C9-T11 is a muscle building, fat burning supplement that comes from a company called Applied Nutritional Research. There are many such products on the market however and all of them do tend to come from companies with similarly scientific sounding names. So does this really work? Is it safe? And is it a good way to spend your money?
The Ingredients
The key ingredient in C9-T11 is conjugated linoleic acid, also known as ‘CLA’. Studies have found CLA to be effective for weight loss and muscle gain but the results may not necessarily translate to real-world benefits. This is combined with ascorbic acid (good old vitamin C) and phosphatidylserine.
The first warning sign when researching this product is the insanely hyperbolic language used on the website to promote it. One quote reads:
Bottom line: don’t expect to get huge using roids, creatine, or NO2 unless you run your muscles through the ringer.
C9-T11 is completely different, however. This new anabolic compound may be the ONLY supplement available today that literally synthesizes lean muscle tissue on its own.
Yep, it’s claiming to be more potent than steroids for building muscle with none of the side effects. As usual, the question is: if that was the case, wouldn’t everyone be using it?
But let’s not judge it just yet, let’s take a closer look at that key ingredient: CLA.
Does it Work?
The problem is that while CLA has been shown to be effective in some studies to work, the effects are negligible outside of laboratory conditions and are also somewhat conflicting. There are numerous studies showing that CLA can help to burn fat (1) and also several showing that it can help to increase muscle mass (2). But equally common are studies that fail to replicate these findings and some that actually suggest there are negative effects (3). In short, the findings are highly mixed and it’s far too early to draw any major conclusions.
Which is not to say that it definitely won’t work for you! The only way to find out what CLA will do for you is to try it. But certainly take the claims made by C9-T11 with a big pinch of salt and certainly don’t expect outstanding results. And in fact, if you’re going to be trying CLA, you’re better off getting it more cheaply from a company that doesn’t make such bogus claims.
More generally – take this as a lesson and be very dubious about supplements that come out based on very small amounts of research!