The process of losing fat while retaining lean muscle mass can be difficult and complicated. Common sense and medical science dictate that the best and most efficient method of lowering the amount of body fat in an individual to promote a more vascular, toned appearance is a combination of a diet that delivers a caloric deficiency and regular exercise.
For fitness and strength enthusiasts, bodybuilders and individuals wanting to enhance the appearance of their physique, however, this process often has an unwanted effect of reducing muscle mass.
Caloric deficit diets operate around the principle that if the body is supplied with less energy, or calories, than it burns during a day, the body will enter a metabolic state called thermogenesis which promotes lipolysis, or the decomposition of fat. This process converts fat stores into adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of the human body, and uses it to power the muscles, tissue, organs and brains.
Thermogenesis and higher metabolic rates, however, often also draw from muscle tissue to provide energy from the body in addition to breaking down fat cells, causing a reduction in both strength and muscle tone in some cases. Called catabolism, this decomposition of the muscles becomes a frustrating roadblock for many individuals that causes strength plateaus.
Burning Fat Without Burning Muscle
For individuals wanting to preserve the integrity and appearance of their physique, this can become a frustrating process, requiring the building up of both fat and muscle during a ‘bulk’ period of high weight, low rep resistance or volume training, then extended periods of ‘cutting’, where caloric restricted diets and high intensity cardio training burn away both fat and muscle for a shredded look.
Due to the frustrating length and effort involved in this process, many fitness enthusiasts seek products or supplements that can lessen the effect of thermogenesis and catabolism on the muscles.
There are many different products available on the market that promise to achieve this effects, making claims of properties that promote the growth of lean muscle mass while burning away fat deposits, but these solutions vary in effectiveness, quality, and safety. When choosing a supplement designed to preserve muscle mass while getting rid of unwanted body fat percentage, there are a few key aspects to look for to ensure you’ve found a safe, effective product.
Identifying an Effective Fat Burning Supplement
The first element to identify in a fat burning product is the active ingredient in the formula that delivers the lipolytic effect. Many products do not provide a full list of ingredients, hiding their active ingredients behind proprietary names and fanciful medical-sounding brands that intentionally obfuscate the mechanism of interaction with the body.
Consuming supplements that don’t provide a comprehensive breakdown of their ingredients is a risky practice that can result in the ingestion of dangerous chemical compounds. This can cause long term negative health effects and unwanted side effects. The second key identifier of a quality muscle-preserving fat burner is natural ingredients.
There are many solutions on the market that use chemical or pharmaceutical ingredients that interact with the endocrine and metabolic systems to restrict the creation of adenosine triphosphate in the body. This results in increased lipolysis at the cost of extreme damage to the liver, hormonal system, and thyroid, causing tachycardia and extreme thermogenesis that has proved fatal for many irresponsible supplement users.
Natural ingredients that interact in a synergistic and organic way with the body to promote gentle but effective fat loss while restricting catabolism are the safest, of which several have been identified by modern medical science in clinical trials to have potent and side effect free fat burning applications.
The MusclePharm CLA Core Solution
The most effective, potent and safest member of this family of natural organic compounds is Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA. A naturally occurring fatty acid found in meat, dairy products and sunflower oil, this compound works in harmony to promote a higher state of metabolic function that melts away unwanted fat deposits around the stomach, thighs, sides and upper body to increase vascularity and physique with no negative side effects.
The highest quality CLA that can be purchased on the market is made my MusclePharm, one of the most popular manufacturers of workout and sports supplements in the world: MusclePharm CLA Core
Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a fatty acid, and an important source of energy in the human body and has been demonstrated in several peer reviewed clinical trials to have profound fat burning effects that don’t encourage catabolism, making it the perfect solution for dieters who want to reduce body fat percentage without compromising muscle tissue.
In one study a group of women taking CLA over an extended period lost an average of 9% body fat without changing dietary intake or lifestyle habits and remaining sedentary, attesting to the potent lipolytic effects of this natural compound.
In addition to providing a catabolic free fat burning effect, MusclePharm CLA Core has a number of secondary accessory health benefits, helping to protect the body from pulmonary heart disease, respiratory disorders and various forms of cancer.
One long term study on Mediterranean populations who consume diets rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid demonstrated a strong correlation between increased CLA ingestion and significantly reduced mortality rates. Another study in the United States over 180 overweight men and women showed a large increase in body fat reduction with little to know muscle mass reduction in CLA users.
MusclePharm Conjugated Linoleic Acid Pricing & Availability
High quality Conjugated Linoleic Acid from MusclePharm CLA Core comes in two options- both flavored and unflavored, but as CLA has a strong taste that is occasionally described as unpleasant despite it’s powerful fat burning effects, consumers are advised to select the flavored option for a more pleasant consumption taste.
If you’re looking for a natural but powerful solution to assist you in your cut and make the process of losing fat without burning muscle, MusclePharm CLA is an excellent and fast acting fat burner that will allow you to drop up to 10% bodyfat in a few short weeks with no negative side effects.
