BPI Sports’ Rx6 Fat Burner Review: Strong Stuff!
Note: Rx6 has been discontinued.
BPI’s Rx6™ boasts “6 in 1 fat loss technology” that offers “hours and hours of non-stop energy and fat burning.”
Of course, if you’re a regular visitor to UltimateFatBurner.com, you’re aware that in the supplement industry, talk is cheap. Because supplement retailers don’t actually have to demonstrate that their products work as described, they can pretty much say whatever they want.
And they often do.
So let’s cut away the advertising spiel, and break down the Rx6™ formula and see how it really measures up.
What’s in it?
A single, 618 mg serving contains the following…
1. Niacin (20 mg): Also known as Vitamin B3, high dosages of niacin have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels, help with diabetes-associated ailments, and, when used in conjunction with statin drugs, slows the progression of arteriosclerosis. Of course, in this product you’re receiving only a fraction of the amount of niacin shown effective in the aforementioned studies.
2. 6-In-1 Fat Burning Proprietary Blend: This 238 mg blend contains the following 6 ingredients…
- Thiamine Disulfide: Thiamine, also known as Vitamin B1, plays an important role in energy metabolism, and is thought to play a role in appetite suppression. This novel, potent version of thiamine is being touted as a potent enhancer of physical and mental energy—especially when combined with caffeine (as it is in this formula).
- 1,3 Diimethylamylamine:This compound is also known as “methylhexaneamine.”1,3-Dimethylamylamine (DMAA), is an adrenergic amine that acts as a CNS stimulant. It was originally patented by Eli Lilly as a nasal decongestant in 1944, but largely abandoned until re-introduced as a dietary supplement (Geranamine™) by Proviant Technologies, the parent company of Ergopharm.
Although there’s no current research to validate any of the outrageous claims made for it, DMAA has gotten mostly rave reviews from users for its effects on mood, focus and energy. A few have reported problems with higher doses, however, so some caution is advised.Rx6 is not the first weight loss product to contain DMMA. It’s popping up in more and more weight loss supplements these days; Ripped Freak, Ergolean’s AMP, AMP 2 and USP’s OxyElite Pro all contain it. The launch of AMP garnered a fair bit of mainstream negative publicity, with one expert calling the legality of DMAA into question and saying…“The chemical structure is similar to amphetamines and ephedrine…”
I’ve experimented with DMAA-containing pre-workout supplements (i.e., Nutrex’s Hemo Rage), and can attest to the potency of this ingredient as a stimulant.
- Amla (10:1 Extract): Also known as Indian gooseberry, Amla is included in fat burners for its “supposed” role as a beta-2 adrenergic agonist (thanks to an active compound called “phyllemblin.”). These type of compounds can have such effects as raised energy intake and expenditure.Unfortunately, and as already noted in the Cellucor D4 Thermal Shock review, there’s no accessible published research to validate this claim. At best, all we have is the fact that Amla is an Ayurvedic treatment for asthma and cough, so it’s possible that it offers some sort of beta-adrenergic activity.
- Synephrine: Once thought to be a credible alternative to ephedra, published research has not been kind to synephrine. Anecdotal evidence suggests it may have some appetite suppressing qualities, but this has not been borne out by any credible studies.
- MethylSynephrine: Is the methylated version of synephrine any more effective than the “regular” stuff I just discussed? There’s no published research to indicate that it is.
- Yohimbine HCl: The standardized extract of the bark of the African Yohimbe tree, there is some data showing yohimbine is a somewhat effective weight loss supplement (see Isr J Med Sci. 1991 Oct;27(10):550-6) likely because of its action as an alpha 2-receptor antagonist. Evidence also validates its “lipid-mobilizing action.”
3. MethylCore Proprietary Burning Blend: This 360 mg blend contains the following 7 ingredients…
- Caffeine: Not surprising to find this here—caffeine has a well established record as a mild thermogenic, and does deliver mild weight loss results (see Am J Clin Nutr. 1989 Jan;49(1):44-50, Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 May;33(5):989-97).It also cheaply and effectively addresses the most common complaint of dieters; lack of energy.Also of note is the amount of caffeine in a serving—a whopping 300 mg. That’s a lot, around 3 cups of coffee worth. We’re delving into Muscle Tech territory here, and folks who are sensitive to stimulants are probably going to want to give this product a miss.
300 mg of caffeine, stacked with yohimbine, synephrine and DMAA is going to pack a punch Mike Tyson would be envious of. Remember too, that you can’t take half a dose to assess your tolerance… this is all served up in a single, one-cap serving.
Lastly, with 300 mg of ingredient here, we’re left with a mere 60 mg to be split among the remaining 6 ingredients; cassia nomame, ginseng, dandelion root, green tea, uva ursi and niacin (yes, again!).
What’s the significance of this? Well, it means that none of these ingredients are going to be present in a dosage large enough to elicit any effect. They are present only as “label dressing.” In other words, they make the product’s formula appear more impressive, but they add no additional real value to it.
So there you have it… BPI Sports’ Rx6 fat burner in a nutshell.
How’s it measure up?
Well, as you can see, there are only a few ingredients in this formula for which any evidence of weight loss exists.
Nonetheless, this product packs one heck of a punch, and probably will be huge hit for anyone who likes powerful, stimulant based supplements.
It’s not an ideal product for anyone sensitive to stimulants—even though BPI Sport’s claims its capsules are designed to deliver their “jittery-payload” in a timed released fashion, which may make it more tolerable.
It’s also appears to be pretty expensive—BodyBuilding.com sells a 45-capsule box for $35. However, I doubt that most people will be taking more than 1 capsule per day, which makes it a little more affordable.
Bottom line?
The fat burning effects of this product are exaggerated. Most of the ingredients have little or no published data behind them. Additionally, most ingredients are pretty commonplace. There’s nothing revolutionary here.
Lastly, this is a very, very, potent product—ideal for those of you who love the surge of energy delivered by stimulants, but something to be avoided by anyone with history of heart disease or high blood pressure!
