CLA Supplementation

[YellowJacket]

CLA has been shown to :

- reduce body fat accretion and increase lean muscle mass
- improve immune function
- increase bone mineralisation
- inhibit carcinogenesis
- reduce atherosclerosis


Thats the CLA round up in a nut shell.....sounds to good to be true huh? I've been reading up on it and would like anyone who's used it to drop me a line about what you thought of it. Results, what your diet was like and what (if anything) you stacked it with. Its fairly cheap, wondering about the effectiveness....Thanks in advance, Yellowow Jacket

[windwords7]

If anyone has the sites lined out for the best sources post those up to please. I have known about CLA for along time now but have yet to use it. I remember reading numerous threads at bb.com about it. Looking forward to this thread as well!

[YellowJacket]

Heres a study I found on it, sums up CLA nicely, but I'd still like some personal feedback....



By Nicolle Charbonneau
HealthSCOUT Reporter

TUESDAY, Aug. 22 (HealthSCOUT) -- If you're sick of the drastic swings of dieting, where fat drops off at first but returns with a vengeance, a new study may give you some hope.
Combine your diet with a popular supplement called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), say researchers, and while you'll still regain weight once you stop dieting, it will be more muscle than usual.

Found naturally in cheese, beef and ground turkey, CLA is considered an antioxidant and anticarcinogen that stimulates immune activity.

While it may not be a magic weight-loss pill, experts say CLA could provide some help for the 97 million Americans struggling with obesity.

The study, by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was presented yesterday at the American Chemical Society Meeting in Washington, D.C., by one of its lead researchers, Michael W. Pariza.

Eighty people were placed on a diet, coupled with a moderate physical exercise program. Half received about 3 grams of CLA daily, while the others took a placebo of sunflower oil. After six months, all had lost roughly 5 pounds.

About one-third of those taking CLA actually gained muscle and lost fat, Pariza says. While those taking the sunflower oil regained their weight at a ratio of about 75 percent fat to 25 percent muscle once the study finished, which is typical, those taking CLA who regained weight put on equal proportions of fat to muscle.

"CLA appears to be very helpful in helping people control weight," says Pariza. "It's not going to cause you to lose fat, but once you have achieved the weight loss that you want from a traditional diet, then at that point you could use CLA to control your weight, so you don't gain it all back -- the old yo-yo syndrome."

How does it work?

"In a general sense, what it's doing is keeping little fat cells from getting big," says Pariza, perhaps by blocking certain enzymes that let fat cells swell.

There appeared to be no side effects from the supplement, says Pariza. At the same time, questionnaires done every two weeks during the trial revealed that those taking CLA were less depressed, had fewer stomach problems and could concentrate and sleep better.

Pariza's was not the only study dealing with CLA at the meeting.

Ola Gudmundsen, chief executive officer of Scandinavian Clinical Research AS, presented a study that suggests CLA could help people lose weight overall, primarily by reducing fat mass.

Sixty overweight people who were not allowed to diet were randomly assigned to take either a 9-gram placebo of olive oil or 1.7 grams, 3.4 grams, 5.1 grams or 6.8 grams of CLA daily for 12 weeks. Their body fat composition was measured at the start, middle and end of that time.

"We saw that they had a significant reduction in weight in the CLA group," says Gudmundsen. "It was about 2.2 pounds in 12 weeks."

However, the researchers found that overwhelmingly, this loss was from body fat, and didn't affect overall weight or body mass index. The 3.4-gram dose appeared to be the most effective, safest dose.

And there were some side effects. The supplement, given in oil, produced mild gastrointestinal upset.

The participants were not followed once they stopped taking the supplement; something Gudmundsen believes should be looked at in future studies.


CLA - Conjugated Linoleic Acid - is not a new discovery as some magazines would have you believe. However, a better understanding of its effects are leading to potential applications that are extremely new and exciting. AST Sports Science was the first company to report on CLA’s possible benefits to the athlete over two years ago, and recent studies are backing up our predictions.

CLA was discovered by accident in 1978 by Michael W. Pariza at the University of Wisconsin while looking for mutagen formations in meat during cooking. CLA, found naturally in many animal products, consists of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid. The difference between the two centers around CLA’s conjugated double bonds at carbon atoms 10 and 12 or 9 and 11. The 9 cis, 11 trans isomer is considered the most biologically active form of CLA.

Although all the intricacies of CLA are not fully understood, it is widely accepted in the research community that CLA counterbalances the negative effects of linoleic acid and regulates fat and protein metabolism in animals. Pariza, director of the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin said, “A growing body of data indicates that CLA is a newly recognized nutrient that functions to regulate energy retention and metabolism.” CLA can best be described as a “Growth Factor”.

Food intake efficiency! CLA has been shown in animal studies to increase growth rate through increased feed efficiency. In controlled studies, animals that had their diets supplemented with CLA increased their body protein (muscle tissue) while at the same time, had a significant decrease in body fat. This all occurred in the CLA supplemented animals while their food intake was decreased. Their lean mass increased even though they were eating less! This indicates that CLA increases feed efficiency and also points to a potent nutrient repartitioning effect.

This significant change in body composition can also be attributed in part to CLA’s effect on immune function. When CLA levels fall, interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-a are involved in the accumulation of body fat. CLA has been shown to inhibit the lean tissue wasting caused by high levels of these cytokines.

Actual human studies are on the way with anticipation of similar outcomes. CLA may be the most significant bodybuilding nutrient discovered in this decade. With anti-catabolic effects *****ing even the strongest pharmaceutical compounds, CLA is a naturally occurring nutrient with the ability to help you pack on lean muscle, reduce body fat and at the same time possesses health promoting properties.

CLA occurs naturally in foods such as milk, cheese, beef, and lamb as well as many processed foods. One processed food in particular that’s high in CLA is Cheez Wiz®. But getting enough CLA from your diet for the preferred benefit would require considerable intake of these types of foods. This is not only impractical, but would also have a seriously negative impact on your metabolism due to the high caloric penalty you would pay.

Since this research has surfaced, a more economical and efficient way to get the required CLA has been devised. Through advanced lipid technology, a CLA synthesizing process allows for precision intake through premeasured softgel capsules. This allows for precise CLA intake at determined time intervals without the high calorie food consumption. Not only has CLA been shown to increase muscle mass while reducing body fat, studies have also shown remarkable anti-catabolic, antioxidant, immune enhancement, and anti-cancer benefits. Several other studies have even revealed dramatic cholesterol reducing effects. All this from a structured lipid. A “designer fat” if you would.

To the athlete looking to add more muscle and drop body fat, CLA is a unique discovery that will make accomplishing this feat easier and faster, all the while having positive effects on immune function and antioxidant status, as well as cholesterol lowering effects

[YellowJacket]

DPS has Optimum Nutrition's CLA 90 caps for $14.79

http://www.************.net/product_...1147&last=1147

[Dr of Golf]

JesupGym.com has those same 90 caps for $13.50 and with EasyPriceMatch.com's 5% deal, they'd be $12.83.


I'd be interested in personal results, too. Thanks!

[YellowJacket]

Originally posted by Dr of Golf
JesupGym.com has those same 90 caps for $13.50 and with EasyPriceMatch.com's 5% deal, they'd be $12.83.


I'd be interested in personal results, too. Thanks!

Great find D.O.G- Now Im off to recruit CLA users

[Kerruptt]

I just started the stuff today along with some caff, seeing if I can replicate those studies showing it reduced the # of fat cells. Somehow I dont see that happening but I have noticed a warming effect none the less.

[YellowJacket]

Originally posted by Kerruptt
I just started the stuff today along with some caff, seeing if I can replicate those studies showing it reduced the # of fat cells. Somehow I dont see that happening but I have noticed a warming effect none the less.

Very nice.....do us all a favor and maybe once a week or so come here and chart your progress if you dont mind.

[SteveDFW]

From what I have read from user's experiences on other boards, one needs to take at least 10 grams and preferably 20 grams a day to really see anything. Also, guarana has shown to increase CLA results.

The cheapest I have found CLA is at Kilosports (1000/1000mg caps for $150).

[Kerruptt]

Originally posted by YellowJacket

Very nice.....do us all a favor and maybe once a week or so come here and chart your progress if you dont mind.

No problem, I'd be happy too.

[jweave23]

1fast has a great deal on NOW Foods's CLA 180 caps 1000m

http://www.1fast400.com/store/produc...products_id=35

I've used CLA many times since about 97, when I read abot it from Bill Phillips (he did have some great ideas, pimp or not) I've found results at 6g and above, 9g seems to be a nice dosage. I stopped using this mainly because of the price, not that it doesn't work.

I think that if you find some relatively cheap, Mike's isn't all that bad as well as Doc's there, then go for it. It did help me, and now that I think of it I did loose alot of fat when I was on it, but had a good diet, cardio, and ECA at the time also. Maybe I'll get some for the Spring cut again, it's been awhile sice I've used it. Nice post YJ.

 

BTW You also get some CLA from milkfat if anyone isn't drinking skim milk, and I think some nuts as well, I could look that up again because I have no life

[Dr of Golf]

So far, pricewise, the best deal is from 1Fast. Thanks for getting that info, jweave23.

[Kerruptt]

Just a heads up. I'm going to be taking about 15g a day along with guarana split into 3g/200mg 5 times a day. Im cutting too. Current weight is 175 and my bodyfat is high enough to notice any significant results

[CROWLER]

Originally posted by Kerruptt
Just a heads up. I'm going to be taking about 15g a day along with guarana split into 3g/200mg 5 times a day. Im cutting too. Current weight is 175 and my bodyfat is high enough to notice any significant results

Am I understanding this right. It is going to cost you about $80 a month just for the CLA?

[jweave23]

Originally posted by Kerruptt
Just a heads up. I'm going to be taking about 15g a day along with guarana split into 3g/200mg 5 times a day. Im cutting too. Current weight is 175 and my bodyfat is high enough to notice any significant results

I think you are wasting your money at 15g/daily. Try 9g/day, that is a high dose and should give you decent results.

[Dio]

I used CLA at 6 grams/day along with xenadrine EFX. I call this the "waste of my money stack."

[SteveDFW]

I was wondering is there any oil/food out there that has a pretty good amount of CLA in it? If so, it might lower the costs of trying to exploit the possible benefits of CLA.

[Buck]

I have been taking CLA for about 4 months now. I have just decided a few days ago to take it out of my stack. I just haven't seen any results on it.

Of course it may be that I wasn't getting enough daily to see anything. I am only taking 1 capsule but am not sure of the dosage on it. Will get that and report back.

As far where to buy. My wife found a deal on CLA at a local health food store. It was buy 1 get 1 free and was about $14. So shop around and see what you can find.

[labrad]

I took 3grams/day for a while. Didn't get d*ck.

[chi_town]

I've used CLA when bulking as it's suppose to help keep bulks leaner from what I've read. I use between 5-9 grams a day and felt that it is worthwhile if you can get it at a decent price like 1fast has. I have never used it stricly byitself and have never used it while cutting either.

I'm curious to see other's experiences.

PEACE