As a personal fitness and strength coach, I deal with a lot of clients who have different kinds of underlying health conditions. And before I recommend a certain fat burner to help them achieve their ideal weight a bit faster, it’s always important to consider blood pressure issues.
And to fully understand what types of fat burner ingredients could cause higher blood pressure, I teamed up with my dietitian and a physician to take a closer look at what science says about this.
Here’s what my research revealed.
Quick Summary
- There are many different types of fat burners that can have a direct impact on your metabolic rate.
- Some of these fat burners deliver a thermogenic effect, but they can also influence your blood pressure.
- Anyone suffering from hypertension should take a careful look at the labels on fat burners for specific ingredients to avoid.
Do Fat Burners Affect Blood Pressure?
Yes, some fat burners can affect blood pressure in a negative way.
In many cases, fat burners aim to trigger increased metabolic rates, and one common side effect of that is a slight increase in blood pressure [1].
For most people, this will be a very slight increase that is barely noticeable, but people who have a history of cardiovascular issues should be careful when planning their intake.
One of the most common ingredients that could cause issues is caffeine. And some fat burners will deliver a very high dose of caffeine that is equivalent to multiple cups of coffee in one go.
Read on to find out more about options without caffeine that are safe for people with high blood pressure.
And such high doses could lead to sustained high blood pressure for several hours [2].
“Fat burners work by elevating your blood pressure and increasing your overall energy expenditure, which may eventually lead to weight loss over time. You should take precautions if you already have high blood pressure, though, because taking these supplements could lead to hypertension.”
- Jabeen Begum, MD, WebMD.com
Are There Options to Avoid Problems With Hypertension?
Yes, there are supplement options to help avoid blood pressure problems.
First of all, if you have been diagnosed with hypertension, then you have to talk to your doctor before you consider taking any kind of supplements that could impact your metabolic rate and blood pressure.
It’s most likely that your doctor will recommend that you avoid taking stimulants like caffeine.
But even ingredients like taurine that have been linked to a reduction in blood pressure could cause problems [3].
An interaction with medication could bring your blood pressure down too much, which could make you feel fatigued and even faint.
Fortunately, there are products available that limit such ingredients or exclude them altogether. And if you’re concerned about how effective they might be, we can confirm that we tested a lot of these non-stimulant fat burners, and they can be very effective.
Tips For Avoiding Side Effects
So, the first thing you should do if you have problems with your blood pressure is to avoid any fat burners with caffeine.
But other thermogenic fat burners could also indirectly trigger higher blood pressure through thermogenic effects.
What I would recommend is to take a gradual approach to the dosage and timing.
Let’s say your chosen fat burner requires that you take four capsules before breakfast. What you could do is take one capsule in the morning and one after lunch to see how your body reacts.
You can then gradually increase the dosage and move towards taking them as recommended on the bottle if your measured blood pressure remains stable.
This might take a week or two, but it’s the safest way to figure out if you’ll have issues with a particular product.
Related Article: Side Effects Of Fat Burners
FAQs
Can You Take A Thermogenic With High Blood Pressure?
Yes, you can take a thermogenic with high blood pressure. But you will need to carefully monitor the impact on a daily basis, as some thermogenics have been shown to, directly and indirectly, impact your blood pressure.
How Long Should You Take A Fat Burner If You Have High Blood Pressure?
You can take a fat burner indefinitely if you have high blood pressure, as long as the supplement doesn’t have negative effects. Carefully monitor your BP and stop taking a supplement if you notice that it causes changes.
Taking The Cautious Approach To Fat Burners
If you’ve had any blood pressure problems in the past, or if you’re currently taking medication for hypertension, you’ll need to be careful with the types of fat burners you choose.
Start with a product that doesn’t contain caffeine or other stimulants, and then aim to take a smaller than recommended dose for the first few days.
We’ve tested many stim-free fat burners over the years, and you should make sure to check out our recommended list of products to find the one that works best for your particular needs.
References:
- https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/what-are-fat-burner-supplements
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21880846
- https://jbiomedsci.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1423-0127-17-S1-S6
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