The acute effects of the thermogenic supplement Meltdown on energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and hemodynamic responses in young, healthy males

Jean Jitomir, Erika Nassar, Julie Culbertson, Jen Moreillon, Thomas Buford, Geoffrey Hudson, Matt Cooke, Richard Kreider, Darryn S Willoughby

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a thermogenic supplement, Meltdown, on energy expenditure, fat oxidation, and hemodynamics before and after maximal treadmill exercise. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over design, 12 male participants underwent two testing sessions after consuming either the Meltdown or placebo supplement. While in a fasted state, participants rested for one hour, orally ingested either Meltdown or placebo and rested for another hour, performed a maximal treadmill exercise test, and then rested for another hour. Throughout the testing protocol, resting energy expenditure (REE) and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were assessed. In addition, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) were assessed before and after exercise. Meltdown increased REE significantly more than placebo at 45 min (1.44 +/- 0.25 vs. 1.28 +/- 0.23 kcal/min; p = 0.003), 60 min (1.49 +/- 0.28 vs. 1.30 +/- 0.22 kcal/min; p = 0.025), and 120 min (1.51 +/- 0.26 vs. 1.33 +/- 0.27 kcals/min; p = 0.014) post-ingestion. Meltdown significantly decreased RER at 30 min (0.84 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.91 +/- 0.04; p = 0.022) and 45 min post-ingestion (0.82 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.89 +/- 0.05; p = 0.042), and immediately post-exercise (0.83 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.90 +/- 0.07; p = 0.009). Furthermore, over the course of the evaluation period, area under the curve assessment demonstrated that REE was significantly increased with Meltdown compared to placebo (992.5 +/- 133.1 vs. 895.1 +/- 296.1 kcals; p = 0.043), while RER was significantly less than placebo (5.55 +/- 0.61 vs. 5.89 +/- 0.44; p = 0.002) following ingestion. HR and BP were not significantly affected prior to exercise with either supplement (p > 0.05) and the exercise-induced increases for HR and BP decreased into recovery and were not different between supplements (p > 0.05). These data suggest that Meltdown enhances REE and fat oxidation more than placebo for several hours after ingestion in fully rested and post-exercise states without any adverse hemodynamic responses associated with maximal exercise.