CLA Supplements
CLA Supplements are commonly presented & sold as Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods in Australia - CLA Supplements are commonly presented & sold as Formulated Supplementary Sports Foods in Australia - Conjugated Linoleic Acid also known as CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid. Found in many dairy products & in beef, it has been studied extensively since it was discovered more than a decade ago. Human studies show that CLA can be effective in promoting fat loss while preserving lean muscle mass. Traditionally CLA has been used by anyone wanting to lose weight while preserving lean muscle mass. Some research shows CLA may be effective at helping with the maintenance of weight loss, making it suitable for anyone who has recently lost weight & wants to prevent the lost weight from returning.
Your body contains millions of tiny fat cells. To lose weight, you have to literally drain the fat out of the cell & burn it for energy. Unfortunately, every fat cell in your body is literally programmed to store fat. And the less fat you have, the harder your body will fight to hold on to every last pound. According to Dr. Michael Pariza, a CLA expert based at the University of Wisconsin USA, "every fat cell in the body wants to get big. What the CLA does is force that fat cell to stay little by affecting a number of enzymes that are ordinarily responsible for filling it with lipids." In other words, CLA literally diverts the calories you eat AWAY from fat & into muscle tissue. For instance, scientists from Sweden took a group of 60 overweight subjects, & gave them different doses of CLA for 12 weeks. The amounts varied from 1.7 to 6.8 grams daily. Subjects took 3 capsules with Breakfast, lunch & dinner. The results showed that CLA (in a daily dosage of at least 3.4 grams per day) could increase fat loss. Those who didn't use CLA gained weight. More interesting still, CLA users gained muscle - despite the fact they followed only a very "light" Training Programme.
A similar trial also shows that CLA is an effective aid to weight loss. Eighty overweight people took part in a six-month US study, conducted at the University of Wisconsin. The participants dieted & exercised and, as expected, most initially lost weight, according to Michael Pariza, Ph.D., director of the university's Food Research Institute, & one of the lead researchers for the study. But, as often happens, many regained some of the weight lost when they stopped their diets, he said. The people who did not take CLA put pounds back on at a ratio of 75 percent fat to 25 percent lean, which is typical for most people, points out Pariza. For the people taking CLA, less fat was regained & more muscle mass was retained. "The ratio was more like 50:50 - 50 percent fat & 50 percent muscle," according to Pariza. "That is very significant. It leads to the idea that CLA could be useful in weight management," he said. "Our results also showed that CLA made it easier for people to stay on their diets." Previous trials show that CLA also has positive effects on muscle growth. Scientists at Kent State University USA found that CLA users experienced a nine-fold greater increase in arm size compared to subjects using a placebo supplement. Researchers at the University of Memphis showed that CLA led to 223% greater strength gains after just 28 days of training. A study carried in the May 1998 edition of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reports that after six weeks of CLA supplementation, a group of novice bodybuilders were 202% stronger than controls.
High-quality CLA is usually found in dark (such as amber or brown) soft gel capsules. The bottle CLA is stored in should not be clear. The use of a bottle that blocks light ensures that the potential for the degradation & oxidation of CLA is reduced. Beware of extremely cheap sources of CLA that don't list the amounts of CLA contained in each capsule. Tests show they often contain little of the active ingredient. CLA is not a stimulant, & most experts consider it to be safe to use for extended periods of time. CLA is usually taken with meals, in divided doses of 800-1500 milligrams depending on manufacturers’ recommendations. Combined with a good diet & an effective exercise programme, CLA can help you lose up to 1kg of fat each week. Because of its effect on muscle growth, most CLA users gain muscle strength & size at the same time. CLA can also help you keep the weight off by diverting calories in the food you eat away from fat storage & towards muscle tissue. Further research shows that CLA works well with caffeine at promoting fat loss & muscle growth. It stands to reason that CLA has a synergistic effect with green tea extract & thermogenic supplements. This means that the two supplements combined will produce greater results than either one taken alone. CLA is considered safe with little to no negative side effects.
CLA is not a sole source of nutrition and should be used in conjunction with an appropriate physical training or exercise programme. Not suitable for children or pregnant women. Should only be used under medical or dietetic supervision. Always read label prior to use.
