Which way do we lean?
Looking at Alpha Lean-7 from Hard Rock Supplements, I got to wondering what the 7 was all about. Like so many of these products is it just supposed to make the title pop, or is this the 7th version of the formula?
Also, if it is, is that a good or bad thing? Surely a really quality, properly researched, burner would’ve got it right the first time out. On the other hand, science comes at you fast, and it’s a good brand that’s willing to adapt and update.
In short, do we have a Magnificent 7 or a Police Academy 7 on our hands here?
Alpha Lean-7 claims to:
Unfortunately finding out if this is lucky number 7 will be tough thanks to the fact that some of the most important information is hidden by a proprietary blend. That’s right, no individual ingredient dosages, so no way of knowing what’s active here and what isn’t.
Apparently we owe them money but they don’t owe us details. Still, let’s see what we can piece together anyway.
The first big problem with Alpha Lean-7 is that the total proprietary blend volume is less than some burners give one ingredient. This makes you instantly question if you’re getting enough of what’s good in the formula, such as green tea, caffeine, yohimbe and L-Carnitine.
The limited space on offer here is made worse by too much focus on, well, focus. A reduced calorie diet can cause a drop in mood, stamina and concentration but maybe we don’t need quite as many stimulants on top of the caffeine. Especially relatively untested ones. Some of these less impressive choices could’ve given way to strengthen the actual fat burning profile.
At $35/£26 for a month’s supply it’s fair to say that Alpha Lean-7 isn’t over charging by natural burner standards. Then again, as you’ll see they’re not exactly over delivering either.
So while the manufacturers deserve credit for not charging the same as the really quality competition, look around and you’ll probably find better for this kind of budget.
Alpha Lean-7 is sold largely through the Strong Supplement Shop retailer, meaning all the reviews are customer feedback from there. Satisfaction is high and we’re assured these are all verified buyers.
However they are just faceless names and short paragraphs, which are always of limited help if you’re seriously sizing up a supplement’s worth. You should always look for detailed testimonials, with full names, in-depth statements, photos and videos.
Trust wise, the good news is you don’t get carried by major online retailers on both sides of the Atlantic if you’re going to cause spontaneous combustion or something.
So we can say it’s safe to consume. But this is still $30 for a low volume of so-so formula you don’t know the full details of. That’s not how you get high marks and a pat on the back from this website.
There’s not a lot of info out there on Hard Rock Supplements, which is a shame. High profile usually means high quality. That’s not to say this is scam of course. The Strong Supplement website carries loads of the company’s supplements and they seem content to let those guys do the legwork of marketing and customer service.
So not a lot of info, but no real scandals either.
Users take 1 serving of 1 capsule in the morning, then another 6-8 hours later.
You might think 1 capsule is too little given the handfuls some burners expect you take, but actually there’s nothing wrong with a 1 cap dosing system. If there’s a problem here it’s that we’re only getting 2 servings a day.
Effects of these supplements tend to be at their best for about 3 to 4 hours. After that they start to taper off, so any help you were getting is lost for parts of the day.
This is where proprietary blends are a real problem. A couple of things may or may not cause problems here, we could only say if we had exact numbers.
Caffeine for example is great, but too much could be a recipe for headaches, nausea, dizziness. Same goes for Yohimbe. Dosed correctly it could bean excellent addition, but too much of it can lead to gastrointestinal distress, anxiety and hypertension.
Alpha Lean-7 is available from Strong Supplement Shop for $35 or £17, which gets you a month’s supply.
The first burner regular. Caffeine is a great choice for two reasons; firstly it speeds up your metabolism, burning through far more fat, and secondly it provides energy to help you avoid the slumps that normally come with a low calorie diet.
The 'Anhydrous' part refers to the fact that the water is removed to leave a white, crystalline powder with concentrated potency.
One or two small studies have shown that dandelion has a diuretic effect, causing users to urinate more frequently and possibly helping to shift water weight in the short term, but it has no metabolism boosting or thermogenic effects so is a pretty weak inclusion.
DMAE is a choline molecule used as a natural way to combat cognitive fatigue or decline. Sadly the one noteable human study on this we found reported no change after 24 weeks of a daily 1.5g dosage given to the elderly. Not much work has been done on other uses or age groups, but it doesn't look all that promising.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22330824This simulant has come into the spotlight since the FDA banned Ephedrine in 2006. It's meant to have many of the same benefits with none of the dangers, so increased energy and focus, along with a feeling of euphoria and possible appetite suppressing qualities.
We would say it needs more research however both in terms of effectiveness and saftey, given what happened with what it's meant to be replacing.
A compound derived from the amino acid Choline and found naturally in plants species such as beets. Recent research has suggested in the right dose it may have promise as a natural pre-workout, helping power output. If this is true it may help you to cut weight the old fashioned way, but no fat burning qualities.
https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2011/08000/Effect_of_15_Days_of_Betaine_Ingestion_on.22.aspx
Key to any fat burner’s effectiveness is it's thermogenic profile and they don’t come much more impressive than this powerful antioxidant. Green Tea’s catechins stimulate a fat burning hormone called norepinephrine, which naturally raises the body temperature, vastly increasing the number of calories burnt.
L-Carnitine has consistently proved in scientific studies that it aids the efficient transfer of fatty acids into useable energy, meaning less excess gets stored. The overall impact this has on weight loss had come in for some question of late, but no one’s arguing it’ll give you a sizeable energy boost which can be put to good use in the gym.
This plant has useful antioxidant effects and also has proven useful in some trials as a natural means of managing weight if used in the correct dose.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1570348/From a fat burning perspective this works in much the same way as Yohimbe as it works on the alpha receptors in the brain which put limits on the amount of fat burning the body does. Also used as a natural treatment of mental disorders due to it's effect on cognition. Sometimes called Alpha Yohimbe as it is seen as more potent with less side effects.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6276200More thermogenic ingredients are needed here. Green coffee bean and cayenne pepper are two of our favorites.
Some more convincing appetite control would be useful. Total dependency on stimulants to suppress hunger isn’t ideal.
A few good ingredients can’t save Alpha Lean-7. Too many filler choices and questions over amounts. Would we recommend you buy it?
We’re Alpha Leaning towards no.
