What are extreme fat burners?

Extreme fat burners, also known as hardcore fat burners, are dietary supplements that maximize fat loss. They contain highly potent metabolism-boosting ingredients that influence energy management in the body far more strongly than, for example, caffeine or guarana. These are substances like DMAA, DMHA, ephedrine, or pseudo-ephedrine. They not only optimize fat burning but also stimulate the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and noradrenaline, which affect, among other things, feelings of hunger and mental well-being. In bodybuilding, where manipulating hormone levels is common practice, extreme fat burners are very popular, preferably during dieting phases and before competitions.

How do extreme fat burners work?

Extreme fat burners work in different ways. Essentially, there are four: 1. Stimulating thermogenesis, 2. Curbing appetite, 3. Targeted mobilization of stored fat reserves, and 4. Motivating physical exercise. However, not every hardcore fat burner has all of these effects. In fact, it's not that easy to design an extreme fat burner that utilizes all four pathways, because this requires various ingredients—and some of these ingredients may or should not be combined. For example, a fat burner should not contain both ephedrine and yohimbine at the same time (although such products do exist on the market). See the reasons below (What side effects do Extreme Fat Burners have?)

1. Stimulation of thermogenesis
   Virtually all supplements for fat loss stimulate thermogenesis, the body's heat production. This occurs through an accelerated heart rate and the activation of brown adipose tissue. (Brown adipose tissue primarily uses its mitochondria to oxidize fatty acids and glucose [1].) Extreme fat burners are no exception: They also stimulate thermogenesis and thus increase fat burning, even and especially at rest. Calorie consumption at rest (= the so-called "resting fasting metabolic rate") can increase up to twofold through increased thermogenesis [2].
2. Appetite suppression
   Extreme fat burners contain psychoactive substances that affect the central nervous system. As a side effect, they suppress hunger. This makes hardcore fat burners ideal diet supplements, because the often persistent hunger is the toughest obstacle to success when dieting. By curbing appetite, hardcore fat burners make it easier for those trying to lose weight to stick to their diet.
3. Targeted mobilization of depot fat reserves
   Depending on their composition, some hardcore fat burners can cause the body to preferentially use fatty acids from certain regions of body fat tissue for energy production. In other words, they can cause body fat to melt faster in certain areas than elsewhere. Anyone looking for fat burners for rapid fat loss on the stomach or hips should therefore consider supplements from the Extreme Fat Burner category.
4. Motivation for physical exercise
   Extreme fat burners, which contain amphetamine-like stimulants, create a euphoric feeling and a strong urge to move. During periods of reduced calorie intake (i.e., dieting), they make it easier to motivate yourself to exercise and complete longer cardio workouts.

What hardcore fat burners are there?

Fat burners with DMAA (or DMHA)

Fat burners likeGeranamine from Fusionare among the strongest representatives of the "extreme fat burner" category. Both the ingredient DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine) and its derivatives DMBA and DMHA, which all belong to the phenylethylamine class, are highly effective stimulants. They promote the release of adrenaline and thus have both a psychotropic and a cardiovascular effect [3]. Due to their stimulating effect, DMAA and other compounds are primarily used as ingredients forHardcore Boosterknown.

Fat burners with ephedrine or pseudoephedrine

Fat burners containing ephedrine such asThermal Pro Revolution from Revange Nutritionare hardly less potent than DMAA fat burners. Ephedrine and pseudoephedrine belong to the sympathomimetics, meaning they stimulate the transmission of excitation from adrenergic receptors to the sympathetic nervous system (a part of the autonomic nervous system). This increases stress hormone levels, which, among other things, leads to a higher heart rate and increased thermogenesis.

Fat burner with yohimbine

Yohimbine is an alkaloid extracted from the leaves and bark of the yohimbe tree. It deactivates the alpha-2 adrenoceptors on fat cells, allowing the fat-burning hormone noradrenaline to exert its full effect. Since the fat cells of the so-called "stored fat," which is located on the abdomen in men and in the hip and thigh region in women, have particularly high levels of alpha-2 adrenoceptors, fat in these areas is broken down more quickly thanks to yohimbine. Fat burners containing yohimbine do not have a stimulating effect unless they contain other stimulants; however, they can be very effective at stimulating fat metabolism.

However, quite a few hardcore fat burners are hybrids, meaning they contain both DMAA (or DMHA) or ephedrine and yohimbine. Examples includeMiami LeanandRio Lean by Revange Nutrition.

What ingredients are typical for extreme fat burners?

In addition to the ingredients already mentioned (DMAA, ephedrine, yohimbine), Extreme Fat Burners also contain other ingredients. The most common are:

caffeine

Caffeine is, in a sense, the "classic" fat-burning ingredient. The alkaloid not only induces alertness but also, like DMAA and ephedrine, stimulates brown adipose tissue [4]. In doing so, it increases thermogenesis and thus calorie consumption. Unlike DMAA and ephedrine, however, caffeine is completely legal and subject to no sales restrictions, which is why it is included in virtually every fat burner.

Synephrine

This alkaloid compound, found primarily in bitter oranges, is structurally similar to ephedrine. Its molecules have the ability to bind to beta-3 adrenergic receptors, facilitating the mobilization of fatty acids from the body's fat reserves. Like ephedrine, synephrine is a sympathomimetic with a stimulating effect; however, it is significantly weaker than ephedrine. Because synephrine is found in the pulp and peel of many citrus fruits, there are no restrictions on its sale. However, the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) advises against consuming more than 21 milligrams per day [5].

Capsaicin

Capsaicin is a hot substance found in chili peppers, bell peppers, and hot peppers, among other foods. Depending on the concentration, it significantly increases thermogenesis—this is why you feel so warm after eating a very spicy meal. This effect probably stems from the beta-adrenergic signaling that capsaicin produces, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.

Furthermore, extreme fat burners often contain a number of “harmless” ingredients, such as green tea extract, green coffee bean extract, cayenne pepper, black pepper (piperine), and L-carnitine. These are also found innormal fat burnersbefore.

What is the main difference between regular fat burners and extreme fat burners?

The main difference between regular fat burners and hardcore fat burners is quickly explained: Regular fat burners don't contain strong stimulants, but at best caffeine or caffeine variants like guarana. Ingredients like DMAA or ephedrine are therefore not found in regular fat burners. Yohimbine is also not found in regular fat burners.

This results in the following further differences:

1. Effectiveness:Extreme fat burners are significantly more potent than regular fat burners. They can help you burn fat more effectively.
   However, this doesn't mean that extreme fat burners are generally better for losing weight than regular fat burners. It depends on the initial situation: If you have a lot of body fat, you should initially focus on the latter – otherwise, your cardiovascular system will quickly become overwhelmed. This can then become dangerous to your health.
2. Target group:Extreme fat burners are only suitable for experienced athletes. Those who are not well trained should not take them.
3. Side effects:Extreme fat burners have significantly stronger side effects than normal fat burners (see below).

What side effects do Extreme Fat Burners have?

It will probably come as no surprise that the fat burners discussed here have side effects. Depending on the composition of the individual products, hardcore fat burner side effects can vary quite widely. The most severe side effects are caused by the stimulating ingredients, such as DMAA and its ilk. They can, among other things,

• palpitations and increased resting heart rate,
• Hypernervousness,
• Tremolo (shaky),
• increased sweating, even without physical exertion,
• Excitement,
• Headaches and
• Difficulty falling asleep/staying asleep
  cause.

People who already suffer from high blood pressure or whose heart health is not the best should generally avoid hardcore fat burners; otherwise, they risk cardiac arrhythmia or even a stroke.

When using hardcore fat burners with yohimbine, it's also important to note that yohimbine is an MAOI – meaning that it blocks the monoamine oxidase enzymes in the body. These enzymes limit the concentration of certain neurotransmitters (including dopamine and serotonin). Yohimbine therefore has a mild mood-enhancing effect – that's the good news. The bad news is that yohimbine can, over time, cause a "numbing" of these neurotransmitters, so that without the substance, your mood deteriorates significantly. For this reason, yohimbine should not be combined with ephedrine, as ephedrine is also an MAOI. Combining both can easily lead to psychological dependence or depression after discontinuing the substances. Preparations such asECA Elite from Hard Rock Supp. & Co. are therefore very effective, but they should only be taken for a short period of time.

Where can you buy Extreme Fat Burner?

The availability of Extreme Fat Burners is—well, limited. This is primarily due to the fact that the key ingredients in Extreme Fat Burners are banned from sale in many countries. In Germany, for example, ephedrine supplements have not been available over the counter since 2001; they require a prescription. Nevertheless, if you want to buy Extreme Fat Burners, you can find them on the websites of well-stocked supplement retailers. However, it is recommended to only purchase these products from trustworthy shops like GETBOOST3D.

1. spektrum.de (2001): shiver-free thermogenesis (https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/ernaehrung/zitterfreie-thermogenese/9509)
2. spktrum.de (2001): Thermogenesis (https://www.spektrum.de/lexikon/ernaehrung/thermogenese/8597)
3. gannikus.de (2020): DMAA, DMHA and Co.: The effects, side effects, legal status and history of hardcore boosters
   (https://www.gannikus.de/supplementartikel/die-wirkung-nebenwirkung-rechtslage-und-geschichte-von-hardcore-boostern/)
4. K. Velickovic (2019): “Caffeine exposure induces browning features in adipose tissue in vitro and in vivo” (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31235722/)
5. bvl.bund.de (2021). Classification of synephrine-containing products
   (https://www.bvl.bund.de/SharedDocs/Fachmeldungen/01_lebensmittel/2021/2021_09_27_Expertenkommission_Synephrin.html)