Just wondering if anyone knows if CLA is a fat burner?? If not, can it be taken along with one? Thanks, Chuppet

Chuppet, I moved your post to the Nutrition & Supplements forum (now that we have one ).

Lionoleic Acid (LA ) is a fatty acid that is found in dairy and beef. 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.

CLA has been tested and found to:

• Build muscle
• Burn fat
• Increase thermogenesis (calorie expenditure)
• Fight cancer
• to be a powerful antioxidant

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.

Supplementwatch.com reports that no adverse side effects have been 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).

I have been using CLA daily (4-5g) since May 2002 and I can't find anything negative to say about it - other than it's a little expensive. One caveat to all this: 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) this is the one it is recommended you use. If it doesn't say "Tonalin" you may be wasting your money.

HTH
Nat

Natrushka and/or TrainerDan - I read in the thermogenics threads that the ECA stack products should be taken in a 8-12 weeks on / 4 weeks off cycle. Would the same thing apply to my CLA supplement, or can I continue to take it while I'm off cycle with the Hydroxycut? (In your non medical opinion for which I will not sue you. )

LMAO.

CLA, to the best of my knowledge, does not need to be cycled. Its a fatty acid that occurs naturally in our foods and is part of our daily intake to some degree

Nat

Awesome! And thanks so much for the superspeedy response!