About Calcium Pyruvate

Pyruvate is critical in the breakdown of sugar in the body, and calcium pyruvate--taken to increase the amount of pyruvate in the body--is a supplement touted by some nutrition researchers for having various health benefits. Questions have been raised, however, about whether the cost of the supplements is worth the possible effects on body composition.

Function

Pyruvate is a three-carbon compound that is produced during glycolysis, the process that breaks down carbohydrates. Once pyruvate is produced, it becomes the starting molecule of another metabolic process called the Krebs cycle. These processes contribute to the breakdown and use of carbohydrates for energy by the body.

Calcium Pyruvate as a Supplement

Pyruvate is a critical molecule in the breakdown of sugar; therefore, nutrition researchers have made claims for different health benefits of taking calcium pyruvate as a supplement. According to the Vitamin Supplements Guide, it is taken to promote weight loss and enhance energy, slow weight gain, extend athletic endurance, inhibit growth and spread of malignancy and slow DNA breaks.

Weight Loss

There have been numerous studies done to research the effectiveness of taking calcium pyruvate as an aid to energy metabolism and a weight loss supplement, with contradictory findings as to whether it actually contributes to changes in body mass. A study published by the March 2005 issue of the journal "Nutrition" observed subjects who took calcium pyruvate had minimal effect on fat loss, -0.4 ± 0.5 kg of fat mass, a very minimal change in body composition. Yet a similar study published in the April 2004 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" found taking 6 g of calcium pyruvate a day for six weeks was associated with a 1.2 kg weight loss, a much more significant finding. As of 2010, there is not enough research to fully support the belief that calcium pyruvate assists in weight loss.

Other Health Claims

Primary research has been done on supplementing pyruvate to enhance the body's ability to process energy faster. Because pyruvate is a molecule of the body needed to convert carbohydrates into energy, it is thought that by taking calcium pyruvate as a supplement the body can become more efficient at converting sugar into energy. This is especially appealing to athletes who are trying to maximize their bodies use of the energy they take in through carbohydrates. As of 2010, it is unclear if taking calcium pyruvate supplements actually assists in the body's ability to metabolize sugar.

Considerations

Taking the recommended dosage of calcium pyruvate does not present any health dangers, and there are no known health risks associated with taking it. However, nutrition researchers are still debating whether the cost of the supplements is worth the questionable effects on body composition.