The new fat burners: a new breed of ephedra-free supplements can help you morph from round to roped

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2003 by Dan Gordon

Ephedra, an extract of the Chinese plant ma huang, has long been a favorite of guys built like the Hulk as well as regular gymgoers thanks to its energy-boosting, fat-burning properties. But the natural stimulant has taken a public-relations hit--most prominently after it was blamed in part for the heatstroke death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler last February. Although industry officials and many nutrition experts maintain that ephedra is safe when taken as recommended--in appropriate dosages and not by individuals at high cardiovascular risk--companies are also aware that ephedra is under increased regulatory scrutiny, and a good number of consumers are shying away from the supplement. This has led to a new class of over-the-counter fat burners marketed under the "ephedra-free" label.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SKINNY

While we all love the image of fat melting off our bodies, leaving nothing but chiseled muscle behind, that's not exactly how it works. "No product actually burns fat," says Philip Goglia, co-owner of Performance Fitness Concepts in Venice, Calif., and author of the diet book Turn Up the Heat. Instead, Goglia explains, these supplements contain ingredients that raise metabolic temperature in a way that utilizes a greater percentage of your fat stores as an energy source during workouts. (Translation: You have to work out while taking this stuff.)

In an effort to mimic ephedra, many manufacturers use caffeine derivatives such as green-tea-leaf extracts, guarana and kola nut, often combining them with herbs such as cayenne pepper, white willow bark and ginger to boost their effect.

Since plain caffeine can't match ephedra's efficacy, manufacturers are adding several new twists to generate the most fat-fighting potential possible. "The ideal [ephedra] substitute would attack fat-burning from multiple angles," says Aaron Shelley, M.S.S., S.P.N., director of sports nutrition at Texas Tech University and strength-and-conditioning coach for the Texas Tech basketball team.

* Some formulations may include nature-based derivatives such as yerba mate and yohimbe, which raises the level of epinephrine (adrenaline).

* To stave off age-related weight gain, manufacturers also employ thyroid activators (the thyroid helps regulate metabolism), such as coleus forskoli and guggulsterone.

* Another common ingredient is the thermogenic activator citrus aurantium (also known as "bitter orange"), which contains synephrine, a weaker cousin of ephedra.

Can these new formulations get the same results as ephedra? Shelley believes they can come close, as long as they contain enough of the right ingredients. When perusing the labels, make sure that key ingredients are actually given specific measurements instead of being listed as part of a proprietary blend. "You want to know how much of the important stuff you're getting," says Shelley, who has launched a Web site (www.sportsnutrition4u.com) where he and his students summarize the research on ephedra and some of the ingredients in ephedra-free supplements.

Shelley advises taking supplements with sufficient variety and levels of compounds such as coleus forskoli (he recommends 25 milligrams), guggulsterone (50 to 100 mg) and caffeine (200 mg). If you're sensitive to caffeine, either avoid these products or begin with half the recommended dose.

The most important thing to remember is that these are supplements, not substitutes. "Proper diet and exercise is the key," says Goglia. "If you're hunting down a magic pill, forget about it."

ON THE MARKET

* Hydroxycut by MuscleTech: This supplement, touted for its ability to support fat loss by increasing metabolism, features Garcinia cambogia extract, a blood-sugar stabilizer that may help prevent simple sugars from converting to fat. Hydroxycut also includes 200 milligrams of caffeine as well as willow-bark extract, a blood thinner found in aspirin that potentiates the action of caffeine.

* Lean System 7 by iSatori Global Technologies: The star of this show is the herbal stimulant yerba mate. "Yerba mate actually helps to elevate testosterone," says Philip Goglia, a certified nutritionist and co-owner of Performance Fitness Concepts in Venice, Calif. "An elevated testosterone count can promote metabolism, because testosterone helps to utilize fat as an energy source. That's why men are generally leaner than women--men have more testosterone." This also contains guarana extract standardized to 105 milligrams of caffeine, and the thermogenic activators coleus forskoli and citrus aurantium.

* Xenadrine-EFX by Cytodyne: The folks who make this ephedra-free product claim that independent studies show a 13.4% metabolic-rate increase and 32% appetite-level decrease in test subjects, thanks to its proprietary blend of green tea extract, yerba mate, and such herbal stimulants as cocoa extract and ginger root.

* Ventilean by Pharmagenx: Described as a "fast-acting lipothermic," this liquid supplement (taken orally, complete with its own syringe-like delivery device) includes guarana standardized to 150 milligrams of caffeine, the beta-blocking derivative yohimbe, and the equivalent of 20 mg synephrine.