For Those Who Use or Have Used CLA/L-Carnitine

meggawatt

I tried this as well for about 3 months, didn't do anything for me - at least not that I noticed anyway. I switched to green tea supplements for a while and then to plan old brewed green tea and now I notice the difference I feel on days when I don't have my 3 cups. I have a lot more energy with the green tea (brewed) and because I drink it with mint its helps with digestion. Good luck to you.

Amommymoose

L-Carnitine affects mitochondrial function. So if you have an underlying mito disorder (and MANY people do unknowingly), then this COULD help (and that's actually research-supported). They have finally done a study on it's benefits to children in the autism spectrum (who often have more severe mitochondrial dysfunction). So whether or not it's worthwhile would depend on your personal biochemistry. It may be worth trying, but this is why you'd see people with varied results.

BrentJulius

Good question.. I have been curious about CLA too, but not purchased any because studies show you need 3.2 G's to be effective and most bottles are like 50-90 at only 500mg- 1 g each meaning it just isn't worth the money for the small difference it may make, but actually today I stumbled upon some at Walmart of all places that is 3000 mgs per pill/ 90 pills for 15 bucks so I figured wth. I'm sure it's not the ideal brand but figured it's worth a try.

As for L-Carnitine I take every morning when I workout as it's in the preworkout I take along with BCAA's, arginine, caffeine and whatever else.. I train fasted and gotta say I'm addicted to the warm tingly itchy feeling the Carnitine gives you haha. I've been at apretty low bf for a while as to where simple water wait makes noticeable difference on me so I should hopefully get a good idea how effective the CLA is..

dixiewhiskey

OK so does anyone have any answers for people who are taking CLA + eating healthy AND exercising?

I want to read about results from those who eat right and exercise.. has there been any positive results e.g. lost of FAT??? I already take Whey Protein and that hasn't worked for very well even though I strength train and have upped protein intake

Mslajackson

I just started back taking this...so much research on this to learn about

dixiewhiskey

OK. So I'm Day 24 in here.. I've been working out 25 minutes a day, everyday (cardio/strength HIIT), taking 6000mg of CLA a day, using proteins+ (whey protein powder). I only lost 6.5 lbs but I'm sure most of it is fat as my BF% is down 9%. Never had this kind of success before with "weight loss".
I'm a believer and I'm sure some day in the upcoming weeks it won't work for me any more. Here are my results...

Bankman1989

Use acetyl-l-carnitine instead of l-carnitine...plain l-carnitine isn't absorbed well when taken orally.

That's NOT true.

WickedGarden

OK so does anyone have any answers for people who are taking CLA + eating healthy AND exercising?

I want to read about results from those who eat right and exercise.. has there been any positive results e.g. lost of FAT??? I already take Whey Protein and that hasn't worked for very well even though I strength train and have upped protein intake

I eat pretty clean 80-90%, do P90X, and have been taking CLA for the last month. In the last 2 weeks, I noticed that the fat in my mid section was slimming down. I measured, and lost 2 inches. My weight dropped 2 lbs, when I previously had hit a plateau for over a month. This is not the only fat I take, I also eat 1 tablespoon of organic virgin coconut oil.

Taking truenature CLA (Costco Brand)-1560 mg per softgel, Made in Germany by Tonalin. I want to say it costs around $30 for a 180 ct bottle.

Mslajackson

everyone has their 'take' on what works or don't work.

You have to do what works best for YOU!!...what works for me won't work for him & vice versa....you have to listen to your body & research.

grim_streaker

Use acetyl-l-carnitine instead of l-carnitine...plain l-carnitine isn't absorbed well when taken orally.

this


As for side effects, used together with diet and training well..... weight loss I guess

These products worked for me anyway, but I have not felt any side effects...

Hendrix7

FWIW I work for a supplement company, its my job to sell the idea of supps, but, I won't when they don't work. Seriously, save your cash.

Dangit.

So what are the studies talking about? Why do you say they don't work?

Thanks

When non-vested entities review CLA, the conclusions are not favorable:

Conjugated linoleic acid intake in humans: a systematic review focusing on its effect on body composition, glucose, and lipid metabolism.

Salas-Salvad? J, M?rquez-Sandoval F, Bull? M. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2006;46(6):479-88.

Studies performed on different species show that the consumption of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) leads to a loss of fat and total body weight, reduces the plasma concentrations of total and LDL cholesterol, and has an antiinflammatory effect. This article reviews the clinical trials on human beings that evaluate how mixtures of CLA isomers administered as supplements or CLA-enriched products can affect total body weight, body composition, plasma lipid profile, glycemia, insulinemia, insulin sensitivity, lipid oxidation, and inflammation. After analyzing the few studies published to date in reduced samples of healthy humans or patients with overweight, obesity, metabolic syndrome, or diabetes, we deduce that there is not enough evidence to show that conjugated linoleic acid has an effect on weight and body composition in humans. However, some of these studies have observed that the administration of various CLA isomers has adverse effects on lipid profile (it decreases HDL cholesterol concentration and increases Lp(a) circulating levels), glucose metabolism (glycemia, insulinemia or insulin sensitivity), lipid oxidation, inflammation, or endothelial function. Therefore, long-term randomized clinical trials, controlled with placebo, need to be made in large samples of patients to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CLA isomers before its indiscriminate use in human beings can be recommended.

---

The only CLA study done on resistance-trained subjects failed to show any effect:

Effects of conjugated linoleic acid supplementation during resistance training on body composition, bone density, strength, and selected hematological markers.

Kreider RB, Ferreira MP, Greenwood M, Wilson M, Almada AL. J Strength Cond Res. 2002 Aug;16(3):325-34.

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are essential fatty acids that have been reported in animal studies to decrease catabolism, promote fat loss, increase bone density, enhance immunity, and serve as an antiatherogenic and anticarcinogenic agent. For this reason, CLA has been marketed as a supplement to promote weight loss and general health. CLA has also been heavily marketed to resistance-trained athletes as a supplement that may help lessen catabolism, decrease body fat, and promote greater gains in strength and muscle mass during training. Although basic research is promising, few studies have examined whether CLA supplementation during training enhances training adaptations and/or affects markers of health. This study evaluated whether CLA supplementation during resistance training affects body composition, strength, and/or general markers of catabolism and immunity. In a double-blind and randomized manner, 23 experienced, resistance-trained subjects were matched according to body mass and training volume and randomly assigned to supplement their diet with 9 g;pdd(-1) of an olive oil placebo or 6 g;pdd(-1) of CLA with 3 g;pdd(-1) of fatty acids for 28 days. Prior to and following supplementation, fasting blood samples, total body mass, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) determined body composition, and isotonic bench press and leg press 1 repetition maximums (1RMs) were determined. Results revealed that although some statistical trends were observed with moderate to large effect sizes, CLA supplementation did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) changes in total body mass, fat-free mass, fat mass, percent body fat, bone mass, strength, serum substrates, or general markers of catabolism and immunity during training. These findings indicate that CLA does not appear to possess significant ergogenic value for experienced resistance-trained athletes.

---

CLA has adverse effects on markers of cardiovascular health, without significantly affecting bodycomp:

Treatment with dietary trans10cis12 conjugated linoleic acid causes isomer-specific insulin resistance in obese men with the metabolic syndrome.

Diabetes Care. 2002 Sep;25(9):1516-21. Ris?rus U, Arner P, Brismar K, Vessby B.

OBJECTIVE: Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a group of dietary fatty acids with antiobesity and antidiabetic effects in some animals. The trans10cis12 (t10c12) CLA isomer seems to cause these effects, including improved insulin sensitivity. Whether such isomer-specific effects occur in humans is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether t10c12 CLA or a commercial CLA mixture could improve insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, or body composition in obese men with signs of the metabolic syndrome. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: In a randomized, double-blind controlled trial, abdominally obese men (n = 60) were treated with 3.4 g/day CLA (isomer mixture), purified t10c12 CLA, or placebo. Euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, serum hormones, lipids, and anthropometry were assessed before and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Baseline metabolic status was similar between groups. Unexpectedly, t10c12 CLA increased insulin resistance (19%; P < 0.01) and glycemia (4%; P < 0.001) and reduced HDL cholesterol (-4%; P < 0.01) compared with placebo, whereas body fat, sagittal abdominal diameter, and weight decreased versus baseline, but the difference was not significantly different from placebo. The CLA mixture did not change glucose metabolism, body composition, or weight compared with placebo but lowered HDL cholesterol.(-2%; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results reveal important isomer-specific metabolic actions of CLA in abdominally obese humans. A CLA-induced insulin resistance has previously been described only in lipodystrophic mice. Considering the use of CLA-supplements among obese individuals, it is important to clarify the clinical consequences of these results, but they also provide physiological insights into the role of specific dietary fatty acids as modulators of insulin resistance in humans.

---

More on CLA's adverse effects on cardiovascular health parameters, again, without improving bodycomp:

Effects of cis-9,trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on insulin sensitivity, lipid peroxidation, and proinflammatory markers in obese men.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Aug;80(2):279-83. Ris?rus U, Vessby B, Arnl?v J, Basu S.

BACKGROUND: We recently showed that trans-10,cis-12 (t10,c12) conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) causes insulin resistance in obese men. However, metabolic effects of the c9,t11 CLA isomer are still unknown in obese men. Because c9,t11 CLA is the predominant CLA isomer in foods and is included in dietary weight-loss products, it is important to conduct randomized controlled studies that use c9,t11 CLA preparations. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of c9,t11 CLA supplementation on insulin sensitivity, body composition, and lipid peroxidation in a group at high risk for cardiovascular disease. DESIGN: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 25 abdominally obese men received 3 g c9,t11 CLA/d or placebo (olive oil). Before and after 3 mo of supplementation, we assessed insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp), lipid metabolism, body composition, and urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) (a major F(2)-isoprostane) and 15-keto-dihydro-prostaglandin F(2alpha), markers of in vivo oxidative stress and inflammation, respectively. RESULTS: All subjects completed the study. Compared with placebo, c9,t11 CLA decreased insulin sensitivity by 15% (P < 0.05) and increased 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) and 15-keto-dihydro-prostaglandin F(2alpha) excretion by 50% (P < 0.01) and 15% (P < 0.05), respectively. The decreased insulin sensitivity was independent of changes in serum lipids, glycemia, body mass index, and body fat but was abolished after adjustment for changes in 8-iso-prostaglandin F(2alpha) concentrations. There were no differences between groups in body composition. CONCLUSIONS: A CLA preparation containing the purified c9,t11 CLA isomer increased insulin resistance and lipid peroxidation compared with placebo in obese men. Because c9,t11 CLA occurs in commercial supplements as well as in the diet, the present results should be confirmed in larger studies that also include women.

No favourable affect in body composition in any of these studies.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112301601&page=1

MerRock

Okay, so I know this is a really old post, but I found it when I was googling if CLA works. I had some sitting around that a guy at the nutrition store talked me into buying once, and I was trying to decide if it's worth taking. I'm sure I'm not the only one who stumbles upon this post.

I'm still not sure on the CLA thing, I'm guessing that it's like many other supplements... what works for one may not work for another, often due to different physical conditions. But I did want to weigh in on BCAA powder.

I started using them a few years back during/after working out, and I VERY VERY much notice a difference when I use them and when I don't. Awhile back I was diagnosed as having fibromyalgia, so it's really important for me to work out. It hurts more in the beginning but it makes me feel better in the rest of my life. So post workout soreness can be really amplified for me. BCAA's make a world of difference in soreness for me. I mix them in my drink and try to drink it during pretty much every workout. The workouts that I don't, I end up so sore that it hurts to move the next day. Workouts that I do I can push myself harder, and although I feel the normal soreness that one gets when you work the muscles to fatigue, I can handle it. I actually like it because I know I'm getting stronger. So YES, I am 100% convinced that BCAA powder helps, especially for those who have medical conditions that involve nerve pain. I think the pills are a waste because most are such a low amount. But the powder is awesome.

dixiewhiskey

everyone has their 'take' on what works or don't work.

You have to do what works best for YOU!!...what works for me won't work for him & vice versa....you have to listen to your body & research.

This^^^