Here is what the secret to unlimited muscle growth is not: it is not Human Growth Hormone, nor is it anabolic steroids, the drugs responsible for the record-breaking 756 home runs set by Barry Bonds in 2007. So what is the secret? It may surprise you, but the secret to unlimited growth potential is a type of protein produced naturally within your body. This protein is known as myostatin.
Myostatin actually plays no part in BUILDING muscle, but it does regulate and restrain muscle growth, ensuring that your muscles do not grow too large. The effects of myostatin deficiencies can be found naturally in some animals, most notably the Belgian Blue and Piedmontese breeds of cattle [the Piedmontese is largely myostatin deficient due to selective breeding].
There have been a few notable examples of myostatin deficiencies in humans, such as the [unnamed] boy in Germany, dubbed “baby Superman” by some. The child had a mutated DNA segment which blocked the production of myostatin, something that has sparked the interest of many researchers interested in applying the same theory of myostatin negativity to patients suffering from muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting diseases.
How Can I Block This Myostatin?
At this time, research on a myostatin blocker has yet to yield a product that is market worthy for humans; however, many studies have been successfully conducted on mice and monkeys with the introduction of follistatin, which has paved the way for human clinical trials.
Beware: there are many products being sold online that claim to be myostatin blockers. These products are often purchased by overzealous athletes looking to get any advantage over the competition. The truth is, no product on the market today is capable of blocking myostatin.
The Good News
A recent study was conducted that was designed to see what type of effects oral creatine and resistance training had on serum myostatin. The study, conducted on healthy males between 21 and 25 years old, measured resistance training + a placebo in the control group and resistance training + creatine supplementation in the test group. The subjects trained 3 days per week for 8 weeks, with muscular strength testing and measuring myostatin levels at weeks 0, 4, and 8. Resistance training by itself led to a decrease in serum myostatin, but the addition of creatine resulted in a much larger decrease in serum myostatin than resistance training alone.
Creatine is a wonderful amino acid that provides many health benefits and can be found naturally in beef. It has become a staple in many athletes’ supplementation regimens. If you aren’t already, it is highly recommend that you take a creatine rich supplement from VPX such as: NO-Shotgun, Anarchy, NO-Synthesize, Stealth, or BANG, and integrate it into your diet so that you can also enjoy its muscle building benefits.
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5278028/
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17347381
- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20026378
