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Losing fat takes a ton of work. To get lean, your macros need to be dialed in, your workout split organized, and your willpower dialed up to 11. But the benefits can be worth it to a point. You can pump out more bodyweight exercises, clothes fit better, you feel lighter and faster, and sporting abs is one way to signal to the world that you’re disciplined, hard-working, and dedicated.
If you’re a guy, and your diet and training are on point, then a fat burner may help speed up and optimize your efforts (but it certainly won’t do the work for you). Packed with ingredients that coax calorie-burn, a quality fat burner may help you shed those last few pounds. There are, however, many options, and some may be better for you than others. Below, we’ve culled the best fat burners for men that are budget-friendly, stim-free, and can even help you retain muscle. We also explain how fat burners work and list fat-burning ingredients linked to testosterone production, which men, specifically, should look out for.
Best Fat Burners for Men
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Men’s Fat Burners Video Review
Be sure to check out our video on the best fat burners for men for an even more in-depth analysis of this supplement.
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The Best Overall Fat Burner
Fat burners take different approaches to aid in your fitness journey. Some might focus on appetite control and others might have thermogenic effects. If you’re looking to potentially shave off some fat while retaining the muscle you build in the gym, a fat burner could help — this pick is straightforward, effective, and reasonably priced.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements included a potent combination of thermogenics and appetite suppressants in the formulation of Eliminate. Huge contains 600mg of green tea extract, which may help with weight loss and blood sugar regulation, 350mg of total caffeine, which can help with thermogenesis and appetite control along with promoting energy to keep you moving. You’ll also find grains of paradise, which may help burn fat tissue and increase metabolism. Eliminate also has black pepper fruit extract, which can help you absorb the other ingredients more effectively. Huge states on its website that you can take this product with or without a meal, but it may be best to take it with one to avoid digestive issues.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Athletes who like a decent kick of energy from their fat burners. 350mg of total caffeine can help to keep you moving throughout the day.
Anyone looking for a product that can potentially attack fat loss from multiple angles. Eliminate’s ingredients are designed to impact metabolism, energy, and appetite.
Those looking for a product you can take with or without food. Taking it with food is best for digestion, but Huge says you can take this fat burner whenever is convenient.
Who Shouldn’t Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
People looking for a vegan-friendly fat burner. The capsules of this supp are made from gelatin, which is animal-based.
Folks looking for a non-stim fat burner — this product does contain caffeine.
Huge Supplements Eliminate contains both fat-burning ingredients and caffeine for energy, as well as black pepper extract, which may help you absorb the other ingredients. It also comes at a pretty reasonable price, which is more than we can say for some other fat burners on the market.
Best Fat Burner for the Money
Even if you’re on a budget, you can still find a high quality fat burner. Thanks to increased competition in the supplement market, more companies are making better products at cheaper prices — and you get to reap the benefits. One of those companies making high-quality products at affordable prices is Swolverine, and their thermogenic fat burner, Therm, is one of our favorite products.
Swolverine Therm
Therm is the most affordable product on our list, but it still packs quite the thermogenic punch. This product from Swolverine is packed full of all-natural ingredients that are formulated to support your weight loss journey. These ingredients are designed to jumpstart your metabolism, help burn body fat, and boost your energy. Guarana extract provides 100mg of naturally-occurring caffeine to potentially help boost energy and metabolism. The 125mg of garcinia cambogia can help burn belly fat. And the cocoa extract and yerba mate can help suppress appetite and act as natural thermogenics. Therm even has cayenne pepper extract, which can help keep you burning more calories throughout the day.
While the ingredients list is quite comprehensive, this product does miss some of the more popular fat burner ingredients like l-carnatine and HMB that some more expensive products include. Though, the one tablet size is a nice change from others that suggest taking multiple capsules.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Buy Swolverine Therm
People who are on a budget, but still want a fat burner with high quality and effective ingredients.
Folks who prefer a fat burner that contains caffeine that may give you a little extra jolt of energy.
Athletes who want fat burning ingredients that focus on thermogenesis for a potential increased calorie burn.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Swolverine Therm
People who want a more robust ingredient list that may include herbs, nootropics, and other extras for mood and muscle retention may want to look elsewhere.
Customers who prefer a stimulant-free fat burner — this product contains caffeine, albeit less than many other products.
Therm contains 20 clinically dosed supplements to help promote weight loss at an affordable price. Some might not be able to look past the omission of l-carnitine, HMB, and CLA even at Therm’s affordable price, but if you’re looking for a solid fat burner that won’t bust your budget, Therm is a great option.
Fastest Working Fat Burner for Men
One of the trickiest things to get under control when you’re in a cut is portion control. This pick includes ingredients that may help with appetite suppression, so hopefully you don’t have to spend as much time working on decreasing your portion sizes.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
For those looking to burn fat quickly, it can help to have an appetite suppressant to get your portion sizes under control. It can take quite some time to learn how to control your portion sizes, but fiber can naturally help reduce your appetite and make it easier to decrease your portions. The glucomannan in Instant Knockout is the key factor here. Plus, you’ll also find other helpful ingredients like green tea extract, cayenne pepper seeds, and caffeine, as well as theanine and B vitamins. In addition, the black pepper extract in this supp can help with absorption, which means these ingredients can get straight to work.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Take Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Athletes who are looking for a fat burner that can help reduce their appetite so they don’t have to spend a lot of time working on portion control.
If you’re looking for a high dose of caffeine, this product contains 300mg.
Anyone seeking a thermogenic fat burner will like the cayenne pepper seeds here.
Who Shouldn’t Take Instant Knockout
Those on a budget may find this fat burner to be a bit out of their price range.
If you’re looking to steer clear of stimulants, you’ll want to opt for a different product on this list.
Pill averse folks may find four capsules per serving to be a bit much to swallow.
Though fat loss can only happen with the implementation of a healthy diet of whole foods, exercise, and a calorie deficit, it doesn’t hurt to have a fat burner that contains ingredients that can potentially suppress your appetite to help scoot things along a little quicker — Instant Knockout’s glucomannan may help with just that.
Best Belly Fat Burner for Men
For anyone who’s trying to get rid of stubborn belly fat, this product — though more expensive than some other options on this list — may be your best bet.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
While Huge Supplements includes most of the major fat burning ingredients, it also throws in some extra ingredients to potentially help your mood. Like many fat burners, it contains carnitine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract. But unlike some other fat burners, Huge Supplements also includes 5-HTP which can help boost serotonin levels and better your mood, potentially leading to more productive workouts in the gym — which you’ll need when it comes to battling stubborn belly fat. It also contains l-theanine, which can help increase your metabolism.
While you’ll find that the label is fully transparent with its ingredients and their amounts, you’ll also see that Huge Supplements Eliminate contains gelatin in their capsules, which means this pick may not be a great fit for those who are trying to avoid animal products.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Anyone who’s targeting belly fat who could use some help with mood, productivity, and metabolism will like this product’s 5-HTP and theanine.
Customers who value a transparent label that lists all of the ingredients and their amounts.
Folks who value a robust ingredients list and are willing to pay a little extra for it.
Who Shouldn’t Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Buyers looking for a cost-effective fat burning supplement — this product is more expensive than others on this list.
People who exercise late at night or want to avoid stimulants in their fat burner for dietary reasons should note that this product contains caffeine.
Vegans who are trying to avoid animal products will want to look for a fat burner without gelatin.
If you’re targeting stubborn belly fat, it’s beneficial to have added ingredients in your fat burner that may help boost your overall mood and better your workouts while sticking to your calorie deficit and resistance training plan. This product is the full package when it comes to this, as well as potential fat loss.
Best Thermogenic Fat Burner for Men
Thermogenesis may help burn more fat by raising your body temperature to expend more energy. Thermogenic fat burners can help raise your body temperature to increase the amount of calories you burn. This product’s cayenne pepper extract is key for this metabolic boost.
Swolverine Therm
This product has 20 clinically dosed ingredients, many of which are intended to support fat loss through promoting the natural thermogenic process. The cocoa extract and cayenne pepper extract in Therm can help regulate fat burn and increase thermogenic response. These aren’t the only helpful fat burning ingredients in this product though. Therm also includes forskohlii root powder, which can help promote the release of fatty acids from fat tissue, and yerba mate, which may help boost metabolism. In addition, you’ll find guarana, which can help provide some energy (via its 100mg of caffeine), and potentially appetite control. Swolverine suggests taking one tablet, one or two times per day with meals, which is far fewer than some other fat burners on the market that require six tablets per day.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Take Swolverine Therm
Anyone looking for a fat burner that can potentially increase calorie burn through thermogenesis.
People who value a robust ingredient list that can help with metabolism, fat burn, and energy levels. Therm contains 20 clinically dosed ingredients.
Anyone looking to have caffeine included in their fat burning supplement, which may help with appetite control and thermogenic response.
Who Shouldn’t Take Swolverine Therm
Anyone who prefers to take gel capsules over hard tablets. These tablets are quite large, and may be difficult for some to swallow.
Anyone who wants a stimulant-free fat burner. This product only contains a modest 100mg of caffeine, but that can be a lot if you’re sensitive to the stuff.
Thermogenic fat burners can help raise your body temperature to increase your metabolism. Therm includes ingredients to not only help with that aspect of fat loss, but appetite suppression, as well. This product’s cayenne pepper extract is a key factor in this process.
Best Stimulant-Free Fat Burner for Men
Sometimes a non-stimulant formula is more ideal if you’re looking to avoid caffeine so you can workout later in the evening, or if you just want to stick to coffee for your dose of caffeine in the morning. If you fall into either of these categories, this pick is for you.
Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
If you’re looking to avoid stimulants in your fat burner, Legion offers a version of their fat burner that axes caffeine entirely — you can just select “Without Caffeine” at checkout. Legion Phoenix includes forskolin that can help with both fat burn and muscle gain, and 5-HTP, which can help reduce hunger and cravings. Plus, it also contains Thai ginseng, which can help increase your calorie burn, and grains of paradise that may help reduce visceral fat. One of the best things about this supplement is that all of its ingredients are 100 percent natural and vegetarian friendly. Plus, the price tag isn’t going to break the bank, like many fat burners can.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Take Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
Men who exercise late at night may prefer this fat burner that doesn’t contain caffeine.
Anyone who is allergic to caffeine and is trying to avoid it altogether.
Athletes who may want a fat burner that contains ingredients to increase calorie burn will like the Thai ginseng here.
Who Shouldn’t Take Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
Men who don’t like taking a lot of pills may not like that this product requires three per dose.
Early morning gym goers who may want caffeine included in their fat burner should opt for the caffeinated version of this fat burner.
Though caffeine can be an effective fat burning ingredient, those who exercise late at night or are trying to stick to coffee for their caffeine fix may prefer Legion Phoenix for its option to nix the caffeine from its formula at checkout.
Best Pre-Workout Fat Burner for Men
If you’re trying to consolidate your supplement stack, you may prefer to take your fat burner within your pre-workout — this pre-workout contains both l-carnitine and caffeine.
Transparent Labs Lean
A product doesn’t need to be labeled “fat burner” to have fat burning properties. While this pre-workout does contain the typical pre-workout ingredients like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, betaine, and branched-chain amino acids, it also includes l-carnitine, which may help turn fat into usable energy, and caffeine, which — though great for energy — has also been linked to fat burn. Transparent Labs Lean also contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, and is gluten-free and non-GMO. This is a powder supplement that comes in six flavors though, so for those who want a fat burner pill you can take for convenience, this may not be the best pick for you.
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Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Lean
Athletes who are already taking a pre-workout, and would rather take one that had fat burning properties as well to consolidate the number of supplements in their stash.
Anyone who prefers to take their fat burner in a powder form over a pill form.
People who value products free of artificial sweeteners, coloring, and preservatives.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs Lean
Folks who just want a straight fat burning supplement instead of a pre-workout with fat burning ingredients.
Those who would prefer a pill supplement to a powder supplement.
Athletes who want a higher number of potential fat burning ingredients included in their supplement.
For those who are already taking a pre-workout, taking Transparent Labs Lean can combine your need for a pre-workout and a fat burner — so long as you’re not looking for a super robust fat burner ingredient list, as this product only contains a few.
Best Fat Burner for Men’s Bodybuilding
Bodybuilders who want to stay muscular while losing weight should look for a fat burner with certain ingredients that can help them hang onto every ounce of their hard-earned muscle tissue.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements Eliminate contains a potent blend of 13 ingredients that are designed to help improve body composition. This product was designed with the goal of body recomposition in mind, meaning you can shed the unwanted fat while maintaining your muscle mass. This supp attacks weight loss from different angles like energy, appetite, and metabolism. Green tea extract and green coffee bean, along with caffeine anhydrous can help provide a heavy hit of energy. The forskolin, capsicum fruit extract, and grains of paradise can help with metabolism and fat burn. Eliminate also contains black pepper fruit, which can help with absorption, allowing you to get the most out of this product. Huge recommends taking four capsules per day either with or without a meal. Though, new users should probably start with just one capsule to assess tolerance and increase as they are able.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Eliminate
Bodybuilders who want to perform better to build muscle while also cutting down will enjoy that Eliminate includes ingredients that can potentially help with appetite suppression.
Those who are interested in thermogenic ingredients. This product contains Capsimax. A capsicum fruit extract that can potentially increase thermogenesis.
If you’re concerned about absorption, you’ll appreciate that Huge Supplements includes a dose of black pepper extract.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Huge Supplements Eliminate
Anyone who’s a fan of l-canitine or citrulline will want to look elsewhere as you won’t find it in this product.
Folks who are trying to avoid caffeine will want to look for a stim-free fat burner.
This product contains capsicum fruit extract to potentially boost metabolism, as well as a decent dose of caffeine, which may help with fat loss and exercise performance, making this a great choice for bodybuilders.
Best Natural Fat Burner for Men
If you’re looking to potentially burn excess fat without harsh stimulants or harmful chemicals, a natural fat burner is the way to go — this one is one of our favorites.
Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
This product is a 100 percent natural, stimulant-free fat burner. Legion Phoenix Fat Burner contains no artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or unwanted fillers for a natural, fat burning blend. We also like that Legion has a track record of transparency, including what’s listed in this fat burner, and about the dosing and science behind the ingredients used. These include Thai ginseng, 5-HTP, caralluma fimbriata, and forskolin, which all can help burn fat, suppress appetite, and regulate metabolism. (1) Plus, Legion has included an added dose of B vitamins, which can help with focus.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Buy Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
People who appreciate and want not just complete doses, but a science-backed reason for why each ingredient was chosen.
Anyone looking for fair pricing. Considering the dosing and ingredient quality, Legion prices their formula pretty reasonably.
Athletes who want to avoid artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and fillers in their fat burner.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
Men who are pill adverse; this formula requires that you take three pills a day.
Those who don’t need a long list of ingredients in their fat burner — while this product is natural, it does have a lot of ingredients to sift through, and you can find other options out there with a shorter list just focused on fat burn if that’s what you’re interested in.
While Legion is transparent in their ingredient-listing, they also keep it all-natural, avoiding artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and fillers, and focusing on high quality ingredients.
Best Premium Fat Burner for Men
If you’re willing to shell out for it, some fat burners offer both quality dosing and ingredients. We like this pick for its thermogenic properties and its ability to ease hunger pangs.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
We were very impressed with the ingredient quality in Instant Knockout’s 100 percent natural formula. It includes cayenne pepper seeds, which can help boost thermogenesis (or temperature-induced calorie burn), as well as glucomannan, which may decrease appetite. Instant Knockout also includes extras like B vitamins, vitamin D, and theanine, in addition to green tea extract and a solid 300mg dose of caffeine. All of the ingredients and their amounts are listed clearly on the label, but this supplement does require four capsules per serving. With this level of quality, however, comes a higher price tag compared to other picks on this list.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Buy Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Men who value high-quality fat burning and energy boosting ingredients in their supplement.
Folks who don’t mind shelling out for a premium formula and want to buy bottles in bulk for a discount. You can choose from different packages with this supp.
Anyone who wants appetite suppressing ingredients will appreciate the glucomannan here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Penny pinchers. This product’s high-quality ingredients come with a hefty price tag.
Anyone who’s trying to avoid caffeine, as this product does contain 300mg.
While you may have to dish out a little extra cash for this fat burner, its ingredient list is impressive and more comprehensive than most others on this list. Plus, it’s 100 percent natural.
Best Fat Burner Powder for Men
For the pill-adverse, there are still fat burner options for you on the market. This pick comes in individual stick packets of powder, and it’s one of our favorites.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
If you prefer a powder over a pill, Jacked Factory has a box of 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. A benefit of a powder supplement is that your body does not have to digest a capsule to get to the fat burner — you drink it mixed with water, which allows your body to absorb it more quickly. This product only contains five main ingredients — l-carnitine, green tea extract, caffeine, red pepper fruit extract, and black pepper extract — but it hits all the major fat burner ingredients.
However, this product does list multiple other ingredients with unspecified amounts, so if you value transparency, you may want to go with a different option. Jacked Factory sells this fat burner powder in three flavors — blackberry lemonade, pineapple punch, and watermelon lime.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
This product contains 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. These powders may absorb quicker than capsules since your body doesn't have to break through a capsule to get to the fat burner.
Who Should Buy Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
People who prefer to take their fat burner in a powder form over pill form.
Folks who like flavored supplements. Jacked Factory offers their fat burner in three flavors to help it go down with ease.
Athletes who want a dose of caffeine in their fat burner for a potential jolt of energy.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
Men who prefer to take their fat burner in pill form for convenience.
Athletes who want a more robust ingredient list since this product only contains three main fat-burning ingredients.
Anyone looking for a fully transparent label — this product lists multiple other ingredients without specific amounts tied to them.
Athletes who want to avoid artificial flavors in their fat burner should opt for an all-natural product.
While this fat burner powder comes in individual sticks and three great flavors, it still isn’t the most robust fat burner on this list. But if you’re just looking for a solid powder with the big-hitter fat burning ingredients, this pick is the way to go.
How Does a Fat Burner Work?
Every human being has what’s called a basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR measures how many calories your body burns by simply existing (with no added activity). Essentially, how many calories would you burn lying still? How much you weigh, your age, height, and body fat percentage all play a factor in determining your BMR.
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So a man with a 1,900-calorie BMR will burn that many calories doing nothing. But then you need to account for how many calories you consume and your activity levels. You can use our calorie calculator to factor those elements in and find your starting macros.
To lose weight, you must burn more calories (which acts as energy for your body) than you take in. That’s it. Simple, sure, but meticulously tracking your intake while also training (and holding down a job, possibly raising a family, managing a roster of friends, and making time for Netflix) is tough. Nail your time management, training, and diet, however, and you can get lean. It just takes time.
That said, supplements can help if everything else is in place. Here are the ways that a fat burner can help decrease your body fat.
Thermogenesis
We’ve tossed this word around a few times in the article, so let’s dig into this a bit. By definition, “Thermogenesis is the dissipation of energy through the production of heat and occurs in specialized tissues including brown adipose tissue [fat] and skeletal muscle,” according to Science Direct. More simply put: Your body burns more calories — extracted from fat and muscle — to warm up.
And because working out in a walk-in freezer is both weird and not feasible, most fat-burning supps include ingredients (cayenne pepper extract and caffeine, to name two) that raise your body’s temperature while at rest. Because consuming fewer calories is the goal, inducing thermogenesis can help you lose more weight.
Lipolysis
Lipolysis is the breakdown (or oxidation) of fat cells in the body. Some supplements can improve your body’s ability to oxidize fat specifically. In fact, one study showed that caffeine and green tea extract may enhance fat metabolism, improve endurance, and enhance fat oxidation in athletes. (2)
Appetite Suppression
Fat burners sometimes include ingredients that can curb your hunger pangs. Fenugreek, green tea extract, and 5-HTP — some of these should sound familiar — have been shown to make you feel less hungry. This is particularly helpful since eating fewer calories than you burn can cause your stomach to grumble.
When Should Men Take A Fat Burner?
Since your metabolism slows overnight as you sleep, taking a fat burner on an empty stomach, 30 min before you eat breakfast in the morning can help increase your metabolism to start the day. You can also take your fat burner about 30 minutes before your workout as fat burners contain a lot of ingredients that can help supply energy (like caffeine). However, these times are simply suggested — there’s no right or wrong time to take a fat burner. (3)(4)
How Much Do Fat Burners Cost?
It’s important to compare the cost of the container as a whole against the number of servings per container to see what you are actually getting for your money. As fat burners are fairly inexpensive, this number will usually come out somewhere between $0.50 and $1.00 per serving (though some more robust fat burners may cost around $2.00 per serving).
The more robust the ingredients list on your fat burner, the more expensive it’s going to be. Most fat burners include fat burning ingredients like cayenne pepper extract, caffeine, and green tea extract, but more expensive products may also include extrals like DMAE or HMB, which can improve mood and help you build and retain muscle respectively.
How We Decide The Best Men’s Fat Burners
Fat burners are a relatively straightforward product. They contain a handful of ingredients aimed towards increasing thermogenesis and lipolysis while also suppressing appetite and increasing energy and focus — all to aid your diet.
Jasminko Ibrakovic/Shutterstock
We focused on three main areas: ingredients — namely, the quality and quantity — how much the product costs, and then the serving size.
Ingredients
We dive into this a bit more below, but there’s a shortlist of fat-burning ingredients linked to fat loss and thermogenesis. The supps on this list all contain at least one scientifically-backed supplement that is shown to aid in either thermogenesis or lipolysis.
Also, seeing as these picks are for men, we identified three ingredients that have been linked to increased testosterone production. Testosterone is the hormone that helps build muscle and bone mass, and it’s especially prominent in men. We elaborate on those three ingredients below and ensure that each of our picks contain at least one.
Price
The fat burners on this list vary in price, but we made sure that there’s an option for all budgets. Equally as important, we ensure that “affordable” and “cheap” aren’t synonymous. Even our lower-priced picks offer solid ingredients.
Serving Size
Some fat burners require that you take multiple pills two times a day. We’ll admit that there’s a pick or two on this list with a heftier serving size. But we also selected brands that offer a more modest dose for the pill adverse.
3 Fat Burning Ingredients That May Increase Testosterone
The next time you scan an ingredient label, these ingredients should catch your eye if you’re looking to burn fat and build muscle. While other ingredients can support energy and reduce stress, which may aid your fat loss efforts, these three ingredients have a decent amount of research backing their fat burning efficacy, as well.
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They also have links to supporting testosterone production, the primary hormone involved in muscle-building.
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
CLA is an omega-6 fatty acid that is found mainly in dairy. It’s a popular weight loss supplement that has a decent amount of studies backing it’s fat loss properties (4). A lesser-known benefit of CLA may be it’s ability to synthesize testosterone. One 2013 study showed that mice who took CLA experienced a higher amount of free plasma testosterone. When the mice trained (endurance-style training), the mice taking CLA saw a greater uptick in testosterone biosynthesis. (5)
Caffeine
Caffeine’s fat-burning effects are quite proven. One study shows that caffeine increased the subject’s metabolic rate for three hours after ingestion. Coffee, the study says, has a strong effect, too. It was concluded that coffee and caffeine stimulates one’s metabolic rate and fat oxidation. (6)
As far as testosterone production is concerned, a study in the Journal of Nutrition showed a link between caffeine consumption in men (via coffee) and increased testosterone levels. (7)
A review of capsaicin studies derived from chili has shown that eating could reduce energy intake by 74 calories. The thought is the extract creates a desire for more carbohydrate-rich food, not fatty foods, which tend to be twice as calorically dense as carbs at nine calories per gram. (8) Another study says that chili activates adipose tissue, or fat, and facilitates weight loss. (9)
A 2013 study on mice, had a control group eat a standard diet while the others ate some with capsacian. The capsacian group showed an increase in serum testosterone levels, which indicates that spicy food derived from chilis may up your testosterone levels. (10)
What to Consider Before Buying a Fat Burner
Your personal goals come first and foremost when it comes to deciding which supplement will suit you best. You’ll want to weigh the types of ingredients in your fat burner, as well as when you’ll be taking your supplement and pricing before buying.
Ingredients
Most fat burners contain ingredients that help with lipolysis, thermogenesis, or appetite suppression. And while many will include ingredients that can help with all three, some products may lean heavily on one of these three fat burning processes. It’s important to consider which of these processes may suit you best before deciding on a fat burning supplement.
In addition, you’ll also want to take note of proprietary blends. While we can’t say there is anything inherently wrong with them, we like to steer clear of them just because you don’t know exactly what you’re getting in your product if it just lists a proprietary blend. In short, make sure you know the ingredients you want, as well as their proper dosages before choosing your fat burner.
Timing
Some people like to take their fat burner right when they wake up to jumpstart their metabolism, but others may prefer to take it right before a workout. If you are in the latter group, you’ll want to consider when you workout before choosing your fat burner. Many fat burners contain caffeine, and if you’re working out late at night, this may not suit you best — stim-free fat burners could be better for your exercise regimen.
Price
While most fat burners will include cayenne pepper, caffeine, and green tea, others may also include extras like HMB or DMAE that can help with things outside of fat burn. If you’re willing to spend a little extra money, you can snag one of these products with a more robust ingredient list. If you’re sticking to a budget, just look for the products with basic fat burning ingredients, no extras.
Final Word
It’s important to prioritize a healthy diet and exercise regimen first, but once you have those things under control, fat burners can add extra help. If you’re trying to stay in a caloric deficit, fat burners may be able to help suppress your appetite. They may also help increase your metabolism and burn a little extra fat. Before you buy any fat burning supplement, talk to your doctor to see if this supplement could be right for you. If you get the green light, decide on your ingredients and price point and let this list help you sift through the rest.
FAQs
Are fat burners safe?Fat burners, like all dietary supplements, aren’t approved by the FDA. That said, these supplements are merely just a combination of standard ingredients mixed together into a pill. Do not ever exceed the serving size, as many fat burners include stimulants which can negatively impact your health and even cause harm.
If I take a fat burner, then can I ease up on my diet?No. Nope. Definitely not. Sorry. Even the ingredients above that have been shown to elicit a calorie-burn eliminate, like, 70 calories at most. That’s one Oreo. This isn’t to say you can’t ever ease up on your diet, or cheat, or increase your food intake when you’re in a strength-gaining phase — but you can (and should) do these things whether you’re taking a fat burner or not. Taking a fat burner is no excuse to eat or train differently.
What if I want to take just one of the ingredients?Go for it. Plenty of people supplement with just caffeine (and not just in coffee form). Plenty of the ingredients mentioned above are sold separately. Though it’s more expensive, buying individual supplements let you control the dose and stack the ingredients you want together without any potential extras you may want to avoid. That’s a totally legitimate option.
References
Mullur R, Liu YY, Brent GA. Thyroid hormone regulation of metabolism. Physiol Rev. 2014;94(2):355-382. doi:10.1152/physrev.00030.2013
Kim J, Park J, Lim K. Nutrition Supplements to Stimulate Lipolysis: A Review in Relation to Endurance Exercise Capacity. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2016;62(3):141-61. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.62.141. PMID: 27465721.
Boyett JC, Giersch GE, Womack CJ, Saunders MJ, Hughey CA, Daley HM, Luden ND. Time of Day and Training Status Both Impact the Efficacy of Caffeine for Short Duration Cycling Performance. Nutrients. 2016 Oct 14;8(10):639. doi: 10.3390/nu8100639. PMID: 27754419; PMCID: PMC5084026.
Tinsley, G. M., Urbina, S., Mullins, J., Outlaw, J., Hayward, S., Stone, M., Foster, C., Wilborn, C., & Taylor, L. (2017). Influence of A Thermogenic Dietary Supplement on Safety Markers, Body Composition, Energy Expenditure, Muscular Performance and Hormone Concentrations: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial. Journal of sports science & medicine, 16(4), 459–467.
Barone R, Macaluso F, Catanese P, et al. Endurance exercise and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation up-regulate CYP17A1 and stimulate testosterone biosynthesis. PLoS One. 2013;8(11):e79686. Published 2013 Nov 5.
Acheson KJ, Zahorska-Markiewicz B, Pittet P, Anantharaman K, Jéquier E. Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.5.989. PMID: 7369170.
Wedick NM, Mantzoros CS, Ding EL, et al. The effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on sex hormone-binding globulin and endogenous sex hormone levels: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2012;11:86. Published 2012 Oct 19. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-11-86
Whiting, S, Derbyshire, E, Tiwari, BK. Capsaicinoids and capsinoids. A potential role for weight management? A systematic review of the evidence. Appetite. 2012;59(2):341-348. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.05.015
Sharon Varghese, Peter Kubatka, Luis Rodrigo, Katarina Gazdikova, Martin Caprnda, Julia Fedotova, Anthony Zulli, Peter Kruzliak & Dietrich Büsselberg(2017) Chili pepper as a body weight-loss food, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 68:4, 392-401, DOI: 1080/09637486.2016.1258044
Ilhan T, Erdost H. Effects of capsaicin on testis ghrelin expression in mice. Biotech Histochem. 2013 Jan;88(1):10-8. doi: 10.3109/10520295.2012.724083. Epub 2012 Sep 27. PMID: 23013364.
Losing fat takes a ton of work. To get lean, your macros need to be dialed in, your workout split organized, and your willpower dialed up to 11. But the benefits can be worth it to a point. You can pump out more bodyweight exercises, clothes fit better, you feel lighter and faster, and sporting abs is one way to signal to the world that you’re disciplined, hard-working, and dedicated.
If you’re a guy, and your diet and training are on point, then a fat burner may help speed up and optimize your efforts (but it certainly won’t do the work for you). Packed with ingredients that coax calorie-burn, a quality fat burner may help you shed those last few pounds. There are, however, many options, and some may be better for you than others. Below, we’ve culled the best fat burners for men that are budget-friendly, stim-free, and can even help you retain muscle. We also explain how fat burners work and list fat-burning ingredients linked to testosterone production, which men, specifically, should look out for.
Best Fat Burners for Men
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Men’s Fat Burners Video Review
Be sure to check out our video on the best fat burners for men for an even more in-depth analysis of this supplement.
The Best Overall Fat Burner
Fat burners take different approaches to aid in your fitness journey. Some might focus on appetite control and others might have thermogenic effects. If you’re looking to potentially shave off some fat while retaining the muscle you build in the gym, a fat burner could help — this pick is straightforward, effective, and reasonably priced.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements included a potent combination of thermogenics and appetite suppressants in the formulation of Eliminate. Huge contains 600mg of green tea extract, which may help with weight loss and blood sugar regulation, 350mg of total caffeine, which can help with thermogenesis and appetite control along with promoting energy to keep you moving. You’ll also find grains of paradise, which may help burn fat tissue and increase metabolism. Eliminate also has black pepper fruit extract, which can help you absorb the other ingredients more effectively. Huge states on its website that you can take this product with or without a meal, but it may be best to take it with one to avoid digestive issues.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Best Fat Burner for the Money
Even if you’re on a budget, you can still find a high quality fat burner. Thanks to increased competition in the supplement market, more companies are making better products at cheaper prices — and you get to reap the benefits. One of those companies making high-quality products at affordable prices is Swolverine, and their thermogenic fat burner, Therm, is one of our favorite products.
Swolverine Therm
Therm is the most affordable product on our list, but it still packs quite the thermogenic punch. This product from Swolverine is packed full of all-natural ingredients that are formulated to support your weight loss journey. These ingredients are designed to jumpstart your metabolism, help burn body fat, and boost your energy. Guarana extract provides 100mg of naturally-occurring caffeine to potentially help boost energy and metabolism. The 125mg of garcinia cambogia can help burn belly fat. And the cocoa extract and yerba mate can help suppress appetite and act as natural thermogenics. Therm even has cayenne pepper extract, which can help keep you burning more calories throughout the day.
While the ingredients list is quite comprehensive, this product does miss some of the more popular fat burner ingredients like l-carnatine and HMB that some more expensive products include. Though, the one tablet size is a nice change from others that suggest taking multiple capsules.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Buy Swolverine Therm
Fastest Working Fat Burner for Men
One of the trickiest things to get under control when you’re in a cut is portion control. This pick includes ingredients that may help with appetite suppression, so hopefully you don’t have to spend as much time working on decreasing your portion sizes.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
For those looking to burn fat quickly, it can help to have an appetite suppressant to get your portion sizes under control. It can take quite some time to learn how to control your portion sizes, but fiber can naturally help reduce your appetite and make it easier to decrease your portions. The glucomannan in Instant Knockout is the key factor here. Plus, you’ll also find other helpful ingredients like green tea extract, cayenne pepper seeds, and caffeine, as well as theanine and B vitamins. In addition, the black pepper extract in this supp can help with absorption, which means these ingredients can get straight to work.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Take Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Best Belly Fat Burner for Men
For anyone who’s trying to get rid of stubborn belly fat, this product — though more expensive than some other options on this list — may be your best bet.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
While Huge Supplements includes most of the major fat burning ingredients, it also throws in some extra ingredients to potentially help your mood. Like many fat burners, it contains carnitine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract. But unlike some other fat burners, Huge Supplements also includes 5-HTP which can help boost serotonin levels and better your mood, potentially leading to more productive workouts in the gym — which you’ll need when it comes to battling stubborn belly fat. It also contains l-theanine, which can help increase your metabolism.
While you’ll find that the label is fully transparent with its ingredients and their amounts, you’ll also see that Huge Supplements Eliminate contains gelatin in their capsules, which means this pick may not be a great fit for those who are trying to avoid animal products.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Best Thermogenic Fat Burner for Men
Thermogenesis may help burn more fat by raising your body temperature to expend more energy. Thermogenic fat burners can help raise your body temperature to increase the amount of calories you burn. This product’s cayenne pepper extract is key for this metabolic boost.
Swolverine Therm
This product has 20 clinically dosed ingredients, many of which are intended to support fat loss through promoting the natural thermogenic process. The cocoa extract and cayenne pepper extract in Therm can help regulate fat burn and increase thermogenic response. These aren’t the only helpful fat burning ingredients in this product though. Therm also includes forskohlii root powder, which can help promote the release of fatty acids from fat tissue, and yerba mate, which may help boost metabolism. In addition, you’ll find guarana, which can help provide some energy (via its 100mg of caffeine), and potentially appetite control. Swolverine suggests taking one tablet, one or two times per day with meals, which is far fewer than some other fat burners on the market that require six tablets per day.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Take Swolverine Therm
Best Stimulant-Free Fat Burner for Men
Sometimes a non-stimulant formula is more ideal if you’re looking to avoid caffeine so you can workout later in the evening, or if you just want to stick to coffee for your dose of caffeine in the morning. If you fall into either of these categories, this pick is for you.
Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
If you’re looking to avoid stimulants in your fat burner, Legion offers a version of their fat burner that axes caffeine entirely — you can just select “Without Caffeine” at checkout. Legion Phoenix includes forskolin that can help with both fat burn and muscle gain, and 5-HTP, which can help reduce hunger and cravings. Plus, it also contains Thai ginseng, which can help increase your calorie burn, and grains of paradise that may help reduce visceral fat. One of the best things about this supplement is that all of its ingredients are 100 percent natural and vegetarian friendly. Plus, the price tag isn’t going to break the bank, like many fat burners can.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Take Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
Best Pre-Workout Fat Burner for Men
If you’re trying to consolidate your supplement stack, you may prefer to take your fat burner within your pre-workout — this pre-workout contains both l-carnitine and caffeine.
Transparent Labs Lean
A product doesn’t need to be labeled “fat burner” to have fat burning properties. While this pre-workout does contain the typical pre-workout ingredients like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, betaine, and branched-chain amino acids, it also includes l-carnitine, which may help turn fat into usable energy, and caffeine, which — though great for energy — has also been linked to fat burn. Transparent Labs Lean also contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, and is gluten-free and non-GMO. This is a powder supplement that comes in six flavors though, so for those who want a fat burner pill you can take for convenience, this may not be the best pick for you.
10% Off
Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Lean
Best Fat Burner for Men’s Bodybuilding
Bodybuilders who want to stay muscular while losing weight should look for a fat burner with certain ingredients that can help them hang onto every ounce of their hard-earned muscle tissue.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements Eliminate contains a potent blend of 13 ingredients that are designed to help improve body composition. This product was designed with the goal of body recomposition in mind, meaning you can shed the unwanted fat while maintaining your muscle mass. This supp attacks weight loss from different angles like energy, appetite, and metabolism. Green tea extract and green coffee bean, along with caffeine anhydrous can help provide a heavy hit of energy. The forskolin, capsicum fruit extract, and grains of paradise can help with metabolism and fat burn. Eliminate also contains black pepper fruit, which can help with absorption, allowing you to get the most out of this product. Huge recommends taking four capsules per day either with or without a meal. Though, new users should probably start with just one capsule to assess tolerance and increase as they are able.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Eliminate
Best Natural Fat Burner for Men
If you’re looking to potentially burn excess fat without harsh stimulants or harmful chemicals, a natural fat burner is the way to go — this one is one of our favorites.
Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
This product is a 100 percent natural, stimulant-free fat burner. Legion Phoenix Fat Burner contains no artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or unwanted fillers for a natural, fat burning blend. We also like that Legion has a track record of transparency, including what’s listed in this fat burner, and about the dosing and science behind the ingredients used. These include Thai ginseng, 5-HTP, caralluma fimbriata, and forskolin, which all can help burn fat, suppress appetite, and regulate metabolism. (1) Plus, Legion has included an added dose of B vitamins, which can help with focus.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Buy Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
Best Premium Fat Burner for Men
If you’re willing to shell out for it, some fat burners offer both quality dosing and ingredients. We like this pick for its thermogenic properties and its ability to ease hunger pangs.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
We were very impressed with the ingredient quality in Instant Knockout’s 100 percent natural formula. It includes cayenne pepper seeds, which can help boost thermogenesis (or temperature-induced calorie burn), as well as glucomannan, which may decrease appetite. Instant Knockout also includes extras like B vitamins, vitamin D, and theanine, in addition to green tea extract and a solid 300mg dose of caffeine. All of the ingredients and their amounts are listed clearly on the label, but this supplement does require four capsules per serving. With this level of quality, however, comes a higher price tag compared to other picks on this list.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Buy Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Best Fat Burner Powder for Men
For the pill-adverse, there are still fat burner options for you on the market. This pick comes in individual stick packets of powder, and it’s one of our favorites.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
If you prefer a powder over a pill, Jacked Factory has a box of 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. A benefit of a powder supplement is that your body does not have to digest a capsule to get to the fat burner — you drink it mixed with water, which allows your body to absorb it more quickly. This product only contains five main ingredients — l-carnitine, green tea extract, caffeine, red pepper fruit extract, and black pepper extract — but it hits all the major fat burner ingredients.
However, this product does list multiple other ingredients with unspecified amounts, so if you value transparency, you may want to go with a different option. Jacked Factory sells this fat burner powder in three flavors — blackberry lemonade, pineapple punch, and watermelon lime.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
This product contains 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. These powders may absorb quicker than capsules since your body doesn't have to break through a capsule to get to the fat burner.
Who Should Buy Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
If you’re a guy, and your diet and training are on point, then a fat burner may help speed up and optimize your efforts (but it certainly won’t do the work for you). Packed with ingredients that coax calorie-burn, a quality fat burner may help you shed those last few pounds. There are, however, many options, and some may be better for you than others. Below, we’ve culled the best fat burners for men that are budget-friendly, stim-free, and can even help you retain muscle. We also explain how fat burners work and list fat-burning ingredients linked to testosterone production, which men, specifically, should look out for.
Best Fat Burners for Men
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Men’s Fat Burners Video Review
Be sure to check out our video on the best fat burners for men for an even more in-depth analysis of this supplement.
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The Best Overall Fat Burner
Fat burners take different approaches to aid in your fitness journey. Some might focus on appetite control and others might have thermogenic effects. If you’re looking to potentially shave off some fat while retaining the muscle you build in the gym, a fat burner could help — this pick is straightforward, effective, and reasonably priced.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements included a potent combination of thermogenics and appetite suppressants in the formulation of Eliminate. Huge contains 600mg of green tea extract, which may help with weight loss and blood sugar regulation, 350mg of total caffeine, which can help with thermogenesis and appetite control along with promoting energy to keep you moving. You’ll also find grains of paradise, which may help burn fat tissue and increase metabolism. Eliminate also has black pepper fruit extract, which can help you absorb the other ingredients more effectively. Huge states on its website that you can take this product with or without a meal, but it may be best to take it with one to avoid digestive issues.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Athletes who like a decent kick of energy from their fat burners. 350mg of total caffeine can help to keep you moving throughout the day.
Anyone looking for a product that can potentially attack fat loss from multiple angles. Eliminate’s ingredients are designed to impact metabolism, energy, and appetite.
Those looking for a product you can take with or without food. Taking it with food is best for digestion, but Huge says you can take this fat burner whenever is convenient.
Who Shouldn’t Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
People looking for a vegan-friendly fat burner. The capsules of this supp are made from gelatin, which is animal-based.
Folks looking for a non-stim fat burner — this product does contain caffeine.
Huge Supplements Eliminate contains both fat-burning ingredients and caffeine for energy, as well as black pepper extract, which may help you absorb the other ingredients. It also comes at a pretty reasonable price, which is more than we can say for some other fat burners on the market.
Best Fat Burner for the Money
Even if you’re on a budget, you can still find a high quality fat burner. Thanks to increased competition in the supplement market, more companies are making better products at cheaper prices — and you get to reap the benefits. One of those companies making high-quality products at affordable prices is Swolverine, and their thermogenic fat burner, Therm, is one of our favorite products.
Swolverine Therm
Therm is the most affordable product on our list, but it still packs quite the thermogenic punch. This product from Swolverine is packed full of all-natural ingredients that are formulated to support your weight loss journey. These ingredients are designed to jumpstart your metabolism, help burn body fat, and boost your energy. Guarana extract provides 100mg of naturally-occurring caffeine to potentially help boost energy and metabolism. The 125mg of garcinia cambogia can help burn belly fat. And the cocoa extract and yerba mate can help suppress appetite and act as natural thermogenics. Therm even has cayenne pepper extract, which can help keep you burning more calories throughout the day.
While the ingredients list is quite comprehensive, this product does miss some of the more popular fat burner ingredients like l-carnatine and HMB that some more expensive products include. Though, the one tablet size is a nice change from others that suggest taking multiple capsules.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Buy Swolverine Therm
People who are on a budget, but still want a fat burner with high quality and effective ingredients.
Folks who prefer a fat burner that contains caffeine that may give you a little extra jolt of energy.
Athletes who want fat burning ingredients that focus on thermogenesis for a potential increased calorie burn.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Swolverine Therm
People who want a more robust ingredient list that may include herbs, nootropics, and other extras for mood and muscle retention may want to look elsewhere.
Customers who prefer a stimulant-free fat burner — this product contains caffeine, albeit less than many other products.
Therm contains 20 clinically dosed supplements to help promote weight loss at an affordable price. Some might not be able to look past the omission of l-carnitine, HMB, and CLA even at Therm’s affordable price, but if you’re looking for a solid fat burner that won’t bust your budget, Therm is a great option.
Fastest Working Fat Burner for Men
One of the trickiest things to get under control when you’re in a cut is portion control. This pick includes ingredients that may help with appetite suppression, so hopefully you don’t have to spend as much time working on decreasing your portion sizes.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
For those looking to burn fat quickly, it can help to have an appetite suppressant to get your portion sizes under control. It can take quite some time to learn how to control your portion sizes, but fiber can naturally help reduce your appetite and make it easier to decrease your portions. The glucomannan in Instant Knockout is the key factor here. Plus, you’ll also find other helpful ingredients like green tea extract, cayenne pepper seeds, and caffeine, as well as theanine and B vitamins. In addition, the black pepper extract in this supp can help with absorption, which means these ingredients can get straight to work.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Take Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Athletes who are looking for a fat burner that can help reduce their appetite so they don’t have to spend a lot of time working on portion control.
If you’re looking for a high dose of caffeine, this product contains 300mg.
Anyone seeking a thermogenic fat burner will like the cayenne pepper seeds here.
Who Shouldn’t Take Instant Knockout
Those on a budget may find this fat burner to be a bit out of their price range.
If you’re looking to steer clear of stimulants, you’ll want to opt for a different product on this list.
Pill averse folks may find four capsules per serving to be a bit much to swallow.
Though fat loss can only happen with the implementation of a healthy diet of whole foods, exercise, and a calorie deficit, it doesn’t hurt to have a fat burner that contains ingredients that can potentially suppress your appetite to help scoot things along a little quicker — Instant Knockout’s glucomannan may help with just that.
Best Belly Fat Burner for Men
For anyone who’s trying to get rid of stubborn belly fat, this product — though more expensive than some other options on this list — may be your best bet.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
While Huge Supplements includes most of the major fat burning ingredients, it also throws in some extra ingredients to potentially help your mood. Like many fat burners, it contains carnitine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract. But unlike some other fat burners, Huge Supplements also includes 5-HTP which can help boost serotonin levels and better your mood, potentially leading to more productive workouts in the gym — which you’ll need when it comes to battling stubborn belly fat. It also contains l-theanine, which can help increase your metabolism.
While you’ll find that the label is fully transparent with its ingredients and their amounts, you’ll also see that Huge Supplements Eliminate contains gelatin in their capsules, which means this pick may not be a great fit for those who are trying to avoid animal products.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Anyone who’s targeting belly fat who could use some help with mood, productivity, and metabolism will like this product’s 5-HTP and theanine.
Customers who value a transparent label that lists all of the ingredients and their amounts.
Folks who value a robust ingredients list and are willing to pay a little extra for it.
Who Shouldn’t Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
Buyers looking for a cost-effective fat burning supplement — this product is more expensive than others on this list.
People who exercise late at night or want to avoid stimulants in their fat burner for dietary reasons should note that this product contains caffeine.
Vegans who are trying to avoid animal products will want to look for a fat burner without gelatin.
If you’re targeting stubborn belly fat, it’s beneficial to have added ingredients in your fat burner that may help boost your overall mood and better your workouts while sticking to your calorie deficit and resistance training plan. This product is the full package when it comes to this, as well as potential fat loss.
Best Thermogenic Fat Burner for Men
Thermogenesis may help burn more fat by raising your body temperature to expend more energy. Thermogenic fat burners can help raise your body temperature to increase the amount of calories you burn. This product’s cayenne pepper extract is key for this metabolic boost.
Swolverine Therm
This product has 20 clinically dosed ingredients, many of which are intended to support fat loss through promoting the natural thermogenic process. The cocoa extract and cayenne pepper extract in Therm can help regulate fat burn and increase thermogenic response. These aren’t the only helpful fat burning ingredients in this product though. Therm also includes forskohlii root powder, which can help promote the release of fatty acids from fat tissue, and yerba mate, which may help boost metabolism. In addition, you’ll find guarana, which can help provide some energy (via its 100mg of caffeine), and potentially appetite control. Swolverine suggests taking one tablet, one or two times per day with meals, which is far fewer than some other fat burners on the market that require six tablets per day.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Take Swolverine Therm
Anyone looking for a fat burner that can potentially increase calorie burn through thermogenesis.
People who value a robust ingredient list that can help with metabolism, fat burn, and energy levels. Therm contains 20 clinically dosed ingredients.
Anyone looking to have caffeine included in their fat burning supplement, which may help with appetite control and thermogenic response.
Who Shouldn’t Take Swolverine Therm
Anyone who prefers to take gel capsules over hard tablets. These tablets are quite large, and may be difficult for some to swallow.
Anyone who wants a stimulant-free fat burner. This product only contains a modest 100mg of caffeine, but that can be a lot if you’re sensitive to the stuff.
Thermogenic fat burners can help raise your body temperature to increase your metabolism. Therm includes ingredients to not only help with that aspect of fat loss, but appetite suppression, as well. This product’s cayenne pepper extract is a key factor in this process.
Best Stimulant-Free Fat Burner for Men
Sometimes a non-stimulant formula is more ideal if you’re looking to avoid caffeine so you can workout later in the evening, or if you just want to stick to coffee for your dose of caffeine in the morning. If you fall into either of these categories, this pick is for you.
Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
If you’re looking to avoid stimulants in your fat burner, Legion offers a version of their fat burner that axes caffeine entirely — you can just select “Without Caffeine” at checkout. Legion Phoenix includes forskolin that can help with both fat burn and muscle gain, and 5-HTP, which can help reduce hunger and cravings. Plus, it also contains Thai ginseng, which can help increase your calorie burn, and grains of paradise that may help reduce visceral fat. One of the best things about this supplement is that all of its ingredients are 100 percent natural and vegetarian friendly. Plus, the price tag isn’t going to break the bank, like many fat burners can.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Take Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
Men who exercise late at night may prefer this fat burner that doesn’t contain caffeine.
Anyone who is allergic to caffeine and is trying to avoid it altogether.
Athletes who may want a fat burner that contains ingredients to increase calorie burn will like the Thai ginseng here.
Who Shouldn’t Take Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
Men who don’t like taking a lot of pills may not like that this product requires three per dose.
Early morning gym goers who may want caffeine included in their fat burner should opt for the caffeinated version of this fat burner.
Though caffeine can be an effective fat burning ingredient, those who exercise late at night or are trying to stick to coffee for their caffeine fix may prefer Legion Phoenix for its option to nix the caffeine from its formula at checkout.
Best Pre-Workout Fat Burner for Men
If you’re trying to consolidate your supplement stack, you may prefer to take your fat burner within your pre-workout — this pre-workout contains both l-carnitine and caffeine.
Transparent Labs Lean
A product doesn’t need to be labeled “fat burner” to have fat burning properties. While this pre-workout does contain the typical pre-workout ingredients like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, betaine, and branched-chain amino acids, it also includes l-carnitine, which may help turn fat into usable energy, and caffeine, which — though great for energy — has also been linked to fat burn. Transparent Labs Lean also contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, and is gluten-free and non-GMO. This is a powder supplement that comes in six flavors though, so for those who want a fat burner pill you can take for convenience, this may not be the best pick for you.
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Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Lean
Athletes who are already taking a pre-workout, and would rather take one that had fat burning properties as well to consolidate the number of supplements in their stash.
Anyone who prefers to take their fat burner in a powder form over a pill form.
People who value products free of artificial sweeteners, coloring, and preservatives.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Transparent Labs Lean
Folks who just want a straight fat burning supplement instead of a pre-workout with fat burning ingredients.
Those who would prefer a pill supplement to a powder supplement.
Athletes who want a higher number of potential fat burning ingredients included in their supplement.
For those who are already taking a pre-workout, taking Transparent Labs Lean can combine your need for a pre-workout and a fat burner — so long as you’re not looking for a super robust fat burner ingredient list, as this product only contains a few.
Best Fat Burner for Men’s Bodybuilding
Bodybuilders who want to stay muscular while losing weight should look for a fat burner with certain ingredients that can help them hang onto every ounce of their hard-earned muscle tissue.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements Eliminate contains a potent blend of 13 ingredients that are designed to help improve body composition. This product was designed with the goal of body recomposition in mind, meaning you can shed the unwanted fat while maintaining your muscle mass. This supp attacks weight loss from different angles like energy, appetite, and metabolism. Green tea extract and green coffee bean, along with caffeine anhydrous can help provide a heavy hit of energy. The forskolin, capsicum fruit extract, and grains of paradise can help with metabolism and fat burn. Eliminate also contains black pepper fruit, which can help with absorption, allowing you to get the most out of this product. Huge recommends taking four capsules per day either with or without a meal. Though, new users should probably start with just one capsule to assess tolerance and increase as they are able.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Eliminate
Bodybuilders who want to perform better to build muscle while also cutting down will enjoy that Eliminate includes ingredients that can potentially help with appetite suppression.
Those who are interested in thermogenic ingredients. This product contains Capsimax. A capsicum fruit extract that can potentially increase thermogenesis.
If you’re concerned about absorption, you’ll appreciate that Huge Supplements includes a dose of black pepper extract.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Huge Supplements Eliminate
Anyone who’s a fan of l-canitine or citrulline will want to look elsewhere as you won’t find it in this product.
Folks who are trying to avoid caffeine will want to look for a stim-free fat burner.
This product contains capsicum fruit extract to potentially boost metabolism, as well as a decent dose of caffeine, which may help with fat loss and exercise performance, making this a great choice for bodybuilders.
Best Natural Fat Burner for Men
If you’re looking to potentially burn excess fat without harsh stimulants or harmful chemicals, a natural fat burner is the way to go — this one is one of our favorites.
Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
This product is a 100 percent natural, stimulant-free fat burner. Legion Phoenix Fat Burner contains no artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or unwanted fillers for a natural, fat burning blend. We also like that Legion has a track record of transparency, including what’s listed in this fat burner, and about the dosing and science behind the ingredients used. These include Thai ginseng, 5-HTP, caralluma fimbriata, and forskolin, which all can help burn fat, suppress appetite, and regulate metabolism. (1) Plus, Legion has included an added dose of B vitamins, which can help with focus.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Buy Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
People who appreciate and want not just complete doses, but a science-backed reason for why each ingredient was chosen.
Anyone looking for fair pricing. Considering the dosing and ingredient quality, Legion prices their formula pretty reasonably.
Athletes who want to avoid artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and fillers in their fat burner.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
Men who are pill adverse; this formula requires that you take three pills a day.
Those who don’t need a long list of ingredients in their fat burner — while this product is natural, it does have a lot of ingredients to sift through, and you can find other options out there with a shorter list just focused on fat burn if that’s what you’re interested in.
While Legion is transparent in their ingredient-listing, they also keep it all-natural, avoiding artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and fillers, and focusing on high quality ingredients.
Best Premium Fat Burner for Men
If you’re willing to shell out for it, some fat burners offer both quality dosing and ingredients. We like this pick for its thermogenic properties and its ability to ease hunger pangs.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
We were very impressed with the ingredient quality in Instant Knockout’s 100 percent natural formula. It includes cayenne pepper seeds, which can help boost thermogenesis (or temperature-induced calorie burn), as well as glucomannan, which may decrease appetite. Instant Knockout also includes extras like B vitamins, vitamin D, and theanine, in addition to green tea extract and a solid 300mg dose of caffeine. All of the ingredients and their amounts are listed clearly on the label, but this supplement does require four capsules per serving. With this level of quality, however, comes a higher price tag compared to other picks on this list.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Buy Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Men who value high-quality fat burning and energy boosting ingredients in their supplement.
Folks who don’t mind shelling out for a premium formula and want to buy bottles in bulk for a discount. You can choose from different packages with this supp.
Anyone who wants appetite suppressing ingredients will appreciate the glucomannan here.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Instant Knockout Fat Burner
Penny pinchers. This product’s high-quality ingredients come with a hefty price tag.
Anyone who’s trying to avoid caffeine, as this product does contain 300mg.
While you may have to dish out a little extra cash for this fat burner, its ingredient list is impressive and more comprehensive than most others on this list. Plus, it’s 100 percent natural.
Best Fat Burner Powder for Men
For the pill-adverse, there are still fat burner options for you on the market. This pick comes in individual stick packets of powder, and it’s one of our favorites.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
If you prefer a powder over a pill, Jacked Factory has a box of 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. A benefit of a powder supplement is that your body does not have to digest a capsule to get to the fat burner — you drink it mixed with water, which allows your body to absorb it more quickly. This product only contains five main ingredients — l-carnitine, green tea extract, caffeine, red pepper fruit extract, and black pepper extract — but it hits all the major fat burner ingredients.
However, this product does list multiple other ingredients with unspecified amounts, so if you value transparency, you may want to go with a different option. Jacked Factory sells this fat burner powder in three flavors — blackberry lemonade, pineapple punch, and watermelon lime.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
This product contains 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. These powders may absorb quicker than capsules since your body doesn't have to break through a capsule to get to the fat burner.
Who Should Buy Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
People who prefer to take their fat burner in a powder form over pill form.
Folks who like flavored supplements. Jacked Factory offers their fat burner in three flavors to help it go down with ease.
Athletes who want a dose of caffeine in their fat burner for a potential jolt of energy.
Who Shouldn’t Buy Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
Men who prefer to take their fat burner in pill form for convenience.
Athletes who want a more robust ingredient list since this product only contains three main fat-burning ingredients.
Anyone looking for a fully transparent label — this product lists multiple other ingredients without specific amounts tied to them.
Athletes who want to avoid artificial flavors in their fat burner should opt for an all-natural product.
While this fat burner powder comes in individual sticks and three great flavors, it still isn’t the most robust fat burner on this list. But if you’re just looking for a solid powder with the big-hitter fat burning ingredients, this pick is the way to go.
How Does a Fat Burner Work?
Every human being has what’s called a basal metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR measures how many calories your body burns by simply existing (with no added activity). Essentially, how many calories would you burn lying still? How much you weigh, your age, height, and body fat percentage all play a factor in determining your BMR.
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So a man with a 1,900-calorie BMR will burn that many calories doing nothing. But then you need to account for how many calories you consume and your activity levels. You can use our calorie calculator to factor those elements in and find your starting macros.
To lose weight, you must burn more calories (which acts as energy for your body) than you take in. That’s it. Simple, sure, but meticulously tracking your intake while also training (and holding down a job, possibly raising a family, managing a roster of friends, and making time for Netflix) is tough. Nail your time management, training, and diet, however, and you can get lean. It just takes time.
That said, supplements can help if everything else is in place. Here are the ways that a fat burner can help decrease your body fat.
Thermogenesis
We’ve tossed this word around a few times in the article, so let’s dig into this a bit. By definition, “Thermogenesis is the dissipation of energy through the production of heat and occurs in specialized tissues including brown adipose tissue [fat] and skeletal muscle,” according to Science Direct. More simply put: Your body burns more calories — extracted from fat and muscle — to warm up.
And because working out in a walk-in freezer is both weird and not feasible, most fat-burning supps include ingredients (cayenne pepper extract and caffeine, to name two) that raise your body’s temperature while at rest. Because consuming fewer calories is the goal, inducing thermogenesis can help you lose more weight.
Lipolysis
Lipolysis is the breakdown (or oxidation) of fat cells in the body. Some supplements can improve your body’s ability to oxidize fat specifically. In fact, one study showed that caffeine and green tea extract may enhance fat metabolism, improve endurance, and enhance fat oxidation in athletes. (2)
Appetite Suppression
Fat burners sometimes include ingredients that can curb your hunger pangs. Fenugreek, green tea extract, and 5-HTP — some of these should sound familiar — have been shown to make you feel less hungry. This is particularly helpful since eating fewer calories than you burn can cause your stomach to grumble.
When Should Men Take A Fat Burner?
Since your metabolism slows overnight as you sleep, taking a fat burner on an empty stomach, 30 min before you eat breakfast in the morning can help increase your metabolism to start the day. You can also take your fat burner about 30 minutes before your workout as fat burners contain a lot of ingredients that can help supply energy (like caffeine). However, these times are simply suggested — there’s no right or wrong time to take a fat burner. (3)(4)
How Much Do Fat Burners Cost?
It’s important to compare the cost of the container as a whole against the number of servings per container to see what you are actually getting for your money. As fat burners are fairly inexpensive, this number will usually come out somewhere between $0.50 and $1.00 per serving (though some more robust fat burners may cost around $2.00 per serving).
The more robust the ingredients list on your fat burner, the more expensive it’s going to be. Most fat burners include fat burning ingredients like cayenne pepper extract, caffeine, and green tea extract, but more expensive products may also include extrals like DMAE or HMB, which can improve mood and help you build and retain muscle respectively.
How We Decide The Best Men’s Fat Burners
Fat burners are a relatively straightforward product. They contain a handful of ingredients aimed towards increasing thermogenesis and lipolysis while also suppressing appetite and increasing energy and focus — all to aid your diet.
Jasminko Ibrakovic/Shutterstock
We focused on three main areas: ingredients — namely, the quality and quantity — how much the product costs, and then the serving size.
Ingredients
We dive into this a bit more below, but there’s a shortlist of fat-burning ingredients linked to fat loss and thermogenesis. The supps on this list all contain at least one scientifically-backed supplement that is shown to aid in either thermogenesis or lipolysis.
Also, seeing as these picks are for men, we identified three ingredients that have been linked to increased testosterone production. Testosterone is the hormone that helps build muscle and bone mass, and it’s especially prominent in men. We elaborate on those three ingredients below and ensure that each of our picks contain at least one.
Price
The fat burners on this list vary in price, but we made sure that there’s an option for all budgets. Equally as important, we ensure that “affordable” and “cheap” aren’t synonymous. Even our lower-priced picks offer solid ingredients.
Serving Size
Some fat burners require that you take multiple pills two times a day. We’ll admit that there’s a pick or two on this list with a heftier serving size. But we also selected brands that offer a more modest dose for the pill adverse.
3 Fat Burning Ingredients That May Increase Testosterone
The next time you scan an ingredient label, these ingredients should catch your eye if you’re looking to burn fat and build muscle. While other ingredients can support energy and reduce stress, which may aid your fat loss efforts, these three ingredients have a decent amount of research backing their fat burning efficacy, as well.
zi3000/Shutterstock
They also have links to supporting testosterone production, the primary hormone involved in muscle-building.
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
CLA is an omega-6 fatty acid that is found mainly in dairy. It’s a popular weight loss supplement that has a decent amount of studies backing it’s fat loss properties (4). A lesser-known benefit of CLA may be it’s ability to synthesize testosterone. One 2013 study showed that mice who took CLA experienced a higher amount of free plasma testosterone. When the mice trained (endurance-style training), the mice taking CLA saw a greater uptick in testosterone biosynthesis. (5)
Caffeine
Caffeine’s fat-burning effects are quite proven. One study shows that caffeine increased the subject’s metabolic rate for three hours after ingestion. Coffee, the study says, has a strong effect, too. It was concluded that coffee and caffeine stimulates one’s metabolic rate and fat oxidation. (6)
As far as testosterone production is concerned, a study in the Journal of Nutrition showed a link between caffeine consumption in men (via coffee) and increased testosterone levels. (7)
A review of capsaicin studies derived from chili has shown that eating could reduce energy intake by 74 calories. The thought is the extract creates a desire for more carbohydrate-rich food, not fatty foods, which tend to be twice as calorically dense as carbs at nine calories per gram. (8) Another study says that chili activates adipose tissue, or fat, and facilitates weight loss. (9)
A 2013 study on mice, had a control group eat a standard diet while the others ate some with capsacian. The capsacian group showed an increase in serum testosterone levels, which indicates that spicy food derived from chilis may up your testosterone levels. (10)
What to Consider Before Buying a Fat Burner
Your personal goals come first and foremost when it comes to deciding which supplement will suit you best. You’ll want to weigh the types of ingredients in your fat burner, as well as when you’ll be taking your supplement and pricing before buying.
Ingredients
Most fat burners contain ingredients that help with lipolysis, thermogenesis, or appetite suppression. And while many will include ingredients that can help with all three, some products may lean heavily on one of these three fat burning processes. It’s important to consider which of these processes may suit you best before deciding on a fat burning supplement.
In addition, you’ll also want to take note of proprietary blends. While we can’t say there is anything inherently wrong with them, we like to steer clear of them just because you don’t know exactly what you’re getting in your product if it just lists a proprietary blend. In short, make sure you know the ingredients you want, as well as their proper dosages before choosing your fat burner.
Timing
Some people like to take their fat burner right when they wake up to jumpstart their metabolism, but others may prefer to take it right before a workout. If you are in the latter group, you’ll want to consider when you workout before choosing your fat burner. Many fat burners contain caffeine, and if you’re working out late at night, this may not suit you best — stim-free fat burners could be better for your exercise regimen.
Price
While most fat burners will include cayenne pepper, caffeine, and green tea, others may also include extras like HMB or DMAE that can help with things outside of fat burn. If you’re willing to spend a little extra money, you can snag one of these products with a more robust ingredient list. If you’re sticking to a budget, just look for the products with basic fat burning ingredients, no extras.
Final Word
It’s important to prioritize a healthy diet and exercise regimen first, but once you have those things under control, fat burners can add extra help. If you’re trying to stay in a caloric deficit, fat burners may be able to help suppress your appetite. They may also help increase your metabolism and burn a little extra fat. Before you buy any fat burning supplement, talk to your doctor to see if this supplement could be right for you. If you get the green light, decide on your ingredients and price point and let this list help you sift through the rest.
FAQs
Are fat burners safe?Fat burners, like all dietary supplements, aren’t approved by the FDA. That said, these supplements are merely just a combination of standard ingredients mixed together into a pill. Do not ever exceed the serving size, as many fat burners include stimulants which can negatively impact your health and even cause harm.
If I take a fat burner, then can I ease up on my diet?No. Nope. Definitely not. Sorry. Even the ingredients above that have been shown to elicit a calorie-burn eliminate, like, 70 calories at most. That’s one Oreo. This isn’t to say you can’t ever ease up on your diet, or cheat, or increase your food intake when you’re in a strength-gaining phase — but you can (and should) do these things whether you’re taking a fat burner or not. Taking a fat burner is no excuse to eat or train differently.
What if I want to take just one of the ingredients?Go for it. Plenty of people supplement with just caffeine (and not just in coffee form). Plenty of the ingredients mentioned above are sold separately. Though it’s more expensive, buying individual supplements let you control the dose and stack the ingredients you want together without any potential extras you may want to avoid. That’s a totally legitimate option.
References
Mullur R, Liu YY, Brent GA. Thyroid hormone regulation of metabolism. Physiol Rev. 2014;94(2):355-382. doi:10.1152/physrev.00030.2013
Kim J, Park J, Lim K. Nutrition Supplements to Stimulate Lipolysis: A Review in Relation to Endurance Exercise Capacity. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2016;62(3):141-61. doi: 10.3177/jnsv.62.141. PMID: 27465721.
Boyett JC, Giersch GE, Womack CJ, Saunders MJ, Hughey CA, Daley HM, Luden ND. Time of Day and Training Status Both Impact the Efficacy of Caffeine for Short Duration Cycling Performance. Nutrients. 2016 Oct 14;8(10):639. doi: 10.3390/nu8100639. PMID: 27754419; PMCID: PMC5084026.
Tinsley, G. M., Urbina, S., Mullins, J., Outlaw, J., Hayward, S., Stone, M., Foster, C., Wilborn, C., & Taylor, L. (2017). Influence of A Thermogenic Dietary Supplement on Safety Markers, Body Composition, Energy Expenditure, Muscular Performance and Hormone Concentrations: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial. Journal of sports science & medicine, 16(4), 459–467.
Barone R, Macaluso F, Catanese P, et al. Endurance exercise and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation up-regulate CYP17A1 and stimulate testosterone biosynthesis. PLoS One. 2013;8(11):e79686. Published 2013 Nov 5.
Acheson KJ, Zahorska-Markiewicz B, Pittet P, Anantharaman K, Jéquier E. Caffeine and coffee: their influence on metabolic rate and substrate utilization in normal weight and obese individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.5.989. PMID: 7369170.
Wedick NM, Mantzoros CS, Ding EL, et al. The effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on sex hormone-binding globulin and endogenous sex hormone levels: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2012;11:86. Published 2012 Oct 19. doi:10.1186/1475-2891-11-86
Whiting, S, Derbyshire, E, Tiwari, BK. Capsaicinoids and capsinoids. A potential role for weight management? A systematic review of the evidence. Appetite. 2012;59(2):341-348. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.05.015
Sharon Varghese, Peter Kubatka, Luis Rodrigo, Katarina Gazdikova, Martin Caprnda, Julia Fedotova, Anthony Zulli, Peter Kruzliak & Dietrich Büsselberg(2017) Chili pepper as a body weight-loss food, International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 68:4, 392-401, DOI: 1080/09637486.2016.1258044
Ilhan T, Erdost H. Effects of capsaicin on testis ghrelin expression in mice. Biotech Histochem. 2013 Jan;88(1):10-8. doi: 10.3109/10520295.2012.724083. Epub 2012 Sep 27. PMID: 23013364.
Losing fat takes a ton of work. To get lean, your macros need to be dialed in, your workout split organized, and your willpower dialed up to 11. But the benefits can be worth it to a point. You can pump out more bodyweight exercises, clothes fit better, you feel lighter and faster, and sporting abs is one way to signal to the world that you’re disciplined, hard-working, and dedicated.
If you’re a guy, and your diet and training are on point, then a fat burner may help speed up and optimize your efforts (but it certainly won’t do the work for you). Packed with ingredients that coax calorie-burn, a quality fat burner may help you shed those last few pounds. There are, however, many options, and some may be better for you than others. Below, we’ve culled the best fat burners for men that are budget-friendly, stim-free, and can even help you retain muscle. We also explain how fat burners work and list fat-burning ingredients linked to testosterone production, which men, specifically, should look out for.
Best Fat Burners for Men
Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine.
Best Men’s Fat Burners Video Review
Be sure to check out our video on the best fat burners for men for an even more in-depth analysis of this supplement.
The Best Overall Fat Burner
Fat burners take different approaches to aid in your fitness journey. Some might focus on appetite control and others might have thermogenic effects. If you’re looking to potentially shave off some fat while retaining the muscle you build in the gym, a fat burner could help — this pick is straightforward, effective, and reasonably priced.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements included a potent combination of thermogenics and appetite suppressants in the formulation of Eliminate. Huge contains 600mg of green tea extract, which may help with weight loss and blood sugar regulation, 350mg of total caffeine, which can help with thermogenesis and appetite control along with promoting energy to keep you moving. You’ll also find grains of paradise, which may help burn fat tissue and increase metabolism. Eliminate also has black pepper fruit extract, which can help you absorb the other ingredients more effectively. Huge states on its website that you can take this product with or without a meal, but it may be best to take it with one to avoid digestive issues.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
- Athletes who like a decent kick of energy from their fat burners. 350mg of total caffeine can help to keep you moving throughout the day.
- Anyone looking for a product that can potentially attack fat loss from multiple angles. Eliminate’s ingredients are designed to impact metabolism, energy, and appetite.
- Those looking for a product you can take with or without food. Taking it with food is best for digestion, but Huge says you can take this fat burner whenever is convenient.
- People looking for a vegan-friendly fat burner. The capsules of this supp are made from gelatin, which is animal-based.
- Folks looking for a non-stim fat burner — this product does contain caffeine.
Best Fat Burner for the Money
Even if you’re on a budget, you can still find a high quality fat burner. Thanks to increased competition in the supplement market, more companies are making better products at cheaper prices — and you get to reap the benefits. One of those companies making high-quality products at affordable prices is Swolverine, and their thermogenic fat burner, Therm, is one of our favorite products.
Swolverine Therm
Therm is the most affordable product on our list, but it still packs quite the thermogenic punch. This product from Swolverine is packed full of all-natural ingredients that are formulated to support your weight loss journey. These ingredients are designed to jumpstart your metabolism, help burn body fat, and boost your energy. Guarana extract provides 100mg of naturally-occurring caffeine to potentially help boost energy and metabolism. The 125mg of garcinia cambogia can help burn belly fat. And the cocoa extract and yerba mate can help suppress appetite and act as natural thermogenics. Therm even has cayenne pepper extract, which can help keep you burning more calories throughout the day.
While the ingredients list is quite comprehensive, this product does miss some of the more popular fat burner ingredients like l-carnatine and HMB that some more expensive products include. Though, the one tablet size is a nice change from others that suggest taking multiple capsules.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Buy Swolverine Therm
- People who are on a budget, but still want a fat burner with high quality and effective ingredients.
- Folks who prefer a fat burner that contains caffeine that may give you a little extra jolt of energy.
- Athletes who want fat burning ingredients that focus on thermogenesis for a potential increased calorie burn.
- People who want a more robust ingredient list that may include herbs, nootropics, and other extras for mood and muscle retention may want to look elsewhere.
- Customers who prefer a stimulant-free fat burner — this product contains caffeine, albeit less than many other products.
Fastest Working Fat Burner for Men
One of the trickiest things to get under control when you’re in a cut is portion control. This pick includes ingredients that may help with appetite suppression, so hopefully you don’t have to spend as much time working on decreasing your portion sizes.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
For those looking to burn fat quickly, it can help to have an appetite suppressant to get your portion sizes under control. It can take quite some time to learn how to control your portion sizes, but fiber can naturally help reduce your appetite and make it easier to decrease your portions. The glucomannan in Instant Knockout is the key factor here. Plus, you’ll also find other helpful ingredients like green tea extract, cayenne pepper seeds, and caffeine, as well as theanine and B vitamins. In addition, the black pepper extract in this supp can help with absorption, which means these ingredients can get straight to work.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Take Instant Knockout Fat Burner
- Athletes who are looking for a fat burner that can help reduce their appetite so they don’t have to spend a lot of time working on portion control.
- If you’re looking for a high dose of caffeine, this product contains 300mg.
- Anyone seeking a thermogenic fat burner will like the cayenne pepper seeds here.
- Those on a budget may find this fat burner to be a bit out of their price range.
- If you’re looking to steer clear of stimulants, you’ll want to opt for a different product on this list.
- Pill averse folks may find four capsules per serving to be a bit much to swallow.
Best Belly Fat Burner for Men
For anyone who’s trying to get rid of stubborn belly fat, this product — though more expensive than some other options on this list — may be your best bet.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
While Huge Supplements includes most of the major fat burning ingredients, it also throws in some extra ingredients to potentially help your mood. Like many fat burners, it contains carnitine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract. But unlike some other fat burners, Huge Supplements also includes 5-HTP which can help boost serotonin levels and better your mood, potentially leading to more productive workouts in the gym — which you’ll need when it comes to battling stubborn belly fat. It also contains l-theanine, which can help increase your metabolism.
While you’ll find that the label is fully transparent with its ingredients and their amounts, you’ll also see that Huge Supplements Eliminate contains gelatin in their capsules, which means this pick may not be a great fit for those who are trying to avoid animal products.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Take Huge Supplements Eliminate
- Anyone who’s targeting belly fat who could use some help with mood, productivity, and metabolism will like this product’s 5-HTP and theanine.
- Customers who value a transparent label that lists all of the ingredients and their amounts.
- Folks who value a robust ingredients list and are willing to pay a little extra for it.
- Buyers looking for a cost-effective fat burning supplement — this product is more expensive than others on this list.
- People who exercise late at night or want to avoid stimulants in their fat burner for dietary reasons should note that this product contains caffeine.
- Vegans who are trying to avoid animal products will want to look for a fat burner without gelatin.
Best Thermogenic Fat Burner for Men
Thermogenesis may help burn more fat by raising your body temperature to expend more energy. Thermogenic fat burners can help raise your body temperature to increase the amount of calories you burn. This product’s cayenne pepper extract is key for this metabolic boost.
Swolverine Therm
This product has 20 clinically dosed ingredients, many of which are intended to support fat loss through promoting the natural thermogenic process. The cocoa extract and cayenne pepper extract in Therm can help regulate fat burn and increase thermogenic response. These aren’t the only helpful fat burning ingredients in this product though. Therm also includes forskohlii root powder, which can help promote the release of fatty acids from fat tissue, and yerba mate, which may help boost metabolism. In addition, you’ll find guarana, which can help provide some energy (via its 100mg of caffeine), and potentially appetite control. Swolverine suggests taking one tablet, one or two times per day with meals, which is far fewer than some other fat burners on the market that require six tablets per day.
Swolverine Therm Fat Burner
The ingredient list is pretty robust, but most of the ingredients are geared towards thermogenesis. Some of the ingredients that help with this are green tea leaf extract, cayenne pepper, caffeine, cocoa extract, and garcinia cambogia.
Who Should Take Swolverine Therm
- Anyone looking for a fat burner that can potentially increase calorie burn through thermogenesis.
- People who value a robust ingredient list that can help with metabolism, fat burn, and energy levels. Therm contains 20 clinically dosed ingredients.
- Anyone looking to have caffeine included in their fat burning supplement, which may help with appetite control and thermogenic response.
- Anyone who prefers to take gel capsules over hard tablets. These tablets are quite large, and may be difficult for some to swallow.
- Anyone who wants a stimulant-free fat burner. This product only contains a modest 100mg of caffeine, but that can be a lot if you’re sensitive to the stuff.
Best Stimulant-Free Fat Burner for Men
Sometimes a non-stimulant formula is more ideal if you’re looking to avoid caffeine so you can workout later in the evening, or if you just want to stick to coffee for your dose of caffeine in the morning. If you fall into either of these categories, this pick is for you.
Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
If you’re looking to avoid stimulants in your fat burner, Legion offers a version of their fat burner that axes caffeine entirely — you can just select “Without Caffeine” at checkout. Legion Phoenix includes forskolin that can help with both fat burn and muscle gain, and 5-HTP, which can help reduce hunger and cravings. Plus, it also contains Thai ginseng, which can help increase your calorie burn, and grains of paradise that may help reduce visceral fat. One of the best things about this supplement is that all of its ingredients are 100 percent natural and vegetarian friendly. Plus, the price tag isn’t going to break the bank, like many fat burners can.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Take Legion Phoenix (No Caffeine)
- Men who exercise late at night may prefer this fat burner that doesn’t contain caffeine.
- Anyone who is allergic to caffeine and is trying to avoid it altogether.
- Athletes who may want a fat burner that contains ingredients to increase calorie burn will like the Thai ginseng here.
- Men who don’t like taking a lot of pills may not like that this product requires three per dose.
- Early morning gym goers who may want caffeine included in their fat burner should opt for the caffeinated version of this fat burner.
Best Pre-Workout Fat Burner for Men
If you’re trying to consolidate your supplement stack, you may prefer to take your fat burner within your pre-workout — this pre-workout contains both l-carnitine and caffeine.
Transparent Labs Lean
A product doesn’t need to be labeled “fat burner” to have fat burning properties. While this pre-workout does contain the typical pre-workout ingredients like citrulline malate, beta-alanine, betaine, and branched-chain amino acids, it also includes l-carnitine, which may help turn fat into usable energy, and caffeine, which — though great for energy — has also been linked to fat burn. Transparent Labs Lean also contains no artificial sweeteners, coloring, or preservatives, and is gluten-free and non-GMO. This is a powder supplement that comes in six flavors though, so for those who want a fat burner pill you can take for convenience, this may not be the best pick for you.
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Transparent Labs Lean
Third-party tested and clearly dosed, Transparent Labs LEAN has a huge variety of ingredients for endurance, power, alertness, and focus. Use code BARBEND10 for 10% off.
Who Should Buy Transparent Labs Lean
- Athletes who are already taking a pre-workout, and would rather take one that had fat burning properties as well to consolidate the number of supplements in their stash.
- Anyone who prefers to take their fat burner in a powder form over a pill form.
- People who value products free of artificial sweeteners, coloring, and preservatives.
- Folks who just want a straight fat burning supplement instead of a pre-workout with fat burning ingredients.
- Those who would prefer a pill supplement to a powder supplement.
- Athletes who want a higher number of potential fat burning ingredients included in their supplement.
Best Fat Burner for Men’s Bodybuilding
Bodybuilders who want to stay muscular while losing weight should look for a fat burner with certain ingredients that can help them hang onto every ounce of their hard-earned muscle tissue.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Huge Supplements Eliminate contains a potent blend of 13 ingredients that are designed to help improve body composition. This product was designed with the goal of body recomposition in mind, meaning you can shed the unwanted fat while maintaining your muscle mass. This supp attacks weight loss from different angles like energy, appetite, and metabolism. Green tea extract and green coffee bean, along with caffeine anhydrous can help provide a heavy hit of energy. The forskolin, capsicum fruit extract, and grains of paradise can help with metabolism and fat burn. Eliminate also contains black pepper fruit, which can help with absorption, allowing you to get the most out of this product. Huge recommends taking four capsules per day either with or without a meal. Though, new users should probably start with just one capsule to assess tolerance and increase as they are able.
Huge Supplements Eliminate
Packed with carnitine, 5-HTP, theanine, caffeine, and green coffee bean extract, this product is a great option for those who want a robust list of ingredients in their supplement — it contains 13 dedicated fat burning ingredients.
Who Should Buy Huge Supplements Eliminate
- Bodybuilders who want to perform better to build muscle while also cutting down will enjoy that Eliminate includes ingredients that can potentially help with appetite suppression.
- Those who are interested in thermogenic ingredients. This product contains Capsimax. A capsicum fruit extract that can potentially increase thermogenesis.
- If you’re concerned about absorption, you’ll appreciate that Huge Supplements includes a dose of black pepper extract.
- Anyone who’s a fan of l-canitine or citrulline will want to look elsewhere as you won’t find it in this product.
- Folks who are trying to avoid caffeine will want to look for a stim-free fat burner.
Best Natural Fat Burner for Men
If you’re looking to potentially burn excess fat without harsh stimulants or harmful chemicals, a natural fat burner is the way to go — this one is one of our favorites.
Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
This product is a 100 percent natural, stimulant-free fat burner. Legion Phoenix Fat Burner contains no artificial sweeteners, food dyes, or unwanted fillers for a natural, fat burning blend. We also like that Legion has a track record of transparency, including what’s listed in this fat burner, and about the dosing and science behind the ingredients used. These include Thai ginseng, 5-HTP, caralluma fimbriata, and forskolin, which all can help burn fat, suppress appetite, and regulate metabolism. (1) Plus, Legion has included an added dose of B vitamins, which can help with focus.
Legion Phoenix
Legion's Phoenix comes with an extra absorbable form of synephrine and a high dosage of EGCG to promote its fat-burning properties. Each five-capsule serving provides 834 milligrams of Citrus Aurantium.
Who Should Buy Legion Phoenix Fat Burner
- People who appreciate and want not just complete doses, but a science-backed reason for why each ingredient was chosen.
- Anyone looking for fair pricing. Considering the dosing and ingredient quality, Legion prices their formula pretty reasonably.
- Athletes who want to avoid artificial sweeteners, food dyes, and fillers in their fat burner.
- Men who are pill adverse; this formula requires that you take three pills a day.
- Those who don’t need a long list of ingredients in their fat burner — while this product is natural, it does have a lot of ingredients to sift through, and you can find other options out there with a shorter list just focused on fat burn if that’s what you’re interested in.
Best Premium Fat Burner for Men
If you’re willing to shell out for it, some fat burners offer both quality dosing and ingredients. We like this pick for its thermogenic properties and its ability to ease hunger pangs.
Instant Knockout Fat Burner
We were very impressed with the ingredient quality in Instant Knockout’s 100 percent natural formula. It includes cayenne pepper seeds, which can help boost thermogenesis (or temperature-induced calorie burn), as well as glucomannan, which may decrease appetite. Instant Knockout also includes extras like B vitamins, vitamin D, and theanine, in addition to green tea extract and a solid 300mg dose of caffeine. All of the ingredients and their amounts are listed clearly on the label, but this supplement does require four capsules per serving. With this level of quality, however, comes a higher price tag compared to other picks on this list.
Instant Knockout
Instant Knockout is a comprehensive fat burner that contains green tea extract, as well as cayenne pepper seeds and glucomannan. Plus, this supplement also includes caffeine, theanine, and black pepper extract.
Who Should Buy Instant Knockout Fat Burner
- Men who value high-quality fat burning and energy boosting ingredients in their supplement.
- Folks who don’t mind shelling out for a premium formula and want to buy bottles in bulk for a discount. You can choose from different packages with this supp.
- Anyone who wants appetite suppressing ingredients will appreciate the glucomannan here.
- Penny pinchers. This product’s high-quality ingredients come with a hefty price tag.
- Anyone who’s trying to avoid caffeine, as this product does contain 300mg.
Best Fat Burner Powder for Men
For the pill-adverse, there are still fat burner options for you on the market. This pick comes in individual stick packets of powder, and it’s one of our favorites.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
If you prefer a powder over a pill, Jacked Factory has a box of 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. A benefit of a powder supplement is that your body does not have to digest a capsule to get to the fat burner — you drink it mixed with water, which allows your body to absorb it more quickly. This product only contains five main ingredients — l-carnitine, green tea extract, caffeine, red pepper fruit extract, and black pepper extract — but it hits all the major fat burner ingredients.
However, this product does list multiple other ingredients with unspecified amounts, so if you value transparency, you may want to go with a different option. Jacked Factory sells this fat burner powder in three flavors — blackberry lemonade, pineapple punch, and watermelon lime.
Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
This product contains 15 sticks of powdered fat burner. These powders may absorb quicker than capsules since your body doesn't have to break through a capsule to get to the fat burner.
Who Should Buy Jacked Factory Burn-XT Powder
- People who prefer to take their fat burner in a powder form over pill form.
- Folks who like flavored supplements. Jacked Factory offers their fat burner in three flavors to help it go down with ease.
- Athletes who want a dose of caffeine in their fat burner for a potential jolt of...
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