Our Shred Jym Review Conclusion: While Shred Jym isn’t a revolutionary product by any means, it doesn’t hide behind a proprietary formula or make outrageous claims; in fact, it’s recommended that Shred Jym be accompanied with a rigourous training program and smart diet. Who’d have thought? It contains sufficient dosages of all ingredients, is fairly priced and – GASP! – a single bottle contains a full 30 day supply instead of the usual 3 weeks.
However, this product is a little “heavy” on the caffeine content for casual users. While caffeine is an essential ingredient in any over the counter weight loss supplement and fat burner, we think that at a certain point, any additional benefits provided by an elevated dosage are countered by a potential increase in side effects.
However, if you’re a hardcore gym rat with a strong tolerance to caffeine, or you’re leaning up for a show, are super-carb-depleted and need the all the extra “umph!” you can get… you could do much worse than Shred Jym.
To Buy: Shred Jym is available online at BodyBuilding.com!
Shred Jym Review: A Head’s Up
Warning: Shred Jym is strong. It contains a sh*tload of caffeine, which means it’s not a “beginner” fat burner, nor is it ideal for those of you with contraindicated issues like blood pressure, anxiety, and heart problems! And of course…
If you don’t like “jittering” through your day, you’ll probably want to give this one a miss, too!
A sh*tload of this little guy… caffeine!
What’s In Shred Jym? Our Full Ingredient Review…
A single 4 capsule dosage of Shred Jym contains the following ingredients (2 such servings are to be taken per day)…
Acetyl-L-Carnitine
1. Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCL (1.5 gram per dose / 3.0 gram daily): A easily utilized form of L-Carnitine, which has been a standard ingredient in weight loss supplements for years. One of carnitine’s job is to escort fatty acids to the cell’s mitochondria (think of the mitochondria as the cell’s furnace) where they can be burned as fuel. Therefore, more carnitine, more weight loss… or so the argument goes.
Problem is, almost all products that contain L-carnitine in their formulas were under-dosed to the point of ridiculousness.
Not this one. It contains a full 3 grams per two-dose serving.
Several studies show that supplementing with 3 grams daily has been shown to boost fat oxidation (essentially the burning of fat). While promising, not all study data is consistent. This study, for example, showed no such results.
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2. L-Tyrosine (500 mg per dose / 1 gram daily): This amino acid has been a mainstay in both weight loss & performance supplements for years.
The reason?
L-tyrosine is a precursor to several neurotransmitters — l-dopa, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine — as well as the thyroid hormone thyroxine.
Weight loss products included it, therefore, on the assumption that supplementing with a tyroid hormone precursor might ramp up thyroid hormone levels which may contribute to an increased metabolic rate and accordingly, more weight loss.
To my knowledge, there has never been any clinical data published that demonstrates any effect in this regard.
In fact, if there’s any value to supplementing wth l-tyrosine, it’s as a “mood, memory and focus” enhancer, which is why it’s found in many pre-workout nitric oxide supplements.
Studies show an effect at dosages ranging from 600 mg to over 10,000 mg. I still stack 3,000 – 4,000 mg of l-tyrosine with a strong cup of coffee if I’m feeling fatigued, mentally. Shred Jym contains enough l-tyrosine to help with focus and cognition, but it’s on the low side; many of the studies I reviewed were performed with multi-gram dosages.
Green tea…
Green Tea Leaf Extract
3. Green tea leaf extract (500 mg per dose / 1 gram daily): I’ve talked a lot about green tea (see the full review here!) over the years, and while it’s no miracle cure, a properly standardized green tea extract like this one is a no-brainer addition to any weight loss supplement.
Green tea is most effective for weight loss when combined with caffeine, as it is in this product!
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Holy Crap! Caffeine! And Lots of It!
4. Caffeine Anhydrous (200 mg per dose / 400 mg daily): Like green tea, caffeine is a common ingredient in over the counter fat burners and weight loss pills (caffeine anhydrous doesn’t “work” any different than regular “caffeine” except that it may act faster).
There’s good reason for this; caffeine elevates the metabolism, although it seems to do a better job of this in lean, rather than obese individuals (see this study!). And of course, it’s a relatively small boost – about 3-4%, although it may be twice as much in lean individuals.
What bothers me about the newest crop of fat burners and sport supplements is how much caffeine they contain.
The Mayo Clinic says 400 mg per day appears to be a safe upper limit for most people, and although this product falls right smack-dab on that number, I question just how many people consuming this product will be limiting caffeine ingestion from other sources?
I myself am tiring of products that leave you jittery and edgy. And, high doses of caffeine can cause anxiety for some folks and may interfere with your sleep patterns.
However having said that, high doses of caffeine do seem to improve exercise performance so maybe this is a decent trade off for you.
If you have high-blood pressure or other contra-indicated symptoms however, Shred Jym won’t be for you.
This is definitely not a “beginner” product.
Capsimax (Red Pepper Extract)
Red peppers. Really HOT red peppers.
5. Cayenne pepper fruit extract (Capsimax® 50 mg per dose / 100 mg daily): Cayenne pepper contains something called “capsaicin” which is the active component of chili peppers that gives them their heat. We’ve known for some time that high doses of red peppers can suppress appetite and boost the metabolism, but consuming them in high doses is not practical, nor is it something most people can tolerate.
That’s where Capsimax comes in; it’s a proprietary red pepper extract that allows you to consume a potent dose of capsaicin, without having to consume a ton of red peppers and experience the discomfort of doing so.
Does it work?
Well, that’s the $10,000 question, isn’t it?
A study published in 2010 in “Lipids in Health and Disease” indicated that the consumption of Capsimax leads to an increase in free fatty acids, which theoretically, over time, could lead to weight loss (read the discussion of the study here to learn more).
That’s as about as good as it gets for Capsimax as far as proof goes, I’m afraid.
It’s not a stretch to assume that a potent dose of Capsimax can also help suppress your appetite, but most of the proof supporting its benefits are drawn from studies on red peppers, not Capsimax itself, so that comparison is not necessarily accurate.
Check out the Shred Jym review on UltimateFatBurner.com! Click To TweetSynephrine. Really?
6. Synephrine (Advantra Z®) 20 mg per dose / 40 mg daily): Another old standby, derived from the rind of the citrus aurantium fruit, synephrine has also been a common in weight loss supplements for over a decade, despite the fact that early studies showed no weight loss effect.
A recent review of the human clinical studies involving citrus aurantium on its own or in combination with caffeine, was a little more positive, indicating that…
“p-Synephrine alone as well as in combination products were shown to increase resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure, and modest increases in weight loss were observed with bitter orange extract/p-synephrine-containing products when given for six to 12 weeks.”
But then concluding…
“Longer term studies are needed to further assess the efficacy of these products and affirm their safety under these conditions.”
Bottom line?
The jury on synephrine, it appears, is still out, it appears. It’s probably helpful, but I doubt if it’s in any significant way. It doesn’t add a ton of value to this product, but doesn’t detract from it either.
Anecdotal evidence suggests synephrine’s greatest benefit may be as an appetite suppressant.
Shred Jym Side Effects
The side effects of Shred Jym are almost entirely attributable to its caffeine content (this may be worsened by the presence of synephrine, which can also elevate heart rate and blood pressure).
The most common side effects therefore are likely to include…
- Insomnia.
- Nervousness, restlessness, and the “jitters”.
- Increased heart rate.
- Increased blood pressure.
- Headaches after finishing the product (symptoms of caffeine withdrawl).
The other ingredients in this formula are unlikely to cause any problems at all, certainly not at the dosage they are present.
Testimonials, Feedback & Results: What are Users Saying about Shred Jym?
Image courtesy of BodyBuilding.com
What sort of results are people experiencing with Shred Jym?
Most people on BodyBuilding.com seem to be pretty happy with the product – at the time of this writing, the product received an 8 / 10 rating based on over 600 reviews.
However, I can’t say I’m overly surprised, the audience on BodyBuilding.com is a little different than that found on a general site like say, Amazon. In other words, most of the people using the product were training hard and eating right.
In this case, I’d be surprised if most people didnn’t find it at least somewhat helpful.
Shred Jym Fat Burner Review Conclusion
We’re giving it a “conditional” thumbs up!
Shred Jym doesn’t contain any miracle ingredients. It doesn’t make outrageous promises. And all ingredients are supported by some clinical data, although in some instances, contradictory evidence also exists. And…
All products contain at least the minimal amount shown to be effective in clinical studies.
Which is pretty nice to see.
The company makes it clear that to expect results, you need to combine the product with smart diet and exercise. This makes a lot of sense, since a significant portion of this formula is devoted to ingredients that either increase free fatty acids, or makes the burning of them more efficient.
As already noted, it’s damn strong too, and contains a TON of caffeine.
Not suprisingly, this isn’t really a “beginner” product.
It’s also not the sort of product I’d recommend for anyone who works in a cubicle all day. You’ll be jumping out of your skin.
Unless of course, you have a high tolerance to caffeine.
Tip: You can split the doses up; instead of taking two-4-capsule servings daily, you take 4 two capsule servings. You could also stack your doses with l-theanine, which may help smooth out the caffeine buzz a bit.
However, if you are a hardcore user looking to trim down for a show and need something to keep you alert through the last few weeks of carb restriction and caloric deficits, Shred Jym will probably work just fine, thank you very much.
Shred Jym is available at BodyBuilding.com!
Have you used Shred Jym?
Share your comments below – we’d love to hear them, as would our readers!
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