I have been weight training/cardio training and modifying my eating habits along with taking CLA and whey protein. This may sound odd, but I can't tell if it is the CLA that is helping with the success I am having or just the change in diet and activity level. I am seeing great muscle development, especially in my thighs and triceps. Has anyone else used CLA and whey protein and if so, what were your results like.
I've been taking CLA as I've been losing weight and I don't know for sure if it's made a difference but I'm going to keep it up. I think it's supposed to help with maintaining a fat loss, which is where I am right now.
On other supplements: I have noticed a huge difference in my skin since I started taking vitamin C (3 g/day) and bioflavonoids (2g/day) on the advice of my plastic surgeon in preparation for my January surgery. I will definitely continue these. My rosecea has disappeared and my skin looks better than it ever has.
Whey protein would be helpful in building and maintaining muscle mass if you are not getting enough protein through your regular meals.
I'm taking CLA and have taken it at times in the past. I don't know for sure if it does anything for me since I do other things as well. It's probably the combination that has given me good results. I must admit that I seem to lose inches from my abs especially well when I am using CLA. The first time I took it I took 6g per day, the next, 7g and I just started 10g per day which was recommended as the best fro fat-burning results.
I've been using whey protein powder for close to 3 years. It is a convenience for me that makes it easier to get my protein requirement in. Real food is better, but it is not convenient all the time. I also love my homemeade shakes and can't imagine giving them up.
thanks for the response. i have been taking the CLA for about 6 weeks now. i also am using whey protein supplements to increase my protein and L-glutamine on my weight train days to help with muscle repair. i weigh in on saturday mornings and for the first time, the scale jumped up 4 pounds instead of going down. i went to the gym anyway and did my weight training but i was so devastated. i proceeded saturday evening and sunday to eat basically pure fat and carbs and felt like giving up. this morning, i realized my weight gain was more PMS related than anything else. now i feel all stupid. i now have to work off what i ate over the weekend in addition to what i needed to lose anyway.
i hadn't even thought of that. i keep saying I am going to buy a tape measure but keep forgetting to. from what i am reading on this site, that is a much better way to keep track of what i am doing than the scales. thanks a bunch.
I'm new to this thread. I've been excercising and have started light weights using the Firm workout tapes as well as my own excercises. I'm just curious as to what CLA actually is and as a beginner, can I take it?
conjugated linoleic acid. there is a ton of information out there about the product and there are a million people selling it. however, (and someone correct me if i am wrong) if you are going to take it, make sure you get a supplement that contains the appropriate amounts or you won't get results. the minimum amount for results is 3000 mg (3 soft gels) but some people take as many as six. there are some products that only contain half of that amount or less, so make sure you read the lables and contents carefully. i started taking it as soon as i started working out seriously. taking this product without exercise will do you no good.
Here's what Supplementwatch.com has to say about CLA:
Quote:
Supplement CLA
Description Linoleic acid (LA) is a naturally occurring fatty acid found predominantly in beef and dairy products. LA is one of the two essential fatty acids (the other is linolenic acid). Linoleic acid is an omega-6 fatty acid, meaning that it is unsaturated, with a double bond occurring at the sixth carbon atom from the omega end of the molecule. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is an isomer of LA - which refers to a slight rearrangement of the molecular structure (conjugation) - resulting in a fatty acid with altered chemical functions. The rearrangement in this case is a conjugated double bond occurring at carbons 10 and 12 or at carbons 9 and 11. Linoleic acid is found in the diet in vegetable oils, whereas the conjugated variety, CLA, is found primarily in meat and dairy products. The form of CLA found most commonly in dietary supplements is manufactured from vegetable oils such as sunflower oil or safflower oil. One of the leading brands of CLA (TonalinTM), and the one on which the majority of studies has been conducted, is derived from safflower oil.
Theory The anti-tumor/anti-cancer properties attributed to CLA may be due to an antioxidant effect or to an undefined interaction between CLA and various carcinogens. CLA is also theorized to modulate the production of prostaglandins, which are derived from fatty acid molecules and have been linked to an elevated synthesis of growth hormone. Increased growth hormone levels are viewed as beneficial to both athletes and dieters as a way to promote enhanced muscle growth, strength and fat loss. Some prostaglandins may also increase blood circulation to the muscles and adipose tissue - an effect that has been suggested to improve muscle function and fat mobilization. Perhaps the more tantalizing effects of CLA when it comes to supplements, however, are those reported for the induction of weight loss, body fat loss and increased caloric expenditure.
Scientific Support The majority of research on dietary intake of CLA has been conducted in animals. Several studies have indicated an anti-tumor effect of CLA in normal doses (1-4 grams) - close to what an average person might consume daily from a "typical" intake of meat and dairy products. The potential anti-cancer effects of CLA (most notable the cis-9/trans-11 isomer) have been attributed to several possible mechanisms including its actions as an antioxidant.
The positive effects of CLA on body composition (less fat and more lean) have been shown in numerous animal studies (pigs, mice, rats, chicks), but the evidence in humans has been somewhat controversial. The joke around the scientific meetings has always been that CLA is a great weight loss supplement for mice, but not so good for humans. This view, however, is rapidly beginning to change based on recent results from several research groups.
In animals, adding CLA (primarily the trans-10/cis-12 isomer) to the diet consistently leads to the supplemented animals gaining less body fat, but more lean body mass (muscle), compared to control animals. As such, many of the studies show no change in total body weight - but that weight is made up of less fat and more muscle - good stuff! - but remember, these results are primarily being shown in rodents and livestock (very few of which are reading these web pages). In livestock studies (cattle, pigs, chickens), supplemental CLA has been shown to promote growth and prevent muscle wasting, whereas body fat accumulation and energy expenditure increased - so here you get a leaner stronger animal (isn't that what we're all looking for in terms of weight loss?). As a nice side benefit, CLA feeding also appears to reduce LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in rabbits with elevated cholesterol. So what does this picture look like? - A Happy Barnyard! The cattle, pigs and chickens are all low-fat, high-muscle machines - sort of like a barnyard version of Muscle Beach. Likewise, the CLA-supplemented lab animals (rats, rabbits, and mice) are slim and trim and are the envy of the guinea pigs who only seem to get recruited for the studies on carcinogens and tobacco-related studies.
But what does this all mean for you (the non-lab-rat human looking to shed a few pounds)? Based on a handful of recent studies, it means good news (maybe). Two recent studies have shown that CLA supplementation (3-4 grams/day) promotes a loss of body fat (2-4 lbs. extra in overweight subjects over 12 weeks) and reduces abdominal fat (by about 1 inch) in obese men. So does this mean that CLA is the answer to your weight loss prayers? Probably not - but it might help (keep reading).
Despite these recent positive findings on CLA, there are numerous earlier (but small) studies that have found no benefits of CLA for fat loss. One small study of weight lifters found no differences on measures of body weight, fat mass or fat-free mass following a month of CLA supplementation, but this study looked at subjects who already had a fairly low body fat percentage (14%). Another small study followed 10 subjects consuming 3-4 grams of CLA each day for three months and compared them to 10 subjects consuming a placebo. Results showed no difference in weight loss between CLA and placebo, but those talking CLA dropped somewhat more body fat (a good thing). In another study of 17 healthy women, CLA supplements (3 grams/day) or a sunflower oil placebo for 64 days, resulted in no change in body weight, fat-free mass, fat mass, or percentage of body fat. Likewise, CLA had no significant effect on energy expenditure, fat oxidation, or respiratory exchange ratio at rest or during exercise.
Bottom line = the scientific evidence is overwhelmingly positive in the animal studies, but about evenly split between positive and no-effect studies of humans (see more in the Value section).
Safety No adverse side effects are reported with CLA supplementation - but at least one of the more recent human trials reported that about 30% of subjects reported gastrointestinal symptoms associated with recommended doses (3-5 grams/day).
Value Confused yet? What we're left with is a supplement that has scientific evidence on both side of the fence (like almost every supplement) - which side of the CLA fence should you be on? In considering the overall "value" of CLA for fat loss, we need to consider some of the metabolic differences between animals (where almost all of the CLA data is positive for lowering body fat and increasing lean tissue) and humans (where we have a split). Rodents, for example, have a metabolic rate that is about 7 times higher than that of a human - which translates, after normalizing rodent and human data to the same scales, to a reduction of body fat that is 7 times greater in rodents than in humans following CLA supplementation. In the rodent studies, CLA supplementation has also been shown to increase daily energy expenditure by nearly 8% - but in humans this effect may only be a bit over 1% (too small to be detected in anything but the largest study using the most sensitive equipment). So this leaves you to make our own judgement call - to supplement with CLA or not. Our recommendation is that if you're looking for a non-stimulant method for slightly increasing energy expenditure and promoting body fat loss, then CLA is worth a try (perhaps combined with green tea extract).
Dosage Most people ingest less than 1 gram per day from meat and dairy foods. Typical dosage recommendations are 3-5 grams per day and the 2 most recent studies on CLA have shown benefits using doses of 3.4g and 4.2g per day. Because most of the studies showing a positive effect of CLA have used the TonalinTM brand of CLA (a 50/50 blend of the cis-9/trans-11 and trans-10/cis-12 isomers), SupplementWatch recommends that you look for products that include TonalinTM.
Originally posted by tikanique conjugated linoleic acid. there is a ton of information out there about the product and there are a million people selling it. however, (and someone correct me if i am wrong) if you are going to take it, make sure you get a supplement that contains the appropriate amounts or you won't get results. the minimum amount for results is 3000 mg (3 soft gels) but some people take as many as six. there are some products that only contain half of that amount or less, so make sure you read the lables and contents carefully. i started taking it as soon as i started working out seriously. taking this product without exercise will do you no good.
Most 1000 mg capsules contain about 70% CLA. The minimum amount to take is generally 5-6 capsules. It may be more or less depending on your weight. This amount has been said to be better for keeping fat off once you've lost it. For fat-burning purposes, Dr. Connelly suggested I take 10 capsules per day.
I don't know of anyone who has lost "weight" by taking CLA.
Ilene - Supplementwatch.com has a lot of great free info (of course they have info that you have to PAY to get to...as so many sites seem to lately).
Deb - that's the thing about any supplement - if you're watching your nutrition and working out at the same time you are taking CLA or any other supplement - who can say how much these supps actually 'helped' you lose weight? IMO...they might give you a SLIGHT edge...but if you're not working out and watching your diet carefully...then you might as well be throwing your money in the toilet...again IMO...
Exactly, Karen! Everyone wants to know if this or that works...who knows what works and what doesn't? As for CLA ansd weight loss, I wouldn't count on it. I have seen big losses in my abs when taking CLA-that is what others report, too-but I might have had the same results without it.
Very true, all the supps in the world won't do much good if you don't have good nutrition and workout.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid - CLA
CLA
