The Best Time to Take Fat Burners for Optimal Results
If you want to benefit from fat burners, it's important to take them at the right time. Some are designed to be taken in the morning, and others in the evening.
We break down the difference between the two and explore when experts recommend taking them to help you optimize your fitness journey.
Key Takeaways
- Fat burning supplements are designed to enhance fat loss by supporting your body's natural fat breakdown.
- They are most effective when taken alongside diet and exercise.
- Fat burning ingredients include caffeine, capsaicin, and Lyzme 5.
- Many people recommend taking fat burners on an empty stomach or before your workout.
- Some fat burner supplements are designed to be taken in the evening, and may contain sleep-supporting ingredients.
See More: Is It Better to Eat Before or After a Workout?
All About Fat Burner Supplements
Carriejune, founder of Minibeast, says:
"Fat burners can support a weight loss journey built on diet and exercise. At least, they can if you take them at the right time. Some are designed to be taken in the morning, and others in the evening before bed."
A balanced diet and regular physical activity are the two core tenets of fat loss. But an increasing number of people are also taking fat burners to supplement those.
The number is higher than you might think. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 15% of Americans have used weight loss supplements.¹
Some research suggests fat burners can support fat loss when combined with diet and exercise. But like any supplement, you might need to take them at specific times.
Many fat burners work by using a range of ingredients, but the most common is caffeine. It's a stimulant, so if you take it in the evening, it could disrupt your sleep. For that reason, experts often recommend taking fat burners in the morning.
However, there are non-stimulant fat burners. Some high-quality fat burners even contain additional ingredients to help support quality sleep. They're designed to be taken in the evening.
Therefore, when you take your fat burner will depend on the specific supplement you choose. And that depends on your personal preferences and fitness goals.
To help you figure out what fat burner to take, and when to take it, let's break down exactly how these supplements work.
How Fat Burners Work
Fat burning supplements are generally designed to support your body's natural fat metabolism processes. The general idea is to help your body tap into and break down its fat stores, thus reducing body fat and altering body composition.
Some contain ingredients that are lipolytic. That means they can stimulate fat oxidation, or fat breakdown.
Thermogenesis
Others contain ingredients that are thermogenic. That refers to the production of heat, such as when your body burns calories.
The idea here is that slightly raising body temperature can increase your overall energy expenditure (metabolism). If you increase the calories your body burns, you could theoretically support weight loss.
But is that really possible?
Well, research shows it might be. One 2024 study gave women a thermogenic supplement. Participants demonstrated an increased metabolic rate and calorie expenditure.²
Another study from the same year placed participants who were overweight on a thermogenic supplement program. Those participants burned about 200 extra calories in the two hours after taking the supplement compared to participants who were given a placebo.³
Yet another study looked at athletic men. Those given thermogenic supplements had their metabolism increase by between 9% and 11.5%.⁴
And a 2025 study gave participants thermogenic supplements while they completed a two-month workout program. The participants who took the supplements showed "significantly greater reductions in fat mass" compared to a control group.⁵
Examples of Fat-Burning Ingredients
That said, not every fat-burning supplement is made equal. Some contain high-quality, research-backed ingredients. Others, well, don't.
So what specific ingredients have been shown to potentially work?
Caffeine
One of the most commonly used thermogenic ingredients is caffeine. Caffeine is often used in stimulant fat burners.
Research suggests caffeine can enhance resting energy expenditure.⁶ Other studies suggest it can support muscle performance.⁷
Interestingly, several studies have found an association between a higher caffeine intake and larger reductions in body weight and fat mass.⁸
Of course, caffeine can also famously provide you with the energy and focus you might need to push through a particularly tough workout. Workout intensity is often important, both to burn fat and build strength.
Green Tea or Coffee Extract
Along with caffeine, green tea extract is another common ingredient in stimulant fat burners. It's thought to enhance thermogenesis, support fat oxidation, and, when taken alongside diet and exercise, may help with fat loss.
For example, one study gave obese women with excess abdominal fat green tea extract supplements for twelve weeks. Participants given the supplements experienced "significant weight loss" and "reduced weight circumference" compared to the control group.⁹
Research also suggests that coffee extract may support weight loss.¹⁰ In part, that may be because coffee and green tea both contain caffeine.
Capsaicin
You've almost certainly experienced capsaicin's effects before. It's the compound that gives chilies their heat.
Capsaicin also causes your body to release adrenaline.¹¹ That, in turn, might enhance metabolism, making capsaicin another common thermogenic fat burner.
Multiple studies have found that capsaicin supplements can enhance caloric expenditure. According to one review, the increase is about 50 calories daily.¹²
Lyzme 5
You might have heard of coffee, caffeine, and even capsaicin. But what about Lyzme 5?
If not, don't worry. It's the new kid on the block: A patented supplement, specifically designed to support and enhance fat metabolism.
Like other thermogenic supplements, the idea with Lyzme 5 is targeting stored fat cells.
One pre-clinical study gave Lyzme 5 to three individuals for six weeks. No other changes were made to the participants' lifestyles, including diet or exercise routine.
At the end of the study, all three participants had lost body weight and fat.¹³
Bonus: A Woman's Guide to Picking the Right Dumbbell Weight
When To Take Your Fat Burner
Fat burners might be a useful part of an overall fitness routine built around diet and exercise. But for maximum effectiveness, you need to take them at the right time.
On an Empty Stomach
Many experts recommend taking fat burners first thing in the morning, before you eat breakfast. When you take a fat burner supplement while fasted, your body can absorb the active ingredients faster.
Additionally, fasting overnight can trigger your body's natural fat-burning process. Some people believe that taking fat burning while fasted can essentially build on that.
Before Workouts
Other people swear by taking their fat burner supplements before their workout. The general recommendation here is to take your fat burner about 30 minutes before you start working out.
In part, that's because many fat burners contain workout-supporting ingredients. For example, recall the study that found caffeine supported performance.
Early In the Day
If you're taking stimulant fat burners, the most important thing is to take it in the morning. Taking them later in the day can interfere with your sleep.
That's not a worthwhile tradeoff. Quality sleep is extremely important for progress. Sleep is when your body recovers from your workouts, and the recovery process is when your muscles actually grow.
At Night
Of course, that's if you're taking stimulant fat burners. What about non-stimulant fat burners?
Some fat burners are specifically designed to be taken in the evening. If you work out in the evening, you could follow the above advice and take your supplement about thirty minutes before exercising.
One of the unique beneficial effects of these supplements is sleep support. High-quality non-stim fat burners include ingredients that may support sleep duration, onset, and quality.
How to Choose the Best Fat Burner
Which kind of fat burner you take is up to you.
If you find you perform better with the boost provided by stimulants, or if you're an early bird who likes to hit the gym first thing, a stimulant fat burner might be right.
Minibeast's Shreds 2.0 is a great option. It contains many of the research-backed ingredients we discussed, including caffeine and Lyzme 5 to boost your metabolism and get your body primed for fat loss.
On the other hand, if you prefer working out in the evening, want a little extra sleep support, or simply can't take any more stimulants, go for a non-stimulant fat burner.
For that, check out Minibeast's Overnight Shredzzz - an overnight fat burner. It's your nightly fat-burning reset button, designed to help you burn calories and wake up leaner without stimulants. Fat-burning ingredients like Lyzme 5 are blended with natural sleep support from melatonin, GABA, and L-tryptophan to help you unwind and fall asleep fast.
Conclusion
Fat-burning supplements are best used alongside a balanced diet and exercise. Research suggests they can support and perhaps enhance weight and fat loss.
If you take a fat burner with stimulants, consider doing so first thing in the morning. And if you take a non-stim version designed to support sleep, take it in the evening.
Frequently Asked Questions
When to Take a Fat Burner for Best Results?
Many people recommend taking fat burners first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, or roughly thirty minutes before a workout. If your supplement contains caffeine, try not to take it too late in the day, or it could interfere with your sleep.
Can I Take a Fat Burner With an Empty Stomach?
Yes! In fact, many people recommend taking fat burners on an empty stomach. Doing so is thought to lead to faster absorption.
What Is the 3-3-3 Rule for Fat Loss?
The 3-3-3 rule is a simple framework to help guide your weight loss journey. It calls for eating three balanced meals per day, drinking three liters of water by 3 pm, and aiming for at least three hours of physical activity across each week.
Keep Reading: Gym vs. Home Workouts: Which Is Better for You?
Sources
- Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss - Health Professional Fact Sheet
- The effects of a thermogenic supplement on metabolic and hemodynamic variables and subjective mood states - PMC
- The Effects of Two Servings of a Thermogenic Supplement on Metabolism, Hemodynamic Variables, and Mood State Outcomes in Young Overweight Adults - PubMed
- A Commercially Available Thermogenic Dietary Supplement Increases Resting Metabolic Rate in Physically Active Males: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Investigation
- Thermogenic Supplementation and Fat Loss in Resistance-Trained Males: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- A Randomized Study to Examine the Ability of a Caffeine-Based Energy Drink to Impact Energy Expenditure, Fat Oxidation, and Cognitive Performance
- Caffeine enhances activity thermogenesis and energy expenditure in rats - PMC
- The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dos-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - PubMed
- Therapeutic effect of high-dose green tea extract on weight reduction: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial - PubMed
- Supplementation of green coffee bean extract in healthy overweight subjects increases lean mass/fat mass ratio: A randomized, double-blind clinical study - PMC
- The truth about thermogenics - Nutritionist Resource
- The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-analyses of Studies in Humans
- Lyzme5® Pre-clinical Human Study Human Study I Summary Report All American Pharmaceutical and Natural Foods Corporation
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