DMBA (1,3-dimethylbutylamine) is found listed on the labels of a number of weight loss products.
The ingredient is also favoured by many manufactures of bodybuilding supplements and the fact that it can deliver very good results when used in both types of supplement has ensured DMBA is also a hit with supplement buyers.
Unfortunately DMBA has never really been tested on humans.
The same can be said of many popular supplement ingredients, but in the case of DMBA this appears to have become a big issue and the ingredient has been receiving a lot of bad press of late.
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What is DMBA?
On a chemical level DMBA is very similar to AMP-citrate; an ingredient that is highly favoured by many members of the bodybuilding community.
It is also often compared to the equally controversial ingredient DMAA, but it is generally accepted that DMBA has the greater potency and can provide better results, both as a fat burning pill and as a bodybuilding supplement.
Most of today’s DMBA is synthesised in laboratories located in Asia. It is produced in powder form and anyone looking at its whiter than white appearance could be forgiven if they began to wonder if the ingredient is really as black as the media are trying to paint it.
As with most controversial compounds in the supplement industry, the safety of DMBA and the risk of side effects aren’t going to be well defined any time soon.
The pervasive issues of minimal authoritative control, limited human trials and lack of true dosage data are going to hound ingredients like this one until some manufacturer takes it upon themselves to spend the necessary cash to do clinical tests.
Even then, the money factor tends to skew the truth, and what profit-making company puts a high-selling product under the microscope to test its safety – unless they are ordered to?
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it would be the message between-the-lines. In the case of questionable synthetic substances designed to stimulate the central nervous system, the deeper reasoning tends to be; we don’t know if it’s broke but it sells like hot cakes so we ain’t gonna fix it!
Anyway, the point I’m trying to make is – use it at your own risk, but if you really want to then please do these two things:
- Start small – micro-dose first, to see how your body deals with it. Even if it’s a multi-ingredient supplement.
- Go steady on the intensity of your workout until you know how you go with DMBA. It is a powerful, heart accelerating stimulant, after all. Don’t do a Max Heart-Rate treadmill run after taking it!
DMBA Fat Burning Benefits
DMBA assists weight loss by initiating thermogenic fat burning. This is a process by which calories are converted to heat. Science informs us that everything in the universe is energy in one form or another and heat is the lowest form of energy.
The calories provided by food are a form of chemical energy. When the body is provided with too many calories those calories are converted to body fat (a different form of chemical energy).
When DMBA is introduced to the body it initiates a chemical reaction that produces a slight rise in the body’s core temperature which then, via a complicated set of processes, causes the body to begin losing an increased amount of calories as heat.
Then, as the body is robbed of its main energy supply, it is forced to turn to its back up energy provider, body fat.
DMBA Bodybuilding Benefits
DMBA is a potent stimulant that can be very useful for providing extra energy so, not surprisingly, it is often favoured by bodybuilders who are looking for a pre-workout supplement to provide them with the extra edge they need to train harder and get better results.
It is also worth noting DMBA has a greater bioavailability than many similar ingredients and is, therefore, usually faster acting.
The fact that DMBA can also provide fat burning provides an added bonus that bodybuilders are sure to appreciate because hard, toned, muscles cannot be shown off to their best advantage if they are covered in layers of fat.
There are other fat burning supplements for bodybuilding to help fat loss and cutting that are less controversial.
DMBA vs AMP-Citrate
The fact that DMBA and AMP-citrate are so similar can often make the process of choosing the right supplement more difficult than would normally be the case.
On a chemical level the only difference is DMBA is bound to a molecule of hydrochloride, while AMP-citrate is bound to a molecule of citrate.
So which is the best? As is often the case scientific opinions can differ, but it is generally accepted that DMBA is the more powerful of the two.
Possible Side Effects of DMBA
Just like any other ingredient, DMBA may cause some users to experience side effects and the severity and range of side effects will vary on an individual basis.
Many people may experience little or no side effects at all, but possible side effects include headaches, insomnia, and increased heart rate.
Again, such side effects are typical of many other ingredients, so the present controversy surrounding the use of DMBA as a supplement ingredient appears to be largely due to the lack of testing on humans.
Typical Usage
Dosage is also somewhat of an issue because there are no official recommendations regarding this, but many manufacturers suggests a dosage of 150-200mg.
This is less than a typical dosage of AMP-citrate, but bearing in mind the fact that DMBA has a greater potency the dosage could be seen to be about right.
The recommended dosing intervals vary from one product to the next, but when DMBA is taken for weight loss the doses are usually spread throughout the day and timed to correspond with a main meal.
When taken as a bodybuilding supplement at least one of the doses is usually taken before training is commenced. In all cases, the product packaging should provide the best indication of how to use specific products in a safe and effective manner.
