Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. 12-week supplementation with calcium doubled fat-burning ability in overweight women.
24 overweight women between the ages of 18 and 31 and weighing between 162 and 187 pounds were put on a diet that had them consuming 500 fewer calories per day than their normal intake (assessed for 2 weeks before the study began) and put into 1 of 3 groups for 12 weeks:
- Control diet (9 subjects): Subjects were allowed 0-1 servings of dairy products per day, 500 milligrams of calcium per day from food, and a daily placebo supplement
- Calcium-supplemented diet (6 subjects): Identical to the control diet, with the placebo supplement replaced by a 900-milligram calcium carbonate supplement
- High-dairy diet (9 subjects): Identical to the control diet (placebo supplement) but containing 3 daily servings of dairy products to bring the total calcium intake from 500 to 1,400 mg/day
After 12 weeks, those in the calcium-supplemented group saw a 183% increase in fat-burning (1.17 to 3.31 grams per hour, p = 0.02) and this was also reflected in a 8.5% decrease in the respiratory quotient of those in calcium-supplemented group (0.95 to 0.87, p < 0.05), indicating that the subjects were burning less carbohydrate and more protein and fat for energy.
The researchers admitted they were unable to answer why, despite having identical calcium intake, those in the dairy group did not have an increase in fat-burning. They concluded, “The results of this study suggest that calcium intake, but not dairy intake, increases fat oxidation during a weight loss trial.”
Source: Teegarden, Dorothy, et al. “Calcium and dairy product modulation of lipid utilization and energy expenditure.” Obesity 16.7 (2008): 1566-1572.
© 2008 The Obesity Society
Posted July 15, 2014.
Reference:
Teegarden D. Calcium and dairy product modulation of lipid utilization and energy expenditure. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008 Jul;16(7):1566-72. doi: 10.1038/oby.2008.232. Epub 200
