Sports Research CLA - 1250mg with Active Conjugated Linoleic Acid for Men and Women | Non-GMO, Soy & Gluten Free - 95% (180 Softgels)…

This review is extremely overdue,but better later than never, right?!I'd been weight training, some cardio and a mostly OK diet. I'd tried CLA from several other brands in the past--off and on--spanning several years. The list of brands is too long to name, I've used that many! For the longest I'd been loyal to Primaforce, though not anymore.In Nov 2019, I purchased--for the first time--and started taking Research Team's 95% CLA, about 3 weeks before Thanksgiving. My normal way of eating was low to moderate carb and in favor of higher protein and fat (recomp diet). I went to visit family for Thanksgiving with the expectation of having to go hard on my training and some serious caloric reduction/macronutrient changes to offset holiday weight/body changes once I returned. To my suprise, I looked even fitter--after eating how I felt was poorly--in comparison to my usual diet. While on my holiday, I ate a huge breakfast every morning (not the norm): 3/4 cup of plain oatmeal, topped with a banana, raisins and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter; 2-3 strips of bacon and a boiled egg; half a bagel; 1 cup of cantaloupe and honey dew melon,combined, or an apple; and some green tea and water. I didn't feel hungry enough for a full meal again until about 7PM! My rectus abominus and obliques were poppin, and glutes were looking as good as they did the day I finished bootcamp! I took pics but hesitant to post here because I use one on another site and prefer to keep things separated.Now I must admit, I still kept up my lifting workouts and some cardio; in fact I remember putting my brother through a killer leg workout that had us both wanting to puke! 😂 What can I say, I've been a gym rat for a couple decades!Since Nov 2019, I've used CLA from different brands w/o a second thought - I just figured they all worked about the same and so I bought which ever brand had stock on the shelf and could be delivered w/in days of my ordering it, reasonably priced of course. Well, after using about 3-4 different brands since the last time I purchased this one, I haven't experienced anywhere near similar results, even with a low carb and intermittent fasting diet!Well, after going back to look at my purchase history and tying results I'd been seeing to different periods I'd been using various CLA brands I realized this CLA is the one that has worked the best of all the CLA-only products I've used. I specify CLA-only because I've used some supplements that have included CLA as part of a combo, like BPI's CLA with carnitine (too much vitamin D in the formula but otherwise a great product.)Fast forward to March 2022 and I'm in need of a replacement for the CLA formulation I've been taking for about 3 months, which contains flaxseed. I'd started noticing hormonal symptoms that point to estrogen being higher than it needs to be for my body chemisty - actually had a scare with being called back in for additional testing after some lab results that were different from prior results that were being used a baseline for tracking noticeable changes. To err on the side of caution and because I'd had better results with Research Team's 95% CLA-only product, I'm back to stay--as long as they keep making it, don't alter it, and I can get my hands on it. 😉I'm starting another recomp - build muscle while shedding fat.I'm not hung up on weight on the scale because muscle weighs more than fat and one can be skinny-fat while thinking they're healthy because the scale shows weight was lost (it's typically muscle and water that's lost, rather than fat.) You want to hang onto muscle because the more you have the higher your metabolism, as muscle is a lot more metabolically active (burning calories) than fat. Of course, if I were someone whose weight was affecting my joints or cardiovascular health, then I'd have a reason to care about weight on a scale, but that would still be in addition to overall body composition - lean body mass vs bodyfat%. Fun fact, bodyfat can make sex hormones (estrogen anyone?) and if you have an issue with estrogen being too high and symptoms that come with or testosterone being on the low side, focusing on losing bodyfat vs watching numbers on the scale might be worth considering as a non-medical way to address the this. No, I'm not a doctor, just someone who reads a lot peer-reviewed research from journals along with conducting my own, where N=1 😉. The FDA has not approved anything I've written in this review so take what I've said with a grain of salt along with doing your own research/due dilligence.Update (June 2023):Still using Research Team's CLA. I've had some great workouts with the addition of carnitine (l-carnitine l- tartrate and acetyl l carnitine),CoQ10 and aframomum melegueta/grains of paradise, a.ka. paradoxine. The carnitine has helped improve my VO² max, so cardio is actually enjoyable and the paradoxine increases thermogenesis and makes a person sweat heavily! I'm considering goung back to doing twice daily workouts (separate cardui and lifting sessions.)I recently had a semi-annual physical exam and according to my PCP, my last set of labs from Sept. 2022 looked good. So the doc didn't see a need to order any new ones. I suppose looking at how the various lab results have trended over time were enough for the doc to arrive at that decision. Perhaps I'm doing somethings right. 💪🙂

Good value and high quality

I’ve been using this line of supplements to help fill in the nutritional gaps in my diet, and I’m really happy with the results! My diet is generally healthy, but there are some key nutrients I don’t always get enough of, and these supplements have made a noticeable difference., although by this product alone does not make the scale decrease without my low carb diet.These supplements have worked seamlessly with my diet to keep my energy levels up and support my overall health. I especially love how they don't leave me feeling sluggish or upset my stomach like some other supplements I’ve tried in the past. They feel like a natural addition to my daily routine, helping me stay on track with my health goals.I’ve noticed improvements in my digestion, and overall well-being. It's reassuring to know that I’m filling in those missing nutrients without having to drastically change my meals. These supplements have really helped me stay balanced, and I feel more energized and healthier overall.If you’re looking for a way to support your diet without making major changes, these supplements are definitely worth considering. They’re a great way to give your body that extra nutritional boost, especially if you're like me and struggle to get everything through food alone! Highly recommend!

Awesome

Bueno

Ok, so here is my experience. I was going to give it 1 star but I'll explain why I chose 3.I am 5'10, 160pnds. Although I am not overweight I did have a gut, face fat, Skinny fat look. I wanted this to help me loose the belly fat mainly. I came up with a plan. 3-5 days a week 1 hour work outs. 30-40 mins weight lifting and 15-20 cardio. I changed my diet also. Ate almost no junk, I eat super healthy meals now and almost no meats. All pant based meals and nuts. took cla with the the following supplements;Naked creatine 10g per dayNaked bcaa 20g per dayPlant based protein powder 32g per daySports research Vitamins D 5000Multivitamin gummiesMy results for 5 consistent weeks;Pros;I feel greatMore energyMuscle growth on my chest, shoulders, upper bodyFeel strongerStarted lifting 70pnds per rep now I lift up to 150pndCons;My stomach got biggerMore elastic on my stomach and sidesSeriously got a bigger stomachFinal thoughts;My pros have nothing to do with cla, those are muscle gains from working hard and taking the other supplements. CLA's job was to help me loose fat specially at the belly. I didn't just sit on the couch all day I did my part like I mentioned above. I only felt a little light headed and a bit nauseous on the first 3 days of taking cla 3 times per day. No other side effects after.The reason I didn't give it 1 star is because I took other supplements. I did research on how these supplements combine together and there is nothing but positive research. From what I found is that these supplements enhance each other. But it is still kind of unknown. I threw away the bottle today no more CLA. I will continue my work outs and diet and will update again in another 5 weeks without CLA. Btw check out "what the health" and "food choices" on Netflix. I am trying to not eat as much meats and chicken and dairy and wow I feel so good it's crazy.