Twinlab Ripped Fuel 5x claims to have five ways it burns fat, but it really looks like five ways to trick you into a buying a weak supplement.
Sure, the ingredients aren’t “bad” per se, but this is full of mild stimulants, propriety blends with questionable ingredients, and false claims.
Not only does Ripped Fuel 5x have only average ingredients where doses are specified, but the ones hidden in it’s proprietary blends aren’t even very beneficial to fat loss.
On the plus side, at least it won’t cause your heart to beat out of your chest from stimulant overdose. Check it:
Table of Contents
About Ripped Fuel 5x
Twinlab claims to have made the perfect fat burner, with five ways to shred fat – burn calories faster, build muscle, increase nutrient absorption, reduce fat, and increase energy levels. Three of those sound like nothing more than different ways to say that it will give you some energy and, but that’s what they claim. Formula notes:
- Proprietary Blend: The dreaded proprietary blend. Rather then tell you exactly what you are getting, they hide doses.
- Unproven Ingredients: Ingredients such as skullcap root hide within said proprietary blends, which doesn’t seem to do much for fat loss.
- Low Caffeine: Caffeine, the most well known ingredient, clocks in at exactly 99mg, fairly low for a fat burner.
Ripped Fuel 5X Supplement Facts |
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Serving Size: 1 tablet Servings Per Container: 40 |
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Ingredients | Amount Per Serving | |
Thiamine (as thiamine mononitrate) | 0.5 mg (33% DV) | |
Niacin | 10 mg (50% DV) | |
Pyridoxine (as pyridoxine HCL)
Vitamin B12 (as cyanocobalamin) Calcium (as dicalcium phosphate) Chromium (as chromium picolinate) Caffeine |
0.5 mg (25% DV)
50 mcg (833% DV) 40 mg (4% DV) 200 mcg (167% DV) † |
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5x Potentiator Blend
Basical Skullcap Root, And Black Catechu Bark, (Standardized To 60% Free B-Ring Flavonoids And 10% Flavans), And Black Pepper Fruit Extract (Bioperine®) |
130 mg | |
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198 mg | |
Other Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Cellulose, Stearic Acid, Purified Water, Croscarmellose Sodium, Silica, Magnesium Stearate, Natural Cinnamon Flavor, Glycerin | ||
Directions. Take one tablet two times a day before a meal. |
Twinlab has given us a proprietary-blend loaded, weak stimulant that probably won’t burn fat.
Twinlab has given us a proprietary-blend loaded, low-stimulant supplement. It may not be bad, but it sure as hell doesn’t match up with the best fat-burner stacks. Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients in Ripped Fuel 5x.
Thiamine, 0.5 mg
Thiamine is of the vitamin B family – B-1 to be specific. Its functions are energy and cellular health, carbohydrate metabolism, digestion, and blood flow. Recommended doses range between 3mg and 100mg depending on the desired effect. 0.5mg, as found in Ripped Fuel 5x, falls far short of this range.
Niacin, 10 mg
Another B vitamin, B-3 to be precise, niacin is common in workout supplements, as it very effective at managing blood lipid levels, or fatty acid levels. It can reduce the number of blood triglycerides, but recent research shows that it can actually increase insulin resistance, which means your body doesn’t handle carbs very well. It also causes the “niacin flush,” where your skin can flush and tingle for a brief period of time. Research shows effective dosing begins at 1 gram – this is 10mg, or one tenth of a gram. Next.
Pyridoxine, 0.5 mg
What a surprise, another B vitamin…B6 this time. We are kind of surprised to see it in a fat-burner; not a common ingredient for weight loss. When we think B6, we think nootropics… with premium brain-booster stacks using B6 as the P-5-P form, which is way more potent. Again, Ripped Fuel has chosen a cool ingredient — at its best (P-5-P and a decent dosage of 5 mg), B6 could sharpen focus & intensity to supercharge fat-burning workout intensity. But Ripped Fuel again drops the ball giving a tiny dosage of the less-effective B6 form.
Vitamin B12, 50 mcg
B12 is absolutely critical for cell energy metabolism, which really is fat-burning. While B12 is not direct, it makes sense in fat burner stacks for its key role in supporting cell energy.
Calcium, 40 mg
Calcium is excellent for improved bone health, and may have an impact on fat metabolism. Taken in too high of a dose, it can have a negative health impact and cause heart issues, but at 40mg you should be perfectly fine.
Chromium, 200 mcg
Chromium is a mineral that regulates glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, making it useful for a fat burner. However, effective doses have been shown to 1,000 mcg taken twice a day. This ingredient is great, but falls short in the dosing.
Caffeine, 99mg
Not too much to say, as caffeine is a tried and true ingredient, found in nearly all pre-workouts. The dose however seems a bit low. Considering a small cup of coffee has around 80mg of caffeine, and most pre-workouts have at least 200mg, it’s a bit odd they went so low on caffeine.
5x Potentiator Blend, 130mg
The first ingredient in this blend, skullcap root, is a Chinese herb that has been shown to help improve cardiovascular and cognitive health, although only at doses of 500mg or greater. This ingredient is fine, but there isn’t enough of it.
The second ingredient is Bioperine, or black pepper fruit. This improves nutrient absorption, but it is also a fat burner in itself. A good ingredient to include in a supplement, and it works in small dosages, so everything checks out with the black pepper.
5x Thermogenic Blend, 198mg
Here we have cayenne fruit, Rhodiola rosea root, cinnamon bark, and ginger root extract. This is an interesting blend for a fat burner. Cayenne peppers are often used to stimulate metabolism, and they may have a slight effect on fat burning through increased body temperature.
Rhodiola rosea is another Chinese herb, one that is shown to have cognitive and neuroprotective benefits. It may also delay fatigue in high-stress situations.
The last two ingredients, cinnamon bark and ginger root extract, would have digestive benefits, can help improve insulin sensitivity, and generally provide benefits related to your food intake.
The ingredients in this blend are perfectly fine, although there is no way they are adequately dosed.
Formula Analysis
The ingredient profile is where this product breaks down. None of the ingredients are outright bad or worthless, but they just don’t work well together as a fat burner.
It relies on caffeine and vitamin-b as it’s primary energy source. These are two great ingredients, but none are in very high doses. This formula may provide some energy, but generally stimulant doses would be need to be higher for fat-burning effects.
Sadly, we also have issues with the proprietary blends. The blends have mediocre ingredients at best, and are under dosed, so it’s questionable if the ingredients would have any effect. It’s also interesting to note how many ingredients provide cognitive benefits, when the supplement is toted as a fat burner.
Ripped Fuel 5x Benefits
The typical benefits of a fat burner would be improved metabolism, energy, suppressed appetite, and better nutrient partitioning. Ripped Fuel claims to burn fat in five different ways, although this doesn’t seem to be the case.
The only ingredients that would have any effect on fat are found in low to moderate doses, and the other ingredients, while good for overall health, won’t have much effect on fat loss. While this product may help general health, it looks like it wouldn’t work as promised for getting ripped.
Who Takes It?
This formula is designed for the dieter, and given it’s marketing and branding, probably the gym rat, not the non-exerciser who just wants to lose weight. Given all of the it’s issues with the ingredients and proprietary blends, most people shouldn’t take this, as it just won’t do very much at all. If you’re looking for a good fat burner, look elsewhere.
Any Side Effects?
There isn’t much to say here, as all of the ingredients are low-dosed. The niacin may cause skin flushing and tingling, which some users find uncomfortable, but that’s about it.
Ripped Fuel 5x Summary
Pros
- No stimulant overload. It could be much higher in stimulants, so it’s nice to see a mild formula.
- Cognitive benefits. Things like memory, focus, and mental processing will be improved.
- Digestive boost. Cinnamon and ginger can calm the stomach and improve digestion.
Cons
- Proprietary blends. They use proprietary blends to under dose good ingredients.
- Nothing to support fat metabolism. Many fat burners use yohimbine, l-carnitine, or other ingredients to boost fat burning. This doesn’t
- Niacin. Not everyone enjoys the niacin flush, especially twice a day as this is meant to be taken.
Pricing & Buying Info
- 1 bottle (1 month): $24
- Available online and in retail stores
Final Word on Ripped Fuel 5x
This is one to pass on. Decent ingredients, but all look a little underdosed (get rid of your prop blends and prove us wrong, Twinlab), and many are not in the best form available. Still, for a newb looking for a milder fat-burning supplement, the weaker potency could be an advantage, and much easier to tolerate. But if you already lift and want to get shredded, you might want something stronger and more aggressive, like a fat burner that punches you in the face.
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