Transparent Labs Fat Burner Review (2024)

Are you considering buying Recomp from Transparent Labs? In this Transparent Labs Fat Burner review, we’ll be examining this supplement’s formula and ingredient breakdown so you can decide if it’s right for you. 

In short, almost all fat burners will not help you lose weight. While you may get some mild benefits from the caffeine included here, overall, this supplement probably isn’t worth the money. 

Note that this is not a Transparent Labs Stim-Free Fat Burner review, as it doesn’t appear TL offers this product anymore. We will instead be focusing on the caffeinated version of this supplement. With this being said, let’s get into our review!

Transparent Labs Fat Burner Review

Transparent Labs Fat Burner

• Item Form: Capsules
• Best for: Weight Loss, Recovery
• Caffeine: 125mg
• Package Information: 60 Capsules
• Serving: 2 Capsules
• Company Founded: 2015
• Recommended by Athletes: Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, Pat Li, PAULINA

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While Transparent Labs is a highly reputable and trustworthy brand, we don’t believe this product is worth the steep price point. While caffeine and green tea extract may have mild benefits for weight loss, the rest of the ingredients like capsaicin and forskolin are likely completely useless. 

Overall, if your goal is to lose weight, you’d be much better off dialing in your training and diet instead of relying on a supplement like this. Consider investing in one of Transparent Labs’ other supplements like whey protein, or a pre-workout. 

Ingredients Breakdown

Below we’ll be taking a closer look at the ingredients included in Transparent Labs Recomp, so you can get a better idea of what’s in the formula. These include caffeine and green tea extract, as well as forskolin and red pepper extract. 

1. Caffeine

Caffeine is included in this supplement at a fairly mild dose of 125mg per serving. This may be beneficial for 2 reasons. 

First, caffeine has been shown to moderately increase resting metabolic rate. So, consistent intake of caffeine is correlated with slightly more calories burned throughout the day. This is unlikely to make a major difference in weight loss, and won’t be beneficial.

Second, caffeine provides a solid boost of energy and improves exercise performance. This means strategically-timed doses of caffeine may help burn more calories while working out. Again, while this won’t make a night-and-day difference for weight loss, it may provide some mild benefits. 

Overall, while caffeine’s benefits for weight loss will be mild to moderate, it’s likely the most beneficial ingredient included here for weight loss. Of course, you could also get all the benefits of caffeine from a pre-workout supplement, or a cup of coffee instead. 

2. Green Tea Extract

Next up is Green Tea Extract, which may be beneficial for overall health because of its high polyphenol content. But what about its benefits for weight loss? 

Overall, it appears Green Tea Extract falls into a similar category as caffeine when it comes to weight loss. Namely, there is evidence that shows it helps to boost metabolic rate, although it’s unlikely that this will be correlated with any significant amount of weight loss. 

3. Coleus Forskohlii

Coleus Forskohlii, or Forskolin, does have some promising research surrounding its use as a weight loss supplement. One study found that doses of 500mg a day over 12 weeks led to a reduced body fat percentage in overweight and obese men. 

Unfortunately, there does not appear to be much more research supporting its use for weight loss. This is on top of Forskolin being only dosed at 250mg in Recomp, which is half the amount used in the study. Overall, Forskolin is just not very well studied, leaving us skeptical of its potential benefits. 

4. Red Pepper Extract

The final main “fat-burning” ingredient included in Recomp is Red Pepper Extract or Capsaicin. This ingredient is mainly included in fat-burning supplements as a way to help people control energy intake. However, as with the rest of the ingredients in this formula, it’s highly unlikely this will have any major consistent effect on weight loss. 

5. Does L-Theanine Help Burn Fat?

Another ingredient included in Recomp’s formula is L-Theanine. So, will this ingredient have any major effect on fat loss?

L-Theanine is mainly included in supplements containing caffeine to help alleviate any potential side effects such as jitters and anxiety. It has been shown to be beneficial for reducing cortisol, the hormone related to stress. 

With lower cortisol being potentially related to weight loss, this could be an ingredient of interest for those trying to lose weight. However, once again, the effects of L-Theanine on weight loss will be mild at best. 

6. What Is Bioperine® For?

BioPerine is commonly included in supplements like this to help increase the bioavailability of ingredients included. While this may have a mild effect on how well ingredients are absorbed, it’s unlikely to dramatically increase the effectiveness of any given ingredient. 

What Should You Consider Before Buying a “Fat Burner”?

Overall, there are a few factors we recommend considering before buying a fat-burner supplement like Recomp. Namely, we want to make it clear that most ingredients included in fat burner supplements are highly unlikely to help you with weight loss in any significant way. 

Most of the Components of the Fat Burners Are Poorly Studied

As mentioned above, most of the ingredients included in Recomp and other fat burners just aren’t very well studied. 

While Caffeine and Green Tea Extract may have moderate benefits in increasing metabolic rate, they are both also unlikely to provide major benefits for weight loss. With Forskolin and Capsaicin, there also aren’t many studies that support the use of these ingredients for weight loss. 

Beyond this, it’s worth mentioning there are even fewer studies examining the use of these supplements together. As a result, it’s difficult to say what the effects of these supplements will be when they’re taken together.  

What Is the Best Non-supplemental Fat Burner?

As you can probably tell from our ingredient breakdown, we generally don’t recommend the use of fat burner supplements. So, you may be wondering, what’s the best way to burn fat without the use of supplements? Below we’ll be covering how we recommend approaching weight loss without the use of any fat burner supplements. 

Calorie Deficit + Strength Training + Protein

At the end of the day, the only way to consistently lose weight is to eat in a caloric deficit. This means taking in fewer calories than you burn throughout the day. Eating in a deficit of 250-500 calories a day should be ideal for moderate weight loss. Consistently tracking your calories can help you meet this goal. 

On top of this, to lose fat while maintaining muscle mass, it’s crucial you also practice strength training and eat enough protein on top of eating in a deficit. We recommend finding a program that hits every major muscle group 1-2 times a week. Also, aim to eat 0.7-1g of protein per pound of body weight a day to maintain muscle mass. 

By following this simple formula of a caloric deficit, strength training, and sufficient protein intake, you’ll lose a significant amount of fat over time – no fat burners required. 

The Final Verdict on TL’s Fat Burner

Overall, we believe fat burners are generally not a worthwhile investment, with Transparent Labs’ Recomp being no exception. 

While there is some research to support the use of these ingredients for increasing metabolic rate and losing body fat, it is limited and shows mild results at best. For the price, we just don’t think this supplement will provide any significant benefits to those looking to lose weight. 

If you’re looking to lose weight, we recommend focusing on your diet and exercise routine instead of “miracle solutions” like fat burners. With this being said, Transparent Labs does offer numerous supplements that will assist you in losing weight more than this supplement. 

Consider investing in their whey protein isolate or BULK pre-workout instead. These will have a significant effect on your protein intake or exercise performance, which will both in turn likely help you lose weight more than Recomp. 

FAQ 

Do Fat Burners Really Work?

Generally, we don’t recommend the use of fat burners as their ingredients are unlikely to have any significant impact on your ability to lose weight. Be wary of any “miracle cures” for weight loss, as the only way to really lose weight is to eat in a consistent caloric deficit. 

As a result, we recommend prioritizing your diet and exercise routine over reliance on fat burners. If you want a supplement to assist you in your weight loss journey, consider alternative supplements like protein powder or pre-workout, which will likely be much more beneficial. 

Is It Ok to Take a Fat Burner Every Day?

There are likely minimal risks associated with taking a fat burner every day. There are some side effects associated with caffeine, such as anxiety, and insomnia.

Overall, it’s unlikely that these supplements will have any meaningful effect on your ability to lose weight. So, we believe taking a fat burner every day will be largely pointless, even if it’s largely considered safe. 

And depending on the use, it could even be bad. When you have caffeine, for example, it is important to pay attention to the time you use it so as not to disturb your sleep. Furthermore, caffeine supplementation without association with exercise is not recommended.

Do Fat Burners Work Without Exercise?

Fat burners are unlikely to significantly increase your ability to lose weight. The only way to lose fat consistently is to eat in a caloric deficit, practice weight training, and eat enough protein. Simply taking a fat burner without changing your diet or exercise habits won’t lead to any weight loss. 

What Are the Side Effects of Fat Burners?

From our research, it’s unlikely that a fat burner like Recomp will cause any significant side effects. With this being said, if you’re sensitive to caffeine, the 125mg dose per serving may cause some mild side effects like anxiety, jitters, or insomnia. However, the inclusion of L-Theanine may help to mitigate these side effects. 

Conclusion

Overall, we don’t recommend the use of Transparent Labs’ Fat Burner Recomp. Based on our research, we don’t believe this formula will significantly assist you on your weight loss journey. After all, eating in a caloric deficit is the only way to consistently lose weight, and this supplement won’t necessarily help you achieve this. 

With this being said, Transparent Labs does offer plenty of other high-quality supplements that may help you lose weight more than their Recomp fat burner!

We recommend investing in Transparent Labs’ whey protein isolate if you struggle with protein intake, or their Bulk pre-workout if you want a boost to your exercise performance.

Have you ever used any fat-burner supplements? What was your experience? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Also read:

• Transparent Labs Whey Protein Isolate Review
• Transparent Labs Mass Gainer Review
• Transparent Labs Creatine Hmb Review
• Transparent Labs Bulk Pre Workout Review
• Transparent Labs Mass Gainer Review

References:

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2. The Nutrition Source, “Tea,” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu /nutritionsource/food-features/tea/ (Accessed Feb 8, 2024)
3. Consumer Reports, “The Truth About Green Tea for Weight Loss,” Consumerreports.org, https://www.consumerreports.org/dieting-weight-loss/truth-about-green-tea-for-weight-loss/ (Accessed Feb 8, 2024)
4. Michael P. Godard, et. al, “Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men,” Obes Res. Aug;13(8):1335-43. (2005).
5. S. Whiting, et. al, “Could capsaicinoids help to support weight management? A systematic review and meta-analysis of energy intake data,” Appetite Volume 73, Pages 183-188 (2014).
6. Jessica Chebuske, “L-Theanine: Can This Amino Acid Do It All?,” The Well by Northwell, https://thewell.northwell.edu /healthy-living-fitness/l-theanine-anxiety (Accessed Feb 8, 2024)
7. Daniel Preiato, et. al, “Does Cortisol Affect Weight Gain?” Healthline.com, https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cortisol-and-weight-gain. (Accessed Feb 8, 2024)
8. Everson A. Nunes, et. al, “Systematic review and meta-analysis of protein intake to support muscle mass and function in healthy adults,” Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, 13, 795–810, (2022)
9. All photos are made by our Torokhtiy Media team