EAS Thermo Dynamx Fat Burner Review

Thermo Dynamx is supplement giant EAS' latest ephedra-free fat burner, marketed to go head to head with the increasingly popular Xenadrine EFX.

Thermo Dynamx marks EAS' move away from ephedra based fat burners -- like Cytodyne, TwinLab and MuscleTech, EAS has decided it too will no longer market an ephedra based fat burner due to the increasing controversy surrounding this supplement (of course, ephedra is now illegal in the U.S.!)

What you and I and everyone else is wondering is...

How does EAS' Thermo Dynamx fare against the competition -- against ephedra free products like Xenadrine EFX, Lean System 7, and Biotest's new HotRox?

For the answer to that question, we'll need to look at the ingredients label. And lo and behold, there have been some changes. When I originally reviewed the Thermo Dynamx formula, it was primarily an octopamine and synephrine based concoction, combined with green tea and caffeine.

Although originally thought to be the "next best thing" to ephedra, synephrine hasn't really panned out for weight loss. Although still present in many fat burners, clinical data supporting its effectiveness is in short supply.

Kudos to EAS, therefore, for dumping the "duds" from this formula and re-engineering it.

The new version of Thermo Dynamx contains some much more promising ingredients...

1) Green tea, white tea and oolong tea (standardized for polyphenols, EGCG and other catechins): There is a growing body of evidence that green tea is extremely beneficial for weight loss, and as such, it is a welcome addition to this fat burner (see Mol Nutr Food Res. 2006 Feb;50(2):176-87, Am J Clin Nutr; 81:122-129, Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity. 2000 Feb;24(2):252-8, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1999 Dec;70(6):1040-5).

Oolong tea (oolong tea is reviewed in full here!), has a small body of evidence showing it too offers benefits for weight loss, including the ability to elevate the metabolism.

2) Caffeine: common to many fat burners, caffeine is a decent thermogenic (fat burning) compound (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97).

When combined with green tea extract (as it is here) it shows even greater benefits for weight loss (Obes Res. 2005 Jul; 13(7): 1195-204).

3) Cayenne fruit: 500 mg here, probably standardized for capsaicin, a chemical that gives chile peppers their "heat." The theory is that capsaicin "revs" up your metabolism by creating heat, thus burning off extra calories. However, this study (Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2007 Jan;292(1):R77-85. Epub 2006 Jul 13) says it best...

"Capsaicin has been shown to be effective, yet when it is used clinically it requires a strong compliance to a certain dosage, that has not been shown to be feasible yet."

In other words, in order for capsaicin to have an effect on your metabolism, it has to be taken in doses much too high to make it practical. Although Thermo dynamx contains 500 mg of cayenne fruit (much more than you'll find in the "average" fat burner), it's unlikely this relatively small amount will do much to elevate the metabolism.

Also found in this compilation are methylxanthines (caffeine-like compounds thought to elevate the metabolic rate) theobromine (a xanthine derived from cocoa or chocolate) and a smattering of ginger -- which may soothe stomach duress (ginger contains gingerols, which are chemically related to capsaicin. There's some who speculate ginger may also posses metabolism-boosting characteristics, but there's little data to support that theory at this time. Even if it were the case, it's doubtful this relatively insignificant amount of ginger could have such an effect).

So where's that leave Thermo Dynamx?

A vastly improved formula. Green tea, oolong tea and caffeine is a great combination, and the other ingredients may help, but certainly don't hinder the effectiveness of the product.

Additionally, EAS is so confident their product will boost your metabolic rate they will refund you your money if Thermo Dynamx does not work for you (not sure about the logistics of this -- i.e., not sure whether you need to buy direct from EAS for this guarantee to be in effect, whether you can obtain a refund from your local retailer, or whether you need to contact EAS directly regardless of where you purchased the product).

In the advertising material I read on BodyBuilding.com (who retail Thermo dynamx for US$21.50), an individual who used this product and had their RMR (resting metabolic rate) tested saw an increase of 80 calories burned per day -- from 1730 calories to 1810.

That equates to about a 5% increase in metabolism.

This sounds impressive until you figure out that it will take you 6 weeks and two days of continually using the product to burn the caloric equivalent of one pound of fat (1 pound of fat = 3,500 calories, 80 calories X 44 days = 3520 calories).

The good news is that despite this rather sobering revelation, studies show green tea's weight loss benefits are a result of several mechanisms.

These include an increased metabolism (as we've discussed), a positive effect on blood sugar and insulin regulation, and possibly the inhibiting of the enzyme amylase, which is required for the processing of carbohydrates. It also has been shown to lower LDL levels (that's the "bad" cholesterol) as well as triglyceride levels.

In other words, it's not completely fair to attribute Thermo Dynamx's only benefits to the effects of an elevated metabolism.

All in all, Thermo Dynamx is a decent formulation sold at an affordable price. It may not be the most revolutionary product on the market, but the majority of the ingredients do have some clinical evidence validating their effectiveness. And, this product does offer a guarantee... and because EAS is a credible company, there's no reason to believe it won't be honored.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, EAS has discontinued Thermo Dynamx.

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