CLA [Archive] - Lean Bodies Fitness

jcg

11-09-2006, 04:19 PM

So, I've been reading a lot lately about CLA...is it worth taking?

Articles like this:

CLA (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cla.html)
I took it for a while and only stopped because it was a lot of pills. I read it's best to take at least 4000 mg. Trader Joe's sells 1000 mg CLA for about $15/90 tabs. I had a body composition test about two months after I started (results below). I've been tested 4 times with this method and it's always looked reliable, but who knows.

4/28/04
weight 138
fat 17.6%
Fat weight 24.3 lbs
Lean weight 113.7 lbs

11/22/04
weight 138
fat 16.4%
fat weight 22.6 lbs
lean weight 115.4%

jcg

11-09-2006, 04:32 PM

By the way, I didn't train or anything in particular that might affect body composition between those 2 test, except the CLA.

rwood

11-09-2006, 04:49 PM

I didn't notice a difference. I would invest in fish oils/ omegas instead.

jcg

11-09-2006, 05:13 PM

Yeah, I stopped the CLA when I started fish oils, plus more vitamins etc. But I think I'll do another experiment with the CLA and see if there's any change on my next bc measurement. By the way, it needs to be "Tonalin" brand CLA

Ecala

11-09-2006, 05:29 PM

Robben should be able to give you info on this Ali. He takes Tonalin brand CLA.

I took it for about a year a few years back and honestly can say I didn't notice anything significant. :shrug:

T23

11-09-2006, 05:53 PM

So, I've been reading a lot lately about CLA...is it worth taking?

Articles like this:

CLA (http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cla.html)

Hey I thought you were bulking now??:finger:

Cass

11-09-2006, 05:57 PM

Hey I thought you were bulking now??:finger:
:ditto:

T23

11-09-2006, 05:58 PM

:ditto:
:lol3: Cass you quoted me before I could fix my typo!!

Ali

11-09-2006, 06:19 PM

I am. So, this is no good for bulking?? And fish oils do the same thing??

Ecala

11-09-2006, 06:20 PM

Robben was taking it during his bulk phase.

CLA is an omega 6 I believe, whereas, as you already know, fish oil is an omega 3.

CLA really is only sunflower oil.

jcg

11-09-2006, 06:25 PM

Robben was taking it during his bulk phase.

CLA is an omega 6 I believe, whereas, as you already know, fish oil is an omega 3.

CLA really is only sunflower oil.
Really? That sounds boring. It just sounded good to me because a lot of pub-med abstracts reported it had anti-cancer effects in animals.

T23

11-09-2006, 06:41 PM

I am. So, this is no good for bulking?? And fish oils do the same thing??
Guess I should have read it first......thought it was just fat loss

~LV~

11-09-2006, 07:14 PM

Tried it. Nothing.
Same here.

My body doesn't respond to it at all.

Ecala

11-09-2006, 08:47 PM

Really? That sounds boring. It just sounded good to me because a lot of pub-med abstracts reported it had anti-cancer effects in animals.

Well omega 6 has its place too. :)

Inatic

11-09-2006, 09:39 PM

Robben should be able to give you info on this Ali. He takes Tonalin brand CLA.

I took it for about a year a few years back and honestly can say I didn't notice anything significant. :shrug:

I did too as well. No difference for me either.

Aaron_F

11-09-2006, 09:59 PM

Robben was taking it during his bulk phase.

CLA is an omega 6 I believe, whereas, as you already know, fish oil is an omega 3.

CLA really is only sunflower oil.

CLA is NOT sunflower oil, buy it can be made from the fats in sunflower oil

Sunflower oil contains lots of Linoleic acid or LA, the essential omega6 fatty acid.

CLA is Conjugated Linoleic acid

Conjugated - in that instead of two cis bonds (like linoleic), it has a cis and a trans bond. (these bonds are not always in the same place as linoleics bonds )

From the research, fat loss naw, during bulking it may be useful but more work is needed to examine that.

Ecala

11-10-2006, 12:22 AM

CLA is NOT sunflower oil, buy it can be made from the fats in sunflower oil

Bah. It's manufactured from it. Close enough.

Aaron_F

11-10-2006, 01:03 AM

Cars can be manufactured from reused soda cans, therefore cars are soda cans with no differences whatsoever

Ecala

11-10-2006, 08:40 AM

It's all fat. Not aluminum or metal. But I see your point.

eta: IOW, you win; I'm not interested in an Internet debate over CLA.

Aaron_F

11-11-2006, 03:44 AM

While the CLA supplement is a fat, its not all CLA, just as a car is not all metal.

jackieleigh

11-11-2006, 03:18 PM

My previous trainer had me try this. It did nothing for me

Erik

11-11-2006, 03:21 PM

I think the problem lies in people's expectations of the product, influenced by the marketing behind it.

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:26 PM

I'm bumping this, again. Can CLA be taken in place of fish oil. Is fish oil the best source of EFA's?

smuggie

01-15-2007, 05:28 PM

I'm bumping this, again. Can this be taken in place of fish oil. Is fish oil the best source of EFA's?
No. CLA is an omega 6, not an omega 3.

Fish oils are the best source of omega 3s.

absolut_blonde

01-15-2007, 05:28 PM

I'm bumping this, again. Can CLA be taken in place of fish oil. Is fish oil the best source of EFA's?

I think CLA is a form of omega-6, so it is good for you but not a replacement for omega-3s. (But someone correct me if I am mixed up about this)

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:30 PM

No. CLA is an omega 6, not an omega 3.

Fish oils are the best source of omega 3s.

Thanks. :) So, it would still be good to take?

Erik

01-15-2007, 05:32 PM

I'm bumping this, again. Can CLA be taken in place of fish oil.

No

Erik

01-15-2007, 05:32 PM

Thanks. :) So, it would still be good to take?

You're not using it. :ban:

:lol3:

T23

01-15-2007, 05:38 PM

You're not using it. :ban:

:lol3:
:funny:

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:39 PM

You're not using it. :ban:

:lol3:

I know...my husband and mother keep bugging me about it. :shrug: Plus, I want to know when people ask me. I need books.

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:40 PM

:funny:

:pimpslap:

T23

01-15-2007, 05:40 PM

:pimpslap:
:oops:

:wave:

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:48 PM

I think I just answered my own question, however, with "our diets" we probably don't get as much Omega 6 as the normal population.

Although soybean oil is healthy and Omega-6 is very good for you -- omega-6 competes with omega-3 in the body. We should have an equal amount of intake of both fats. But we are getting way too much omega-6 and not nearly enough omega-3.

Some researchers estimate we are getting 20 to 50 times more omega-6 as we are omega-3. We need to make an effort to consume much more omega-3 to balance out the extra omega-6 we are automatically getting so much of in our diets.

This means you probably do not need to take a combination EFA supplement containing both omega-6 and omega-3. You already get plenty of omega-6. Why take more omega-6 in that case? Don't take a combination of 3 and 6. Try to scale back the omega-6 intake while you also add more omega-3 into your diet.

Here's a good read:

http://www.womens-health-questions.com/omega-3.html

smuggie

01-15-2007, 05:54 PM

Thanks. :) So, it would still be good to take?
Omega 6s are essential, but typical North Americans already get too many omega 6s from processed foods. At the same time they don't get enough omega 3s. That imbalance can contribute to a host of health problems.

You can read the following article for more info:

http://www.fatsforhealth.com/introduction/faqs.php

smuggie

01-15-2007, 05:56 PM

I think I just answered my own question, however, with "our diets" we probably don't get as much Omega 6 as the normal population.
That's right, which is why I include sources of omega 6s in my diet.

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:56 PM

Omega 6s are essential, but typical North Americans already get too many omega 6s from processed foods. At the same time they don't get enough omega 3s. That imbalance can contribute to a host of health problems.

You can read the following article for more info:

http://www.fatsforhealth.com/introduction/faqs.php

Cool. Thanks, Smuggie. :D

Ali

01-15-2007, 05:57 PM

That's right, which is why I include sources of omega 6s in my diet.

Like walnuts. :hehe: But I don't have that on my plan right now.

Erik

01-15-2007, 06:05 PM

I think I just answered my own question, however, with "our diets" we probably don't get as much Omega 6 as the normal population.

Which is good.

smuggie

01-15-2007, 06:58 PM

Like walnuts. :hehe: But I don't have that on my plan right now.
I eat those and sunflower seeds.

Ali

01-15-2007, 08:21 PM

Does type of fish oil matter? Salmon vs. anchovy, mackerel, etc.? Or is it all the same?

Ecala

01-15-2007, 08:53 PM

I use Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil - which has D in it.. but I need D. But I also get the NN because the taste is clean-- never ever fishy. I take a tsp right from the bottle.

absolut_blonde

01-15-2007, 11:20 PM

That's right, which is why I include sources of omega 6s in my diet.

What sorts of things do you include? Do you just use oils with omega-6s or actual foods?

I'm now wondering if I get enough omega-6s. I don't think I have many sources of it in my diet. :huh:

smuggie

01-15-2007, 11:26 PM

What sorts of things do you include? Do you just use oils with omega-6s or actual foods?

I'm now wondering if I get enough omega-6s. I don't think I have many sources of it in my diet. :huh:
I guess you missed my post about eating walnuts and sunflower seeds. :wink:

When I can afford it I also take evening primrose oil caps.

absolut_blonde

01-15-2007, 11:36 PM

I guess you missed my post about eating walnuts and sunflower seeds. :wink:

When I can afford it I also take evening primrose oil caps.

Ahh, I must have. :oops: I was trying to shovel down PWO meal because I was starving (just finished it and I still am starving, grrr). Sorry!

I do eat walnuts almost daily, so I guess I'm probably okay.