Soy Decreases Testosterone
March 17, 2009
Should men really avoid soy protein? Well a recent study looked at the effects of soy protein on a man’s testosterone levels to help answer this question! Test subjects took in 60 grams of soy protein each day for four weeks. At the end of the study, researchers found that testosterone levels decreased by 19 percent and estrogen-receptor activity increased! Of course, this is the worst thing that can happen to a bodybuilder! The researchers continued to track testosterone levels in the subjects for two weeks after removing the soy protein from their diets and as suspected, testosterone levels returned to normal.
SOURCE: Tropicana Fitness
Boron Does Not Work
January 9, 2009
Boron is found primarily in fruits and vegetables, and in very low amounts in animal products. Supposedly this trace mineral, once in the blood stream, binds to hormones and increases the levels of naturally “active” levels of testosterone. Supplement companies claim that the USDA and other researchers have found that Boron can dramatically increase naturally occurring steroidal hormones. This is actually true believe it or not!
Boron Study
In 1986, Dr. Curtis Hunt studied the effects of Aluminum, Magnesium and Boron on major mineral metabolism in humans. In this study, the Boron supplemented group that received 3 mg of Boron per day had a heightened metabolism of several minerals. The boron-supplemented group had a dramatic reduction in the excretion of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus. However, the most significant finding of the study was that there was a significant increase (doubling) of the normal Estradiol (an Estrogen analog) and Testosterone. What they don’t tell you is that these studies were done on post-menopausal women! Newer studies have not been able to replicate the original research study results. So unless you’re post-menopausal, stay clear of Boron!
Does ZMA Work?
November 4, 2008
What Is ZMA?
ZMA is marketed as a “special” Zinc & Magnesium supplement containing 2 novel types of Zinc (that is “Zinc Monomethionine” and “Zinc Aspartate”) and 1 novel type of Magnesium (called “Magnesium Aspartate”). Infamous ZMA formulator Victor Conte (yes, the key guy behind the BALCO Labs scandal) also threw in Vitamin B-6 to the formula. However, this addition doesn’t make much sense as this vitamin is rarely deficient in athletes due to it’s high presence in meats, vegetables and grains.
Which Bodybuilders Have Used ZMA?
According to the SNAC Systems website, the follwoing top bodybuilders have used ZMA: Flex Wheeler, Ronnie Coleman, Mike Matarazzo, Gunter Schlierkamp, Roland Kickinger, Milos Sarcev, Eddie Robinson, Don Long, Emeric Delczeg, Vickie Gates, Nancy Lewis, Iris Kyle, Jim Quinn, Rich Gaspari, and Mike Ashley.
1999 Study Shows ZMA Works
Way back in 1999, a study was undertaken on NCAA Football players during a spring-training program. The control group was told to stop taking any nutritional supplements. Those who took “ZMA” showed greater increases in muscle strength, free testosterone, GH and IGF-1 levels than those who didn’t. (1)
Commercialization of ZMA
After this study came out, Victor Conte (pictured on left) started selling ZMA to almost every supplement company in the industry. As long as you bought your ZMA from his company “Snac Systems“, you could use the claims made in the study. Finally, there was a natural alternative to prohormones that actually worked … or did it?
2004 Study Shows ZMA Does NOT Work
Years went by and ZMA found it’s way into most of the top brands in the industry and few people stopped to question the original ZMA study that created all the hype. Could the results be duplicated? Well a study done in 2004 by the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab of Baylor University found that ZMA had no effect on strength, hormone levels, or anaerobic capacity.[2]
Scott Welch’s ZMA Prescription
“Before you throw out your bottle of ZMA, understand that Zinc and Magnesium as minerals, DO play a significant role in the production of testosterone, GH, IGF-1 and several other hormones. If your body is deficient in either of these two minerals, your hormone levels will not be optimal. ZMA is a very well-absorbed mineral supplement that will correct a Zinc and Magnesium deficiency if one exists. But if you’re not deficient, taking ZMA is a waste of money.”
Study References
1. Lukaski HC (2000). “Magnesium, zinc, and chromium nutriture and physical activity”. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 72 (2): 585s-593s. PMID 10919964.
2. Wilborn Colin D. et al (2004). “Effects of Zinc Magnesium Aspartate (ZMA) Supplementation on Training Adaptations and Markers of Anabolism and Catabolism”. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 1 (2): 12–20. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-1-2-12.
SOURCE: Muscular Development
MyTosterone Increases Testosterone By 50 Percent
September 23, 2008
Forget Testofen, there’s a new testosterone king on the block! The makers of a new supplement ingredient called “MyTosterone” is none other than Triarco Industries makers of the popular “Aminogen”. This week a clinical study published in the International Journal of the Society for Sports Nutrition showed patented MyTosterone™ significantly increased total testosterone levels in men by 50 percent. At the same time, MyTosterone substantially reduced levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol, hormones implicated in male pattern hair loss and the accumulation of abdominal fat. Most men begin losing testosterone by their late 30s and continue to lose testosterone at a rate of 1 to 3 percent each year.
Does Tribulus Really Work?
September 8, 2008
Does Tribulus (a.k.a. Tribulus Terrestris) actually work to help athletes to promote gains in strength or lean muscle mass? Not according to a recent study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Researchers studied this herb on muscular strength, body composition, and urinary T/E (testosterone/epitestosterone) ratio in elite Australian male rugby players.
Dose: Subjects were given 450 mg per day or a placebo for 5 weeks and all subjects performed structured heavy weight training.
Conclusions: “It was concluded that Tribulus Terrestris did not produce the large gains in strength or lean muscle mass that many manufacturers claim can be experienced within 5-28 days. Furthermore, T. terrestris did not alter the urinary T/E (testosterone/epitestosterone) ratio and would not place an athlete at risk of testing positive based on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s urinary T/E ratio limit of 4:1.”
The results of this study are consistent with the results of a previous study which was published in the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Antonio et al, 2001), which concluded, “supplementation with Tribulus does not enhance body composition or exercise performance in resistance-trained males.”
Geez, I wish these studies were out many years back as this is one herb that I got fooled into spending my hard-earned money on!
SOURCE: Dr. J. Marrow’s Dietary Supplement Research Updates
References:
Rogerson S, Riches CJ, Jennings C, Weatherby RP, Meir RA, Marshall-Gradisnik SM. The effect of five weeks of Tribulus terrestris supplementation on muscle strength and body composition during preseason training in elite rugby league players. J Strength Cond Res. 2007 May;21(2):348-53.
Antonio J, Uelmen J, Rodriguez R, Earnest C. The effects of Tribulus terrestris on body composition and exercise performance in resistance-trained males. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2000 Jun;10(2):208-15.
Phosphatidylserine Increases Testosterone And Lowers Cortisol
July 29, 2008
By Scott Welch
A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition http://www.jissn.com indicates that the consumption of a Phosphatidylserine (PS) can help to effectively manage exercise induced stress and promote healthy free testosterone levels.
An excessive cortisol response to exercise-induced stress has been linked to a negative training state, which could lead to overreaching or overtraining. Chronic overtraining often creates a disturbance in the anabolic-catabolic balance, which may express itself in decreased performance, injury, depressed immunity, and psychological depression. PS has been reported to be an effective supplement for combating exercise-induced stress and preventing the physiological deterioration that accompanies too much exercise. Previously, 800 mg of soy-derived PS has been reported to reduce the cortisol response to intensive resistance training by 20%.
This clinical trial investigated the influence of short-term supplementation with a moderate dose of PS (600 mg per day) on endocrine response to moderate intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer. The PS group was able to decrease mean peak cortisol concentrations by 39% when compared to the placebo group. In addition, PS promoted healthy free testosterone levels and consequently significantly improved the “testosterone to cortisol” ratio by 184% when compared to placebo. Neither PS nor placebo supplementation had an effect on lactate or growth hormone levels.
Previous findings suggested that the effect of PS on cortisol might be dose dependent. “For the first time, short-term supplementation with a moderate dose of PS showed significant results”, said Dr. Martin Purpura, Managing Member of Increnovo LLC and co-author of the study. “Preventing the negative effect of cortisol and increasing the testosterone to cortisol ratio will allow athletes to train and compete at their highest levels”. Additionally, Scott Hagerman, president of Chemi Nutra, sponsor of the study’s publication and leader in the production of PS said, “Chemi Nutra has filed a patent for PS’s effects to promote healthy testosterone levels. These exciting findings will open new markets for PS-based sports nutrition and anti-aging nutritional supplements, and we intend to pursue several very promising applications with selected customers”. One of the best Cortisol control supplements on the market is CortBloc made by MuscleLink (http://www.home-gym.com/mucocosu.html).
SOURCE: NPI Center
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