The Body Composition Supplement
This natural supplement does what most can't: it boosts fat loss and muscle gains at the same time. The catch? You have to use the right form of it.
Would you rather gain or lose seven pounds?
That's a dumb question, right? Seven pounds of what exactly? Gain seven pounds of muscle? Awesome! Lose seven pounds of fat? Nice! But swap that around β gain seven pounds of fat and lose seven pounds of muscle β and it's not awesome, and not so nice.
The password here is body composition. Experienced lifters think less about the pounds on the scale and more about body comp. Most of us would look and feel better if we lost seven pounds of fat and gained seven pounds of muscle. The scale would show us the same number; the mirror would tell a different story.
In the narrow category of physique-enhancing supplements, most of our choices are single-purpose: use this to build muscle; use that to burn fat. Not many can do both effectively. One proven exception is forskolin or, more specifically, a certain form called forskolin 1,9 carbonate.
Forskolin 1,9 carbonate β sold as Carbolin 19 (Buy at Amazon) β helps you build muscle and lose fat at the same time. It sounds hyperbolic, but multiple studies back it up. It's a true body composition supplement.
How Does It Work?
Forskolin works primarily by stimulating the production of an enzyme called adenylate cyclase, which then increases levels of a cellular messenger called cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate). cAMP plays a role in many cellular functions, including metabolism, hormone secretion, and neurotransmitter signaling.
Elevated levels of cAMP have several physiological effects:
- Increased thyroid secretion of T4 (increased fat burning). This "upregulated thyroid effect" caused some researchers to compare forskolin's effectiveness with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).
- Increased testosterone levels in men (increased muscle, sex drive, fat burning). Boosted levels of cAMP cause the Leydig cells of the testicles to produce more testosterone.
- Increased production of protein kinase, which leads to increased levels of hormone-sensitive lipases (HSL), which helps break down triglycerides. Basically, it increases the breakdown of fat cells and releases stored fat from adipose tissue.
- Increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscles.
- Increased activation of brown adipose tissue (more fat burning through a different mechanism).
In addition to the body composition effects, forskolin has these bonus benefits:
- Lowered blood pressure (healthier cardiovascular system).
- Inhibited platelet aggregation (less clotting).
- Increased vasodilation (more blood flow).
- Increased bronchodilation (more airflow through the lungs). Forskolin has even been used to treat asthma.
The crazy thing? Studies were conducted using both fit lifters and inactive, overweight people. Both groups lost fat and built lean body mass. Obviously, exercisers got better results than non-exercisers, but the fact that forskolin worked for sedentary people is impressive.
Some Studies
- Men in a 12-week study experienced a 16% increase in total testosterone.
- Women in an 8-week study lost an average of 9 pounds while experiencing gains in lean body mass (without weight training).
- The total body weight of a group of men and women in a 12-week study decreased from 165 pounds to 162 pounds while experiencing increases in lean body mass (without training).
- The forskolin users in a mixed-sex group of 50 test subjects experienced almost a 2 percent increase in lean body mass and a decrease in body fat from 36 to 34 percent.
Where To Get It
Although the studies above were positive, not every forskolin study is. Some show mixed results. Why? Because most of the forskolin on the market is just the dried and ground-up leaves of the coleus forskohlii plant. You might get a strong batch or a weak batch since there's no standardization.
Also, absorption is an issue. Plain forskolin isn't very bioavailable β it's hard to get "in you." Many studies showing forskolin's effectiveness use very large doses to get around this.
The right way to manufacture a potent forskolin product is to isolate the active ingredient, then purify it and esterify it (bind it with a carbonate ester). The end product, forskolin 1,9 carbonate, is much more bioavailable, and its efficacy in the body extends from 4 hours to 12 hours. Pack that into a delivery system that further enhances bioavailability and now you have something that works every time for everybody.
That's a troublesome and expensive process, but the result is a standardized supplement (every batch is strong) that your body can absorb and utilize. Biotest invented forskolin 1,9 carbonate and called it Carbolin 19 (Buy at Amazon).
How to Take It
Take two capsules in the morning with or without food. There's no need to cycle it.
References
- Godard MP et al. "Body composition and hormonal adaptations associated with forskolin consumption in overweight and obese men." Obesity Research. August 2005. DOI: 10.1038/oby.2005.162.
- Scarpace PJ, Matheny M. "Thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue with age: post-receptor activation by forskolin." Pflugers Arch. 1996 Jan;431(3):388-94.
- Majeed M et al. "Diterpene forskolin: A possible new compound for reduction of body weight by increasing lean body mass." Nutraceuticals, March/April 2002, pp. 6-7.
- Tsugiyoshi. "Clinical report on root extract of Perilla Plant (coleus forskohlii) in reducing body fat." Asanto Institute, Tokyo, Japan, 2001.
- Kamath. "Efficacy and Safety of Forslean in Increasing Lean Body Mass." Department of Ayurvedic Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, India, 2005.
