Caffeine

DOSE/TIMING

100–300 mg, 2–3 times daily, with one dose 30–60 min pre-workout

BENEFIT

Acutely increases strength, delays fatigue, blunts pain, increases burning of fat during exercise

L-Carnitine

DOSE/TIMING

1–3g, four times daily, including immediately pre- and post-workout and before bed

BENEFIT

Shuttles fat to mitochondria, where it can be burned for fuel 

Beta-alanine

DOSE/TIMING

2–3g pre- and post-workout

BENEFIT

Maximizes strength, power, and stamina

When it comes to shedding body fat, a clean diet and intense cardio are the main tools for the task. But to get the most from your efforts, the right supplements can go a long way to giving you an edge. Here, we present a group of fat-burning supplements that will help you get the fat loss you seek while feeling energized without the unwanted, uncomfortable sensations—jitters, nausea, and hunger pangs—that often come as a result of hard dieting.

To get the most from your program, consider supplementing with the following:

The extract from green coffee (unroasted coffee beans) has exploded in the marketplace in recent years as one of the most effective fat burners. New research shows that green coffee’s success may be due in part to its ability to blunt the impact of glucose, helping to keep blood sugar in check so you don’t store calories as fat before you can burn them off as energy. In addition, green coffee helps pull fat from storage so you can burn it as energy. 

Cutting calories helps you burn body fat, but boosting the number of calories you burn also helps accomplish this goal. Raspberry ketones naturally boost your capacity to burn body fat by raising your metabolic rate. Raspberry ketones work in a way similar to synephrine. In addition, raspberry ketones reduce your appetite and encourage your body to release stored body fat to supply energy. 

Taking supplemental caffeine gives you an immediate surge of energy that makes you feel better while you cut calorie intake. It also encourages your body to move stored fat out of cells so you can use it to fuel activity. Caffeine improves your workouts, helping to make you stronger and blunt the inevitable soreness from intense training sessions.

Each of these supplements on its own has been proven to help fat loss, yet Hydroxycut SX-7 from MuscleTech, available exclusively at GNC, combines all of these ingredients. The product’s unique combination not only helps pull stored fat into your bloodstream while boosting metabolic rate, but it also helps you feel better while you’re dieting. Follow dosing recommendations on the label to assess your tolerance.