CLA Fat Burner or Scam? Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been sold as a fat loss supplement for years primarily based on the incredible weight loss and body composition (i.e. losing fat and gaining muscle) changes seen in studies using mice and rats. However, more recently research in humans has shown that it can be used to increase fat loss. In this article we'll look at some of the benefits of CLA as well as some of the side effects. In addition to weight loss studies there have been (and are currently) countless studies looking at the effects of this fatty acid on reducing inflammation, fighting cancer, and in the treatment of other conditions.

Ever since 2007, there has been an increase in use of CLA as a fat burner. This is due to the release of a meta-analysis (basically a review of several scientific studies) published in the May 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition which concluded that 3.2g/d of CLA can induce moderate weight loss in humans. Many people like to use conjugated linoleic acid as part of a fat loss supplement stack (i.e. a group of compounds and herbs taken together to maximize effects) because unlike many other weight loss supplements it is not a stimulant and you don't run the risk of getting the jitters, increased heart rate, or worse - increased blood pressure. Another common, non-stimulant supplement, that is often combined with CLA is green tea extract. There are several products on the market that offer a combination of CLA and green tea extract or you can just take them as two separate pills (this is probably the most cost effective option).

Let's now look at two studies in which people were given CLA. The first study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The researchers found that when people supplemented with 3.2 g/d of CLA (the recommended dosage for weight loss purposes) they burned more fat when they slept! This is true. Not only did the subjects that took CLA burned more fat when they slept, the fat they burned was NOT fat they had recently eaten; it was stored body fat that they were burning. This study gets even better as the researchers reported that the individuals that took CLA had decreased urinary protein losses. In other words the CLA group had improved protein retention when they slept. These are really interesting findings. If I owned a supplement company that sold large dosages of CLA - my new headline would be "CLA - Scientifically Proven to Burn More Body Fat and Build Muscle while you SLEEP."

Next let's look at some of the side effects and controversy surrounding CLA. Also in 2007, a study was again looking at the effects of CLA on weight loss in obese people. In this study, the participants were given CLA dosages of 0, 3.2, or 6.4 grams/day. The group that received the 6.4 g/d of CLA experienced a significant increase in a compound called C-Reactive Protein or CRP for short. C-Reactive Protein is a protein that is released from your liver which is used in the medical field as a marker of the level of inflammation in your body - higher CRP means more inflammation. While there was an increase in CRP, it was truly not clinically significant as CRP levels remained below what is considered normal. Normal CRP levels are 3mg/dL. It is also important to see realize that the people in the study that had increased CRP as a result of taking a CLA supplement were taking 2x the 'recommended' dose for weight loss. The group that only took 3.2 grams per day did not have any increase in their CRP levels.

Based on the findings in this study and the review of studies in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is seems that 3.2 g/d of CLA can be taken to boost weight loss. The next question that you should ask is…What do you do with these findings? At the moment not a whole lot.. CLA is a nice add-on to a fat loss program but "add-on" is the key word. CLA is perfect for nutrient stacking as combing these effects with a supplement like green tea extract (as mentioned above), increased non-exercise physical activity, and multiple meals throughout the day to maximize your calorie burning. If you aren't spot on with your nutrition, training with weights 3x per week, and doing 3 interval sessions per week then don't waste your time with CLA and focus on the more important things.