Effects of a Single Dose of BURN-XT™ on Resting Metabolic Rate, Substrate Oxidation, and Various Indices of Affect

Abstract

Introduction: Many consumers use dietary supplements in the hopes of increasing energy and burning more calories, which if sustained over time may help accelerate weight loss. The purpose of this clinical trial was to investigate the effects of an over-the-counter thermogenic supplement called Burn-XT™ (BXT) on metabolic rate, substrate oxidation, and various psychometric indices of affect that impact weight management.  Methods: Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over design, 16 women and 10 men (29.3 ± 7.3 yr, 169.4 ± 8.6 cm, 75.5 ± 14.3 kg) underwent two testing sessions: placebo (PL) and BXT.  Seated metabolic rate and substrate oxidation, vital signs, and anchored visual analogue scale (VAS) assessments of energy, mood, motivation, focus, fatigue, concentration, and appetite were made before supplementation and hourly for three hours post-ingestion. Two-factor (2x4) factorial ANOVAs and paired sample t-tests (corrected for multiple comparisons) were used for analyses. Results: Significant increases in metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) were noted at 60 minutes in BXT (+11.9 mL O2/min) vs. PL (-2.5 mL O2/min), p = 0.004, d = -0.74.  Only BXT increased metabolic rate compared to baseline at 60 minutes (+11.9 mL O2/min, p = 0.021, d = -0.53) and 120 minutes (+12.1 mL O2/min, p = 0.019, d = -0.54).  The AUC for resting energy expenditure increased more in BXT vs. PL (p = 0.007, d = -0.57).  VAS detected significant improvements in energy, mood, focus, and concentration for BXT vs. PL at 120 and 180 minutes (all p < 0.05, d = -0.58 to -0.68).  In all cases, within-group changes from baseline for these VAS parameters were significant (all p < 0.05, d = -0.76 to -1.38) in BXT but not in PL.  No within or between group differences in appetite, substrate oxidation, or heart rate were noted.  Small (~3-4 mm Hg), but statistically significant (p < 0.05, d = -0.51 to -0.69) increases in diastolic blood pressure were noted in BXT at 60, 120, and 180 min vs. PL; and in systolic blood pressure at 60 min vs. PL. In all cases, values remained within normal clinical hemodynamic ranges. Conclusions: A single dose of BXT safely increased metabolic rate, energy, mood, focus, and concentration. Given that these factors are known to favorably impact weight management, future studies should determine whether daily supplementation with BXT reduces body weight and improves body composition.