Co-Axel: The Ingredient That Fuels SteelFit’s Abs Of Steel!

SteelFit

SteelFit is a relatively “new” brand but we’ve known them in the business forever. So far their formulas are intense and we’re loving them! See all SteelFit products and news on PricePlow!

SteelFit has become quite a popular brand in a relatively short span of time. They’ve been able to release several products that get rave reviews, including Steel Whey, Steel Pump, Steel Dreams, and our favorite, Shredded Steel.

However, SteelFit is more than just a sports nutrition brand; they’re also known for being a leader in the development of skin fitness products. This makes sense since their team came from the makers of Pro Tan, a well-respected name in skincare and tanning products. Through Pro Fit’s tenure, Team SteelFit has racked up over 30 years of experience, and fully understands what it takes to create effective formulas that deliver results.

We’ve covered several of SteelFit’s supplements linked above, but now it’s time to dig into what makes their topical line so popular.

SteelFit: A Leader In Skin Fitness Products

SteelFit Weight Loss Stack

SteelFit’s line of weight loss products dominates the industry!

Some of SteelFit’s best selling topical creams include Abs of Steel, Buns of Steel and their new Steel Fit + Tone. These are not supplements – they’re applied to your skin — right to the areas you’re imagining! There are countless five-star reviews on their website, and we’ve seen some incredible (and borderline NSFW) results on @SteelFitUSA‘s Instagram, but what’s the secret?

Can a topical cream really help enhance your physique or bring out greater definition?

Well, that depends on the ingredients. And just like any well-formulated supplement, these products can help you get faster results, but proper diet and exercise always come first! There are several topical creams that don’t really do much, but SteelFit found a way to make a formula that actually works with cutting-edge, research-validated, patented ingredients.

CoAxel: SteelFit’s Secret Weapon For Optimal Results

Although SteelFit uses several great ingredients, the main one we’re going to discuss is CoAxel, which can be found in Abs of Steel. We all know the midsection can be the most difficult part to lose the fat, so it would be great to have something that can help with that! PricePlow calls CoAxel the triple threat because it contains a unique combination of caffeine, L-carnitine, and coenzyme A to maximize fat burning.

This is by far one of the most interesting and effective topical skin fitness ingredients to hit the market, and we show you why in this post. Before we dig into this powerful ingredient, make sure to sign up for PricePlow’s SteelFit news and deal alerts so you don’t miss out on any new releases, our monthly giveaways, and never pay full retail price again!

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It will help you better understand how topicals work and give you insight on how SteelFit is doing things differently to obtain the best results!

Co-Axel Ingredient Explanation

Steel Fit and Tone

SteelFit’s line of topical creams deliver insane results because they are permeable.

As we previously mentioned above, Co-Axel is a combination of three potent fat burning ingredients: L-carnitine, caffeine, and coenzyme A. They all work synergistically to help free up fatty acids, and then break them down to be used for energy production (meaning you still have to put the work in).

It’s an epic trio of compounds that are each extremely effective on their own, but when used together, the results may be amplified.

Prior to explaining these three compounds and what they do on a physiological level, let’s first discuss why SteelFit’s topical creams actually work, because the vast majority of readers may be suspicious without seeing any science. It comes down to ensuring proper absorption, which allows the ingredients to actually express their intended effects.

  • Skin: More than just a pretty face

    It’s well established that the skin is the largest organ in our bodies, and the majority of people would never even think to call it an organ. But its importance cannot be overstated, since the skin takes on several key roles that help you stay healthy. First, the skin acts as a barrier between your internal systems and the outside world. Consider it your first line of defense when trying to fight off bacteria and foreign pathogens that cause infections or illnesses.

    It also helps maintain a proper body temperature and protects your insides from external environmental conditions, such as heat and cold. Last, it manages nutrient levels and can even prevent vitamin D deficiency when getting adequate sunlight exposure (remember: vitamin D is actually a hormone generated by the skin). It goes without saying that without your skin, you wouldn’t last very long.

    • The Skin’s Many Layers

      SteelFit Abs of Steel

      One of the reasons Abs of Steel is so effective is because it contains 5% CoAxel.

      Because one of the skin’s main roles is protection, it has several layers which make it difficult for some topical ingredients to pass through. There is an epidermis (outermost layer), the dermis (middle layer) and finally the hypodermis (innermost layer). The hypodermis is where the fat and connective tissue are found, so any topical ingredients need to be able to reach this point before they can actually do anything. One of SteelFit’s secrets to success is that they not only penetrate into the skin, but get their ingredients absorbed too.

      If the ingredients merely penetrate the skin, they get stuck somewhere between the epidermis and hypodermis, and aren’t able to carry out many effects. With proper absorption, the bioactive compounds can actually pass through the hypodermis, where they can get processed and circulated throughout the body.

      SteelFit ensures their topical formulas are permeable, meaning they can be sufficiently absorbed and pass through each layer of the skin. Just like with any other dietary supplement, absorption and bioavailability are key to getting optimal results, and topical creams are no different.

      CoAxel may be an awesome ingredient, however if the body cannot utilize it, then what’s the point? We can’t speak for other companies, but we can say that with SteelFit, you don’t have to worry if the ingredients are being properly absorbed, because their technology has you covered!

      Now, let’s get into what makes CoAxel a fast-acting fat burner!

The Three Pillars of CoAxel

We’re going to cover what each ingredient does on its own and then explain how there’s a synergistic effect between them all.

  • L-Carnitine

    If you’ve ever looked at a well-formulated fat burner, chances are you’ll find a good dose of L-carnitine on the label. Although it has several roles within the body, the main one it’s known for is transporting long-chain fatty acids into the cell’s mitochondria to undergo beta-oxidation.[1]

    SteelFit Steel Greens and Multi-V

    In addition to be a leader in skin fitness products, SteelFit also offers great supplements!

    As a result, the fatty acids are broken down and you get an abundance of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to use for energy! Without carnitine, the fatty acids would just sit outside of the cell’s mitochondria, thus never being able to be burned off.

    It’s a crucial step in the process of burning fat, which is why you see it in the majority of products geared towards weight loss. Furthermore, studies also show that L-carnitine can have an appetite suppressing effect via directly impacting the hypothalamus, and it may improve insulin resistance.[1]

    Not only does carnitine help you burn off unwanted fat, but by creating more ATP, it can result in huge performance gains in the gym. A meta-analysis done in 2018 that cited nearly 100 studies, concluded that since L-carnitine helps the body work more efficiently on a cellular level, it’s a highly effective ergogenic aid.[2] For the record, when ingested as a dietary supplement, the clinical doses are nearly universally 2g/day. In addition, some of the lesser known benefits include: improved blood flow, recovery from muscular injury, and enhanced physical/mental energy in the elderly.[2]

    The issue lately is that many diets are deficient in L-Carnitine. This is especially true for low-calorie dieters, vegans, vegetarians, or anyone avoiding red meat. For those individuals, we always recommend supplementation, but skin supplementation is another way to get more to where it belongs!

    As you can see L-carnitine is quite the powerful compound and it’s only the first ingredient!

  • Coenzyme A

    Coenzyme A (CoA) is a lesser known ingredient that can also help speed up fat loss, due to the role it plays in fatty acid transportation and the citric acid cycle.[3] It’s naturally produced within the body from a combination of vitamin B5 and the non-proteinogenic amino acid cysteine.

    SteelFit Weight Loss Stack

    Three supplements designed to help you burn fat faster!

    CoA is used for several functions throughout the body, but one of it’s main roles includes helping transport fatty acids from the cell’s cytoplasm to the mitochondria. It’s able to achieve this action by combining with an acyl group to form acyl-CoA, which can then bond to the fatty acids and guide them along.[3]

    SteelFit likes to call the combination of CoA and carnitine a “one way fatty acid pump”.

    As we discussed in the section above, L-carnitine helps the fats get into the mitochondria to be burned. However, they also need something to get them to the mitochondria in the first place, and that’s where CoA steps in. Therefore, the fats really have no choice but to be shuttled into the cell’s mitochondria to be used for energy production with the presence of CoA and carnitine.

    As you can see, CoAxel is all about making your body more efficient at burning fat – especially while in a caloric deficit or other low-insulin / low-blood-glucose state where fat oxidation is enabled. Since this ingredient is applied topically, it’s more likely to have a greater effect in a localized area, opposed to all over the body.

    Last, CoA is also heavily-used in the citric acid cycle, which is another way your body produces ATP through utilizing glucose, glycogen, protein, and fats.[4] In this process, the CoA molecule combines with an acetyl group to form Acetyl-CoA, which then enters the citric acid cycle.[4]

  • Caffeine

    Caffeine is not just something that can boost your energy and performance, it’s also a very powerful fat loss ingredient! Several studies show that ingested caffeine can result in a significant decrease in body fat, BMI, and body weight.[5]

    SteelFit Buns of Steel

    One of SteelFit’s best sellers.

    However, it achieves these effects in a variety of different ways. The first is the most obvious one is through more intense workouts (a la SteelFit’s Steel Pump), since caffeine can boost your energy, you’ll train harder and move around more throughout the day, ultimately resulting in greater caloric expenditure.

    But since this is a topical product, the fat reducing effects are likely to be caused by an increase in fat oxidation. Studies show that caffeine is able to act as a phosphodiesterase antagonist, resulting in decreased breakdown of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP).[6,7] There seems to be a rate-limiting effect to lipolysis that’s dependent on the presence of cAMP.[6,7] In other words if there is not enough cAMP available then the release of fatty acids from adipose tissue is drastically reduced.[6,7]

    cAMP is responsible for acting as a second messenger that can activate hormone sensitive lipase,[8] which then tells the stored fat cells to release fatty acids because the body needs energy. cAMP is an important intermediate in the fat burning process that can’t be overlooked.

    Phosphodiesterases are a group of enzymes that break down cAMP,[6-8] which is the last thing you want when trying to maximize fat loss. With the help of caffeine, your body will have greater levels of cAMP by blocking this from occurring! Not to mention caffeine is also a well known appetite suppressant,[5] so you’re getting several benefits from this alone!

    A study conducted in 2018 found that a slimming cream containing water soluble caffeine was effective at reducing the presence of cellulite in female’s thighs and upper arms.[9] Cellulite consists of subcutaneous deposits of fat which make the skin look lumpy or dimpled. Losing fat through diet and exercise is the main way to get rid of cellulite, however using a cream may help speed up the results!

    • Other Benefits Of Caffeine!

      SteelFit Black Cherry Slushie Steel Pump

      This flavor is insane, and the formula is even better!

      In addition to increased fat loss, studies show that topical application of caffeine may be able to protect the skin from UVB-induced photodamage via enhancing the removal of damaged keratinocytes.[10] As a result, it reduces the amount of photodamage and photocarcinogenesis.[10]

      Another study conducted in 2018 found that caffeine was able to protect the skin from oxidative stress by activating autophagy.[11] Autophagy is a very complex process that the body utilizes to get rid of old or damaged cells. It naturally occurs, but there may be some ways to enhance the rate of autophagy. In this study, Caffeine was able to enhance autophagy through several downstream effects.

      First it inhibited adenosine receptors, which led to an increased sirtuin 3, and that resulted in the stimulation of 5’ AMPK, which finally activated autophagy.[11] This may lead to increased growth of new cells and result in better looking, healthier, skin. It’s important to note however, that so far these effects have only been shown in animal models.[10,11] But caffeine is quite the powerful substance, so it’s no surprise that it can affect the body in multiple ways.

Where You Can Find CoAxel

SteelFit has a phenomenal line of weight loss supplements and topical fat burning creams. The main product you can find CoAxel in is Abs of Steel. It contains 5% CoAxel in addition to several other ingredients that help enhance the look of your midsection! But as we mentioned at the very beginning, proper diet and exercise will yield the greatest effects.

  • Regarding diet and skin: consider the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

    For instance, one of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic is the rampant increase in our omega-6 to omega-3 ratios.[12]

    SteelFit Shredded Steel Label

    Stack Abs of Steel with Shredded Steel for even better results!

    It turns out that over the past couple of decades, skin biopsies have shown an enormous increase in the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in the skin and fat,[13] and much of that is in the form of linoleic acid, an essential but extremely inflammatory fatty acid when over-consumed. We argue that this is a major contributor to cellulite as well!

    To avoid this, we need to improve our fatty acid ratios significantly – but there’s only so much omega-3 and fish you can eat. The other option is to lower the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids from your diets, especially those high in linoleic acid. And the vast majority of those in our food supply come from processed foods high in “vegetable oils” / “seed oils” like soybean oil, corn oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and cottonseed oil.

    Removing these “frankenfats” to a bare minimum could have tremendous effects on your skin’s health and vitality, and may even make you sunburn less[14] since they’re so prone to oxidation and rancidity![15]

    But all told, once that’s figured out, Abs of Steel is just a tool that can speed up the process a bit!

This is why SteelFit Exists

One of the main reasons they started SteelFit was to allow for more room to branch out and offer high-quality supplements, in addition to skincare products. After trying several of their supplements, we can confidently say that they achieved that goal, with incredibly-dosed supplements that always bring something unique to the table. On top of that, SteelFit works with physicians to formulate the best products possible. Their motto says it all, “We will never manufacture a product that we personally wouldn’t take or wouldn’t give to our friends and family.”

CoAxel Is A Powerful Weapon To Enhance Your Physique

The secret has now been revealed and you can clearly see what makes SteelFit’s fat burning topical creams so effective. It all comes down to using ingredients backed by research and creating a formula that is permeable. PricePlow is very glad to see them address that issue head on through educating people on the importance of bioavailability, even in regards to topical products.

SteelFit Owner Rob

The crew at SteelFit are dedicated to giving you the best products that can possibly be formulated.

CoAxel is truly a triple threat for fat burning by combining L-carnitine, coenzyme A, and caffeine! While caffeine helps free up the fatty acids from storage, coenzyme A ensures they’re able to enter the cell’s cytosol, and L-carnitine shuttles the fatty acids into mitochondria to finally be oxidized! Burning fat can be quite the hefty process since there’s several steps involved. However, when you’re in a caloric deficit through decreasing food intake and increasing activity levels, SteelFit’s weight loss products can fast track your results by supplying you with all the tools for optimal fat oxidation!

It’s hard to believe that SteelFit is still considered as “the new kid on the block” in the supplement industry, but looking at their formulas, their 30+ years of experience really shows. We can’t wait to see where they go next! By subscribing down below, you’ll be the first to know what’s going on with SteelFit and get exclusive deals you can’t find anywhere else!

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Disclosure: PricePlow relies on pricing from stores with which we have a business relationship. We work hard to keep pricing current, but you may find a better offer.

Posts are sponsored in part by the retailers and/or brands listed on this page.

About the Author: Mike Roberto

Mike Roberto

Mike Roberto is a research scientist and water sports athlete who founded PricePlow. He is an n=1 diet experimenter with extensive experience in supplementation and dietary modification, whose personal expertise stems from several experiments done on himself while sharing lab tests.

Mike's goal is to bridge the gap between nutritional research scientists and non-academics who seek to better their health in a system that has catastrophically failed the public.

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References

  1. Askarpour M. et al; “Beneficial effects of l-carnitine supplementation for weight management in overweight and obese adults: An updated systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”; Arch Med Res. 2020 Feb 26;51(1):82-94; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043661819315117?via%3Dihub
  2. Fielding R, Riede L, Lugo JP, Bellamine A. “l-Carnitine Supplementation in Recovery after Exercise”; Nutrients. 2018;10(3):349. doi:10.3390/nu10030349. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872767/
  3. Li LO, Klett EL, Coleman RA. “Acyl-CoA synthesis, lipid metabolism and lipotoxicity;” Biochim Biophys Acta. 2010;1801(3):246–251; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2824076/
  4. Shi L, Tu BP; “Acetyl-CoA and the regulation of metabolism: mechanisms and consequences;” Curr Opin Cell Biol. 2015;33:125–131; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4380630/
  5. Tabrizi, R., et al. “The effects of caffeine intake on weight loss: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials”; Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition; 2018; 1–9; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2018.1507996?journalCode=bfsn20
  6. Diepvens, K et al; “Obesity and thermogenesis related to the consumption of caffeine, ephedrine, capsaicin, and green tea”; American Journal of Physiology; 2007; https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpregu.00832.2005
  7. Rawlings AV; “Cellulite and its treatment”; Int J Cosmet Sci. 2006;28:175–190; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18489274/
  8. Okuda, H et al; “Relationship between cyclic AMP production and lipolysis induced by forskolin in rat fat cells”; The Journal of Lipid Research; 1992; 33, 225-231; https://www.jlr.org/content/33/2/225.long
  9. Byun SY. et al; “Efficacy of Slimming Cream Containing 3.5% Water-Soluble Caffeine and Xanthenes for the Treatment of Cellulite: Clinical Study and Literature Review”; Ann Dermatol. 2015;27(3):243–249; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466275/
  10. Koo, SW et al; “Protection from photodamage by topical application of caffeine after ultraviolet irradiation”; Br J Dermatol. 2007 May;156(5):957-64; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17388926/
  11. Li YF, Ouyang SH, Tu LF, et al. “Caffeine Protects Skin from Oxidative Stress-Induced Senescence through the Activation of Autophagy”;Theranostics. 2018;8(20):5713–5730; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6276298/
  12. Simopoulos AP; “An Increase in the Omega-6/Omega-3 Fatty Acid Ratio Increases the Risk for Obesity”; Nutrients. 2016;8(3):128; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808858/
  13. Guyenet, Stephan J, and Susan E Carlson; “Increase in adipose tissue linoleic acid of US adults in the last half century”; Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 6,6 660-4; 13 Nov. 2015; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4642429/
  14. Orengo, I et al; “Influence of fish oil supplementation on the minimal erythema dose in humans”; Archives of Dermatological Research; volume 284; 219–221; 1992; https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00375797
  15. Ramsden, C, et al; “Lowering dietary linoleic acid reduces bioactive oxidized linoleic acid metabolites in humans”; Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids Volume 87, Issues 4–5, Pages 135-141; October – November 2012; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0952327812001469

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