Natural Anabolics: A Brave New World
Random drug-testing. Steroid-related side effects like
“bitch tits,” swollen prostates, accelerated hair loss,
testicular shrinkage, liver damage. Is this the price you’d
pay for potential steroid-like gains? Hardliners say absolutely.
Without a doubt. For them, prohormones not only work, but the
results come fast and hard. But prohormones aren’t for
everyone. Many natural bodybuilders and competitive drug-tested
athletes avoid steroids and steroidal hormones (e.g.,
prohormones). For these individuals, "natural"
anabolic substances are the answer. But until recently, proven
natural anabolics didn't exist. They do now. Three of the most
effective of these natural anabolics are discussed below.
Ecdysterone | Methoxyisoflavone
| Ipriflavone | Summary
Ecdysterone
Up until recently, ecdysterone or beta-ecdysone, was neither
legal nor commercially available. Recently, ecdysterone was
found to occur naturally in plants (e.g., Suma and Rhaponticum).
Today, ecdysterone is available to bodybuilders everywhere.
Ecdysterone is an exciting discovery because it is a natural
anabolic agent. In fact, steroid biochemists have classified
ecdysterone as a biostimulator: a biologically-active steroidal
substance which can exert anabolic actions in the body.
Just how powerful can ecdysterone be? Most of the ecdysterone
studies to date have taken place in Eastern Europe and Russia.
Initial reports found that ecdysterone possessed a wider
spectrum of anabolic effects on skeletal muscle than the
anabolic steroid methandrostenolone. Similarly, according to
FLEX magazine, Russian studies have found that ecdysterone can
produce an "anabolic effect in animals comparable to a mild
anabolic/androgenic drug."
In a more recent study consisting of 78 athletes, those taking a
combination of ecdysterone and protein were tested against a
placebo group. At the end of 10 days, the supplement group
experienced a 6-7% lean mass gain and a 9-10% reduction in body
fat levels. Other studies have pointed to ecdysterone's ability
to increase performance and reduce fatigue.
How do these phytoecdysones work? From anecdotal reports, 100mg
of ecdysterone can dramatically increase nitrogen retention. The
nitrogen-sparing effects ecdysterone can benefit the bodybuilder
by increasing the amount of muscle that can be accumulated.
During a state of positive nitrogen balance, protein is used
towards building muscle.
In addition to its obvious application to bodybuilding,
ecdysterone has another potential use. Ecdysterone, like
tribulus terrestris, has the ability to increase testosterone
production. By doing so, ecdysterone has the capability of
improving overall sexual function. In one clinical study,
ecdysterone was administered for 10 days, and after that time,
sexual function was improved in the ecdysterone group.
Methoxyisoflavone
Whether you know it as methoxy, methoxivone, methoxyisoflavone,
or 5-methyl-7-methoxyisoflavone, this new anabolic flavone
compound is the most widely talked about new bodybuilding
supplement in years. According to its U.S. Patent, methoxy is an
"anabolically effective compound" that was developed
to "produce significant weight gain increase,"
specifically fat-free lean mass. Furthermore, the patent
document indicated that while methoxy was "highly
anabolic", it did not exert any "androgenic"
effects. This fact alone makes it highly attractive for
bodybuilders wary of side effects associated with steroids and
prohormones.
A compelling new landmark human study has confirmed methoxy's
ability to significantly increase lean, fat-free muscle.
Conducted at the University of Delaware, researchers examined
fourteen healthy weight-trained men. Half supplemented with
methoxy, the other half did not. At the end of eight weeks, the
placebo group experienced an increase in body fat by 1.6 lb. In
the methoxy group, the athletes on average dropped 2.9 lb of fat
while simultaneously increasing lean mass by 2.8 lb.
Interestingly, these results were obtained even though the
athletes continued using their other supplements, indicating
that methoxy can work along with them.
Researchers have theorized that methoxy works by boosting the
anabolic drive: increasing protein synthesis, enhancing protein
utilization, promoting a positive nitrogen balance, and reducing
protein catabolism (muscle breakdown) by suppressing cortisol.
But what makes methoxy truly unique is its function as a
nutrition-partitioning agent. Methoxy can actually shuttle the
nutrients you consume (e.g., protein), selectively into lean
mass. In short, more of the foods you eat goes into
muscle-building, not fat storage. And maximizing muscle growth
is the goal of every bodybuilder.
As mentioned earlier, methoxy is anabolic but not androgenic.
Because it's non-hormonal and non-steroidal, methoxy can ignite
anabolism without altering your body's normal endocrine
function. Methoxy is truly a groundbreaking new legal supplement
that's sure to shake the very foundations of bodybuilding
itself.
Ipriflavone
Ipriflavone, or 7-isopropoxyisoflavone, was first synthesized in
the late 1960s from naturally occurring isoflavones. Ipriflavone
made nutrition headlines in the United States as a bone-building
supplement in the late 1990s due in part to its ability to
enhance phosphorous and calcium absorption. But what has caught
the eye of bodybuilders and researchers is ipriflavone's ability
to boost anabolism. Ipriflavone's anabolic activity has been
compared to the anabolic steroids, methenolone, oxandrolone, and
stanazolol.
Due to its anabolic properties, ipriflavone can selectively
increase fat-free lean mass. Like its cousin methoxyisoflavone,
ipriflavone can do so via anabolism: increasing nitrogen
retention, sparking protein synthesis, reducing protein
breakdown (via cortisol inhibition), and by promoting
nutrition-partitioning actions. With respect to
nutrition-partitioning, studies have recorded up to 20% gains in
weight from ipriflavone use, even with the same caloric intakes.
According to pharmocokinetic studies, oral administration of
ipriflavone is quickly metabolized in the liver.
Research has shown than ipriflavone does not exert estrogenic
activity in animals or humans. On the contrary, some preliminary
research indicates that ipriflavone (and methoxyisoflavone) can
actually reduce estrogen levels. For these very reasons,
ipriflavone has been used by European athletes for many years.
These athletes have traditionally used ipriflavone during the
their off-cycles (periods of steroid abstinence).
While useful as a stand-alone supplement, new research is
indicating that ipriflavone could have a synergistic effect with
other tribulus-based compounds such as Triboxybol™. Sports
scientists at the University of Toledo compared athletes taking
this combination against those taking a placebo. After 38 days,
the supplement group showed greater free testosterone-to-cortisol
ratios than the placebo group. This would indicate that the
anti-catabolic hormone cortisol was reduced, while free
testosterone levels increased. Keep in mind that free
testosterone is the body's active form of the anabolic hormone.
On a related note, this supplement combo was also shown to
increase performance thresholds in the athletes.
Summary
Because of its non-hormonal, steroid-free characteristics,
anabolic bodybuilding supplements containing both sterones and
flavones (e.g., methoxy, ß-ecdysone, ipriflavone,
5,7-dihydroxyflavone, and isoflavones) are powerful alternatives
to prohormone-based supplements. These supplements are
particularly suitable for prohormone-sensitive bodybuilders and
drug-tested athletes. Theoretically speaking, ingredients such
as methoxy, ecdysterone, and ipriflavone might also be a logical
choice for female bodybuilders and powerlifters as these
substances are not androgenic.
As nutrition-partitioning agents, these substances have
tremendous potential for "hardgainers"–those
bodybuilders who have a difficult time gaining quality weight.
With their ability to shuttle nutrients into skeletal muscle
formation, athletes can gain lean mass without altering their
feeding patterns or caloric intakes.
In addition, these substances might offer benefits for those
bodybuilders currently using prohormone-type supplements.
Studies have shown that flavones, as opposed to isoflavones, are
potent aromatase inhibitors. In other words, flavones such as
methoxyisoflavone and 5,7-dihydroxyflavone (chrysin) can help
reduce the conversion of testosterone to estrogen by functioning
as competitive inhibitors of cytochrome P450 aromatase.
From a nutritional point of view, the ability of these
substances to promote anabolism and nutrition-partitioning can
be further enhanced with increased protein intakes. So if you're
considering natural alternatives to support lean mass gains,
consider adding an extra protein shake or two to your diet for
maximum results.
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