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Ivan's Newsletter
June 15, 2008 -- Issue 041
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In this issue...

** WHAT'S IN A FAT LOSS FORMULA: Pyruvate

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** What is Pyruvate. Pyruvate for fat loss.
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Summer is already here, and as far as I know everybody's goal right now is to shed the unwanted layers of fat.

What are our choices in this case. We can go to the supplement store and ask for a fat loss formula. Truth is there is an overwhelming number of different companies offering their "best" blend, "shown to cause significant fat loss in test subjects...".

Some of them are really good blends, most of them are not!

How do we know which one is good and which one we should keep our wallets tight for?

We have to have some level of knowledge and understanding of what the different components in a fat loss formula do, so that we can judge its efficacy.

For this reason I decided to do a series of newsletters, in each one dissecting one major individual fat loss ingredient.

Today we're going to deal with PYRUVATE.

Pyruvate also goes by the name Calcium (Sodium, Potassium) Pyruvate or Pyruvic Acid.

Pyruvate is a very important component for the conversion of glucose (blood sugar) to energy. In the body glucose is converted to Pyruvate, which through a chain of other reactions results in the production of ATP - the molecule that is broken down to provide energy in the cells.

Pyruvate is thought to increase the Resting Metabolic Rate through increasing of cell respiration - the speed at which the chemical processes occur in cells.

Since metabolism is sped up during the day, more calories coming from fat are burned. This is based on the fact that while resting and throughout the day most of the energy burned comes from fats - about 70%.

Yes, that's right. Even when you're watching TV sitting on the couch you're burning mainly fat. It's a whole different story how much calories your body needs when resting, compared to when exercising... but that's another story.

There are numerous studies done of the effects and actions of Pyruvate. A large number of them, though, were done on rodents. Many were also done on people.

I spent some time researching the numerous studies. Here is a quick summary of my findings:

** In most studies, done on humans Pyruvate was effective as a fat loss causing agent in the amounts of 20 - 44 g a day! The subjects were on low-calorie diets sometimes as low as 500 to 1000 calories a day!

** With these high doses test subjects lost 48% more fat than the control group. But when these numbers were translated into actual weight in pounds it turned out the fat loss wasn't that high - the Pyruvate taking subjects lost only 3.2 pounds more on average. Also, keep in mind that the tested subjects were weighing 200 pounds and more.

** In many studies Pyruvate was proven ineffective as a fat loss and metabolism boosting agent. Those studies used the recommended low doses of 3 - 5 g a day.

** Doses of 20 - 30 g a day may cause stomach problems.

** Only one study to date demonstrated 12% average fat loss in the in the subjects taking Pyruvate, muscle gain and increased metabolic rate. In this study the doses were 6 g Pyruvate a day.

I have personally experimented with Pyruvate in doses of 5 g a day without any noticeable effect on fat loss or increase in resting metabolic rate. I know for a fact that low doses of Pyruvate don't work for me.

Pyruvate can be bought by itself or as part of a fat loss blend.

The cheapest Pyruvate I could find, calculated for a 30 g dose a day costs about $3 a day. If you want to try it at these high doses you will have to be ready to spend about $90 for a month trial.

Keep in mind that in fat loss formulas, containing Pyruvate as an ingredient the amount of Pyruvate is so miniscule - usually in the range of several hundred milligrams and rarely over a gram per serving - it makes the whole presence of this ingredient worthless.

My advice - don't spend your money on fat loss formulations, containing Pyruvate. If you want to try Pyruvate by itself try it at the high doses, shown to actually work for you. And even in this case don't expect too much form it.

 

DISCLAIMER The techniques, ideas, and suggestions in
this document are not intended as a substitute for proper
medical advice. Always consult your physician or health
care professional before performing any new exercise,
exercise technique or beginning any new diet. Any use of
the techniques, ideas, and suggestions in this document
is at the reader's sole discretion and risk.