It's no secret that many pro bodybuilders inject hormones to pack on muscle and get freakishly ripped at the same time. In fact, many believe that the recent practice of using growth hormone along with testosterone is the main reason the pros have been able to get so mind-numbingly muscular and razor cut the past few years. Researcher Jerry Brainum summarized the reason GH and testosterone are so popular with the pros in his Bodybuilding Pharmacology column in the July '00 IRONMAN:
Testosterone inhibits bodyfat synthesis by blocking the activity of a fat-synthesizing hormone called lipoprotein lipase. The effect is dramatically increased when GH is combined with testosterone.1 So in that respect GH is clearly synergistic with testosterone in blunting bodyfat accretion. Evidence shows that the hormones also boost each other's anabolic activity.
Of course, most of us don't want to inject hormones'but what if there was a natural way to increase your body's production of GH and testosterone simultaneously? You'd no doubt get many of the same mass-building and definition-etching effects that the pros get with their injectables, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Trigger a GH cascade and follow it up with a testosterone surge, and your physique could be bursting with new size and strength in only a few weeks.
GH Cascade
Growth hormone is getting a reputation as a miracle rejuvenating compound. According to a bevy of studies, an uptick in your GH can increase your muscle mass; burn bodyfat; strengthen connective tissues, including tendons and ligaments; help heal injuries; revitalize your skin and hair; bolster your immune system and give you more energy. It's no wonder drug companies have been overwhelmed by the demand since GH was first introduced more than two decades ago. Today aging baby boomers consider it the fountain of youth, which is driving demand even higher'but you don't have to inject it to reap its benefits.
New research points to a number of amino acids along with a host of other compounds that together can help your body create a growth hormone tidal wave via its own endocrine system. One supplement that incorporates all the latest research into a powerful all-natural GH-releasing compound is Muscle-Link's GH Stak, which was developed by renowned pharmacologist James Jamieson, who also created the patch delivery system. It's effervescent tablets'like Alka Seltzer'that you dissolve in water and drink either before you train or at bedtime on an empty stomach.
Why is GH Stak in an effervescent form? Because studies show that there's a significant increase in GH from oral glutamine when the glutamine is in that form. The effervescent action also enhances the delivery of other growth hormone precursors, such as L-arginine, which is included in GH Stak in a more bioactive pyroglutamate form than what you get from standard L-arginine supplements.
GH Stak also contains anterior pituitary peptides that normalize somatostatin, a hormone that can shut down GH and IGF-1 receptors. That's extremely important because when you elevate GH and IGF-1, you don't want somatostatin to smother their effects. GH Stak's anterior pituitary peptides prevent the shutdown, which radically increases the positive effects.
As for the research, an unpublished study on GH Stak showed that bodybuilders had anywhere from a 12 percent increase in IGF-1 levels after just one day of using the supplement all the way to a 36.6 percent increase after only six days. The results have been so spectacular that doctors at anti-aging clinics are using this product in place of GH injections. (IGF-1 levels are more stable and have a direct correlation to GH levels, which is the reason they're used to measure GH output.)
Bodybuilders are beginning to discover that natural increases in growth hormone are possible and safe'and they can set the stage for some incredible gains when other anabolic hormones, like testosterone, are boosted as well.
Testosterone Surge
Getting a natural testosterone surge can be tricky, especially if you're on a fat-restricted diet. Studies indicate that lowfat diets blunt testosterone production, which in turn stifles muscle growth. New findings are beginning to surface that suggest it's not just a lack of fat but also a deficiency in the essential fatty acids that causes testosterone to plummet because the EFAs provide the necessary building blocks for hormones like testosterone. Research indicates that EFAs can improve the action of insulin, decrease muscle breakdown, increase growth hormone secretion and optimize hormone production.2,3,4 In fact, the late bodybuilding author and researcher Dan Duchaine said that EFAs are the most anabolic legal supplement available.
The new Omega Stak from Muscle-Link contains a perfect balance of the essential fats, and they're derived from sources like flaxseed oil, borage oil and soybean oil, among others. It's one surefire way to bolster your testosterone and GH production. To give your testosterone even more of a boost, you'll want to add ZMA-T, the tribulus-zinc-magnesium-muira puama complex, to the mix.
Bodybuilders have been using the herb tribulus terrestris as a natural anabolic for years. Trib can stimulate luteinizing-hormone (LH) production from the anterior pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates testosterone production. The newest trib supplement on the market is Muscle-Link's ZMA-T, but it's far more than just tribulus. It also contains a number of other synergistic compounds that can help boost testosterone. ZMA-T's combination is the flame that lights the fuse for a blast of muscle size and strength.
Muira puama. An herb native to Brazil, muira puama has been used as a powerful aphrodisiac and nerve stimulant for many years. In a French study done at the Institute of Sexology in Paris that involved approximately 262 patients who complained of impotence and lack of libido, muira puama supplementation had a tremendous positive effect on the majority of the subjects. It seemed to correct impotence and improve sex drive, a result believed to be caused by increases in testosterone levels.
ZMA'. This is a special combination of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6. The zinc and magnesium are specifically formulated with aspartate, which makes them significantly more bioavailable. ZMA is the creation of Balco Labs, and research conducted on strength athletes by the company shows that ZMA's precise combination of zinc, magnesium and B6 can increase total and free testosterone levels by 30 percent. That study, which was published in the Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation Journal, showed that nightly supplementation with ZMA increased strength and power as well.
A 1996 study titled 'Zinc Status and Serum Testosterone Levels of Healthy Adults' by Ananda Prasad, M.D., Ph.D., that was published in the journal Nutrition showed that taking 30 milligrams of supplemental zinc daily doubled the testosterone levels in six months of healthy men who were experiencing moderate zinc deficiency.
Magnesium is a macromineral that has some major implications for athletes. It's a cofactor of the enzyme creatine kinase, which converts creatine into creatine phosphate, or phosphocreatine, the storage form of creatine. Since creatine monohydrate supplements are extremely popular and have been proven effective, magnesium may be an important mineral in helping to optimize creatine function.
As for magnesium's key role in protein biosynthesis, it's necessary for the activation of amino acids and helps manufacture proteins. In other words, protein synthesis depends on optimal magnesium concentrations. It's hypothesized that low magnesium levels may negatively affect protein metabolism and may lead to diminished strength gains in a structured workout regimen. One 1992 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, titled 'Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Strength Training in Humans,' studied the effects of a dietary magnesium supplement on strength development in 26 untrained subjects during a seven-week strength-training program. The results of the double-blind study showed that the group that got oral magnesium supplements had significantly greater strength gains than the control group.
The final ingredient in the ZMA formula is vitamin B6, which is also known as pyridoxine and has some major influences on protein synthesis. It has been linked to GH release as well.
Supersavings
All three supplements included in this synergistic GH-and-testosterone-boosting combo are available at health food stores or by mail order from various companies, but we want to make it easier for you to try them. We're offering all three in the IM Research Team Anabolic Hormone Stack Special. Here's what you get:
GH Stak, an eight-week supply, a $160 value.
ZMA-T, two bottles, 120 capsules in each, a $79 value.
Omega Stak, two bottles, 270 1,000-milligram capsules in each, a $79 value.
Add it all up and it comes to almost $320, but if you call 1-800-447-0008 and ask for the Anabolic Hormone Stack Special, you can get all of the above for only $199.95. That's a savings of about $120! Call now and take advantage of this special offer and prepare to put the pedal to the metal. Then brace yourself for an incredible anabolic blastoff, with GH Stak, ZMA-T and Omega Stak as your copilots.
References
1 Bjorntorp, P. (1996). Growth hormone, insulinlike growth factor 1 and lipid metabolism: interactions with sex steroids. Hormone Res. 46:188-91.
2 Borkman, M., et al. (1993). The relationship between insulin sensitivity and the fatty acid composition of skeletal-muscle phospholipids. N Eng J Med. 328:238-244.
3 Dray, F., et al. (1980). Role of prostaglandins on growth hormone secretion: PGE2, a physiological stimulator. Adv Prostaglandin Thromboxan Res. 8:1321-1328.
4 Dorgan, J., et al. (1996). Effects of dietary fat and fiber on plasma and urine androgens and estrogens in men: a controlled feeding study. Am J Clin Nutr. 64.6:850-855.
IM
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