With swimsuit season approaching, many of you are embarking on a “quest to cut.”  You guys are looking for the best definition, striations and vascularity.  Most females seek the “lean yet curvy” look.  And of course, don’t forget those six-pack abs.  For the truly hardcore, six doesn’t cut it: eight’s the magic number (the extra two being just above the pubic region).  One tried and true fat burner is the “E/C/A stack,” which has been around for almost fifteen years.  Current laws prevent the combination of ephedrine with caffeine in an OTC formulation for best fat loss, so E/C/A is D.I.Y.  Ephedrine HCl is legally available only as a treatment for asthma.  Combining ephedrine, caffeine, and aspirin in the ratios of 1/10/10 increases fat burning through thermogenesis: production of body heat that burns adipose (fat) tissue, appetite suppression, and an energy “boost.”  A good dose of the E/C/A stack is 25 mg. ephedrine, 200mg. caffeine, and 243 mg aspirin  The dose should be cut in half at first to assess tolerance.  

The patented E/C/A stack was at one time the “king of fat burners,” and nearly every best fat burner prior to the ephedra ban attempted to mimic or improve on it.  However even “the king” has some drawbacks.  Extended use burns out the adrenal system. Stop taking it and lethargy, not energy, will dominate your days.  Also, the energy it produces is a jittery, anxious type of buzz; not how you want to feel all day. Finally, it does not take care of the truly stubborn fat deposits that remain even when you get down to 8% body-fat. Some people added yohimbine to the mix, which does help eliminate stubborn fat through antagonism of alpha-adrenoreceptors, however this created a host of other problems and side effects.  Yohimbine doesn’t mix safely with ephedrine.  On its own its perfectly safe in healthy individuals. In terms of E/C/A’s safety, well, the FDA banned  products trying to copy the fat burner stack, so make your own judgment.  

Enter the post-ban fat burners.  Initially, the dietary supplement scrambled to find any compounds that would produce a thermogenic effect: in other words, make you feel hot.  Various synonyms for the word “hot” were, and still are, employed to name many of the best fat burners (just click on “weight loss” to see what I mean).  Over time, formulations improved drastically, and there are some great fat burners available that don’t contain ephedra.  The industry accomplished this task just in time for the FDA to change their minds about ephedra!  Though the federal ban was lifted, certain state laws still prevent the sale of ephedra containing products, and some people feel the potential dangers of ephedra outweigh the benefits.  Which brings us back to those highly effective compounds that are ephedra-free, green tea standardized for polyphenols and ECCG is not only good for you, but inhibits absorption of fat and is a potent lipolytic substance on its own (1).  Caffeine, as we all know keeps energy levels high, and salicin, an alkaloid similar in structure to aspirin works synergistically with caffeine, and thins the blood so that fat-burning actives can get to the best areas of the body with little vascularity (such as fat deposits.  In addition to lipolysis, any fat burner worth using must contain ingredients to increase focus and energy.  Xanthinol nicotinate is a highly-bioavailable form of niacin, and is actually an Rx drug in some countries used to increase brain glucose and ATP stores; imperative while dieting. DMAE is a common “nootropic” substance, or “smart drug that is often included in pre-workout formulas such as Scivation’s “Neurostim.” It works good by itself, and synergistically w/ other compounds to produce and acetyl-choline, a neurotransmitter that decreases while dieting.  Evodiamine is another compound that has been shown to raise body temperature, and increase secretion of catecholamines from adrenal glands, which would promote lipolysis throughout the body (2).  Evodiamine can be found in products such as Avant Labs’ H.E.A.T. Stack, VPX’s “Redline,” and MuscleTech’s “Hydroxycut Hardcore.”

Previously I mentioned yohimbine, which is excellent for putting the “finishing touches” on your physique by getting rid of stubborn body fat. In addition to yohimbine, another alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonist has been recently discovered by the supplement industry: Aspidosperma querbrahcno-blanco (AQB).  This plant extract, while containing some yohimbine, contains other Indole-alkaloids that antagonize both the alpha-1 and 2 adrenoreceptors, adding to the effects of yohimbine (3).  For a more scientific and detailed description of how yohimbine and AQB accomplish this task, check out the link for MuscleTech Hydroxycut Hardcore on MuscleTech’s web site.  They have an animated sequence that explains the fat burning process in a straightforward and simple manner. I’ve used dozens of fat burners, transdermal gels, and even the original E/C/A stack, and MuscleTech Hydroxycut Hardcore is the most effective, legal product I’ve ever used. The reason it blows all other fat burners away is that it’s a fat burner, pre-workout stimulant, and mental-clarity booster all in one.  Hydroxycut Hardcore is like getting a three, top-shelf dietary supplements for the price of one, with a state of the art delivery system for free!  I realize most of you read “Hardcore,” and think: “marketing hype,” but in case you didn’t know, there’s five different formulations of MuscleTech Hydroxycut on the market today, and they named this one “Hardcore” for a reason. 

 Fat Burner References:
1. “Effects of green tea catechin-induced lipolysis on cytosol glycerol content in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells.” Phytotherapy Research.  2004 Nov;18(11):945-6.
2. Sahelian, Ray, M.D. “Evodiamine Research.” Index of Herbs, Vitamins, and Natural Therapies.  Available: http://www.raysahelian.com/evodiamine.html
3. Sperling, H, Et. al. “An Extract From the Bark of Aspidosperma quebrancho-blanco Binds to Human Penile Alpha-Adrenorecptors.”  Naturlich, naturlich. Available: http://www.heilpflanzen-welt.de/science/200