually work? The short answer is no. No supplement that exists will cause any significant fat loss without being combined with a good clean diet and some exercise. That’s what that small print at the bottom of every single fat loss infomercial will tell you. The next question is--do any of them really help with fat loss? The research says “possibly, but we’re not positive.” There’s a lot of mixed research out there, but here is what the bulk of the research says on the following five types of fat loss supplements.

 

1. Fiber

Fiber might just be the most powerful weight-loss supplement there is, and the good thing is that it is all-natural. Many nutrition experts will say that you should get most of your fiber from natural sources and whole foods, and I agree with that statement whole-heartedly, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to integrate one of the many fiber supplements on the market into your diet. Metamucil doesn’t just have to be for your grandparents anymore! Fiber serves many functions--including promoting satiety, improving gut health, as well as monitoring carbohydrate absorption, insulin response, blood cholesterol and sugar levels, etc. If there is one supplement that I would give the stamp of approval to, it’s fiber.

 

2. Thermogenics

There are many compounds that act as thermogenics in the body, meaning they “create heat” in your body. These compounds promote more metabolic activity in your cells, which results in higher body temperatures along with more calories/fuel being burned. Thermogenic compounds can be found in many different foods and herbs, including green tea (EGCG), peppers (capsaicin), yohimbine, raspberries (raspberry ketone), etc. You will run into the problem we discussed in Part 1 of whether to rely on whole foods, or to use supplements to get enough of these compounds to be effective, and my advice would be to weigh the pros and cons and determine which you are more comfortable with. It’s fairly easy to include more peppers and raspberries into your diet, or to drink more green tea, but will it be enough (5-6 cups of green tea) to get the necessary 400 mg to see fat loss? You can take the supplements and know you are getting enough of the compound, but if you’re already taking multivitamins and fish oil, vitamin D, BCAAs, etc, who wants to really be swallowing that many pills?

 

3. Fats

People have been avoiding fats since the 70s, but as demonstrated in this great article , they really got it wrong. Not only have we been focusing on the wrong macronutrients to avoid storing fat, but many fats have shown properties that promote fat loss instead of fat storage. Omega-3 fatty acids (while providing a host of other benefits) have also been shown to increase metabolic activity and to increase insulin sensitivity--preventing you from storing fat while also burning some of the fat you already have stored! Other fats have shown similar metabolic benefits, such as Lauric acid found in coconuts and Gamma-linoleic acid found in vegetable oils. Make sure you are getting enough of your calories from good fats, and get somewhere between 2-4 grams of quality omega-3 fatty acids and you should be able to feel your body running a little hotter.

 

4. CLA

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) might be one of the most debated supplements these days. Some research shows that it increases what’s called “nutrient partitioning.” This is what causes calories to go toward increasing muscle mass rather than fat cell mass--and I’m sure you can see why that would be very exciting. They can’t explain the exact scientific mechanism behind this, but studies have shown that subjects taking CLA showed considerably more gain in muscle mass while experiencing simultaneous fat loss. Other research shows that CLA doesn’t cause enough fat loss to be considered significant, suggesting that the original studies showing results in rats don’t translate over to humans. The jury is still out on this one, but there is plenty of evidence out there to show that there is most likely something going on and that this is one supplement worth trying.

 

5. Stimulants

The two most popular supplements in this category are caffeine and ephedrine. I’m sure you know that Ephedra/ephedrine was banned by the FDA because it caused complications such as irregular heartbeat, insomnia, irregular blood pressure as well as showing addictive properties, so we won’t talk about that one. Caffeine on the other hand is very common, and not just because it’s in coffee, tea and energy drinks. Many pre-workout supplements contain caffeine because it not only shows thermogenic properties, but it also displays ergogenic properties which increase a person’s capacity for mental or physical work. While caffeine can help get you up for your workouts and make them last longer, it can also keep you up at night and disrupt your circadian rhythms--which entail numerous problems for normal energy levels, recovery and stress management. Based on the pros and cons, I wouldn’t recommend taking caffeine due to the risks involved--especially when there are better alternatives.

 

Some of the above supplements can definitely assist you in your quest to slim down and become lean, but at the end of the day it still comes down to hard work, exercising and some discipline with your diet.

 

Peter Bauman – Peter is a chef first and personal trainer second. With a background in the biological sciences and degree in psychology, Peter knows how to make food that tastes great and keeps you lean and healthy.