The mechanism of action of yohimbe is slightly up to debate. Some research suggests that its effects are mediated through inhibition of one of the hormone receptors on fat cells. Other data suggest that it works by increasing hormone release from the nerve terminals. In either event, yohimbe seems to particularly help with stubborn fat deposits especially women’s hip and thigh fat. Men’s abdominal and low-back fat may also benefit.
Before you run out and stock up on yohimbe, a couple of things. First is that if you’re not
already reasonably lean to begin with, yohimbe won’t be of much use to you. The body will take fat off from the most readily accessible areas first and stubborn fat is stubborn for a reason.
Additionally, yohimbe, especially the herbal form, can cause all kinds of weird side-effects.
People often report a combination of sweats and chills along with a feeling that their heart is going to
come out of their chest when they exercise (yohimbe also improves blood flow to the genitals which
can lead to some potential embarrassment at the gym; it does not, contrary to popular belief, affect
testosterone levels).
Finally, yohimbe is best used prior to aerobic activity although it still might have an effect for a lean dieter doing a crash diet without aerobics.
You should NEVER mix EC and yohimbe; in fact, you shouldn’t take them within about 4 hours of one another. The reason is that the side effects of each will multiply and both blood pressure and heart rate can really jump. If you decide to use yohimbe (the yohimbine HCL form is the better choice; less side
effects) the effective dose would be 0.2 mg yohimbe per kilogram of bodyweight or about .1 mg per
pound consumed with 100-200 mg of caffeine. This would be taken 30-60 minutes before low intensity
aerobics (preferably first thing in the morning before eating). So a 150 lb dieter would
get just under 15 mg of yohimbe. As with EC it’s a good idea to start with a half-dose to assess your
tolerance. If you are also using the EC stack, your doses should be taken no closer than 4 hours to the
dose of yohimbe/caffeine. So you could do a yohimbe/caffeine combo at 7am prior to morning
aerobics and take EC at noon and 4 pm.
Hope this helps.