Ghost Burn: Fat Burning Energy Formula Upgraded with CaloriBurn

The legends behind the best influencers of fitness have re-launched their powdered fat-burning drink named Ghost Burn, and it’s now updated with a better grains of paradise extract in CaloriBurn GP.

Ghost Burn – Ghost Lifestyle ventures back into the fat-burning market!

Dedicated citizens of PricePlow Nation are undoubtedly familiar with Ghost — as they sponsor many of the top fitness YouTube personalities ranging from Christian Guzman to Maxx Chewning. Their products are well-developed and generous in terms of clinical doses, and done in a unique fashion amongst companies with aggressive marketing strategies. When we get our hands on a Ghost product, we expect excellence.

Ghost Burn is back, and with a better grains of paradise extract — CaloriBurn GP from NNB Nutrition!

A powdered fat burning drink.. with some sour and some spice!

Ghost Burn is a powdered fat burner built to help amplify the results for individuals with dialed-in weight-loss routines. While gym-goers once thought of fat burners as a capsule-dominated industry, powdered products have become a better option thanks to their inherent customization and larger dosages. Consumers can decide how much of the product they should take, which is advantageous for those with low stimulant tolerances or afternoon users. Lifters that have more stimulant tolerance can also taper their dosages up, allowing for intensified fat burning when they adapt to the recommended serving size.

Thus, fat burning drink powders became increasingly commonplace when Ghost Burn original launched in 2019, and they’ve made it even better with Ghost Burn V2 in 2021, thanks to the inclusion of CaloriBurn GP from NNB Nutrition. Below we dive into the upgraded label to see if Burn lives up to its competition.

Before we get into this intense thermogenic formula, make sure you’re subscribed to PricePlow’s Ghost news updates and alerts for any supplement deals, news, and reviews you’re interested in, especially those related to Ghost products!

As our long-time readers know, PricePlow has a love-hate dynamic with fat burners. Fat burners won’t burn much fat independent of effort and are not a magic bullet for dieting. We loathe when companies take advantage of consumers by potentiating that idea. However, we love when companies look out for the educated gym-goer that is looking to get everything out of their diet and exercise program, because these ingredients do help fat oxidation and do have research backing them up.

The Ingredients

NNB Nutrition’s CaloriBurn has 12.5% 6-Paradol, but uses pure grains of paradise to keep all of the active constituents. This is the major change in Ghost Burn V2

We’re about to break down everything going on inside Burn. If you’re in the mood for watching a video review of the label instead, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! We were lucky enough to get our hands on Burn shortly after its release, and spoiler alert – it lives up to the hype!

The label lists both 1-scoop and 2-scoop dosages, but we’re going to assume a full 2-scoop serving for our analysis. Here’s what each 2-scoop, 12g dose delivers:

• L-Carnitine Tartrate – 1.5g

  

  Ghost Burn comes in heavy with carnitine, but the fun doesn’t stop there – this entire label is loaded, and now has one of our favorite weight loss ingredients in CaloriBurn GP from NNB Nutrition!

  Burn delivers two distinct forms of carnitine. L-carnitine L-tartrate (LCLT) is the carnitine athletes want for performance improvements. Research suggests that LCLT may enhance muscle building while also reducing muscle soreness after exercise.^[1,2] A study from 2002 tested the effects of carnitine on resistance-trained men, with those conducting the experiment specifically interested in potential changes in signals of muscle soreness. After 3 weeks of supplementation, they found that LCLT decreased muscle tissue disruption by 43%,^[1] thus concluding that LCLT treatment can significantly enhance recovery. Burning fat is highly dependent on how intense your training sessions are, and when you can recover better and faster, you can keep your daily expenditure elevated!

  Fresher muscles, hotter burn!

  Beyond its ergogenic qualities, carnitine is an essential player in fat metabolism. By providing more carnitine, LCLT supplementation may help you lose body fat.^[3,4] Researchers have identified the mechanisms that allow carnitine to help burn fat, and it goes far beyond muscle recovery. Carnitine can increase fatty-acid oxidation,^[3] meaning it helps free up long-chained fatty acids within the body for energy use. In other words, LCLT slightly alters the metabolism’s main fuel source, shifting from incoming calories to stored energy, otherwise known as body fat!

  The one downside to LCLT is that it doesn’t cross the blood-brain barrier, so it loses out on the nootropic benefits that other forms of carnitine supplementation offer. However, Ghost has accounted for that, delivering another, slightly different form of carnitine in Burn!

• Acetyl-L-Carnitine HCl – 1.5g

  

  LCLT is the form of L-Carnitine that you want if the main focus is burning fat!

  While LCLT cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, acetyl l-carnitine (ALCAR) can. In providing two forms of carnitine, Ghost bypasses the downsides of ALCAR and LCLT, while heightening their upsides. LCLT delivers the performance punch in Burn while ALCAR provides the nootropic uppercut. Acetyl groups are lipid-soluble, allowing for the carnitine it is complexed with to get into the brain. ALCAR in high doses may increase focus and memory recall while also protecting the brain from oxidative damage.^[5-7] In fact, research has shown that ALCAR acts as a precursor to acetylcholine once it surpasses the blood-brain barrier.^[5] Acetylcholine, as we’ll get into shortly, is crucial for overall cognitive strength. This can leave your mind more focused, making it easier to keep your fat-burning goals a priority!

  Thankfully, Ghost went with a massive 3g serving size of total carnitine here. This ensures you’ll receive both the mental and physical benefits. That being said, if you decide to stick to the lower end of the serving recommendation, 1.5g is still more than enough to help out your diet.

• Choline Bitartrate – 1g

  Choline is an ingredient that we at PricePlow feel is underappreciated outside of sports nutrition circles, where we commonly include it. Choline is a building block of acetylcholine, dubbed “the learning neurotransmitter” due to its involvement in muscle contraction and memory formation.

  

  If you’re a fano of choline for the focus effect, you’ll want to see what’s in Ghost Gamer too!

  Supplementing with choline appears to increase the amount of acetylcholine present in the body,^[8,9] which can in turn improve focus and muscle force in athletes. Essentially, choline helps create the chemicals the brain needs to function properly. Combining this ingredient with the blood-brain barrier-crossing ALCAR, Burn delivers a nootropic effect quite unique to fat burners.

  In terms of weight loss, a 2014 study on female judo athletes demonstrated that 2g choline bitartrate helped reduce body mass without any side effects or loss of strength.^[10] The subjects that received choline dropped body fat by 10.23% (~18.76% to ~16.84% on average), leading the researchers to conclude that the ingredient can improve lipid metabolism.

  It’s important to note that the study’s participants received twice the dose as what’s in Ghost Burn, but we do expect some fat oxidation effect on top of the improvements in focus.

  Choline’s synergy with carnitine

  One thing we’ve learned since originally publishing this article in 2019 is how well choline synergizes with carnitine, since choline increases carnitine retention.

  A few studies have demonstrated how pairing the two together has an additive property, but it must be noted that 2g of choline bitartrate was used in some of the studies. A few quotes from three of these studies:

  “We conclude that supplementary choline maintained serum carnitine concentrations by conserving urinary carnitine. Moreover, these observations merit additional investigation to determine metabolic and functional consequences of choline and carnitine interactions in humans.”^[11]

  “We conclude that the choline-induced decrease in serum and urinary carnitine is buffered by carnitine preloading, and these supplements shift tissue partitioning of carnitine that favors fat mobilization, incomplete oxidation of fatty acids and disposal of their carbons in urine as acylcarnitines in humans.”^[12]

  “These studies demonstrated that choline supplementation results in decreased urinary excretion of carnitine in young adult women, that guinea pigs are a suitable animal model for studying the effect of choline supplementation on carnitine status in humans, and that choline results in a conservation of carnitine in guinea pigs and perhaps in humans.”^[13]

  So while bitartrate is a cheaper form of choline and is less bioavailable than its brethren like Alpha-GPC, there’s some solid research using it, and it does have a higher choline yield, so you get more of it per gram. While we wish Burn capped out at 2g as the highest label dose – 1g is still enough to give most an acetylcholine boost and retain at least a little more carnitine than otherwise!

• KSM-66 Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) Root Extract – 600mg

  Let’s be honest – dieting isn’t easy. It can be extremely difficult on our bodies, as well as our mind. In fact, dieting can really elevate stress levels through cortisol production. This hormone is the enemy when it comes to weight loss – stress-induced eating can destroy even the most disciplined of dieters!

  

  With less stress and a healthier mentality, you’re more likely to stay on track with your diet!^[14]

  Thankfully, Burn includes one of PricePlow’s favorite stress-crushing plant extract. Ashwagandha appears to reduce stress via modulation of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol levels tend to rise as caloric intake falls. Since ashwagandha appears to reduce serum cortisol levels, it is a good option for those that experience more stress on a diet.^[14,15] Research from 2012 found that subjects supplementing with ashwagandha for 60 days improved scores on depression-anxiety tests by 71.6%, compared to only a 5% improvement found in placebo.^[14] Keeping cortisol levels, and thus stress, minimized is extremely advantageous in a weight-loss journey. It can be the difference between sticking to your diet or falling off the rails!

  Affects another hormone, too…

  

  KSM-66 bills itself as the World’ Best Ashwagandha… and we don’t disagree!

  There is also preliminary research suggesting that ashwagandha may keep testosterone levels regular in men.^[16] In 2010, 75 infertile men with faltering hormone levels were administered ashwagandha. The root induced significantly higher serum testosterone and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, while also decreasing markers of poor testosterone levels.^[16] This is relevant in terms of dieting, as well – restricted caloric intake can severely affect testosterone levels. Keeping all of your hormones in check throughout this process is crucial, and luckily, Ghost realizes that!

  We also love Ghost’s decision to utilize KSM-66. While ashwagandha itself is already the gold standard of mood-enhancing ingredients, the KSM-66 extract is the gold standard of the gold standard.The 600mg dose of ashwagandha in Burn matches the common clinical dose. The decision to use a top-quality ingredient at its proven dose should come as no surprise – this is Ghost we’re talking about, after all!

• L-Tyrosine – 500mg

  

  Tyrosine has a powerful effect on your neurotransmitters!^[17]

  We’ve already touched on one nootropic ingredient, but Burn doesn’t stop there! Tyrosine is the building block of the catecholamines – dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.^[18] These brain-based chemicals are sometimes referred to as the “feel-good” neurotransmitters, and are responsible for controlling the “fight-or-flight” systems within the body. Supplementing with tyrosine encourages the body to produce more catecholamines, which may improve focus and general motivation.

  Despite working mostly through sympathetic mechanisms, tyrosine supplementation appears to mitigate stress.^[19] In a meta-analysis from 2015, 14 different studies testing tyrosine and its possible stress-relieving abilities were assessed. Each study looked at showed a positive effect in terms of alleviating cognitive stress,^[19] likely through the compound’s catecholamine-inducing behavior. 500mg is right around where we start to “feel” L-tyrosine. This euphoric experience can help maintain your mood during your weight-loss journey – nobody wants to be around a cranky dieter!

• Caffeine Anhydrous – 300mg

  Ghost does caffeine right with Burn. While this feels like a strange statement, it is exactly how we felt when we saw the label. The two-scoop serving delivers a whopping 300mg of caffeine – equivalent to what you’d find in modern pre-workouts. Caffeine, simply put, is here to wake you up.^[20] It will also help you keep the weights heavy in the gym and your feet fast on the treadmill – allowing you to hold onto more muscle as the fat falls off.^[21,22]

  

  Burn packs a serious dose of caffeine. If you’re a bit stimulant-sensitive you adjust accordingly!

  This stimulant actually packs a potent thermogenic punch. Research from 1990 tested multiple caffeine doses (100mg, 200mg, 300mg, and 400mg) in healthy test subjects. They found that caffeine can significantly increase caloric expenditure via triglyceride oxidation.^[22] In addition, it seemed to do so in a dose-dependent manner, meaning a higher dose of caffeine, such as the 300mg we have here, is more effective in enhancing your metabolism.

  That being said, 300mg is not for everyone. It’s a pretty serious energy-boosting hit, and some may find that it’s simply too much for them. That’s ok – because Burn is a powder, you’re free to experiment a bit and find the dose that works for you. If not the full 2-scoop serving, maybe it’s a scoop, or perhaps 1.5 scoops is your sweet spot. Regardless, you’ll benefit greatly from the cognitive-boosting, fat-burning jolt Burn will deliver!

• Cocoa Bean (Theobroma cacao) Seed extract (20% Theobromine) – 20mg

  While we associate cocoa beans with chocolate, these seeds also contain theobromine. Theobromine can be thought of caffeine’s weaker cousin – it’s a stimulant that provides an experience that feels damn good.^[23] That being said, it actually functions better as a weight-loss agent!

  Blunts appetite

  A review from 2014 identified a key effect of theobromine. Oddly enough, doing so was not the main focus of the study. Initially, these scientists were concerned with identifying undisclosed ingredients in different supplements, but after some interesting findings, decided to dive a bit deeper.

  Upon further inspection, these researchers found that theobromine reduces feelings of hunger.^[24] When consuming a calorie-restricted diet, hunger can be problematic for staying on-track. Being able to feel less hungry can make it significantly easier to stick to a diet!

  Helps target fatty acids

  

  With the Ghost Lifestyle App, you can influence the influencers!

  Theobromine’s stimulant-based nature somewhat drives how the body processes it. In fact, it actually helps free up fatty acids for use, similar to other ingredients on this label!

  A study from 2006 found that theobromine can induce weight loss due to changes in lipid profile.^[25] As with LCLT, this compound shifts the body’s attention a bit, encouraging the metabolism to burn stored body fat! When taking a fat burner, there really aren’t enough ways you can go about attacking body fat stores. Burn does so through multiple angles, making sure your fat-burning efforts are well-focused!

  Unfortunately, the dose here is much lower than other fat burners on the market. The clinical dose of theobromine is approximately 150mg, substantially higher than the 20mg in Burn. While we wish Ghost had sprinkled in more some more of this appetite-blunting stimulant, we’re happy to see it included nonetheless.

• NeuroFactor Coffee (Coffea arabica) Fruit extract – 100mg

  NeuroFactor is a trademarked coffee bean extract fromFutureCeuticals. It’s relatively new to the scene, but the early research involving NeuroFactor is extremely promising. Research suggests that NeuroFactor may acutely raise levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) by as much as 144%.^[26,27]

  

  Blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are significantly elevated by whole coffee fruit extract!

  BDNF is a growth factor for neurons and may improve neurogenesis and brain cell repair. It’s also related to aging – increased BDNF may slow neuronal decay. In theory, more BDNF means better learning, moods, well-being, metabolism…it may just improve every aspect of life.^[26-28] We aren’t 100% sold on NeuroFactor just yet – the research is new and we aren’t the guys that jump at the results of a few trials. It’s so new that a clinical dose hasn’t yet been identified. However, we typically see around NeuroFactor comes in around 100mg in products containing the brain-booster. Burn falls right in line with that common dose, so for the time being, we’ll suggest that’s fair!

• Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium) Fruit extract – 60mg (yielding 30mg synephrine)

  

  Will Ghost Burn V2 be your new favorite thermogenic? Only one way to find out…

  Synephrine is a primary constituent of bitter orange extract. It acts as a metabolic booster and stimulant through beta-receptor agonism – much like ephedrine.^[29,30] Specifically, it acts as a beta-2 and beta-3 adrenergic receptor agonist, which helps free up fatty acids for use. Research also shows that it can increase metabolism and suppress appetite,^[30] deeming it an all-encompassing fat-burning ingredient! However, you may question its use here, especially if you know anything about ephedrine. Ephedrine is actually a bit more powerful than synephrine, but lacks in a more crucial respect.

  Synephrine is a safer alternative

  Ephedrine may be more effective than synephrine, but the former has actually been under question in recent years. It’s even been banned in some countries, and is currently under review in the U.S. Thus, while it is weaker than ephedrine, synephrine is significantly safer.^[31] Ghost prioritizes the safety of their customers, and using synephrine here speaks volumes to how much they care!

  Looking at the side of the label, you can see that Ghost Burn delivers 30mg of synephrine from a 60mg dose of citrus aurantium (50% extract strength). That dose is in line with what we’d want in a mainstream fat-burning product, and is one of the reasons why it gets users so amped!

• Grains of Paradise (Aframomum melegueta) Seed extract (std. To 12% 6-paradol) – 40mg

  Grains of Paradise has become a top-tier thermogenic fat burning ingredient, so we always like seeing it included in weight loss supplements. This is what’s going to bring the burn to Ghost Burn.

  

  Energy expenditure change (ΔEE) after oral ingestion of Grains of Paradise. This spice helps melt away those stubborn pounds!^[32]

  Grains of Paradise helps the body burn through a conversion of white fat to brown fat.^[32,33] White adipose tissue (WAT) is a stubborn type of adipose tissue that mammals have for storing subcutaneous fat, while brown fat helps with thermoregulation. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) helped when our ancestors got lost in the arctic Tundra, but it’s lost a bit of its use in modern times. As opposed to stubborn white adipose tissue, the brown fat is made for thermogenesis and is most helpful when discussing body recomposition – it’s mitochondrial-dense, uses more energy, and generates heat! Grains of Paradise’s primary effect is that its constituents can convert WAT to BAT.

  More burn, more energy expenditure

  With that mechanism, grains of paradise extract can increase energy expentiture.^[33] A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial on 19 non-obese females aged 20-22 measured energy expenditure (EE) and body fat before and after four weeks of grains of paradise extract (10mg three times daily) or placebo. The researchers found that the extract, which had 12.5% 6-paradol, decreased viceral fat in the lower abdomen while placebo group actually had an increase the fat around organs.^[33] In addition, energy expenditure was greatly increased compared to baseline.^[33]

  Introducing CaloriBurn GP in Ghost Burn V2

  

  Finally, a grains of paradise extract that actually passes lab tests for all clinical constituents!

  In the 2021 revision of Burn, Ghost upgraded to NNB Nutrition’s CaloriBurn GP, a top rated grains of paradise extract demonstrated to contain all four constituents of Grains of Paradise: 6-paradol (the primary one studies use, at 12.5% strength) alongside 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, and 6-gingerdione.

  We have a clinically-backed 40mg dose here in two scoops, and at 12.5% standardization, Burn packs quite a spicy punch with this ingredient!

  You can read more about it in our articles titled Grains of Paradise: Fat Fighting Spice of the Goddesses and CaloriBurn: NNB Takes Grains of Paradise to Hot New Heights!.

• BioPerineⓇ Black Pepper (Piper nigrum) extract – 10mg

  In taking this product, it’s imperative that the body is primed to fully absorb everything that’s being delivered to it. That’s easier said than done, especially when you consider the sheer size of this label, in addition to each ingredient’s individual dose!

  Here to ensure nothing slips through unnoticed, Ghost is using BioPerineⓇ, the most effective form of black pepper extract on the market! Research has shown that this ingredient can increase the bioavailability of supplemented ingredients, showcasing this ability in both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins and minerals.^[34,35] However, that’s not all this spice can do. Given its nature, it actually can increase overall caloric expenditure,^[36] an effect especially relevant in a fat burner! Something that can not only help burn more calories on its own, but also amplify the fat-burning effects of other ingredients fits right at home on this label.

  The whopping 10mg dose is more than enough to help deliver these effects, as well. While it may fly under the radar a little, the importance of black pepper extract here cannot be exaggerated!

• Chromium (as Chromium Picolinate) – 1000mcg

  In Ghost Burn V2, they quietly replaced chromium nicotinate glycinate chelate with a high 1000mcg chromium picolinate, and that makes great sense since a major 2014 review of 25 studies determined that chromium supplementation significantly improves blood glucose levels, and that the strongest results came from chromium picolinate!^[37,38]

  

  In this study, high-dose chromium picolinate had a profound effect on appetite.^[44]

  Chromium is a trace mineral that works to improve insulin secretion.^[39-41] Research consistently shows that it improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels, especially in insulin-resistant users.^[37] In these types of users, studies have shown that it improves body composition, and those results come from 200-400mcg doses^[42,43] — a fraction of what we have in Ghost Burn!

  Why the high dose? Appetite suppression!

  The effects above are great, but why did Ghost go with 1000mcg instead of a standard 200-400mcg? The answer is appetite. In 2008, a placebo-controlled study conducted on overweight men and women used 1000mcg and showed that it led to lower food intake, reduced hunger, and even less cravings for fatty foods!^[44] Later on, an even larger study on 113 adults using 600mcg showed fewer carbohydrate cravings and significant improvements in appetite and food consumption.^[45] Along with those effects came some minor fat loss.^[44]

  We theorize that these effects are due to the body not craving “food”, but craving actual minerals and nutrients — chromium being just one that we don’t ever want to be deficient in. So if you’re deficient in it, your body may be sending general hunger signals, unable to send you “mineral” signals. This is why nutrient density is so important in a diet.

  At this large dosage, you can rest assured that chromium deficiency shouldn’t be a thing, even if only using one scoop of Ghost Burn!

Flavors – a Ghost specialty!

Burn doesn’t forget about that signature Ghost quality – incredible taste!

Burn has a unique leg up on its competition through flavor. Utilizing previous partnerships Ghost has built and cultivated, Burn provides flavors officially sponsored by WarheadsⓇ and has also expanded with tropical drinks as well:

Ghost is fulfilling their promise…

At the beginning of 2019, the guys behind Ghost Lifestyle promised a huge year from their brand. We typically hear promises like this made across the industry – new products, new flavors, and new innovations are constantly being teased. Yet, it’s not too often a brand can fully live up to the lofty expectations they’ve set for themselves. However, when it comes to Ghost, they practically never fail to live up to the hype.

Recipients of GNC’s 2019 Partner of the Year Award, these industry trailblazers have absolutely cleared the bar they’ve set for themselves. As far as products go, Ghost has expanded upon their already massive profile – we’ve gotten another iteration in the Guzman Legend pre-workout series, a revamped EAA formula in Amino V2, and Ghost Vegan, an incredible vegan protein powder.

Congrats to the 2020 Brand of the Year! See all GHOST Supplements or check out their hit pre-workout, Ghost Legend!

This being Ghost, simply releasing new products wasn’t enough. Ghost built a significant part of their reputation on their ridiculous ability to flavor their products – seriously, there may not be anyone better in the industry! 2021 is the “Year of the V2” for the brand, as they’ve also reformulated Ghost Legend and Ghost Pump (which is great to stack with Ghost Burn), yet still put Chips Ahoy pieces in your protein powder! When it comes to meeting expectations, Ghost doesn’t just meet the bar…they obliterate it!

Ghost Burn is the latest release to get the upgrades. It was one of their most innovative formulas of 2019, and in 2021, they realized it was nearly perfect – it just needed the industry-leading grains of paradise extract to go with it! This fat-scorching formula not only sits in its own category in Ghost’s profile, but finds itself in a world of its own when compared to other fat burners on the market!

Conclusion – Burn incinerates fat, and burns the competition!

When it comes to fat burners, you really can’t do much better than Burn – a great-tasting, effectively-dosed fat-burning powder!

When discussing Ghost products, there’s often two takeaways we expect to have – the use of effective ingredients and an incredible taste. These are lofty expectations, but they’re the kind of expectations that come when a company has, time after time, raised the standard. Ghost has done just that, and when we heard their first fat-burning product, Burn, would hit the shelves, we assumed excellence was on the way.

Simply put, Burn is a fat burner that literally checks off all of our boxes. The label is nearly entirely comprised of fat-burning, energizing workhorses – these are the type of ingredients that generally lead fat-burning formulas, and Burn utilizes all of them. For the individual that wants to buy a safe fat burner that works — Burn is a great option.

Ghost has reached new, incredible heights, and seems to do so every year. Burn is yet another win in a year seemingly full of them. Stay tuned, because these guys aren’t done yet – we’ll have much more coming from Ghost in the near future!

This article was originally published July 26, 2019.