Get
Cut And In Better Shape For A Healthier Life!
CLA (conjugated
linoleic acid) is a naturally occurring nutrient which scientists
have discovered exerts a positive effect on protein and fat metabolism.
*
Accelerate Fat Lose
* Powerful Antioxidant Protection
Controlled
scientific studies have shown that supplementing with CLA may favorably
affect body composition. Scientists hypothesize that CLA, possibly
acting to enhance metabolic activity at the cellular membrane level,
may allow those who supplement with CLA, exercise, and follow a healthy
lifestyle to lose fat and gain muscle definition faster. EAS introduced
CLA to the supplement market in 1996 and was the first company to
fund human clinical studies involving this patented dietary supplement.
Questions
and Answers
Is
CLA a supplement I can use when I'm trying to reduce my bodyfat? Isn't
it a fat?
Actually, CLA is a naturally occurring fatty acid found in a number
of foods. (Fatty acids are the molecules that make up a fat.) And
contrary to popular belief, not all fats are "bad,"! Studies
show that CLA may indeed be an effective supplement for supporting
fat loss and increases in lean body mass. Research suggests CLA can
do this by altering the way the body uses and stores energy.
What
exactly is CLA?
CLA stands for conjugated linoleic acid. It's a naturally occurring
fatty acid in a number of foods. It was originally isolated in cooked
ground beef, believe it or not, about ten years ago. Fatty acids are
the molecules that make up a fat, in sort of the same way amino acids
are the molecules that make up a protein. Examples of other fatty
acids include linoleic acid and linolenic acid.
What
exactly does conjugated mean?
Well, it simply means the molecule has what's known as two double
carbon bonds, separated by one single bond. You chemists out there
will understand that perfectly, but for those of you who are experts
in some other field, suffice it to say that those conjugated double
bonds give it properties very different from regular linoleic acid
(the kind found in flax oil or borage oil). CLA is not a drug. In
fact, it's found in relatively large quantities in some foods like
dairy products, beef and veal, and even turkey. The average person
probably gets up to one gram a day just by eating regular foods. The
trouble is, you'd probably have to eat more meat or more cheese than
you ever dreamed of to get enough CLA to see any beneficial effects.
For instance, cheeses have an average of between 2.9 mg and 7.1 mg
of CLA per gram of fat. You'd have to eat cheese on the order of several
pounds a day to get anywhere near the four-gram dosage that appears
to be beneficial to humans. It makes more sense to consume CLA supplements
that contain a high concentration of this unique fatty acid.
How
could fat help you build muscle?
For many years, performance nutrition experts pretty much dismissed
fats, thinking they didn't have any useful role in nutrition. Instead,
we focused on the protein-sparing and energy-producing effects of
carbohydrates, and we intensively studied how amino acids and various
proteins might affect nitrogen retention, anabolism, and catabolism.
Our "inquiring minds" were probably influenced by the mass
media's "all-fat-is-bad" campaign. But now the scales are
tipping in the other direction. Nutritional geniuses like Dr. Barry
Sears (author of The Zone) have shown us how fatty acids are not only
essential for proper health but also how the proper use of such compounds
may have numerous positive effects. Dr. Sears is certain fatty acids
directly influence the body's growth-promoting hormones.
Other
sports nutrition experts believe that fats may not only be essential
to muscle growth but may actually promote it. Some support for this
theory can be found when observing athletes on extremely low-fat nutritional
plans (less than 10% of total calories). Following an increase of
certain fats in their nutritional programs, they sometimes gain strength
and size. It's possible that these "mystical" effects of
fats could be due in part to CLA and other EFA's.
What
does CLA do?
Controlled scientific studies have shown CLA may promote growth in
healthy animals, and it may slow the loss of muscle tissue in catabolic
conditions. If you've been reading any of the fitness magazines over
the past couple of years, you're certainly aware that one of the "hot
topics" is anti-catabolism. Numerous experts believe if you can
minimize the effects of catabolic hormones on muscle tissue, you may
cause an increase in total body protein (muscle).
Now,
it's important to realize the body has numerous catabolic hormones.
It has a number of different mechanisms by which it builds up and
breaks down protein; it's not just "black or white." It's
very complicated stuff, much too complicated to discuss it all here.
However, it is possible that CLA has potent anti-catabolic effects,
effects that may not be the same as those of anti-catabolic compounds
such as HMB and other amino-acid-like compounds. It's also possible
that using CLA along with other anti-catabolic supplements might produce
a "synergistic" effect that is, by combining CLA with these
other supplements, it may produce results that are not just additive
[1 + 1 = 2] but synergistic (1 + 1 could = 5).
Of course,
to answer these questions, more research is needed. So, it's possible
CLA may help promote muscle growth by minimizing catabolism. Another
possible "mode of action" involves the nitrogen-sparing
properties of certain fatty acids in general. It has been scientifically
demonstrated that lipid (fat) infusion may influence the composition
of cell membranes, thereby affecting essential functions like enzyme
activities, transport receptors, and regulatory functions. And, because
fitness buffs have typically been taught that too much fat is bad,
it's not unlikely that many may be deficient in essential fatty acids.
Particular fats, however, show unique protein-sparing abilities above
and beyond their normal functions. This is where the "improved
feed efficiency" noted in many CLA experiments might play a part.
In other animal experiments, "structured lipids," or artificially
made fats with which CLA shares many traits, have resulted in higher
albumin concentration and nitrogen retention (both associated with
increased muscle growth).
One experiment
showed that certain fats related to CLA produced a significant increase
in skeletal muscle protein synthesis rates. CLA, it seems, may very
well possess unique protein-sparing abilities. Another theory as to
how CLA might work relates to Dr. Barry Sears' (author of The Zone)
discoveries of eicosanoids. Dr. Sears has long maintained that the
proper consumption of fats can lead to the production of "good"
eicosanoids, which are the cellular hormones that mediate production
of all other hormones, including testosterone and growth hormone.
Although borage oil (which includes gamma linoleic acid, not conjugated
linoleic acid) and flaxseed oil (which includes plain linoleic acid)
have their place, taking too much may lead to the production of arachidonic
acid, which, according to Dr. Sears, can shut down the production
of good eicosanoids. CLA, on the other hand, does not convert to arachidonic
acid. In fact, one study reported reduced arachidonic-acid levels
in skeletal muscle of animals given CLA.
Have
there been any studies done on CLA?
CLA has been extensively studied by doctors and scientists. They have
repeatedly shown that supplementing the food intake of animals with
CLA may promote a number of positive effects, faster rates of growth
being one of them. Another possible positive effect they have observed
numerous times is that CLA seems to minimize catabolism. The scientists
who have made these discoveries are so confident that CLA has numerous
positive effects that they have patented the use of CLA for promoting
growth, improving feed efficiency, and have also filed, and received,
patents for the use of CLA in preventing muscle wasting due to high
levels of catabolic hormones.
Does
CLA cause any side effects?
CLA is a dietary supplement, not a drug. This compound occurs naturally
in a variety of foods, and extensive research on CLA has shown no
toxicity nor any adverse effects. At this time, CLA has no known side
effects.
Directions:
Take 2 capsules 3 times daily with meals.
