A RANDOMIZED, DOUBLE-MASKED, PLACEBO-CONTROLLED STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF CHROMIUM PICOLINATE SUPPLEMENTATION ON BODY-COMPOSITION - A REPLICATION AND EXTENSION OF A PREVIOUS STUDY

A previous study using a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled design found that supplementation with a minimum of 200 mu g of chrom ium (in the form of chromium picolinate [CrP]) per day can lead to sig nificant improvement in body composition (as measured by underwater te sting using the displacement method). The present study used a similar design in which 122 subjects were randomized to receive either CrP 40 0 mu g (n = 62) or placebo (n = 60). To control caloric intake and exp enditure (which was not done in the first study), participants were re quired to monitor and maintain a log of their daily physical activity and caloric intake. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements were taken before and after the 90-day period. Analysis of the prestudy da ta for the two groups revealed no significant differences in any of th e initial body composition variables studied. After controlling for di fferences in caloric intake and expenditure, as compared with the plac ebo group, subjects in the active treatment group lost significantly m ore weight (7.79 kg vs 1.81 kg, respectively) and fat mass (7.71 kg vs 1.53 kg, respectively), and had a greater reduction in percent body f at (6.30% vs 1.20%, respectively) without any loss of fat-free mass. A more conservative analysis of covariance revealed similar and statist ically significant reductions in percent body fat and fat mass without any loss of fat-free mass. It was concluded that this study replicate d earlier findings that supplementation with CrP can lead tc, signific ant improvements in body composition.