I'm gonna' throw you a curve-ball answer, but, to be perfectly honest, I don't advocate
CLA use...really...
ever.
Only the '9,11' isomer displays any real beneficial qualities in human subjects, and, off the top of my head, given that
CLA is only lipolytic in humans who are extremely obese to begin with (and virtually all of the fat loss is a reduction in VAT-- visceral abdominal fat), I think you're money would be better spent elsewhere, especially on better EFAs like Fish, Flax, & Olive Oil.
IMO, if you're cutting,
CLA is of little use, and-- if bulking is one's primary goal--
CLA can be
anti-catabolic, but it really only has positive applications on a @ high dosages [think >10g/day] because it promotes insulin resistance in adipocytes. The problem is that such @ high dosages the risk of inducing insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is also present, not to mention the possible induction of liver steatosis with heavy, continual use. Furthermore, since
CLA is technically a 'bastard-N6-fatty acid,' taking large amounts of
CLA will displace your good N3:N6 dietary fatty-acid intake ratio. For these reasons, I don't consider it to be worth the hefty price that such use warrants.
Lastly, I know
CLA does have some antioxidant properties, but still, if you want a good anti-oxidant, N-A-C, ubiquinone,
ALA, ALCAR, & Vits. C & E are all superior and cheaper choices. I have yet to see a single study that demonstrates
CLA is lipolytic in healthy, active, non-obese humans. I'm not a rat or mouse, I do not have brown fat, and
CLA will never promote adipocyte apoptosis in humans the way it can in rodents...
CLA PW, anyone?
