If you’re on a mission for fat loss, you may be considering one of the many ephedra fat burners and regular fat burners on the market today. Take a look at any supplement store, you’ll quickly see just how many different options are available to you – some which will produce great results and others, which may not deliver quite as you expected.
One big dividing line between the different fat burners available is whether or not they contain ephedra. Ephedra fat burners do take things to a whole new level, and while they may typically be thought of as more powerful, this doesn’t always mean more effective. It all comes down to what you’re specifically looking to get from your fat burner, so let’s go over a few details so you can decide.
The Difference In Ingredients
While all the fat burners on the market will have slightly different ingredients as this is what makes them unique, generally speaking, you’ll see two main things taking place.
With ephedra-based fat burners, the focus is on the ephedra and usually caffeine. Taken together, these provide the most powerful combination, so you rarely see one without the other.
In ephedra free products, you may still see caffeine if it is a stimulant based fat burner (versus a non-stimulant fat burner). However, you’ll see a number of other different, more natural ingredients. Things like B vitamins, niacin, and vitamin C, for example, might all make their way into the supplement.
You might also find BCAA’s, vasodilators, and glutamine in these products as well, all designed to help improve performance and recovery. These may not necessarily have to do with fat burning per se, but they are providing additional benefits over and beyond what the fat burner does.
You may also see ingredients such as Hoodia Gordonii and Yohimbe, both of which are non-stimulant ingredients that push the process along. Hoodia is a compound that comes from South Africa and was originally used by hunters when going out on long hunting expeditions to help control hunger. They would take it and find they could go for hours without eating, so it’s plain and simple to see why this would be beneficial to those who were seeking fat loss as well.
Yohimbe is a compound that helps to increase fatty acid release from stubborn body fat stores, which are typically thought to be the buttocks, underarms, and lower back. Basically, wherever you really struggle to burn fat, those are your stubborn fat stores. These areas are more stubborn than others because they don’t have the degree of blood flow coming to them, which is necessary for mobilization and the burning of fatty acids in the body.
When you take this compound and also perform intense exercise training (such as interval training, for instance), it really helps to get the fatty acids released and then used up for fuel, thus speeding along the weight loss process).
The Benefits of Ephedra
Now that you know some of the key ingredients and benefits that can be had from ephedra free fat burners, you might be wondering why you’d choose an ephedra fat burner instead?
Typically, ephedra fat burners are stronger and produce a more noticeable result. This said they do come with drawbacks, which we’ll cover in a minute.
When you use ephedra, you’ll notice things like:
- Improved energy levels over and beyond what most fat burners can provide (unless they have a serious dose of caffeine in them).
- Suppressed appetite, usually lasting for hours.
- Reduced fatigue. With ephedra, you’ll feel as though you could exercise intensely for hours despite being on a lowered calorie intake.
- Elevated body heat production. You’ll feel warmer, which is a good indication that your resting metabolic rate is speeding up and you’re burning fat faster.
Ephedra fat burners help with the two most common reasons people fall off their diet plans: hunger and fatigue.
While other fat burners will help with this as well, they just won’t do as great of a job as when ephedra is in there.
The Drawbacks of Ephedra
You might be thinking that using ephedra then is a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t you want to use it?
The reason is because of the drawbacks. First, you’ll almost always get caffeine in the equation. If you are going to use a stimulant based fat burner, this really won’t matter to you much unless there is a dramatic difference in caffeine levels.
Caffeine can lead to feelings of fatigue if enough of it is taken in, so you do need to pay attention to how much you’re using. Some non-ephedra fat burners just add more caffeine to try and make up for the fact there is no ephedra in the product, so it feels just as strong, but this can lead to dramatic side effects.
This said ephedra does not come without a list of side effects either. Those who use it may experience rapid heart rates, dry mouths, higher than normal blood pressure levels, nausea, headaches, and in some cases, if you take enough strokes.
Now, most people taking a standard dosage will do just fine on this supplement so don’t necessarily let the cautions deter you, but do know that you are at risk and if you are already predisposed to high blood pressure or racing heart rates, you’ll definitely want to consult with your doctor before taking this kind of product.
It’s in these cases that these individuals may choose to go with a non-ephedra based supplement instead. For them, it may just be the safer option.
Another thing to keep in mind is the body does adapt to ephedra. This is also the case with caffeine, so ephedra is not the only place you’ll experience this, but when you take it on an ongoing basis, it will slowly become less and less effective. This means you may have to take more and more over time, which is what can then put you at a higher risk for side effects.
For this reason, cycling your ephedra-based product will be critical to your success. This way, you can maintain the strength and efficacy of the product on the same dose. Taking 1-2 weeks off after every 4-6 weeks of continued use should help you keep the effects strong.
Making Your Decision
At the end of the day, which path you take is entirely up to you. Consider the pros and cons of each scenario. If you are okay with the slight extra risk involved in an ephedra based product, this may just be the better path to take.
Do keep in mind though if you want benefits over and beyond just fat burning, if you get a stacked product (one that’s designed to be a fat burner and a pre-workout), you’ll see additional benefits over and beyond that of just fat burning.
Visit and learn more about Ephedra Fat Burners at Black Diamond Supplements.
