There is an obvious relationship between CLA and bodybuilding. CLA is a natural fat loss and body building supplement. CLA contains trans fatty acids derived from omega-6. CLA is found in ruminants such as sheep, cattle and goats. It may be confusing since this in itself is fat so how on earth does it end up eliminating fat from the body? CLA is derived from natural sources and belongs to a family of fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids which are good to the body and will in fact actually help you.
Bodybuilding and CLA
As a bodybuilder, I understand that adding unwanted fat whilst bulking or trying to burn off the last few lbs of fat when dieting down is one of the biggest frustrations. Even more so when dieting because any extra exercise or diet restrictions you perform can often put the fear of god in you that you will also burn away that hard earned muscle you just spent months packing on. I am sure many have told you that it is impossible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time. However there is one natural product that has shown to be effective in burning excess fat that accumulates in your body whilst stimulating the increase of lean tissue growth! No its not April fools day, this natural product is Conjugated Linoleic Acid or CLA.
How does CLA work in body building?
CLA is related to omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 6 is one of the two known classes of fat that have beneficial instead of damaging effects on the body. CLA is made up of isomers which have several positive effects on body composition. The benefits of CLA include increasing basal metabolic rate, boosting immunity and keeping in check the levels of bad fat (cholesterol). It is the balance between the levels of good cholesterol known as HDL (high density lipoproteins) and that of bad cholesterol known as LDLs (low density lipoproteins) and triglycerides that determines weight gain. The bad cholesterol is responsible for weight gain along with the other adverse effects associated with fat accumulation. On the other hand good cholesterol seeks out bad fat and brings them to the liver for use in metabolism.
The effects of CLA are both catabolic (for fat) and anabolic (for proteins). This means that it causes fat breakdown to provide energy to drive body processes. The energy produced is used to synthesise proteins which are the building blocks for the muscle. When combined with the correct diet and exercise, CLA supplementation can support fat loss and muscle gain. There are many other ways in which CLA produces its bodybuilding effects.
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