CLA versus carnitine

All those hours at the gym won’t help you reach your full potential if you don’t properly nourish your body in the kitchen. Some athletes even turn to supplements, such as CLA or carnitine, to give their body an extra boost toward increased strength while reducing body fat. Despite some marketing claims, performance-enhancing supplements are not always what they are billed as. Before you recover from your last workout with powder from a giant bath, ask yourself if this supplement is really beneficial, or even necessary, and what experts would advise you to do instead. What is carnitine? An amino acid that plays a vital role in energy production, carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids to the mitochondria so they can produce energy, and it removes toxic compounds to prevent them from building up. Your body naturally produces carnitine. The kidneys and liver make it from two amino acids, lysine and methionine, so most people do not need to consume carnitine from food sources or supplements; however, those with genetic or medical conditions that cannot produce enough will need to consume carnitine as an essential nutrient. Because of its role in increasing fatty acid oxidation, carnitine has been marketed as a supplement, but the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements notes that research has found only a “modest reduction in body weight” from taking carnitine. No safety concerns have been reported up to 2 grams per day for a year or 4 grams per day for 56 days, but reported side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and “fishy” body odor. Carnitine is mainly found in animal products: meat, fish, poultry and milk. Red meat is the best source, as a 4-ounce serving of beef contains 56 to 62 milligrams of carnitine and 4 ounces of ground beef contains 87 to 99 milligrams. The same weight of cod contains 4 to 7 milligrams and that of chicken breast 3 to 5 milligrams. On the other hand, plant sources contain very little carnitine. Two slices of whole wheat bread contain only 0.2 milligrams, and a half-cup of asparagus contains 0.1 milligrams. Carnitine is also available as an over-the-counter dietary supplement that can be effective for athletes. In a December 2018 study published in the Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry, a group of 25 male subjects took either carnitine or a placebo for nine weeks in combination with strength training. After nine weeks, men who took carnitine showed increased strength and antioxidant capacity, and the study concluded that carnitine could improve athletic performance. What is CLA? Like carnitine, CLA (conjugated linoleic acids) can be consumed as a supplement to promote weight loss and muscle gain, but studies on its effectiveness are mixed. CLA is a chain of fatty acids found in the digestive systems of cows, goats, sheep and buffalo. In the human diet, these fatty acids are often consumed through beef or dairy products. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements of the National Institutes of Health, CLA plays an important role in promoting lipolysis, reducing lipogenesis, and promoting apoptosis in adipose tissue. In other words, CLA helps break down body fat, prevents the conversion of energy into body fat, and kills adipose tissue cells. CLA is sold over the counter in the United States under the trade names CLA-80 and Tonalin, and although they are marketed as weight-loss products, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center points out that clinical trials examining these claims show mixed results. A review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in September 2015 looked at 16 studies between 2010 and 2015 and found that nine of them showed no benefit for CLA. In cases where CLA was found to have a positive association with improved body composition, it was taken in conjunction with physical activity. However, CLA is not considered dangerous, according to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, which reports few safety concerns with a dose of 2.4 to 6 grams per day for 12 months. Like carnitine, side effects of CLA include abdominal pain and diarrhea. Other reported side effects include constipation, loose stools, dyspepsia, and possible adverse effects on blood lipids and glucose homeostasis. Read more: The best pre-workout foods and the science behind why they work. The Best Supplements for Cutting After a period of gaining weight through strength training, many athletes attempt to lose weight during a cutting period. In the case of bodybuilders, like those examined in a May 2014 study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, they will use evidence-based nutrition and supplements to lose fat and water weight to prepare themselves to perform at their best during competitions. CLA and carnitine were not included in the list of best evidence-based supplements for cutting. Instead, the study focused on diet manipulation as well as supplementation with creatine, beta-alanine, branched-chain amino acids, arginine, citrulline malate, glutamine, and caffeine. Their effectiveness was examined as part of a cutting supplement stack, a term used by bodybuilders and strength coaches to describe supplements intended for muscle growth and fat loss. The results on their effectiveness, according to the journal’s review, are all mixed. Instead of using supplements, athletes should turn to good nutrition through a whole-food diet to improve athletic performance and optimal health. Contrary to popular belief, an athlete’s ideal diet should not be wildly different from that of another healthy person. Special considerations are the type of sport, the amount of training and the time spent training. A high-protein diet doesn’t necessarily promote muscle growth, and athletes – even bodybuilders – don’t need excess protein for muscle growth. A healthy diet is one that contains carbohydrates, fluids, proteins, iron, vitamins and other minerals, and does not promote too rapid weight loss or prevent weight gain in an unnatural way. Read more: 7-Day Reboot Guide: How to Get Your Diet Back on Track in One Week Instead of consuming excessive amounts of certain amino acids or fatty acids, focus on getting enough nutrients from whole food sources. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, emphasize that nutritional needs should be met primarily from food sources. In some cases, however, dietary supplements can be helpful by providing nutrients consumed in lower than recommended amounts.