1

FrequencyofUse,InformationandPerceptionsof

ConjugatedLinoleicAcid

By:KimberlyTippetts

Abstract

Extensive researchhasbeen conducted in both animal andhumanmodels,

whichdemonstratetheefficacyofConjugatedLinoleicAcid(CLA)asbothaweight

lossandaleanbodymassdietarysupplement.Conversely,verylittleresearchhas

been conducted concerning the practical human application of CLA, (i.e. the

frequencyof supplementation, information individualspossess,perceptionsabout,

andgeneralexperiencespeoplehavehadwithCLA).Thepurposeofthisstudywas

togathera limitedamountofapplicable informationtobeginto fill thenoticeable

informationvoid.Asixteenstatementconfidentialonlinesurveywasprovidedfora

number of participants to share their opinions and understanding of CLA. The

surveyresultsshowedthatwhileonlyasmallpopulationofsurveyparticipantshad

general information about CLA, a larger percentage of participants indicated that

theywouldbothuseand/orrecommendtheuseCLAforleanbodymassgainmore

than they would for weight loss. Based on this finding, it would be beneficial to

conduct further product research amongst a narrower sample population such as

bodybuilders.

2

Methods

AninvitationtoparticipateinastudyregardingtheuseofCLAwasmadeto

over400individuals.Samplesizewasderivedfromeightstates,recruitedbymeans

ofverbalrequest,promotionalhandout,textmessage,emailinvitationorFacebook

request(seeAppendixA).Ofthe400+peoplenotifiedofthesurvey,overhalfwere

associatedwiththefitnessindustry. Ofthosenotified,131healthyadultsbetween

theagesof18-65volunteeredtotakepart.Participantsofthesurveywereaskedto

classifythemselvesintooneoffivecategories,whichincluded:apersonwholikesto

workout,afitnessinstructor,apersonaltrainer,abodybuilderornoneoftheabove.

The first category, a person who likes to workout, was created based on the

likelihood that thepersonwho isexercisingwith the intent to loseweightorgain

lean body mass may potentially supplement with CLA. The second and third

categories,fitnessinstructorandpersonaltrainer,werespecificallyincludedinthe

survey because they are frequently asked for nutritional advice on ways to lose

weightorgain leanbodymass. Thefourthcategory,bodybuilder,was includedin

the survey based on the results of primary research conducted on numerous

bodybuilding websites. These primary research results found that daily

supplementation of CLA was recommended. The final category available for

participantswasnoneof theabove, indicatingthat theydidnotexercisenorwere

theyinvolvedinthefitnessindustry.

ThesurveyfollowedtheLikertstyleandconsistedofsixteenstatements(see

AppendixB).Thestatementsweredesignedtodetermineifparticipantspreviously

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supplementedwithCLA,why theyhad supplementedwithCLAand if theywould

recommendCLAtoothers.Thesurveywaspostedonline(seeAppendixC)forfour

weeks.

Onceavolunteeraccessedthesurvey,basicinstructionsappearedatthetop

of the page. The instructions read: “This survey is available to any healthy adult

betweentheagesof18-65.Pleasetakeafewminutestoreadthroughthefollowing

questions and answer themas honestly as you are able. If you strongly agree or

agreetoquestions7and12,pleaseincludeashortresponseinthespaceprovided.”

By continuing with the survey, the volunteer agreed that they were healthy,

between the ages of 18-65 and providing their honest answer to each statement.

Thesurveygenerallytookrespondentstwominutesorless.Individualresultswere

recorded(seeAppendixD)andcompiled(seeAppendixE).

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Introduction

ThefitnessandsupplementindustriesbothpromoteCLAforitscapabilities

ofincreasingweightlossandleanbodymass.Theybothclaimthatitcanimprove

bodycompositionbyincreasingmetabolicrateandenhancingmusclegrowth.One

article claimed that taking CLA would make losing weight and body fat simpler

(TrendStatementStaff,2013).ThissamearticlesuggestedthatCLAisabletoturn

fat into leanmusclemass (TrendStatementStaff, 2013). This is a false statement

sinceitisimpossibletochangefatintoleanmuscletissue,youcanhoweverreplace

one with the other. An article published by the Dr. Oz Show claimed that CLA

shrinks fatcells in theabdominalregionbyassistingtheprocessofcellsreleasing

fat (TheDr.Oz ShowStaff, 2013). It appears that these industries are taking the

positive results frombothhumanandanimal studies and comingling them to sell

CLAtothegeneralpublic.Becauseoftheseflawedclaimsasurveywascreatedand

conductedtouncoverwhatinformationandperceptionsusershaveaboutCLA.

The information a person possesses regarding CLA may lead to questions

regarding individual effectiveness compared to potential health risks associated

with the use of CLA. The answers to these questionsmay impact individual use.

Onceperceptionsareformed,userswilldecidewhetherornottosupplementwith

CLA, which will in turn create personal experiences. Once a person gains

experienceswith CLA, theywill have first hand personal information. There has

beenagreatdealofresearchconductedontheefficacyofCLAwhenusedforweight

loss or lean bodymass gain both in humans and in animals. However, notmuch

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research has been conducted regarding the frequency of use, information

individualspossessorperceptionspeoplehaveregardingtheuseofCLAasadietary

supplement.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid refers to a family of geometric and positional

isomersoftheomega-6fattyacidlinoleicacid(cis-9,cis-12,octadecadienoicacid).

Geometric isomers are compounds that have the samemolecular formula but are

differentgeometricstructuresPositionalisomersaremoleculesthathaveidentical

substituents(functionalgroups)withdifferentbondinglocations.Linoleicacidisan

18-carbon (“octa-deca”) fattyacid chain containingdoublebondson the9and12

carbonsseparatedbytwosinglebonds(Kelly,2001).CLAisformedwhenchemical

reactions shift the locations of one or two of the double bonds in away that the

bondsarenolongerseparatedbytwosinglebonds.SeveraldozenCLAisomersmay

resultdependingonwhichdoublebondsare relocatedand the resultant isomeric

reconfigurations(Kelly,2001).CLAispolyunsaturated(acarbonchainthatcontains

multipledoublebondsbetweencarbonatoms)andconjugated(joinedtogether)by

havingtwodoublebonds,withoutaninterveningcarbonatom.Themorecommon

formshavedoublebondslocatedbetweencarbons8and10,9and10and12or11

and13.Thesebondsmayoccurasgeometricisomersinacis(onthesamesideof

the carbon-carbon double bond) or trans (opposite side of the carbon-carbon

doublebond)configuration.

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Figure1.CLAisomerscis-9(c9),trans-11(t11)andtrans-10(t10),cis-12(c12)(“ConjugatedLinoleic

Acid”,2013).

ThereareseveralnaturaldietarysourcescontainingCLA. Dietaryamounts

rangefrom0.9milligrams(mg)upto137(mg)pergramoffat.Smallamountsare

found in shrimp (0.9 mg), olive oil (2.7 mg), peanut butter (3.2 mg) and dairy

productssuchasyogurt(11-17mg),butter(54mg)andhomogenizedmilk(92mg).

Larger amounts are found in ruminantmeats such as ground beef (130mg) and

lamb (137mg) or from enhanced foods and supplements. The predominate CLA

isomerpeopleconsumeinfoodssuchasbeefanddairyiscis-9,trans-11(Churruca,

Fernandez-Quintela,Portillo,2008).IthasbeenproventhatCLAlevelsinmeatscan

beincreasedbymeansofcooking(Fragakis&Thomson,2007). CLAisconsidered

tobeanon-essentialfattyacid,meaningthatthehumanbodyisabletoproducean

adequate amount for its needs; so consuming dietary sources is unnecessary.

Because it is non-essential, there are no Dietary Reference Intake (DRI)

recommendations for CLA at this time. Dietary supplement manufactures

recommendtakingbetweenone-fourgramsofCLAperday(g/d).Scientificstudies

researchedforthisprojectusedCLAinvariousrangesfrom3.4g/d(Chen,S.etal,

2012)tofiveg/d(Pinkoski,C.etal,2006).

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CLA was accidently discovered in 1979 at the University of Wisconsin,

Madison by Dr.Michael Pariza. A study conducted by Dr. Pariza discovered that

mice treated with a beef extract applied topically to their skin, developed fewer

tumorswhenexposed to strong chemicals than thosemicenot treatedwith same

topical treatment (HaY,GrimmN,ParizaM.1987).The termCLAwasnot coined

until1987whenCLAwasdiscoveredtodisplayanti-carcinogenic(asubstancethat

inhibitsthedevelopmentofcancer)activitieswhentopicallyappliedtotheskinof

mice (HaY,GrimmN,ParizaM.1987&Pariza,1987). Furtherstudieswere then

conducted on animals to test for various effects the isomers may have on body

composition (such as weight loss and lean body mass gain), immune function,

reductionof atherosclerosis and anti-catabolic and anabolic effects. In2008, CLA

was given a Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) status by the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) in foods such as fluidmilk, yogurt, fruit juices, soymilk and

nutritionalbars.

CLA is touted as an ergogenic aid (a substance that can be ingested to

enhancehigh-intensityexercise)inthefitnessindustrytoincreaseweightlossand

leanbodymass. Thetwomostcommonclaimsmadearetheabilitytoassistwith

weightreduction fromthe t10,c12 isomerand theabilityof thec9, t11 isomer to

increase the quantity of lean body mass (Park, Y. et al, 1999). Recent evidence

suggests that CLA supplementationmayplay a role reducing the body’s ability to

formfat(Campbell&Kreider,2008).Itissuggestedthatonceingested,theisomers

c9,t11andt10,c12maybeincorporatedintothephospholipidmembraneofcells.

Once the isomer t10, c12hasbecomepartof the cell, theuptakeof lipidsmaybe

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decreasedby lessactive fatcellsand increasedbymoreactivecells,utilizing fatty

acidsforenergymoreefficiently.ClaimshavebeenmaderegardingCLA’sanabolic

abilitytoincreaseleanmusclemass(Pinkoski,C.etal,2006).Studiesindicatethat

the urinary marker of myofibrillar degradation which directly results from a

decreaseinmusclefibercataboliceffectsfromstrengthtrainingonmuscleprotein,

andanincreaseinproteinsynthesis(Seedman&Seedman,n.d.).Thiswouldcreate

more of an anabolic state to increase buildingmusclemasswhile also losing fat.

Once CLA has been incorporated into the cell membrane, it influences the cells

responsiveness to specific hormones and changes thewaymuscle cells grow and

develop(Berning&Nelson1998). Musclemasscanthereforebeincreaseddueto

increased levels of specific hormones, cell messengers and growth factors within

musclecells.

There have been hundreds of studies conducted on rodents and cows

indicatingthatCLAhasasignificanteffectonbodycomposition.Manyconclusions

of animal studies indicate that CLA increases leanbodymass, decreases fatmass,

andhasapositiveeffectonhealth(Seedman&Seedman,n.d.). Aprominentstudy

concludedthatmicefedCLAdecreasedtheir fatmass,andhadanincrease in lean

bodymass(Bhattacharya,A.etal,2006). Anotherstudy indicatedthatmice feda

dietsupplementedwithCLAhadadecreaseinbodyweight(Banu,J.etal,2006).

There have been many studies conducted on humans to determine the

effectivenessofCLA.ThemajorityofthesestudiesindicatethatCLAhaslittleorno

positive effect with regards to weigh reduction or lean body mass gain. A study

conductedonhumanssupplementingwithCLAcombinedwith resistance training

9

foundthattheCLAgrouphadasmallincreaseinleanbodymassandsmalllossin

fatmasscompared to theplacebogroup.Overall, thestudyconcluded, therewere

relatively small benefits to taking CLA (Pinkoski, C. et al, 2006). Another study

examinedtheeffectsofCLAisolatedintotheseparateisomersc9,t11andt10,c12

(Malpuech-Brugere,C.etal,2004).Attheconclusionofthestudy,researcherswere

unable toseeanystatisticallysignificantdifferences inbodycompositionbetween

membersof the fivedifferentgroups. TheyconcludedthatCLAdoesnothavethe

same weight reducing effects in human subjects as it does in animals. While

research indicates that CLAhas a positive impact on decreasing bodyweight and

increasingleanbodymassinrodentsandcows,thereisconflictingevidencethatit

hasasignificanteffectinhumans(Malpuech-Brugere,C.etal,2004).

SupplementmanufacturerspromoteCLAasbeinganeffectiveergogenicaid.

ManycompaniesclaimthatCLAiscapableofaidingwithweightloss,increasingthe

metabolicrate,andreducingbodyfatinhumans.Manufacturersalsoleadpotential

users to believe that scientific research has proven that CLA helps reduce stored

bodyfatandincreasesleanbodymassbyreducingthefatcellsabilitytoaccumulate

fat.TheseclaimsmadebysupplementmanufacturersregardingtheuseoftheCLA

havebeenprovenbymultiple studies conductedonhumansubjects tobe flawed.

ThemajorityofthosestudieshavefoundthatCLAisineffectivewhentakenforthe

purposeofweightlossandleanmusclemassgain.Itisunclearifthemanufacturers

arebasingtheirclaimsonanimalorhumanstudies,whichmaybeconfusingforthe

consumer. It is also unclear to the consumerwhat they are actually purchasing.

Many CLA manufacturers do not place information on the bottle label regarding

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whichisomer(s)thebottlecontains,whetherornotitisapureformofCLA,orifitis

amixtureofdifferentisomers.

CLAisrelativelysimpleandconvenienttopurchasebecauseitcanbefound

inmost local pharmacies, health food stores or variouswebsites on the Internet.

Capsulescontaining60%-80%CLAaresoldcommerciallyasdietarysupplements.

ThemainproblemwithpurchasingcommerciallypreparedCLAsupplementsisthat

they typically contain amixtureof the c9, t11 and t10, c12 isomers. Because the

isomer c9, t11 is used more for lean body mass gain while t10, c12 is used for

weight loss; it is unclear to the consumer what they are actually purchasing.

Capsulescanbepurchasedin500milligram(mg)upto3000mgdosesandrangein

quantityfrom50to100capsulesperbottle.WhilethereisnoDRIforCLA,various

manufacturesrecommendedtakingarangeofonetofourgramsperday(g/d)for

best results. The various studies reviewed for this research paper used CLA in

dosagesrangesof3.4g/dtofiveg/d.

Thereare several short-termand long-termhealth risks resulting from the

useofCLA,however, extensive testinghasnotbeenconductedbeyond twoyears.

Acuteeffects(whichmaybecausedbypoorqualityorcontaminatesinthecapsules)

include: gastrointestinal upset, including nausea, diarrhea, dyspepsia and fatigue

(Fragakis&Thompson,2007).Theseeffectsaretypicallymildandsubsideshortly

aftertheindividualceasesuseoftheergogenicaid.Apotentialchroniceffectofthe

CLAisomert10,c12isinsulinresistanceinpeoplewithabdominalobesity(Fragakis

&Thompson,2007). Anotherstudyconcluded that theuseofCLAmight increase

theriskofdevelopingdiabetes(Robertson,n.d.).DailyuseofCLAbyobesemenin

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the amount of 4.2 g/d was found to cause lipid peroxidation (the process of

oxidative deterioration of lipids containing any number of carbon-carbon double

bonds)(Fragakis&Thompson,2007). Ithasalsobeendiscoveredthattheuseof

CLA increases the storage of vitamin A “retinal” in liver and in breast tissues

(Fragakis&Thompson,2007).

ResearchQuestion

Due to the lack of quality product information, this studywas designed to

discover and compile data regarding frequency of use, perceptions people posses

and experiences people have hadwith CLA supplementation. How frequently are

peoplesupplementingwithCLAand forwhatpurpose?Are thesepeopleawareof

natural sources, effective dosage and potential health risks associated with CLA

supplementation?

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FindingsandAnalysis

QuestiononeoftheCLAsurveyaskedtheparticipantstoclassifythemselves

asapersonwholikestoworkout,afitnessinstructor,apersonaltrainer,aperson

wholikestoworkoutornoneoftheabove.Participantswereaskedtomarkall

categoriesthatapplied.Ofthosesurveyed,66%oftheparticipantsindicatedthat

theyliketoworkout;16%saidtheywerefitnessinstructors;5%saidtheywere

personaltrainers;4%saidtheywerebodybuilders;and23%saidtheywerenoneof

thelistedcategories.Thosewhoexercisewiththeintenttoloseweightorgainlean

musclewereincludedinthesurveybecausetheyaremostlikelytheoneswho

supplementwithCLA.Fitnessinstructorsandpersonaltrainerswerespecifically

targetedtoparticipateinthissurveyduetothelikelihoodofnutritionaladvice

beinggiventoindividualsinquiringaboutweightlossorlean-muscle-massoptions.

BodybuilderswerespecificallytargetedbasedontherecommendeduseofCLAfor

thepurposeofleanmusclemassgainbynumerousbodybuildingwebsites.

1.IAm:

APersonwho

likestoworkout

AFitness

Instructor

APersonal

Trainer

ABodybuilder Noneofthe

Above

66% 16% 5% 4% 23%

QuestiontwoinquiredaboutfrequencyofuseofCLAforweightloss.

RespondentswereaskediftheyarecurrentlyorhaveeverusedCLAtoassistwith

weightloss.Ofthosewhoparticipatedinthesurvey,10%saidtheyarecurrentlyor

haveusedCLA,while90%indicatedthattheyarenotcurrentlynorhavetheyever

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supplementedwithCLAforweightloss.

Questionthreewasdesignedtodetermineifaparticipantwouldeveruse

CLAforweightloss.Themajorityoftherespondentswereneutral,followedby

thosewhoeitherdisagreedorstronglydisagreedtosupplementingwithCLAfor

weightloss.

3.IwoulduseCLAforweightloss

Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

Agree StronglyAgree

50% 18% 17% 12% 3%

In question four, when asked if participants were currently using or have

usedCLAtogainleanmusclemass,only9%indicatedyeswhile91%indicatedno.

When analyzing questions two and four, there proves to be a slight percentage

increaseofrespondentswhoarecurrentlyusingorhaveusedCLAforweight loss

thanforleanmusclegain.

Question five asked if participants would supplement with CLA for the

purposeofgainingleanmusclemass. Themajorityoftherespondentsagainwere

neutralfollowedbythosewhodisagreedorstronglydisagreedtotheuseofCLAfor

thepurposeofleanmusclemassgain.Whenanalyzingquestionsthreeandfive,an

increase in respondents indicated that theywould bemore likely to use CLA for

lean-musclemassgainthanforweightloss.

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5.IwoulduseCLAtogainleanmusclemass

Neutral Disagree Strongly

Disagree

Agree StronglyAgree

47% 20% 17% 15% 2%

Togatherwhat informationparticipantshadaboutCLA,questionsixof the

surveyinquiredaboutwhereorhowparticipantslearnedaboutCLAandwhythey

beganusing it. Themajorityof therespondentshadnevertriedCLA,butof those

whohad, the largestpercentage said theyhad readarticles featuring testimonials

fromotherswhohadexperiencedpositiveresultsfromtakingCLA.

6.IamusingorhaveusedCLAbecause:

Mycoach,personaltrainerornutritionistrecommendedit. 5%

Someonesuggesteditwouldworkforme. 7%

Ihavereadarticleswithtestimonialsonitseffectiveness 8%

Ihaveseenhoweffectiveitisinsomeoneelse. 2%

Itryeverythingnewtoseeifitworksforme. 2%

IhavenottriedCLA. 88%

Question seven inquired if participants were aware of food sources that

contain CLA. The largest percentage of those surveyed was not aware of food

sources.Thosewhowereawareoffoodsourceswereaskedtogiveexamples.The

followingaretheexamplesparticipantsgave:dairy,redmeat,grassfedcattle,lamb,

turkey, kangaroo meat, eggs, some mushrooms, and sunflower. One respondent

stated,“Significantsources[ofCLA]canonlybeobtainedfromsupplements”.

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7.IamawareoffoodsourcescontainingCLA

NotAware SomewhatAware VeryAware

77% 17% 6%

Question eight inquired about the belief participants had regarding the

consumption of CLA to assist with weight loss. The largest portion of the

respondents said they were neutral followed by those who agreed that

supplementingwithCLAwouldhelpthemloseweight.

8.IbelievesupplementingwithCLAwillhelpmeloseweight

Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagree

Disagree StronglyAgree

74% 10% 8% 6% 2%

Question nine inquired about the belief participants had regarding the

consumption of CLA to assist with gaining lean body mass. Again the largest

percentage of those individuals surveyedwere neutral on the subject while 13%

agreed that supplementing with CLA would help them gain lean muscle mass. A

slightly larger percentage agreed that supplementing with CLA would help them

gainlean-musclemassthantohelpthemloseweight.

9.IbelievesupplementingwithCLAwillhelpmegainleanmusclemass

Neutral Agree Strongly

Disagree

Disagree StronglyAgree

71% 13% 8% 6% 2%

Whenrespondentswereaskediftheywereawareofeffective

amountsofCLAtosupplementwithinquestionten,mostwerenotawarewhile

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14%indicatedthattheyweresomewhataware.Thisquestionmayhavebeen

confusingforparticipantsbecauseitisunclearwhataneffectivedosemaybe.CLA

supplementbottlestypicallycontainmilligramcapsuleswhileinstructionsindicate

totheconsumertotakegramdosages;manyconsumersmaynotknowthe

conversionofmilligramstograms.Manufacturersrecommendsupplementingwith

one-fourg/dwhilemanyscientificstudiesusedarangeof1.5g/dayto7g/day.Itis

unclearwhateffectivedosesmaybe.

10.IamawareofeffectiveamountsofCLAtosupplementwith

NotAware SomewhatAware VeryAware

80% 14% 6%

Whenaskedifparticipantswerefamiliarwithscientificliteratureregarding

theusesofCLAinquestion11,mostwerenotfamiliar.Therehasbeenagreatdeal

ofresearchconductedontheefficacyofCLAforthepurposeofweightlossandlean-

musclemassgaininbothanimalandhumansubjects.ResearchindicatesthatCLA

isveryeffectiveinanimals.Resultsareinconclusiveinhumanmodels,which

indicatesthatfutureresearchneedstobeconducted.

11.IamfamiliarwithscientificliteratureregardingtheusesofCLA

NotFamiliar SomewhatFamiliar VeryFamiliar

76% 22% 2%

Question12inquiredaboutnegativesideeffectsparticipantsmayhave

experiencedwhensupplementingwithCLA.Mostrespondentswereneutral

followedbythosewhodisagreedtohavingexperiencedsideeffects.Participants

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whohadusedCLAlistedthefollowingnegativesideeffects:upsetstomach,nausea

andincreasedmusclesorenesswhenworkingoutandtakingsixgramsperday.

12.IhavesupplementedwithCLAandexperiencednegativesideeffects

Neutral Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Agree StronglyAgree

60% 19% 19% 2% 0%

Question13askedifparticipantswereawareofwhatchemicalformsofCLA

aremosteffective.Ofthe127participantstoanswerthisquestion,114respondents

werenotawareofwhichchemicalformwaseffect,while13wereeitherveryaware

orsomewhataware.Mostofthosewhoparticipatedinthesurveywereunawareof

whichchemicalformofCLAtotake.ThetwomostcommonisomersusedinCLA

researcharet10,c12andc9,t11.T10,c12issaidtoincreaseweightlosswhilec9,

t11issaidtoincreaseleanmusclemass.WhenpurchasingCLA,itisunclearwhich

isomertheconsumerispurchasingbecauseitisnotlabeledonthebottle.Most

manufacturersproducecapsulescontainingamixtureofthetwoisomers.

13.IamawareofwhichchemicalformofCLAismosteffective

NotAware SomewhatAware VeryAware

90% 8% 2%

SurveyparticipantswereaskedwheretheyweremostlikelytopurchaseCLA

inquestion14.Approximatelyhalfindicatedthattheywoulddosoatahealthfood

storefollowedbytheInternet,apharmacy,agrocerystoreandother,respectively.

CLAisrelativelysimpleandconvenienttopurchase.Onecanfindcommonformsof

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productinmostlocalpharmacies,healthfoodstoresorthroughvariouswebsiteson

theInternet.

14.IfIweretopurchaseCLA,Iwouldmostlikelydosothrough

AHealthFood

Store

TheInternet APharmacy AGrocery

Store

Other

47% 18% 15% 11% 9%

Question15inquiredwhetherornotrespondentswouldrecommendtheuse

ofCLAtoothersforthepurposeofweightloss.Mostoftheparticipantswhowere

surveyedwereneutralfollowedbythosewhostronglydisagreedtorecommending

theuseofCLAtoothersforweightloss.

15.IwouldrecommendusingCLAtoothersforweightloss

Neutral Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Agree StronglyAgree

66% 17% 13% 4% 1%

ThefinalquestionaskedparticipantsiftheywouldrecommendusingCLAto

othersforthepurposeofleanmusclegain.Againmostrespondentswereneutral

followedbythosewhostronglydisagreedtorecommendingtheuseofCLA.

16.IwouldrecommendusingCLAtoothersforgainingleanmusclemass

Neutral Strongly

Disagree

Disagree Agree StronglyAgree

68% 14% 11% 7% 1%

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Ofthosesurveyed,morewouldrecommendtheuseofCLAforlean-muscle

massgainthanforweightloss.Anoveralltrendthroughoutthissurveywasfor

usingCLAforlean-musclemassgainratherthanweightloss.Whenaskedifthey

woulduseCLAforweightlossorlean-musclegain,morerespondentsindicatedthat

theywoulduseifforlean-musclegain.Whenaskediftheybelievedsupplementing

withCLAhelpedthemloseweightorgainlean-musclemass,morerespondents

agreedthatitwouldhelpthemgainlean-musclemass.Andfinallywhenaskedif

theywouldrecommendusingCLAtoothersforweightlossorlean-musclemass

gain,morerespondentsagreedtorecommendingitforlean-musclemassgain.

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Conclusion

Extensiveresearchhasbeenhasbeenconductedinbothanimalandhuman

models,whichdemonstrate theefficacyofCLAasbothaweight lossor leanbody

mass gain. Conversely, very little research has been conducted concerning the

practical human application of CLA (i.e. the frequency of supplementation,

information individualsposses,perceptionsabout,andgeneralexperiencespeople

havehadwithCLA).Thepurposeof this studywas to gather a limitedamountof

applicable information to begin to fill the noticeable information void. A sixteen

statementconfidentialonlinesurveywasprovidedforanumberofparticipantsto

share their opinions and understanding of CLA. When survey participants were

askedabouttheirfamiliaritywithapplicablescientificliterature,mostrespondents

indicated theywerenot. Of thoseparticipantswhohad supplementedwithCLA,

many chose to do so because of published articles featuring testimonials of users

whohadexperiencedpositiveresultswhilesupplementingwithCLA.

The survey results showed that while only a small population of survey

participantshadgeneralinformationaboutCLA,alargerpercentageofparticipants

indicatedthattheywouldbothuseand/orrecommendtheuseofCLAforleanbody

massgainmorethantheywouldforweightloss.Basedonthisfinding,itwouldbe

beneficial to conduct further product research amongst a narrower sample

populationsuchasbodybuilders.

21

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