SUPPLEMENTS THAT CAN HELP YOU BURN MORE FAT WHILE TRAINING FASTED

As you know, the fat-loss benefits of fasted training relate to increasing the magnitude and effectiveness of certain hormones and signaling molecules related to fat burning.

Certain supplements work best in this physiological environment as well and, when combined, they work so well that I feel it’s a mistake to train fasted without also using them. If you’re going through the trouble to train fasted, you might as well get as much out of it as you can.

Let’s go over each one here.

c

As weight loss boils down to energy consumed vs. energy expended, caffeine helps you lose fat mainly by increasing your body’s energy expenditure and by increasing fat oxidation rates.34

Caffeine also  improves strength,35  _{muscle endurance,}36 _{and  anaerobic}

performance,37 _{and  it  reverses the morning weakness  experienced by many}

weightlifters.38

I like to get my caffeine in the anhydrous (dehydrated and concentrated) form because research shows that this form is more effective for improving performance than what is naturally found in beverages like coffee.39

Part of maximizing the fat-loss benefits of caffeine is preventing your body from building up too much of a tolerance. The best way to do this is to limit intake, of course. Here’s what I recommend:

1. Before training, supplement with 3 to 6 mg caffeine per kg of body weight. If you’re not sure of your caffeine sensitivity, start with 3 mg/ kg and work up from there.

2. Keep your daily intake at or below 6 mg per kg of body weight. Don’t have 6 mg/kg before training and then drink a couple of coffees throughout the day.

3. Do one or two low-caffeine days per week and one no-caffeine day per week. A low day should be half of your normal intake, and a no day means less than 50 mg of caffeine (you can have a cup or two of tea, but no coffee, caffeine pills, etc.).

y

Yohimbine is a substance that comes from the Pausinystalia yohimbe plant, and it  blocks the activity of alpha-2 fat receptors  (the ones that prevent lipolysis).40 _{This, in turn, allows fat cells — and stubborn fat cells with large}

amounts of alpha-receptors in particular — to be mobilized more easily.41

There’s a catch, though: post-meal elevations in insulin negate yohimbine’s fat-burning effects, so it should only be used in a fasted state.42

In terms of how to properly use yohimbine, research shows that 0.2 mg per kg of body weight is sufficient for weight-loss purposes.43

Some people get jittery when they take yohimbine. If that happens to you, simply reduce the dosage or stop using it altogether. Furthermore, research shows that yohimbine can  raise blood pressure, so if you have  high blood pressure, I don’t recommend that you use it.44

g

t

E

Green tea extract is an herbal product derived from green tea leaves, and it contains high concentrations of substances known as catechins.

Catechins are  responsible for many of tea’s health benefits, and they help accelerate exercise-induced fat loss by degrading an enzyme that breaks down catecholamines.45 _{The longer the catecholamines are in your blood, the}

more fat cells they can mobilize. 

Furthermore, research shows catechins help reduce abdominal fat, in particular, so it’s great for when you’re looking to get rid of those last bits of belly fat.46

Based on the studies cited above, you want to take 400 to 600 mg of catechins per day to realize their full weight-loss benefits. The average green tea extract product contains about 150 mg of catechins per pill.

If you take green tea extract on an empty stomach, you may get nauseous. If that’s the case, save it for when you eat food.

s

Synephrine is a mild stimulant found in high concentrations in the bitter orange fruit. It functions similarly to ephedrine and thus is useful for fat-loss purposes.47

Specifically, synephrine helps you lose fat faster in three ways: it increases lipolysis activity and basal metabolic rate,48 _{it blocks the activity of alpha fat}

receptors (like yohimbine),49 _{and it increases the thermic effect of food.}50

Clinically effective dosages of synephrine range from 25 to 50 mg..

THE BOTTOM LINE

While fasted training isn’t necessary for losing fat and getting lean, it’s an effective way to speed up the process. This is especially true for people who are lean and looking to get really lean, and it’s especially effective when combined with the supplements listed above.

So the next time you’re dieting for fat loss, give fasted training a try and see how your body responds.

When training fasted, don’t be surprised if you’re not as strong or energetic as you’re used to feeling. This doesn’t mean that you’re losing muscle or that anything is wrong. It just illustrates how much of a difference pre-workout carbohydrates affect performance.

Some people get dizzy or nauseous during fasted training. If that happens to you, simply go back to fed training. Fasted exercise isn’t worth suffering for.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

• Exercise done during periods where insulin is at a low, baseline level and food is no longer being processed and absorbed is fasted training.

• As your body processes and absorbs the food, insulin levels decline, which tells the body to start going to fat for energy as the fuel from the meal is running out. Finally, when the absorption is complete, your body is fully running off its own fat stores for energy.

• When we consider all the available research, it’s clear that fasted cardio results in more fat loss than fed cardio and thus is worth considering. It’s especially valuable if you combine it with supplements known to accelerate fat loss like caffeine, synephrine, green tea extract, and yohimbine.

• Fat cells have two types of receptors for adrenaline and noradrenaline (also known as catecholamines): alpha and beta receptors. The physiology is quite complex, but what you need to know is that when catecholamines bind to beta-receptors, fat cells mobilize for burning. When the chemicals bind to alpha- receptors, however, the cells don’t mobilize.

• Weightlifting causes a dramatic spike in plasma catecholamine levels, and as catecholamines are better able to mobilize fat when you’re in a fasted state, fasted weightlifting is also worthwhile.

• Fasted training is a double-edged sword. It’s good for losing fat faster but not so good for maintaining muscle and enjoying your workouts.

• HMB is perfect for use with fasted training. Its powerful anti- catabolic effects and nonexistent insulin effects means you reap all the fat-loss benefits of training fasted without any of the problems relating to muscle loss or insulin secretion. • Certain supplements work best in the fasted physiological

environment and, when combined, they work so well that I feel it’s a mistake to train fasted without also using them. If you’re going through the trouble to train fasted, you might as well get as much out of it as you can.

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7 CARDIO WORKOUTS