BASEBALL AMERICA TODAY

If you heard the following description for a new sports supplement:

- POWERFUL NEW FORMULA
- HIGH ANABOLIC CAPACITY
- THREE TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN STEROIDS
- INCREASES MUSCLE MASS (7-10% in only 10-20 days)
- DECREASES BODY FAT (4-6% in only 10-20 days)
- FAST ACTING STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE FORMULA
- PLAY DOUBLE HEADER AFTER DOUBLE HEADER AT PEAK MENTAL AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE
WITHOUT EVER GETTING TIRED

Would you guess that you had just learned about:

A) BALCO's newest product to help Barry Bonds crush HR's and test clean?
B) a perfectly legal product tested as safe and steroid free by MLB, the NFL and the International Olympic Committee?

Now be honest, 95% of sports fans would choose A), and of course would be wrong.

The claims listed above come from a full page ad appearing in the August 26,2007 edition of "Baseball America".

The product is marketed by Larry Mayol of Star Care Inc. Sports Training in St. Petersburg, FL. I met Larry around 1990, when he did an arm-care clinic for Little League Baseball at the Southern Regional Headquarters in Gulfport FL. So I know he cares for kids and their long-term health.

It turns out the product is a natural sports supplement, and it's perfectly legal. It does not contain any substance listed in MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. And it has been tested and approved by Major League Baseball. Sound too good to be true? It's even been used to improve the performance in astronauts. I would think NASA scientists would know a thing or two about what is good for their most precious cargo.

Whenever strength coaches, who are concerned about getting results but also doing things the right way, get together and discuss the state of training and sports performance, the conclusion you hear mentioned most often, that makes the most sense, is that we won't be able to remove steroids from the sports landscape until we are able to replicate the results one would expect to obtain from steroids, without the risky side effects. And I don't think you have to even beat the results steroids could deliver, given that they carry the baggage of the known side effects.

This is true whether you're talking about nutritional supplements or developing training protocols. In the real world, you're talking about combining improved methods and knowledge in both areas to get the best results for athletes.

The early returns for substances like this product, which contains ecdysterone, or other past product hopefuls like creatine, is that you are able to closely approximate the results of anabolic (muscle-building) agents like steroids, without the negative side effects.

I know most people do not want to believe that advances in legal nutrition and supplementation could possibly have taken us this far. but if you believe the numbers quoted:

A 200 pound athlete - with 15% Body Fat - would begin with:
170 lbs. of lean muscle mass and
30 lbs. of Body Fat

After 10-20 days, 10-20 days now, not an entire off-season, 10-20 days, he would end up with:

187 lbs. of lean muscle mass (170 lbs + 10% increase = 187.7 lbs.)
28 lbs. of Body Fat ( 30 lbs. to start less 6% = 28.2 lbs. )
which equals
215 lbs. Total Body Weight - 28 lbs. Body Fat (13.5% BF) and 187 lbs. of Muscle Mass

So our hypothetical athlete would have gained 15 pounds and improved his body composition overall in 10-20 days. And we hear all the time how impossible it is to put on 20 pounds in one off-season ( 3 months off-season equals approximately 90 days).

Again, I'll say in conclusion, I think the people that pontificate the most about the issue of performance enhancement in sports, know the least about the issues and the realities that are out there in the real world today. They are stuck in the disco era or prior, rubbing rosary beads and praying for a return the way things were and will never be again.

Ecdysterone


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More about Ecdysterone from Athletes.com


http://www.athletes.com/store/ecdy.html

Studies conducted in the Soviet Union in 1988 showed ecdysterone helps "increase hepatic protein synthesis and subsequently promote positive nitrogen balance!" How does this lead to more muscle mass? Simply: "the more nitrogen your body maintains and the greater rate of protein synthesis, the more mass, period." How, exactly, does ecdysterone do this? V. Smetanin, researcher of the Smolenk State Medical Institute in Russia speculates that ecdysterone decreases urea concentration in the body and increases hemoglobin levels by increasing a process called erythropoiesis. Erythropoiesis is the development of mature red blood cells. This leads to a stimulation of the anabolic process in protein metabolism, which in turn leads to a positive nitrogen balance in the body.


Increase Lean Muscle Mass While Reducing Body Fat
The most often quoted ecdysterone scientific study was published in Scientific Sports Bulletin by S. Simakin in 1988. The objective of Simakin's famous study was to determine the effect of ecdysterone on muscle tissue mass and fat mass, while testing for hormonal changes in the subjects. For the study, three control factors were used: a placebo, protein, and ecdysterone with protein. The results were significantly in favor of the third factor. Of the 78 highly trained male and female athletes who consumed just protein, they showed only a slight increase in muscle mass for the 10 day period of time. Those who used a placebo lost a slight amount of lean muscle, while those who used protein plus ecdysterone showed a 6-7% increase in lean muscle tissue with nearly a 10% reduction in fat! Let me say that again: A 10% reduction in fat and a 7% increase in lean muscle tissue in just 10 days! Safety testing was conducted during the same time period which showed no difference in hormonal balance. Wow, if ecdysterone plus protein can do this for highly trained athletes, just think what it can do for the average person!

It's interesting to note the amount of Ecdysterone these Soviet Studies used. According to Derek Cornelius, "Most of the experiments used 5 mg per kilogram of body mass per day as the dosage." To find out how much you would need to take to supply this same amount of ecdysterone, use this equation:

MG/KG X Your Weight = Dosage:
In Kilograms: 5 mg X 78 kg = 386
In Pounds: 5 mg X 170lbs / 2.2lbs = 386


So, the average person should consume 300-600 mg of ecdysterone per day to meet this dosage. This compound is so non-toxic that this is a perfectly safe amount to consume. Syntrax Syntrabol is currently the only product that supplies enough mg of ecdysterone (200 mg per capsule) to effectively supplement at the 600 mg level.


Increase Stamina, Endurance, and Energy
Ecdysterone was tested in another study performed in 1986 by B.Ya Smetanin. For this research, 117 highly trained speed skaters between the ages of 18 and 28 were tested for work capacity, body weight, lung capacity and VO2 max. The results speak for themselves: all of the said parameters increased as well as an increase in the O2 pulse max and an increase in the exhalation of CO2. Basically, they received more oxygen to their cells! This equates to decreasing recovery time, maximizing performance, permitting optimal muscle anabolism and maximum fat reduction. It also means the athletes using ecdysterone compared to those on a placebo experienced increased stamina, endurance and energy.

That's not all! A study conducted using 112 athletes performed by B.G. Fadeev in Russia showed some very impressive overall results. However, by this time, the results should come as no surprise. 89% of those who supplemented with ecdysterone versus a placebo reported less fatigue, greater performance, more motivation, greater speed, and improved strength. How long did it take before these athletes reported these effects? Months? Weeks? No, five days. To make matters even better, no adverse side effects were reported.


Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?

Bodybuilders, athletes and fitness enthusiasts will find the extra gains in lean muscle mass and reduction in body fat very beneficial. Based on all the research, Ecdysterone looks to be not only incredibly effective as a performance enhancer on all facets, but also very safe. Since it is not a required nutrient, there are no symptoms of deficiency. However, if you would like to experience more energy and strength gains in less time than you've probably ever experienced, grab some ecdysterone and protein because you are the perfect candidate! Check out the section below to learn more on side effects and recommended dosages.

How much should be taken? Are there any side effects?

What about side effects? That's the best part! As you already know by now, research studies show no negative side effects, no hormonal interactions, and a very low toxicity level for ecdysterone. When tested by ICN Biochemicals on December 31, 1998, a complete safety test was performed to determine the toxicity. The data showed the amount of ecdysterone one would have to take in order to reach toxicity. The amount? 6400 mg/kg! In other words, an average 170lb person would have to take 494,528 mg of the compound to reach this point! This is 4,121 times as much as the recommended dose.
So, as you can see, it's very safe with an incredibly low toxicity. Furthermore, endocrine testing showed that ecdysterone caused no effect whatsoever on the mammalian hormonal system. Testing was measured on testosterone, cortisol, insulin, ACTH, growth hormone, and leutinizing hormone. The data not only shows ecdysterone to be extremely safe, but effective as well! The recommended dose of ecdysterone is 80-120 mg per day and upwards of 400-600 mg per day. We've even heard reports of people receiving amazing results working up to using as much as 1200 mg safely per day. Bodybuilding.com recommends Syntrax Syntrabol for higher doses of ecdysterone because each capsule contains ecdysterone standardized for 200 mg, the highest potency on the market. Remember, ecdysterone should be taken with protein-rich meals for best results!