Guest Author - Tatiana Erochenko, PhD

This is Article 2 in the series "Biology Q&A" Based on real questions from real Biology visitors

Q: Does Pyruvate reduce body fat? Do Lipotropics reduce body fat? Are Apex vitimans and supplements good quality or am I wasting my money?

A: PYRUVATE is a natural end-product of sugar metabolism. Chemically speaking, pyruvate is a ketoacid produced in process of metabolism of stored carbohydrates "glycolysis." Though there are study published in peer-reviewed medical journals that seem to be supportive to the claims made by supplement manufacturers and distributors, honest reviewers call for caution when considering pyruvate supplementation. It's not cheap by the way.

The studies

When chronically fed to animals as part of their diet, pyruvate plus dihydroxyacetone reduce the rate of weight gain and body fat content. These changes appear to be the result of an increased loss of calories as heat at the expense of body fat storage. - Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1998 Jun;30(6):837-43

In a study conducted by Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-0201, USA, an increase in pyruvate activity that was acheived by supplementtion withl L-carnitine, increased pyruvate activity of pigs. As a result, they were more able to use fat for energy.

According to the human studies, pyruvate improves exercise performance primarily by enhancing the transport of glucose into the muscle cell. - Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1996 Oct;20(10):925-30

In a pilot study, joint administration of pyruvate, hydroxycitrate (HCA), and carnitine to obese human subjects was associated with a remarkable rate of body-fat loss and thermogenesis, strongly suggestive of uncoupled fatty-acid oxidation. - Med Hypotheses. 1999 May;52(5):407-16

Dr. McCarty hypothesized that promotion of liver glycogen storage may enhance satiety and this can be acheived by pyruvate (to be exact, pyruvate carboxylase and fructodiphosphatase) - Med Hypotheses. 1994 Apr;42(4):215-25

More information

Netrition.com suggests that you take pyruvate for preventing a plateau in dieting due to depletion of liver ATP. Liver ATP depletion causes a decrease in T3 thyroid hormone which lowers the metabolism. An effective maintenance dose may be 5 grams per day after several days of 20 grams per day. They recommend that you only diet with a moderate calorie deficit - about 10 to 15% less than the number of calories needed to maintain your current weight.

To read more, go to: netrition.com

Lipotropics

Results of the study conducted by Department of Physical Education, Boise State University, ID, USA, indicate that the addition of a lipotropic nutrient combination: chromium picolinate, inulin, capsicum, and L-phenylalanine, during a 4-week diet-and-exercise weight-loss program accelerates the rate of body fat loss and helps maintain fat-free mass (lean tissue), thereby producing favorable changes in body composition. - Adv Ther. 1998 Sep-Oct;15(5):305-14.

As to your question about Apex product quality, I trust this opinion:

"It is almost impossible to find independent and unbiased information about weight loss and diet supplements anywhere. Almost without exception, all published information regarding these supplements is written by the companies who manufacture and sell them." - Will Brink, Industry Author, Researcher & Consultant, Sports Supplementation Expert.