Yohimbine - How would you prove efficacy?

[Viduus]

This question is for the more scientifically rigorous members. How would you go about proving whether or not Yohimbine HCL can influence where fat is burned?

The theory is through it's effects on adrenergic receptors it can cause lypolisis to occur in places that are normally more resistant to it. (Trying to simplify what I read) Once the fat has been released your body would hopefully burn it in the traditional way before it's stored again. Assuming that's the theory being tested, how would you prove it? If my understanding of this particular aspect of Yohimbine HCL is wrong, please let me know but I'd still be curious how you'd test something that caused the described effect)

1. When testing compounds that increase fat loss you'd simply test one group against a control to see if there's an increase in fat loss. Since this scenario would cause an equal amount of fat loss in both groups you can't test it that way.
2. You could test where the fat loss occurred against a control group but this would obviously be trying to quantify something that is highly specific to each individual.
3. You could have the same individual "re-lose" a similar amount of weight with and without Yohimbine HCL and map where the fat loss occurred. Obviously flaw being the huge amount of other factors that would effect where the fat might be lost during each run.

My short experience with it made me think it might have been doing what the chemistry/biology seems to imply it could do but this obviously led to the question of how you would ever prove it's not just a placebo effect.

*I'm excluding any other effect it might have to raise metabolism and thinking specifically about the redistribution question.

 

[stonetag]

From my limited experience with it, both from using it, and knowing folks that have, I am on the placebo side of the fence, FWIW!

 

[Viduus]

From my limited experience with it, both from using it, and knowing folks that have, I am on the placebo side of the fence, FWIW!

I just have no way of knowing if I was simply at the point in my diet where it was the “stubborn” areas turn to go or if it actually had an effect. That’s what led me down the path of asking the question lol. You very well could be right.