CLA Helps Muscle Health

by | Sep 15, 2009 | 2009, Aging, Bone Health, CLA (Conjugated Linolenic Acid)

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study reveals a 16% increase in total lean mass after 6 months of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation compared to a 2% increase in control group.

Sarcopenia is defined as “loss of skeletal mass normally seen in association with aging”. It has been linked to increased falls, functional decline, and osteoporosis, and also poses a risk for type 2 diabetes (1). It contributes to the $17 billion each year to treat injuries in the elderly due to falling (2). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state this is due in large part to the fact that 28-34% of adults aged 65 to 74 and 35-44% of adults ages 75 or older engage in no leisure-time physical activity (3) Now a new study in mice (4) has found that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) helps muscle health in the elderly.

In the study, researchers fed four groups of 12-month old mice (20 mice in each group) the American Institute of Nutrition-93 diet (5) and supplemented it with either 0.5% corn oil (control diet), 0.5% of a form of CLA called c9t11, 0.5% of another form of CLA called t10c12, or 0.25% of both to give a “CLA mix” of 0.5%. They were fed this diet for six months, after which the researchers measured the body mass of the mice. They also measured levels of a marker of cell damage called MDA (6) which has been found to be higher in patients with sarcopenia (7).

By the end of six months, researchers found that those in the “CLA Mix” group had a 16% increase in total lean muscle mass, compared to only 2% in the control group. When they looked at MDA levels, those in the “CLA mix” group had 57% lower MDA levels than the control group. Results in the single form CLA groups were statistically similar to the “CLA Mix” group.

For the researchers, “CLA may be a novel dietary supplement that will prevent sarcopenia by maintaining redox balance during aging.” Redox balance refers to bone cells’ ability to resist oxidative challenges that can damage bone tissue. The researchers also noted that the “CLA Mix” is the recommended CLA supplement, since taking one of the forms of CLA by itself (the t10c12 form) has been linked to liver problems and insulin resistance, which can be corrected by combining with the c9t11-CLA form which is known to improve insulin sensitivity as well as liver health” (8).

Source: Rahman, Md M., et al. “Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) prevents age-associated skeletal muscle loss.” Biochemical and biophysical research communications 383.4 (2009): 513-518.

© 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Posted September 15, 2009.

Reference:

  1. Kamel, H.K., Sarcopenia and aging. Nutr Rev, 2003. 61(5 Pt 1): p. 157-67.
  2.  National Osteoporosis Foundation Website “Fast Facts”
  3. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
  4. Rahman M.  Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Prevents Age-Associated Skeletal Muscle Loss  Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 2009; 383(4): 513 – 518.
  5. M. Rahman, A. Bhattacharya, J. Banu and G. Fernandes, Conjugated linoleic acid protects against age-associated bone loss in C57BL/6 female mice, J. Nutr. Biochem. 18 (2007), pp. 467–474.
  6. Nielsen F.  Plasma malondialdehyde as biomarker for oxidative stress: reference interval and effects of life-style factors Clinical Chemistry 1997; 43: 1209-1214.
  7. Siu PM. Age-dependent increase in oxidative stress in gastrocnemius muscle with unloadingJ Appl. J Physiol 2008;105(6):1695-705.
  8. F. Moloney, S. Toomey, E. Noone, A. Nugent, B. Allan, C.E. Loscher and H.M. Roche, Antidiabetic effects of cis-9, trans-11-conjugated linoleic acid may be mediated via anti-inflammatory effects in white adipose tissue, Diabetes 2007; 56: 74–582.