The effect of short-term Conjugated Linoleic Acid supplementation on fat burning during exercise in obese women

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of short-term CLA supplementation on fat burning rate during exercise in obese women. The subjects of this study were 10 obese women (age 34.7±4.7 yrs, BMI 34.2±4.8 kg/m2, and weight 83.1±1.9 kg). Subjects consumed 1.5 g/day CLA for 7 days. An incremental exercise test on a treadmill was performed before and after the supplementation period to measure the maximal fat oxidation (MFO) and corresponding intensity (FATmax). Blood samples were taken before and immediately after the test for measuring the serum levels of Glycerol. Paired t-test and ANOVA with repeated measures were used to compare the means of variables. There was no significant difference in mean FATmax between before and after CLA supplementation (p=0.655). Also, no significant difference was observed in MFO between before and after CLA supplementation (p=0.133). CLA supplementation after one exercise session did not have a significant effect on plasma glycerol; However, the interactive effect of these two factors was significant and increased the glycerol levels. In general, the findings of this study showed that CLA supplementation, at least in short-term period, does not improve the fat burning rate during exercise in obese women.