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Nutritional Supplement

Pyruvate for Sports & Fitness

Also indexed as:Pyruvic Acid

Pyruvate

Pyruvate (the buffered form of pyruvic acid) is a product created in the body during the metabolism of carbohydrates and protein.

Why Do Athletes Use It?*

Some athletes say that pyruvate helps them lose body fat and also helps boost metabolism and increase endurance.

What Do the Advocates Say?*

Pyruvate appears to promote weight loss by increasing the metabolic rate. There is good research based on human studies showing that pyruvate helps to promote weight loss in overweight people on low-fat diets.

Although pyruvate promotes weight loss, which is good for heart health, it is important to monitor cholesterol levels as it may reduce HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

How Much Is Usually Taken by Athletes?

Three controlled studies of untrained individuals using a combination of 6 to 10 grams per day of pyruvate and an exercise program reported greater effects on weight loss and body fat compared with those taking a placebo with the exercise program.¹^,2^,3 However, controlled studies of the effects of pyruvate supplementation on exercise performance have tested only trained athletes, and these athletes did not experience improvements from pyruvate supplementation. Seven grams per day did not improve aerobic exercise performance in cyclists,⁴ and an average of 15 grams per day did not improve anaerobic performance or body composition in football players.⁵