Lee Swanson Research Update

Tonalin® CLA Study Suggests Burning Fat Possible During Sleep

November 2007

Burning fat while you sleep may be more than just a sweet dream, according to a Tonalin® CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was designed to investigate the physiologic mechanism responsible for the CLA-related loss in body fat.

In the trial, 23 overweight adults experienced increased fat oxidation and energy expenditure (fat burning) during sleep. These results suggest that the mechanism for the efficacy of CLA supplementation for fat loss is at least partially due to increased fat oxidation during sleep. A trend of increasing fat oxidation during the daytime was also observed, although it is not statistically significant.

"This study confirmed that the effect of CLA on fat oxidation is on body fat rather than fat from diet," said Dale Schoeller, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an author of the study. "It’s important to understand how CLA positively alters fat loss and this research provides valuable insights." He cautioned that CLA is most effective when taken as part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a reasonable diet and exercise.

Researchers used an advanced metabolic chamber with continuous 24-hour monitoring, providing highly accurate measurement of fat oxidation. The metabolic chamber is considered the "gold standard" in human metabolism studies.

The 24-hour monitoring showed that the change in the fat oxidation during sleep was significantly different in the Tonalin CLA group with 11 grams more fat oxidized during sleep compared to the placebo group. This equated to an increase of 14% in fat oxidation for fat burning during sleep among those taking 3.2 grams of Tonalin CLA daily, compared to a placebo.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 86(3):797-804, 2007

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