Fat loss is one of the most common – but stubborn – fitness goals around! Which is where a quality fat burning supplement can come in.
When I turned vegan about a year or two ago, I did my research on nutrition, tasty vegan recipes, and the potential impact on my health.
But what I didn’t realize is how difficult it would be to find great-quality supplements that are suitable for vegans.
Many supplements out there offer vegetarian options, but no vegan ones; or worse still, they claim they’re vegan and then use gelatine capsules as delivery mechanisms.
That’s why I highly recommend the Performance Lab range of supplements from Opti-Nutra, which has some of the cleanest fully vegan-friendly formulas – including a quality fat burner – on the market. And no gelatine!
Today I’m going to look at what a ‘fat burner’ is, how they work, and—because we all know that being a vegan protects the environment, animals, and your health—what makes a great vegan fat burner.
If you’re looking to support fat loss in a healthy, natural way, these nutritional supplements are an interesting place to start.
I’m going to address a few key points:
- What is a fat burner?
- How do they work?
- What should you look out for?
- Why is Performance Lab SPORT Fat Burner my favorite vegan option?
If you’re interested in extra nutritional support for one of the most common changes, you’re in the right place.
Read on if you’re ready to improve your chances of making this diet stick and supporting your metabolism.
What is a Fat Burner Supplement FOR?
You might think you know everything about fat burners from the name, but you’re probably wrong!
While the idea of a fat burner is a simple one: to support fat loss, it can do a lot more.
I’m using Performance Lab’s Fat Burner as my example today because it shows what can be done with a supplement if it’s produced responsibly and with your well-being in mind.
- Fat burners can be so much more than a “burn more fat” solution. There are two categories for what they can do for you: direct benefits (the obvious ones) and indirect benefits (the bits you might not have considered).
- Direct benefits are the ability to increase your body’s “calorie expenditure” by increasing metabolism or improving the fat-oxidation process. These result in more rapid, sustainable fat loss over time, and they’re clearly useful!
- On the other hand, indirect benefits include things as varied as maintaining muscle mass while you diet, supporting proper metabolism while you’re at a calorie deficit, or just keeping your cells healthy and happy.
These are all important, but they go to show that this isn’t just some “lose weight fast” supplement.
It’s a comprehensive approach to supporting the body during an effective diet and ensuring the best you come out on the other end!
What makes a good vegan fat burner?
So, you’ve considered investing in a fat burner, but what should you look for?
As ever, it’s all about making the best, most informed, and most responsible decision. This is why I like Performance Lab’s range, but also why I insist that you educate yourself on what you’re choosing.
A fat burner can easily be a fantastic choice, but a low-quality product can be a terrible choice.
There are a few areas I think are essential for choosing the right product:
1: Reputation and brand
This isn’t always the number one factor in a supplement; sometimes there’s very little risk.
However, low-quality fat burner products tend to be full of junk, and those that are imported shadily from countries like China are often found to contain illicit compounds.
I recommend staying within the range of well-respected and certified manufacturers.
Your health should always be your first concern, and (aside from the environmental concerns in international manufacturing and shipping), these low-quality products can put you at risk.
No weight loss is worth your health. Look for quality, domestic, regulated production, and manufacturing!
2: Ingredient Choice
The effectiveness of ingredients comes down to two simple factors: ingredient choice and quality.
The choice of ingredients is obvious: pick things that work.
There are many compounds, like garcinia cambogia and raspberry ketones, that simply don’t work in humans at supplementary levels.
Picking the right compound means avoiding these things and relying on what works.
Here’s a short list of things that are good for supporting fat loss:
- Caffeine is a stimulant, but a familiar and low-level one. Some products contain caffeine for metabolic effects and to combat diet-related fatigue. Certain people may find the caffeine in these supplements problematic, however.
- Capsaicin is a cayenne pepper extract that supports metabolic rate and provides powerful antioxidant benefits.
- EGCG is an extract from tea that supports catecholamine function, which is a key player in your body’s process of burning fat.
- HMB is an amazing leucine metabolite that supports lean muscle mass during a calorie deficit, keeping you strong and muscular while you diet.
- Piperine is a support compound that boosts the absorption of other nutrients through the intestinal wall.
- Leucine is a BCAA that supports muscle health and combats muscular wasting during a calorie deficit. Less effective than HMB.
- Forskolin is a hormone-supporting compound that maintains healthy androgen levels during a calorie deficit.
Beyond these, there are only a handful of other effective compounds. I recommend screening them on a one-by-one basis to see if they fit your needs and goals. And as always, always do your own research.
These are compounds that either support muscle mass, accelerate fat metabolism, or support better effectiveness in the supplement itself.
If a product is missing out on all of these, I can say with some certainty that it’s not doing anything you want.
You can see the ingredients in Performance Lab SPORT Fat Burner below…
3: Ingredient Quality
Piperine is a great example of quality. This is the other side of ingredients and how they affect your body – they’re not all made equal.
There are two key factors I look at for ingredient quality: the type of nutrient and the “absorbability,” or bioavailability.
When we ask what type of nutrient we’re dealing with, there are questions about the chemical structure and the source.
Performance Lab SPORT Fat Burner uses premium forms of its ingredients, particularly Forslean® (Coleus forskohlii), Capsimax® (cayenne pepper extract), and BioPerine® (black pepper extract and piperine).
Likewise, its HMB is ‘sourced from a leading global supplier’ and thoroughly tested.
Considering the type of nutrients that you’re getting and how they’re going to interact in your body is key to a good supplement.
Why is Performance Lab SPORT great?
As I mentioned above, avoiding shady practices is key for a good fat burner.
Performance Lab is a line from Opti-Nutra, which works in an FDA-Certified GMP (good manufacturing practices) lab.
This ensures that everything in this product is produced in a well-regulated environment with no significant contamination risks.
This shows the proactive approach to customer welfare and peace of mind that I like to see in a market with some low-quality players. You can trust this brand, which is important to me.
Great Ingredient Choices
I’ve already discussed what makes a great ingredient choice but applying these criteria to Performance Lab’s products shows why they’re my clear favorite.
Aside from the high-quality nutrient production, the ingredient list covers many of our main fat-burning compounds. The full ingredient list is:
- Coleus Forskohlii (Forslean®) 250mg
- HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate) 1000mg
- Capsimax® Cayenne Pepper Ext. 50mg
- BioPerine® Black Pepper Ext. 2.5mg
- GTF Chromium (NutriGenesis™) 60mcg
- Vegan-Friendly Fat Burner
The PlantCaps system ensures that the Performance Lab Fat Burner is entirely vegan.
This is an obvious criterion, but one that is often overlooked in the supplement market!
Clean Label Product
A “clean label” product is just one with a commitment to effective, conscious ingredient and manufacturing choices.
For Performance Lab, this means a vegan, non-GMO, non-Soy, allergen-free, GMP product.
As mentioned above, this makes a world of difference when the risk of lower-quality products is all over the supplement market.
Caffeine and Stimulant-Free
This is all about your specific goals, but being stimulant-free makes the Performance Lab Fat Burner 100% accessible.
There’s no risk of increased anxiety, heart rate, digestive discomfort, or headaches in the same way caffeine-based supplements might provide.
If you’re looking to keep your caffeine levels lower – or just control them by having them separately to your fat burner – the Performance Lab caffeine-free approach can be a perfect choice.
Do You Need to Worry About Side Effects?
Side effects come from how your body interacts with nutrients and compounds.
There’s a possibility of side-effects with any food or supplement. With that said, the compounds I’ve discussed above are generally safe and aren’t inherently risky.
Performance Lab’s products, for example, are specifically designed to be allergen-free, as well as being free from GMO and soy compounds.
This makes them a great choice if you’re concerned about negative reactions.
Actively avoiding allergens is all it takes. However, I would recommend having a proper check-in with your physician if you find yourself looking to start a course of supplementation.
How to use vegan fat burners
A fat burner will start taking effect as soon as the key compounds, like capsaicin, are absorbed.
These are short-term effects, and you don’t need to wait for them to build up (as you would with, say, creatine).
You should feel the effects of capsaicin very rapidly, while you may not feel other compounds working.
Apart from that, it’s as simple as just taking it at the suggested times and with the correct dosages.
When should I take it?
As Performance Lab SPORT FAT Burner is designed to help with fasted training (maintaining lean muscle mass while fasting and exercising), the manufacturer recommends taking 2-4 capsules 15 minutes before training.
The Fat Burner stacks well with the range’s pre-workout (I’ve already expressed my love for Performance Lab’s own totally vegan pre-workout) to improve the benefits of both and support better workouts.
The pre-workout can be taken 45–60 minutes before training.
What is the dosage for a fat burner?
The best way to get the dose right is to follow manufacturer instructions.
Over-consuming these supplements isn’t likely to carry any serious risk but can threaten changes to your body temperature and digestive health that may be a little uncomfortable.
The average fat burner will tell you how many to take, and from there, you can adjust to your needs and how you feel.
More doesn’t necessarily mean better, so take your time and make sure the diet and exercise are leading the way. Again, Performance Lab recommends one daily dose of 2-4 capsules of Sport Fat Burner.
Is this the supplement for you?
This is the big question!
If you’re on a plant-based diet and you’re looking for a sympathetic, responsibly produced fat burner with good ingredient choice and amazing ingredient quality, Performance Lab’s SPORT Fat Burner could be the supplement for you.
It’s a matter of what suits your goals, but this is one of the best products on the market.
The quality of ingredients and reputation for quality in a mixed marketplace make it my favorite choice.
There’s a genuine concern for customer wellbeing and a concerted effort to be responsible that points to a top-notch product!
Final Thoughts
A fat burner is a great leg-up on your fat loss goals and – if you choose the right product – can do so much more.
From muscular support to antioxidant benefits for wellness, there are dozens of things a good fat burner can do for you.
I’ve used Performance Lab’s SPORT Fat Burner because I think it sets a great example of how to do a vegan fat burner supplement right.
This conscious approach to supplementation and manufacturer philosophy is something I recommend in all your dietary practices.
If you’re looking to add to a well-balanced diet and exercise regimen, this could be the perfect supplement for you.
Check-in with your own goals and needs, but make sure to choose wisely!