A Surprising New Fat Burner Supplement That Completely Beat My Expectations
Tetrogen is a stimulant-free weight loss supplement that’s quite new on the market. I ran into this supplement when I was researching an anti-obesity medication in development called Metabocin. It’s based off of the popular fat burner, capsaicin, but has shown more powerful weight loss benefits when studied. The studies mentioned the likely reason for its enhanced effects, compared to standard capsaicin, are because of its time released nature as well as an improvement in bioavailability. For reference, I absolutely love capsaicin. It’s one of the only supplements that always provides a noticeable boost to my weight loss. After learning about Metabocin, I searched up extended release capsaicin supplements and I came across Tetrogen. This certainly isn’t the standard fat loss supplement I use. It’s marketing seems largely targeted to the weight loss niche rather than fitness enthusiasts. The company says that the supplement is supposed to take a ‘big-picture look at fat loss’. It’s supposed to improve the balance of metabolic hormones, alongside a metabolism boost via thermogenesis. [b]Sounds good to me, but does it actually work?[b] I ordered it when I saw a 30% off sale. This was right as I began to plateau on my weight loss cycle. I ran 2 bottles of Tetrogen Day and 2 bottles of Tetrogen Night for a total of 2 months. Let’s get into the pros and cons of this supplement: [b] —- PROFILE – 4/5 —-[/b] There were 4 things that I really liked about the ingredients and 1 thing I was reluctant about. [b] First Thing I Liked – Lipofuel [/b] They’re the only supplement I know of with an extended release capsaicin formulation. The ingredient is called Lipofuel and it’s pretty new to the market. I had to email the company to get any literature on the ingredient. The 2 studies they sent my way weren’t independent, but they were well controlled. I’d take them with a grain of salt, but I realized a lot of the same conclusions in their studies were the same found from that prescription medication I researched, Metabocin. This ingredient was my main curiosity-trigger that got me to fork over the cash and give Tetrogen a try. [b] Second Thing I Liked – The Perfect Melatonin Dose [/b] Really, the only difference between their day formula and night formula is that the night formula contains melatonin (and the night formula has no green tea extract to avoid disrupting sleep). Normally that would be meaningless to me, but their specific dose was a good sign that demonstrated some serious thought was put into this supplement. Most sleep supplements you see have a dose of 3mg or 5mg of melatonin. This bothers me so much because those doses leave many people (myself included) groggy in the morning. What’s the point of getting a good night’s sleep if you’re exhausted for 2 hours after you wake up??? Most of the original research on melatonin was done with a 0.5-1mg dose – and many studies since have shown more is not better with melatonin. I definitely get the best sleep with a 1mg dose. [i] **NOTE: While editing this review, I checked Examine’s Sleep Supplement Guide and they also recommend 0.5-1.5mg of melatonin. [/i] As far as Tetrogen’s rationale for adding melatonin, they say it’s because healthy, high-quality sleep is important for fat loss and Leptin sensitivity. Looks like there’s plenty of science to back up that claim. Melatonin also appears to boost Leptin levels in people without Leptin desensitization – that’s a big win-win to me. [b] Third Thing I Liked – Green Tea Extract [/b] This one’s pretty straight forward. Green tea extract is one of the most studied fat burners out there with solid science demonstrating its fat burning benefits, along with some solid benefits on metabolic hormones, including leptin-resensitization and cortisol control. [b] Fourth Thing I Liked – Cissus [/b] I was surprised seeing CQR Cissus inside this supplement. I always thought of it as a joint supplement. I went back and looked at the science, which led me to another good sign that made me think this is a supplement with a lot of hidden thought put into it. The studies discovered cissus works well for fat loss and appetite suppression – particularly over the long term. They found best results after 10 weeks of supplementation which might explain why I noticed faster weight loss as I hit my second bottle (more on that in a bit). Another interesting thing I came across was an apparently synergy between African Mango and Cissus which provided better and longer lasting fat loss results in the study. Researchers were unsure of the mechanism. [b] Thing I Didn’t Like – Use Of Celebrity Fat Burners [/b] Main turn off when I first saw Tetrogen was its inclusion of IGOB131 and Dyglomera. These are patented forms of African Mango & a Cameroonian fruit seed extract. I had never tried these supplements before. I always figured they were just another supplement made popular by TV doctors and talk show hosts, only to die out of popularity a few years later. Unlike some other fad supplements, like raspberry ketones, these two seem to keep increasing in popularity – is this because they’re effective, though? Science wise, the few studies done seem promising, but they’re confounded by industry funding so I question how these ingredients would hold up with independent peer reviewed research. We will just have to wait and see when people do some well controlled studies on these ingredients. The bright side is, Tetrogen uses the forms of extract which have science backing them. I see plenty of fat burners out there cheaping out and using low doses of the non-patented versions of these extracts. I also liked the fact that African Mango appears to work synergistically with both Cissus and Dyglomera – even if they aren’t the most effective fat burners alone, they could be promising when combined. [b] —- EFFECTIVENESS – 17/20 —- [/b] Effectiveness was probably the biggest surprise I had with Tetrogen. When I get to about 13% body fat on my fat loss cycle, I hit a wall. I’m a former fatty and spent most of my youth at over 20% body fat, so it makes sense my body doesn’t want to get too skinny. When I reach 13% it usually takes me 4 months to reach 10% body fat – and those 4 months come with a lot of hunger pains and cravings from hell. My intermittent fasting also becomes a lot harder the minute I hit 13% BF. I started Tetrogen when I was at 13.2% body fat, using the 7 point caliper calculation. I noticed things really sped up towards the end of the first bottle. I can’t really figure out why that was. It could be the proposed synergy between IGOB and Dyglomera. Studies implied the combo works best with about 12 weeks of use. Looks like Tetrogen isn’t a case of diminishing returns. At least not with the first few bottles of use. Another thing I really liked was that Lipofuel capsaicin didn’t give me spicy burps or “spicy visits to the toilet” like standard capsaicin does to me. [b]Diet & Results[/b] I consumed 400 calories below maintenance throughout the entire diet, readjusting every 4 weeks. My weight and body fat percentage were as follows: Started Tetrogen June 4th, 2018 Weight: 179.1lbs Body Fat: 13.2% July 2nd Weight: 175.7lbs Body Fat: 12.0% Finished Second Bottle August 6th (Didn’t take a few days while travelling) Weight: 168.1lbs Body Fat: 10.3% I was really excited by the result since I hit 10% almost twice as fast as I normally do. The question is what was responsible for the result? Are African Mango and Dyglomera underrated supplements? Do they only become an amazing fat burner when combined together with the addition of Cissus? Is Lipofuel Capsaicin a game changer? Or is Tetrogen just a really well rounded supplement that does exactly what the company claims; optimizing your hormones for ideal weight loss. I really can’t say. All I can say is I expected a fraction of what I got with this product. [b]I deducted 3 points on effectiveness for 3 reasons:[/b] [b]#1 – It’s Stimulant Free[/b] I guess this is a pro for some people, I just feel that stimulants really help me when I’m losing weight. Personally, I took caffeine, synephrine, and yohimbe while running my first bottle of Tetrogen. I stopped taking the stimulants when the weather got too hot here (I live in the tropics) a few days into the second bottle. I was on these supplements for 4 months before I tried Tetrogen, and I often run them while dieting, so I don’t think they’re responsible for my faster rate of fat loss. Even in the case where they impacted my fat loss, I had significantly better results on the second bottle. [b]#2 – No Noticeable Muscle Sparing Effects [/b] Makes sense since it looks like this product is targeted towards people outside of the fitness space. [b]#3 – Could Be Even Better[/b] This is just a 5 ingredient formula. I can only imagine how awesome this supplement would be if they added a few other ingredients that fit into their “balance the body for fat loss” angle. Off the top of my head it would be nice to see vitamin D3, LCLT, 5-HTP, and Curcumin inside, since these are less common cutting supplements that have been shown to improve conditions in the human body to promote fat loss. Of course, you can buy these products separately, it would just be nice to have them since you’re paying 45 bucks per bottle if you don’t get it while it’s on sale. [b] —- PRICE – 3.5/5 —- [/b] When I first looked up Tetrogen, it was a bit pricey for me at 45 bucks per bottle. When you order you get 2 bottles, one of the day formula and one of the night formula, for a total of 89. After you buy they offer you a really good deal on a longer term supply, I can’t remember the exact numbers but it was tempting. What got me to order it was when I saw it on sale and in hindsight I’m glad I ordered it. If price is an issue for you, I’d try to wait until they have a sale or email out a deal to their list. Only reason I didn’t deduct more points on price was because of the line-up of ingredients. Everything except the green tea extract and melatonin are patented supplement forms (CQR cissus, IGOB African Mango, Lipofuel Capsaicin, etc) You’re inevitably gonna pay a higher price when most of the ingredients are patented, have improved bioavailability versus the standard form, and one ingredient (Lipofuel) is only found in this formula (as far as I’m aware). —- SIDE EFFECTS – 6/5 —- I noticed zero negative side effects, not even the usual discomfort I experience on capsaicin. Didn’t get much of a drop in water weight either, but I’m almost half a year into my weight loss so most of my water is gone. I added a point because I got a completely unexpected side effect, joint relief. I had arthroscopic surgery in my right shoulder a few years back and too much bench pressing tends to aggravate it. A few days into my first bottle and my shoulder had a noticeable improvement (I didn’t realized CQR was cissus until after I ordered, and suddenly I understood the lack of joint pain). [b] —- CONCLUSION —- [/b] Tetrogen was probably the most surprising supplement I’ve ever tried. I wasn’t expecting much, but the results really spoke for themselves. This was the fat loss equivalent of what Arachidonic Acid did for me for muscle-building-wise (I never got much taking ArA for fat loss). I finished my second bottle of Tetrogen a little over a month ago and my fat loss has slowed once again. I’m at 9.9% Body Fat right now and aiming for 9.0%. I ended up ordering one more month of supply last week to get me there. This time I’ll stack it with Forskolin and curcumin to help get me there. If you can afford it, I’d definitely give it a try. It seems to be great for pushing past plateaus once you’ve made some solid progress with your weight loss. Hope you enjoyed my review! [b] —- FINAL SCORE – 88% —- [/b]
bechsgaard –
A Surprising New Fat Burner Supplement That Completely Beat My Expectations
Tetrogen is a stimulant-free weight loss supplement that’s quite new on the market. I ran into this supplement when I was researching an anti-obesity medication in development called Metabocin. It’s based off of the popular fat burner, capsaicin, but has shown more powerful weight loss benefits when studied. The studies mentioned the likely reason for its enhanced effects, compared to standard capsaicin, are because of its time released nature as well as an improvement in bioavailability. For reference, I absolutely love capsaicin. It’s one of the only supplements that always provides a noticeable boost to my weight loss. After learning about Metabocin, I searched up extended release capsaicin supplements and I came across Tetrogen. This certainly isn’t the standard fat loss supplement I use. It’s marketing seems largely targeted to the weight loss niche rather than fitness enthusiasts. The company says that the supplement is supposed to take a ‘big-picture look at fat loss’. It’s supposed to improve the balance of metabolic hormones, alongside a metabolism boost via thermogenesis. [b]Sounds good to me, but does it actually work?[b] I ordered it when I saw a 30% off sale. This was right as I began to plateau on my weight loss cycle. I ran 2 bottles of Tetrogen Day and 2 bottles of Tetrogen Night for a total of 2 months. Let’s get into the pros and cons of this supplement: [b] —- PROFILE – 4/5 —-[/b] There were 4 things that I really liked about the ingredients and 1 thing I was reluctant about. [b] First Thing I Liked – Lipofuel [/b] They’re the only supplement I know of with an extended release capsaicin formulation. The ingredient is called Lipofuel and it’s pretty new to the market. I had to email the company to get any literature on the ingredient. The 2 studies they sent my way weren’t independent, but they were well controlled. I’d take them with a grain of salt, but I realized a lot of the same conclusions in their studies were the same found from that prescription medication I researched, Metabocin. This ingredient was my main curiosity-trigger that got me to fork over the cash and give Tetrogen a try. [b] Second Thing I Liked – The Perfect Melatonin Dose [/b] Really, the only difference between their day formula and night formula is that the night formula contains melatonin (and the night formula has no green tea extract to avoid disrupting sleep). Normally that would be meaningless to me, but their specific dose was a good sign that demonstrated some serious thought was put into this supplement. Most sleep supplements you see have a dose of 3mg or 5mg of melatonin. This bothers me so much because those doses leave many people (myself included) groggy in the morning. What’s the point of getting a good night’s sleep if you’re exhausted for 2 hours after you wake up??? Most of the original research on melatonin was done with a 0.5-1mg dose – and many studies since have shown more is not better with melatonin. I definitely get the best sleep with a 1mg dose. [i] **NOTE: While editing this review, I checked Examine’s Sleep Supplement Guide and they also recommend 0.5-1.5mg of melatonin. [/i] As far as Tetrogen’s rationale for adding melatonin, they say it’s because healthy, high-quality sleep is important for fat loss and Leptin sensitivity. Looks like there’s plenty of science to back up that claim. Melatonin also appears to boost Leptin levels in people without Leptin desensitization – that’s a big win-win to me. [b] Third Thing I Liked – Green Tea Extract [/b] This one’s pretty straight forward. Green tea extract is one of the most studied fat burners out there with solid science demonstrating its fat burning benefits, along with some solid benefits on metabolic hormones, including leptin-resensitization and cortisol control. [b] Fourth Thing I Liked – Cissus [/b] I was surprised seeing CQR Cissus inside this supplement. I always thought of it as a joint supplement. I went back and looked at the science, which led me to another good sign that made me think this is a supplement with a lot of hidden thought put into it. The studies discovered cissus works well for fat loss and appetite suppression – particularly over the long term. They found best results after 10 weeks of supplementation which might explain why I noticed faster weight loss as I hit my second bottle (more on that in a bit). Another interesting thing I came across was an apparently synergy between African Mango and Cissus which provided better and longer lasting fat loss results in the study. Researchers were unsure of the mechanism. [b] Thing I Didn’t Like – Use Of Celebrity Fat Burners [/b] Main turn off when I first saw Tetrogen was its inclusion of IGOB131 and Dyglomera. These are patented forms of African Mango & a Cameroonian fruit seed extract. I had never tried these supplements before. I always figured they were just another supplement made popular by TV doctors and talk show hosts, only to die out of popularity a few years later. Unlike some other fad supplements, like raspberry ketones, these two seem to keep increasing in popularity – is this because they’re effective, though? Science wise, the few studies done seem promising, but they’re confounded by industry funding so I question how these ingredients would hold up with independent peer reviewed research. We will just have to wait and see when people do some well controlled studies on these ingredients. The bright side is, Tetrogen uses the forms of extract which have science backing them. I see plenty of fat burners out there cheaping out and using low doses of the non-patented versions of these extracts. I also liked the fact that African Mango appears to work synergistically with both Cissus and Dyglomera – even if they aren’t the most effective fat burners alone, they could be promising when combined. [b] —- EFFECTIVENESS – 17/20 —- [/b] Effectiveness was probably the biggest surprise I had with Tetrogen. When I get to about 13% body fat on my fat loss cycle, I hit a wall. I’m a former fatty and spent most of my youth at over 20% body fat, so it makes sense my body doesn’t want to get too skinny. When I reach 13% it usually takes me 4 months to reach 10% body fat – and those 4 months come with a lot of hunger pains and cravings from hell. My intermittent fasting also becomes a lot harder the minute I hit 13% BF. I started Tetrogen when I was at 13.2% body fat, using the 7 point caliper calculation. I noticed things really sped up towards the end of the first bottle. I can’t really figure out why that was. It could be the proposed synergy between IGOB and Dyglomera. Studies implied the combo works best with about 12 weeks of use. Looks like Tetrogen isn’t a case of diminishing returns. At least not with the first few bottles of use. Another thing I really liked was that Lipofuel capsaicin didn’t give me spicy burps or “spicy visits to the toilet” like standard capsaicin does to me. [b]Diet & Results[/b] I consumed 400 calories below maintenance throughout the entire diet, readjusting every 4 weeks. My weight and body fat percentage were as follows: Started Tetrogen June 4th, 2018 Weight: 179.1lbs Body Fat: 13.2% July 2nd Weight: 175.7lbs Body Fat: 12.0% Finished Second Bottle August 6th (Didn’t take a few days while travelling) Weight: 168.1lbs Body Fat: 10.3% I was really excited by the result since I hit 10% almost twice as fast as I normally do. The question is what was responsible for the result? Are African Mango and Dyglomera underrated supplements? Do they only become an amazing fat burner when combined together with the addition of Cissus? Is Lipofuel Capsaicin a game changer? Or is Tetrogen just a really well rounded supplement that does exactly what the company claims; optimizing your hormones for ideal weight loss. I really can’t say. All I can say is I expected a fraction of what I got with this product. [b]I deducted 3 points on effectiveness for 3 reasons:[/b] [b]#1 – It’s Stimulant Free[/b] I guess this is a pro for some people, I just feel that stimulants really help me when I’m losing weight. Personally, I took caffeine, synephrine, and yohimbe while running my first bottle of Tetrogen. I stopped taking the stimulants when the weather got too hot here (I live in the tropics) a few days into the second bottle. I was on these supplements for 4 months before I tried Tetrogen, and I often run them while dieting, so I don’t think they’re responsible for my faster rate of fat loss. Even in the case where they impacted my fat loss, I had significantly better results on the second bottle. [b]#2 – No Noticeable Muscle Sparing Effects [/b] Makes sense since it looks like this product is targeted towards people outside of the fitness space. [b]#3 – Could Be Even Better[/b] This is just a 5 ingredient formula. I can only imagine how awesome this supplement would be if they added a few other ingredients that fit into their “balance the body for fat loss” angle. Off the top of my head it would be nice to see vitamin D3, LCLT, 5-HTP, and Curcumin inside, since these are less common cutting supplements that have been shown to improve conditions in the human body to promote fat loss. Of course, you can buy these products separately, it would just be nice to have them since you’re paying 45 bucks per bottle if you don’t get it while it’s on sale. [b] —- PRICE – 3.5/5 —- [/b] When I first looked up Tetrogen, it was a bit pricey for me at 45 bucks per bottle. When you order you get 2 bottles, one of the day formula and one of the night formula, for a total of 89. After you buy they offer you a really good deal on a longer term supply, I can’t remember the exact numbers but it was tempting. What got me to order it was when I saw it on sale and in hindsight I’m glad I ordered it. If price is an issue for you, I’d try to wait until they have a sale or email out a deal to their list. Only reason I didn’t deduct more points on price was because of the line-up of ingredients. Everything except the green tea extract and melatonin are patented supplement forms (CQR cissus, IGOB African Mango, Lipofuel Capsaicin, etc) You’re inevitably gonna pay a higher price when most of the ingredients are patented, have improved bioavailability versus the standard form, and one ingredient (Lipofuel) is only found in this formula (as far as I’m aware). —- SIDE EFFECTS – 6/5 —- I noticed zero negative side effects, not even the usual discomfort I experience on capsaicin. Didn’t get much of a drop in water weight either, but I’m almost half a year into my weight loss so most of my water is gone. I added a point because I got a completely unexpected side effect, joint relief. I had arthroscopic surgery in my right shoulder a few years back and too much bench pressing tends to aggravate it. A few days into my first bottle and my shoulder had a noticeable improvement (I didn’t realized CQR was cissus until after I ordered, and suddenly I understood the lack of joint pain). [b] —- CONCLUSION —- [/b] Tetrogen was probably the most surprising supplement I’ve ever tried. I wasn’t expecting much, but the results really spoke for themselves. This was the fat loss equivalent of what Arachidonic Acid did for me for muscle-building-wise (I never got much taking ArA for fat loss). I finished my second bottle of Tetrogen a little over a month ago and my fat loss has slowed once again. I’m at 9.9% Body Fat right now and aiming for 9.0%. I ended up ordering one more month of supply last week to get me there. This time I’ll stack it with Forskolin and curcumin to help get me there. If you can afford it, I’d definitely give it a try. It seems to be great for pushing past plateaus once you’ve made some solid progress with your weight loss. Hope you enjoyed my review! [b] —- FINAL SCORE – 88% —- [/b]