VPX Clenbutrx Hardcore - Brief Overview

Being asked by a member of a Facebook page I visit regularly (hi Paul!) I thought I could publicly go into some detail on this purported "hardcore fat destroying formula".

So what do we have? Obviously, a proprietary blend, i.e. except from the person who mixes the product, nobody knows the exact dosage of the ingredients. The only thing they tell you is that the whole blend weighs 449mg and of these 165mg are caffeine (that stuff that has its name from coffee, you know!?). This is about the amount some of the milder pre-workouts carry as well and equals 2 smaller cups of coffee. The standard for thermogenics is about 200mg caffeine per serving and the fact that VPX cuts back on that is promising, because they must be convinced people will see results even without high amounts of caffeine (a very cheap ingredient) that might give some people the shivers.
Overall, the formula is very similar to other VPX products. As far as scientifically proven thermogenic or adipolytic properties are concerned, the following three ingredients could be of interest:

1. Yohimbine (Alpha-, -HCL, Hydroxy-) - Two studies [1, 2] financed by VPX showed increased energy expenditure in subjects taking VPX' fatburner Meltdown and attributed these effects mainly to the synergism of those three forms of yohimbine. It has previously been established that yohimbine  by inhibition of alpha-2-receptors should theoretically facilitate fatloss. This is particularly true for areas such as tighs, abs and other areas covered which what is generally known as "stubborn fat". In spite of the sound theoretical background there is yet only one study that investigated the effect of yohimbine supplementation on fat loss. Supplementation of 20mg yohimbine/day to soccer players over 21 days induced significant fatloss effects in this group of highly trained subjects [3].
2. M-TTA (=methyl tetradecylthioacetic acid) - Several studies [eg. 4] report positive effects of TTA supplementation on body composition of rodents. In men a lipid lowering effect has been observed for doses of 1g/day. No study investigated the effect of methylation on the efficiency of TTA. So whether the tiny amount of M-TTA (one serving of the proprietary blend, i.e. all ingredients together, is only 449mg!) cannot be said. At least it is unlikely that you will experience similar cramping and water retention as users of other higher-dose TTA-products reported.
3. Geranium Oil - Whether it is or is not an effective contribution to the formula largely depends on the amount of Geranamin (=Methylhexaneamine) the oil contains. Originally designed as a nasal decongestant, Geranamin, often labeled as 1,3-dimethylamylamine, is said to have similar (but milder) effects on beta-receptors than its "brother" Ephedrine.
   The stimulating effects of adequate doses of Geranamin stand out of question. Unfortunately, the same holds for the suprisingly short period until your body adapts to the stimulus and the stim-effect diminishes. In spite of that, anectotal report tells us that (at least cycled appropriately) it is a great weight-loss tool. From a scientific perspective, its effectiveness as a "fatburner" yet still have to be established.

Ok, I already hear you say: "What about the other ingredients? There is more to it than those three." The answer is plain and simple. If you do not lose fat on a combination of those three, the other ingredients certainly won't help either.
So follow my general advice: Get your diet in check, exercise hard and regularly (frequently visit the SuppVersity ;-) and you will see results - with or without a fat-burner.