Pyruvate
MANUFACTURERS/BRAND (S): Natrol, Bodyonics, Kaizen, Twinlab, among others.
WEIGHT LOSS PILL TYPE: Thermogenic agent. Pyruvate is an acid that plays an important role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
SOLD AS,: Capsules, tablets, available in 500-, 750-, and 1,000-mg potencies.
BACKGROUND/RESEARCH: Research demonstrates that pyruvate brings down cholesterol in individuals who eat a high-fat diet. It also enhances cardiac function and boosts workout performance largely by improving the transport of glucose into muscle cells. One examiner accounts that pyruvate elevated energy levels by 18 percent and reduced fatigue by 71 percent, two scenarios which help .in weight loss.
In a 6-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of twenty-six overweight adults, those who took 6 g per-day of pyruvate and exercised 3 days per week lost substantially mare body fat than persons who took placebo and also worked out. Over the 6-week period, the individuals lost an average of 4.8 pounds of body fat, however their excess weight did not alter as they gained lean body mass. The study stresses that “the real enemy is body fat and not just weight.” This is a notion that serious weightlifters and athletes more commonly recognize than those who want to lose weight and not simply body fat.
There are statements that pyruvate inhibits fat regain and the yo-yo effect whereby those on a diet lose and get back weight again and again. This claim is dependant on one particular study that was carried out in a highly controlled environment where contributors lost weight when placed on a 310-calorie-a-day starvation diet. This radical decline in calories was followed by a highcalorie diet formulated with 15 g pyruvate and 75 g dihydroxyacetone (a substance made by the body that it then converts into pyruvate). The individuals who obtained the health supplement gained less weight (36 percent less, or 3.96 pounds) and less fat (55 percent, or 1. 76 pounds) than the unattended group. The remarkable conditions of the study and the fact that dihydroxyacetone was added make it hard to see whether pyruvate alone had a role in the amount of weight regained. It also must be observed that most research on pyruvate and weight loss has been done by one research team.
PRODUCT CLAIMS: Pyruvate is the product of a procedure in which pyruvic acid, a volatile substance, is stabilized by conversion into a salt called pyruvate. This conversion process comes about when producers of pyruvate combine the acid with calcium, sodium, potassium, or magnesium. Pyruvate stimulates metabolism and the utilization of fat. Although the reason is not entirely clear, pyruvate also seems to prevent the “plateau” that often occurs after people have been dieting for several weeks. In order to avoid that plateau, it is crucial to boost the normal daily dosage by about four times.
HOW TO TAKE IT: Studies suggest that pyruvate should be taken before you eat or before exercise sessions. In accordance with a University of Kansas study, two 15-minute exercise sessions per day better help individuals shed weight than one 30-minute session. This is simply because there’s an improvement in excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, which results in more calories burned after each short session than after one long session. Even though this research did not particularly point out the use of pyruvate, some specialists are convinced that using this supplement before every exercise session can raise the quantity of calories burned.
SIDE EFFECTS: No side effects have been noted when pyruvate is taken as directed.
PRECAUTIONS: Megadoses (more than ten times the recommended dose) have been shown to cause diarrhea and flatulence.
Weight Loss Products containing Pyruvate
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