Although bodybuilders are known for packing on muscle, they also must be able to lose weight quickly. Bodybuilders often bulk up during the off-season, then attempt to retain muscle while burning fat preparing for contests. Because of the unique demands of the sport and the pressure to retain maximum muscle mass while eliminating fat, bodybuilders often rely on supplements to make the process easier. Supplements are intended to be used with a healthy diet and exercise program, not to replace it. Consult a doctor before using any supplements.
Universal Animal Cuts
Universal Animal Cuts is a product nominated as one of the best fat loss supplements in the 2010 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Awards. This product contains a number of stimulants, including caffeine, guarana, kola nut and yerba mate, which may increase your energy levels while you are on a low-calorie diet. In addition, Universal Animal Cuts also contains diuretics such as hydrangea root, celery seed, dandelion root and juniper berry. According to the herbal website Botanical.com, juniper berry is a strong diuretic often used to treat kidney and liver disorders.
BSN Thermonex
BSN is a sports nutrition company that produces a variety of products intended for use by bodybuilders. Like Animal Cuts, Thermonex is a stimulant-based fat loss supplement that contains caffeine, yerba mate and tyrosine. One unique ingredient in BSN Thermonex is octopamine, which research suggests may safely promote weight loss. According to a study published in the September 2003 issue of the "Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry," octopamine supplementation may promote improved weight loss compared to diet alone. While the researchers noted that octopamine did not promote adverse effects, it was less effective than other fat loss ingredients. In addition, this research was performed in rats, so results may be different in humans.
MHP Anadrox
According to Maximum Human Performance, or MHP, the manufacturer of Anadrox, this supplement is intended to promote muscle growth, strength and fat loss. In order to stimulate muscle growth and athletic performance, Anadrox contains amino acids such as arginine, taurine and tyrosine. MHP Anadrox also contains stimulants such as caffeine, guarana and green tea extract. Another performance-enhancing ingredient included in Anadrox is quercetin, which is purported to improve endurance. However, research published in the December 2009 issue of the journal "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism" indicates that daily supplementation of quercetin for three weeks is ineffective in promoting significant improvements in exercise performance.
References
- Bodybuilding.com: The 2010 Bodybuilding.com Supplement Award Nominees!
- Botanical.com: Juniper Berries
- "Journal of Physiology and Biochemistry"; Moderate weight-lowering effect of octopamine treatment in obese Zucker rats; S Bour et al; September 2003
- Maximum Human Performance: Anadrox
- "Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism"; Quercetin's effect on cycling efficiency and substrate utilization; CL Dumke et al; December 2009
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