Homemade NO2 Preworkout Stack

NO2 blend products like SuperPump and NO-Xplode are all the rage nowadays.  These type of pre/during/post workout supplements don't fit into a particular category, but are generally meant to be used to give you a boost of strength, energy and a massive muscular pump during your workout that can be very motivating to help you out in the gym.  But, they sort of take a "kitchen sink" approach when it comes to what's in them.  Generally, they have a variety of different amino acids, including creatine and arginine especially.  They also have a blend of some type of carbohydrates and a delivery system to try and get them into your bloodstream as fast as possible. Some have BCAAs and others don't.  They often times use a lot of fancy proprietary ingredients and you can never tell how much exactly of anything you're getting.  And, a lot of times, they have different stimulants, such as caffeine and exotic herbal blends to give you an extra boost to lift harder and heavier.

Although these products provide a lot of good motivation from the extra energy and the visual pump you get during and after the workout the real question is whether they actually increase strength and body composition beyond that of the supplements that we know do, like creatine and whey protein.  Originally, an NO2 product was just made up of the amino acid arginine or an a derivative of it, such as arginine bound to malic acid or ketoglutarate (AAKG) in a certain delivery system like a powder or pill.  The intended purpose was to increase levels of nitric oxide in the blood and the theory was that this would increase blood flow to the muscles, delivering all the rich nutrients from food/vitamins and amino acids to help build muscle, but there is no scientific data that shows this to be true.  Mostly what supplementing with arginine did was just give users a very noticeable pump in their muscles, but not much else. This is probably due to the cellular volumizing effects of just allowing more water and glycol into the muscle during the workout.  Some studies done with arginine showed no benefit on body composition, strength, 1 rep max (1RM) or any other positive factors. But, arginine has always been one of those bastardized amino acids.  It always looks good on paper, but no one can really say it has positive effects for body composition or strength. [4] Some studies show it increases growth hormone levels when taken at certain times in certain dosages, and others show nothing. [5,6] But one thing the supplement companies have learned is that arginine absolutely provides a visual effect in the form of what bodybuilders and weight lifters refer to as the "pump".  This is when you are lifting and the muscle becomes fuller and harder and this effect typically lasts several hours after the workout, but it is only temporary.

A more recent trend, NO2 supplements can be placed in just about any category of ergogenic (muscle building) and contain any range of ingredients.  The trouble is that a lot of these products are very expensive for the amount of servings they provide.  In this article I'll go over some ways you can make your own NO2/preworkout supplement yourself with bulk powder ingredients blended together in portions that work.  You can add in other ingredients based on your budget and your goals.  Then, you can simply flavor the formula yourself with whatever you like and drink it before and/or during your workout to get that same effect of cellular volumization, strength, energy and hopefully even some real body composition and ergogenic benefits too!

Creatine


We'll start with creatine since we know that creatine has real life muscle building and strength effects. [1]  There are a lot of fancy creatines out there, such as creatine ethyl ester (CEE), Kre-Alkalyn, di-creatine malate, and so forth.  But, the only creatine that has been conclusively shown in studies to be effective is good ole' plain jane creatine monohydrate. [2]  That's not to say that the other creatines don't work -- they might even be better.  But no one has ever tested them side by side to determine that.  There was only one study comparing creatine monohydrate to CEE side by side and creatine monohydrate was shown to be superior in every way. [3] So, I'll show you a few examples of what creatine powder you might want to choose for your own blend and get that one based on your budget or if you're just feeling experimental and want to try one of the other more exotic creatines out there.  Ideally you want to be getting at least 5g of creatine per serving or per day, but you can go up to 10g if you wish.  Some creatines like CEE only require a dosage of 3g per serving however.

• Cheap Supplements - Creatine Monohydrate 500g $9 (5g per serving)
• Higher Power - Micronized Creatine 500g $12 (5g per serving)
• Higher Power - Creatine Ethyl Ester 500g $20 (2.5g per serving)
  
• SciFit Kre-Alkalyn Powder - 300g $24 (1g per serving) + FREE Gluta-Lyn, 300g (buffered glutamine - limited time offer)

I recommend the Higher Power brand creatine monohydrate for our NO2 mix.  It is the same price per gram as the Cheap Supplements brand, but it is also micronized for superior digestibility and absorption.

Arginine


Just like creatine, there are a lot of different forms of arginine you can pick from based on your budget and what you want to go with.  I wasn't able to find arginine ethyl ester in pure powder form though, so we'll just be looking at plain free form arginine, di-arginine-malate, and arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG).  Any one of them would be fine, but I would probably pick AAKG, although regular arginine would be just fine.  As a commenter below pointed out, plain arginine has an unpleasant taste, giving AAKG a leg up over its amino acid cousin.  One study using AAKG showed an increase in 1RM, but no effects on body composition or overall strength.  [6] However, arginine does also have other positive effects such as vasodilation and the potential to increase growth hormone (GH) and insulin like growth factor (IGF) levels. [4,6] But, the main reason we add it is to get that great pump effect we desire from our NO2 mix.  The problem with high dosing arginine is that it can cause upset stomach and so we want to keep it within the low range, giving us the benefits, without the negative side effects, so we will try and keep it within the 5-10g range.

• Cheap Supplements - Arginine 250g $9 (5g per serving)
• Higher Power - AAKG Powder 1.1 Lbs. $26 (3g per serving)
• NOW - AAKG Powder 200g $21 (3g per serving)

I recommend the Higher Power AAKG arginine powder.  AAKG is what was used in one of the main studies looking at arginine for strength and body composition, but either of the two options would be also good.  The Higher Power brand is cheaper per gram than NOW.

Dextrose


I picked dextrose as the main carbohydrate for the NO2 mix for a couple reasons.  Firstly, it's dirt cheap.  Dextrose is the same thing as glucose, which is sugar in its simplest form. Ideally, you want a fast absorbing carbohydrate around the workout window (before/during/after) to replenish the ones that are being used during the exercise routine. Dextrose goes right into the blood stream to give you the insulin spike you want, and doesn't have any fructose in it to go through conversion in the liver. [7]  Sports drinks like Gatorade are good, but the fact that they have high fructose corn syrup is what takes away their advantage. [9] Other products have maltodextrin in them which is also not ideally suited for our purposes.  Dextrose is going to give you quick energy and get the ingredients in the blood stream faster.  As we know, creatine works best with a high GI (glycemic index) carb as it's delivery system, and so it's perfect for this.  Fructose is an extremely poor choice for this purpose and so I had to discount any product that had it or maltodextrin in it as I looked for suitable products for our blend.  Fructose is processed by the liver before it is released into the blood stream creating insulin resistance.  It also starts to create triglycerides from fat after consumption, leading to the potential to increase adipose (fat) tissue from repeated usage.  So, it's best to just stick with the basics and use dextrose. [8]  There are many special carbohydrate mixtures out there that have timed released formulas and other things like added amino acids and vitamins, but you shouldn't need those provided you already take a multivitamin daily and get plenty of protein from whole foods and/or protein supplements (like whey).

But, for low GI purists out there, you could also substitute dextrose for ground oatmeal powder, which is available premade by Protein Factory or you can blend it yourself.  In the past, I've found trying to blend oats into a powder to be a real chore, so I would just opt to buy the powder.  It should work just as well as dextrose, although possibly not quite as quickly and not as dramatic of an insulin spike will happen when you use it.  This is essentially a toss up between people who may be trying to follow a ketogenic diet routine (who would be going for the oats) or anyone else (who would choose dextrose).

• NOW - Dextrose Powder 10 Lbs $23 (4g per serving)
• Protein Factory - Oat Muscle (ground oatmeal powder) 3 Lbs $18 (40g per serving)

I would recommend the NOW Dextrose powder.


Beta Alanine


Beta Alanine increases skeletal muscle concentrations of an amino acid dipeptide, carnosine.  Carnosine acts as a pH buffer in the muscle, helping to reduce lactic acid build up.  Lactic acid causes the fatigue and the burning in the muscle after long periods of high intensity training, so supplementing with beta alanine can help reduce this.  It also appears to increase strength in some, making it a great combination to take with creatine.  There are speculations that anabolic steroid usage leads to increases in skeletal muscle carnosine levels, similar to how they also increase creatine production (another reason why steroids are so effective at muscle building).  The dosing for beta alanine can be in the range of 4-6g daily, but it should be consumed throughout the day as taking one large dose causes an unpleasant tingling and stinging sensation in the skin, possibly caused by histamine release. [12,13]  The recipe I have at the bottom of the page lists 1g of beta alanine for our blend, but you will need to consume around 6g daily from other sources outside our blend.  Because users cannot tolerate more than 1g of beta alanine per dosage, it must be spread out.  This can be a bit tedious, but there are products, like Molecular Nutrition's PeakBeta, which comes as a time released beta alanine capsule that can be swallowed and delivered into the body throughout the day.  Although its more expensive than the powder, it is more convenient to use, so it's a trade off that will have to be made if you decide to use beta alanine.  You may consume teaspoons of beta alanine powder at multiple intervals during the day, or use a time released capsule product.  You should base this decision on both convenience and your supplement budget.

Carnosine’s role as an intracellular buffer is undisputed given its location within the skeletal muscle of humans and its chemical structure (Harris et al. 1990). Consequently, there is potential for supplementation with b-alanine to result in improved exercise performance, especially during high-intensity exercise. [13]

• Cheap Supplements - Beta Alanine 250g $11 (1g per serving)
• NOW - Beta-Alanine Powder 500g $23 (2g per serving)

The NOW Beta Alanine appears to be the better deal at 5¢ per gram, so I would recommend that.  Alternately, you can use a time released beta alanine product.

Citrulline


Citrulline and citrulline malate (citrulline bound to malic acid) is a non essential amino acid that makes the conversion to arginine and arginine derivatives via enzyme pathways.  It was originally touted as being beneficial for aerobic exercise, but recent studies have shown that it has positive effects during anaerobic exercise.  For one, citrulline itself, when ingested, creates and causes the body to make and utilize some amino acids more efficiently. [10]

Citrulline-malate ingestion significantly increased the plasma concentration of citrulline, arginine, ornithine, urea, creatinine and nitrite (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased the isoleucine concentration from basal measures to after exercise (p < 0.05). Insulin levels significantly increased after exercise in both groups (p < 0.05) returning to basal values at recovery. [11]

Citrulline malate has also been shown to reduce post workout muscle soreness, also known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).  Although you can opt for the more expensive citrulline malate formula, l-citrulline alone would probably work just as well for your NO2 mix. I could not find it sold in bulk powder, only prepacked in capsules.  The dose for citrulline should be in the 1-5g per serving range.

• PrimaForce - Citrulline Malate, 200g $20 (2g per serving)

Taurine


Taurine is another amino acid that plays a key role in many exercise mediated actions.  It can increase endurance, strength and energy, as well as cause a great deal of cellular volumization and hydration to the muscles.  It's one of the main ingredients in Red Bull (along with sugar and caffeine) to give its users a positive feeling of well being and alertness.  It's also one of the cheapest ingredients here on our list, so that is another plus in adding it to our cocktail.  The dosage range can be anywhere from 1-6g per serving. [14]

• Cheap Supplements - Taurine 250g $8 (5g per serving)
• AllMax Nutrition - Taurine 400g $10 (3g per serving)
• Nimbus Nutrition - Performance Taurine 1000g $20 (5g per serving)

The Nimbus Nutrition brand appears to be the cheapest at 2¢ per gram.

Caffeine (Optional)


Since many NO2 products use a variety of different stimulants I thought I would include the option of adding caffeine in here.  Obviously we don't want to use caffeine in powder form since it would be hard to measure out and scoop, so the best idea is to buy it in tablet form and split it.  A 200mg caffeine pill split into 4ths would give you 50mg of caffeine, which should be sufficient for a good amount of energy.  If you feel like you need more, you could always take half the pill.  Pills can be split using a cheap pill splitter found at a pharmacy or just using a butter knife (press into the tablet, don't saw at it) and obviously scored tablets are best for this, but normally more expensive.  The other issue with adding too much caffeine is that it acts as a vasoconstrictor (restricting blood flow) while the other ingredients, arginine especially, are trying to act as vasodialators (expanding blood flow).  So you don't want too much caffeine with your NO2 blend or it will negate the effects.

• AllMax Nutrition - Caffeine, 200mg/100 Tablets $4

Flavoring

You can flavor your blend in whatever way you choose.  I would recommend buying unsweetened Koolaid packets and then adding the sweetener of your choice, such as Splenda (sucralose) which can be bought in large bags and is now sold as a generic product at most grocery stores or you could use Stevia powder.  Aspartame, saccharine, or sugar alcohols such as maltitol or xylitol would also be suitable alternatives, but obviously it is a personal choice.  You could use some table sugar (sucrose), but you wouldn't want to use much since you already have a high GI carb source from the dextrose, so an artificial sweetener would be preferred here.  Mix the Koolaid flavor of your choice and then sweeten to desired results per serving.  If you are blending it up all at once for use later in the day, you would not want to mix it in liquid, but leave it in powder form so the ingredients wouldn't break down or denature.

What's missing?


You may notice I left out a lot of popular ingredients found in many of these NO2 pre/during/post workout blends like BCAAs, Ribose [15,16], and Glutamine [17,18].  I still feel like the scientific evidence on these is very sketchy.  BCAAs may be a good idea, but their expense puts them at a disadvantage.  Ribose is basically just fancy and more expensive sugar, and we know from many, many studies that glutamine just simply is not orally bioavailable and never makes it into skeletal muscle tissue, making it a total waste of money.  I also didn't include any fancy or exotic herbs that may act as stimulants, nootropics, or insulin stimulating agents.  Although some of them may be advantageous, it's impossible to know what the proper dosage is and find it in a cheap enough form to buy in bulk and add it into our blend.  Not to mention flavoring a lot of these herbs is going to require some very fancy concoctions -- more so than Koolaid would cover up.  In reality, they are probably also not necessary and a lot of times just added on the ingredients list in a proprietary blend, so you, the consumer have no idea how much you're getting and whether or not it's even in a worthwhile amount.  Basically, it's a gimmick.  Still, you could always use any stimulant product you prefer in place of the caffeine, it's up to you.

The Home Made NO2 Cocktail


This blend should have all the main ingredients all the other fancy and more expensive NO2/preworkout blends on the market have, with real working ingredients that are actually scientifically shown to effect strength, body composition, endurance, energy, and stamina.   The ingredients here may even be more abundant than you are getting in one of the marketed blends since, as mentioned, all the ingredients are listed in a proprietary fashion not giving you a clear picture of what you are taking and in what amounts.

You can drink it before, during or after your workout -- although I believe that before or during would be optimal.  So, here are the ingredients you want in the proportions I recommend.  However, you are more than welcome to alter them to suit your needs and tastes.  You can increase the dosage of Beta Alanine beyond 1g if you are comfortable doing so.  Many users report an unpleasant tingling sensation in dosages beyond 20mg/kg (which would be approximately 1.6g for 180lb person). [13]

• 5g Creatine monohydrate
• 5g Arginine-alpha-ketoglutarate (AAKG)
• 20g Dextrose
• 1g Beta Alanine
• 2g Citrulline Malate
• 2g Taurine
• 50mg Caffeine

Mix into 16-32oz of water (with the exception of the caffeine tablet).  Add Koolaid powder and Splenda to your liking.  The dextrose will already be sweet, so you may want more or less depending on the flavor.  You may want to use a whole packet of Koolaid or more depending on the flavor of some of these amino acids, but start off small and decide for yourself.  Some flavors of Koolaid may work to mask certain unpleasant flavors with Tropical Punch probably being the most masking, but again, this is personal preference.

Related Articles:

• Rethinking BCAAs
• Sports Supplement Guide for Beginners

References

1. Tolson, David. Creatine Overview. Bulknutrition.com. Accessed 6/30/10.
2. Brink, Will. The Creatine Grave Yard. Brinkzone.com. Feb 20, 2009.
3. Spillane M., et al. The effects of creatine ethyl ester supplementation combined with heavy resistance training on body composition, muscle performance, and serum and muscle creatine levels. Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation, Baylor University, Box 97313, Waco, TX 76798, USA. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2009 Feb 19;6:6.

4. Campbell BI., et al. The ergogenic potential of arginine. Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Baylor University, Waco, TX. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2004 Dec 31;1(2):35-8.
5. Zajac A., et al. Arginine and ornithine supplementation increases growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 serum levels after heavy-resistance exercise in strength-trained athletes. Department of Sports Training, Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1082-90.

6. Campbell B., et al. Pharmacokinetics, safety, and effects on exercise performance of L-arginine alpha-ketoglutarate in trained adult men. Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory at the Center for Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventative Health Research, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA.  Nutrition. 2006 Sep;22(9):872-81.
7. el-Sayed MS., et al. Exogenous carbohydrate utilisation: effects on metabolism and exercise performance. Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, School of Human Sciences, U.K. Comp Biochem Physiol A Physiol. 1997 Nov;118(3):789-803.
8. Tolson, David. Carbohydrates and Exercise Performance. Bulknutrition.com.  Accessed 6/30/10.
9. Dolson, Laura. Fructose: Sweet, But Dangerous. About.com. October 09, 2008.

10. Pérez-Guisado J., et al. Citrulline malate enhances athletic anaerobic performance and relieves muscle soreness. Department of Medicine, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 May;24(5):1215-22.

11. Sureda A., et al. L: -Citrulline-malate influence over branched chain amino acid utilization during exercise. Research Group on Community Nutrition and Oxidative Stress, Laboratory of Physical Activity Sciences, Departament de Biologia Fonamental i Ciències de la Salut, University of Balearic Islands, Crtra. Valldemossa Km 7.5, 07122, Palma de Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 May 25.

12. Derave W., et al. Muscle carnosine metabolism and beta-alanine supplementation in relation to exercise and training. Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Sports Med. 2010 Mar 1;40(3):247-63.
13. Sale C., et al. Effect of beta-alanine supplementation on muscle carnosine concentrations and exercise performance. School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK. Amino Acids. 2010 Jul;39(2):321-33. Epub 2009 Dec 20.
14. Author unknown. Taurine.  Supplementwatch.com accessed via archive.org. 6/30/10

15. Kreider RB., et al. Effects of oral D-ribose supplementation on anaerobic capacity and selected metabolic markers in healthy males. Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Center for Exercise, Nutrition and Preventative Health, in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798-7313, USA. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003 Mar;13(1):76-86.

16. Dunne L., et al. Ribose versus dextrose supplementation, association with rowing performance: a double-blind study. Sports Medicine Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. Clin J Sport Med. 2006 Jan;16(1):68-71.

17. Candow DG., et al. Effect of glutamine supplementation combined with resistance training in young adults. College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001 Dec;86(2):142-9.

18. Antonio J., et al. The effects of high-dose glutamine ingestion on weightlifting performance. Sports Science Laboratory, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19716, USA. J Strength Cond Res. 2002 Feb;16(1):157-60.

Rethinking BCAAs

I've never recommended BCAAs to anyone who's asked me about them.  I generally tell them that they get a sufficient amount in their whey and that to supplement with the necessary dosages to get a beneficial advantage requires an extremely large dose -- which is extremely expensive.

But a new study funded by Scivation on their BCAA + Citrulline product, Xtend, had some interesting results.  In their study, thirty six men were given either 14g of BCAAs, or 28g of whey, or 28g of carbohydrate in the form of a sports drink (like Gatorade), or a placebo.  The group consuming the 14g of BCAAs had a decrease in body fat, increase in lean mass, and increase in strength after only 8 weeks.

That is a pretty interesting result considering the small amount of BCAAs ingested.  The general recommendation for BCAA consumption has generally been around 30g per day taken during the workout, but there has always been contention and a great deal of broscience around what the proper ratios should be for leucine, isoleucine and valine, with leucine being the most important of the three.  Over the years, there have been some interesting leucine supplements sold, but they have never really panned out in real life even though the studies are intriguing.  The most interesting of these being HMB (beta-Hydroxy beta-methylbutyric acid).  An old forum post I made answering a question about whether or not HMB was worthwhile includes some details on this supplement.

You'd really need to take closer to 10gm+ (probably closer to 30) per day [of HMB] for it to be effective. However, [...], there are more studies indicating little to no effect of supplementing with HMB than there are studies showing that it's effective, and most of those were done by the patent holder, Dr. Steve Nissen. Nissen patented it for multiple usages - originally to increase lean muscle mass in domestic farm animals, as well as mood elevation, lowering cholesterol, and of course - "anabolic" effects (nitrogen retention). You can view his patents for HMB here:

http://www.google.com/patents?q=Steve+Nissen+hmb

Unfortunately, HMB never panned out in the real world for many reasons. The first was because the cost was so high, most manufacturers put it in formulas with minuscule dosages, such as 500mg per serving. It was also introduced after creatine, which proved to be so successful that people were thinking anything was possible - and another amino acid metabolite sounded especially promising. So, when Bill Phillips, founder and former CEO of EAS, said that taking HMB made him "...feel like I'm on Deca [Deca-Durabolin]!" people believed him and bought HMB en masse and were all dissapointed with the results. The quote has since become the de facto joke of the supplement industry.

The other problem when you start supplementing with individual amino acids is that it can have an effect of throwing off the balance of the other EAAs that you want to have and would expect in a normal diet, which is why better results have been shown when using them in a combination (such as with BCAAs, or as I recommend, just using whole protein sources like whey or a full meal). Layne Norton (str8flexed) probably knows a whole lot more about leucine, since he co-authored a study of the effects of it when used during PW - Leucine Regulates Translation Initiation of Protein Synthesis in Skeletal Muscle after Exercise.

The other thing about HMB that was discussed early on was it's conversion to ketoisocaproate aka KIC (see HMB - Beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate by Bryan Haycock) which is now available on it's own, patented and sold by Muscletech as GAKIC (Glycine-l-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaproic acid calcium) and Leukic (L-Leucine-ketoisocaproic acid calcium). There are also generic versions of this available [none I could find are still sold, if you find any, let me know] There appear to be more supplements with ketoisocaproate modified amino acids available. So, those might be better alternatives to HMB itself, since they are the compounds HMB would convert to anyway - although there have only been a few studies on them (see the last supplement the blog article I wrote that includes the study and the patents here).

Still, I have seen the very cheap version of HMB that you're referring to [this was HMB bound to calcium], so being so affordable now might make it worthwhile but it's hard to say. Previously, BSL sold a cheap HMB derivative that was modified in such a way as to avoid paying licensing fees to the patent holder, but I don't remember hearing much, if any, positive feedback on that. Maybe some company will come along and start selling HMB ethyl ester or HMB malate to try and make it more bioavailable (there are already companies selling leucine ethyl ester and I don't know if that is any better than the plain jane version).  

The Search for the Ultimate Post-Exercise Anabolic Supplement by Anssi Manninen, M.H.S.

 So, would I recommend BCAAs now?  Maybe, if you can afford them it comes out to about $1 a day and appears to have some good effects, at least during the eight week range.  The true test will to be if someone can duplicate this study.  There is a link to the study (in PDF) you can download below:

Consuming Branched-Chain Amino Acid Supplement During a Resistance Training Program Increases Lean Mass, Muscle Strength and Fat Loss

Low Testosterone or Marketing Hype?

You may have seen advertisements on TV for a site called IsItLowT.com which report many signs and symptoms of low testosterone such as low energy, weight gain, depression, etc.  IsItLowT.com is owned and operated by Solvay Pharmaceuticals (now owned by Abbott), makers of AndroGel, a rub on cream used for TRT or testosterone replacement therapy.  You'll notice if you go on there site and visit the "What you can do section" testosterone cream is the first recommendation they make.  AndroGel is testosterone base, without any modification to the molecule, in a transdermal carrier.  It can cross through the skin and into the blood stream, but it is generally an expensive option and blood levels aren't maintained as they are with injectable testosterone.  The gel also only comes in packets of 5mg dosage for a one day application.  Since the average male produces between 2-11mg of testosterone per day naturally, an additional 5mg is not going to account for much - and it is definitely not going to assist in the area of muscle building or body composition.  However, blood levels of testosterone from AndroGel throughout the day are maintained over a 24 hour period. This is also an improvement over previous testosterone patches which had to be placed exclusively on the scrotum.  AndroGel can be rubbed in pretty much anywhere.

Below is a copy of my misaligned scan from William Llewellyn's Anabolics 2005 book showing steady state testosterone concentrations in the blood from 30 days of using 10g AndroGel daily.  As you can see, blood levels of testosterone stay stable throughout the day, but as we will see below, it far under performs when looked at side by side with injectable testosterone with added esters.

TRT is a very popular treatment amongst athletes and bodybuilders, because it essentially gives them a legal means to get testosterone.  One of the more popular TRT therapies advocated is American made Upjohn testosterone cypionate at 200mg/week.  An average steroid "cycle" when used by a bodybuilder will be on the scale of anywhere from 500mg to 1000mg of testosterone per week, combined with other AAS (anabolic androgenic steroid) in a "stack" to add synergistic effects from the other compounds and promote whatever goal the athlete has in mind.  Some of these products can be from dubious sources, since all AAS are scheduled in the US, the athlete has to find them on the black market.  These will come from veterinary labs, where the products are legitimately made for animals (there is no biological difference between animal and human steroids, they both work the exact same way and can be switched from mammal to mammal).  Or some where the products are claimed to be made for animals, but it is actually produced to be sold to underground steroid suppliers claiming to be affiliated with vets as a cover.  There are also many home brew steroid "underground labs" that buy bulk raw pharmaceutical AAS material from China and then package it themselves for redistribution.  Both of these methods can come across problems with quality control and lack the common safety that USP grade drugs available with a prescription do.  So, when a bodybuilder has the prospect of being able to take steroids safely, under a doctors guidance, in a legal setting, and maybe even let insurance cover it, the choice is obvious.

The most commonly prescribed form of injectable testosterone for TRT is testosterone cypionate, as mentioned above, at 200mg per week.  When looking at concentrations of blood levels using testosterone cypionate, we can clearly see the benefit of once a week dosing, but that it is a much higher level of testosterone in the body.  Cypionate is an ester that is bound to unmodified testosterone and added to an oil solution.  Once injected it forms a deposit site under the muscle where it is slowly moved out of the oil and the ester groups begin to cleave off at varying rates (in this example, generally over a period of 2 weeks).  Here is  another diagram from Anabolics 2005 showing the pattern of testosterone release after the first injection on day 0 and how it tapers after about 10 days.

Benefits of TRT

As men age their bodies do slowly start to produce less and less testosterone.  But there are other reasons too, such as poor diet, weight issues, depression, and certain medications.  We are also becoming more and more aware of compounds know as xenobiotics, phylates, and endocrine disrupters that could be potentially causing our male populations gonads to dry up.  Although this is a subject for another article.

Increasing testosterone within a supraphysiological dosage can have many positive benefits, including reduction in fat storage tissue, energy, focus and concentration from increased DHT in the brain, increased libido, sexual drive and stamina (obviously the main functions of these sex hormones) and more.

Determining whether or not you qualify to be considered for TRT is based on your current testosterone levels and your age in some cases.  The first step is to take a full panel male blood test to see where your testosterone levels are at, and make sure you don't have risk factors for prostate cancers or other issues that can come up when using supplemental testosterone.

But it's not all good news

Doctors and scientists who recently reviewed the IsItLowT site for Reuters came to some alternative conclusions.

Iheanacho and Matsumoto said separately that the symptoms described in the [IsItLowT marketing] campaign are "nonspecific," and could be linked to diabetes, circulation problems, or depression, as well as aging. The Low T site does say that the problem is more common in diabetics and the overweight.

"If someone is low in energy and is 65, that might be entirely compatible with his general life and -- let's face it -- decline," Iheanacho said. "It would be entirely normal."

The endocrine group's guidelines, which appear in the June issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, say doctors should only make a diagnosis of low testosterone "in men with consistent symptoms and signs and unequivocally low serum testosterone levels."

[...]

The treatment isn't without peril. The Endocrine Society said it's not recommended for men with prostate cancer or for African-American men with fathers, brothers, or children with prostate cancer. In 2009, the Food and Drug Administration required that testosterone gels be labeled with a prominent warning after repeated reports that young children showed signs of early puberty after being exposed to it, typically through skin contact with their fathers. (italics added)

So, yes, many of the symptoms described by the IsItLowT campaign could be attributed to other illnesses, diseases and problems.  It is also important to note, a fact of which I myself was not aware, was that getting the testosterone creams and gels in contact with children can cause early onset of puberty!

But, a full panel male blood test will always help determine whether or not you have low testosterone and could potentially be a candidate for TRT.  It also helps identify potential risk factors that could be going on at the same time, making a blood test a win/win either way.  The one thing you can be sure of though, is you don't need to waste your money on any of the over the counter testosterone boosting supplements.

UPDATE 8/6/2010: Almost as soon as this article went up, Reuters posted a new article shedding some doubt on the entire hypothesis of "male menopause"

For many middle-aged and elderly men, low libido, depressed mood and a lack of energy may just be the signs of normal aging -- and not low testosterone levels.

That's the conclusion of a new study that found only about 2 percent of men between 40 and 79 would qualify for a strict diagnosis of so-called late-onset hypogonadism, sometimes called "male menopause."

Earlier studies had indicated the diagnosis was much more common, and millions of prescriptions are written every year in the U.S. to help men with "Low T," as one drugmaker refers to the controversial condition. (See Reuters Health story June 8, 2010.)

Based on a random sample of more than 3,000 European men, British researchers found that only three symptoms -- fewer morning erections, fewer sexual thoughts, and erectile dysfunction -- were consistently related to low levels of the male sex hormone.

Read the full article: Doubts cast on "male menopause" criteria (Reuters)

Sources
1.  Llewellyn, William. Anabolics 2005. Body of Science Publishing, Jupiter, FL.  2005
2. Dillion, John.  Do you have 'Low T?' Or is it just hype?  Reuters, New York, New York.  6/8/10

The Lindsay Lohan Deathwatch and her Mystery Kombucha Tea

With the recent onslaught of celebrity deaths over the past year, there has become a virtual cottage industry of websites, e-zines, and street paparazzi to watch a celebrities every move. Everywhere they go and everything they do is photographed , captured and logged for our endless consumption. The “new look” for the cult of celebrity worship isn't looking for a new hair style or who has a date to the Oscars. The “new look” is how that celebrity will look in a coffin.

I must also admit I follow with a grim morbid fascination the lives and deaths of the Hollywood elite. I am signed up to the Rotten Deadpool, where you are allowed to choose ten famous people you think will die over the next year. The only rule is you can't kill any of the people on your list. I currently have a score of 1 thanks to Gary Coleman (RIP). I also frequent findadeath.com for my death hag fix.

The fascination with the deaths of the rich and powerful, especially if they are in sorted detail, interests us all. Ever since the inception of the Hollywood system in the early part of the 20^th century, there have been glamorous stars dropping dead like flies. The first major Hollywood scandal was that of silent movie screen goddess, Olive Thomas, and her mysterious death from mercury poisoning while her husband, Jack Pickford, was in the next room. [1] To John Belushi and River Phoenix overdosing on speedballs, injected combinations of heroin and cocaine in our more contemporary era. You might think the Hollywood system would clamp down and put their stars in check to try and stop these kinds of things, but Hollywood is a meat grinder that can consume a person and spit them out. The sad truth is that a star is probably worth more dead than alive.

Lindsay Lohan is just the latest example in this 24/7 deathwatch. We've seen pictures and stories of her drinking, taking drugs, and engaging in all sorts of other reckless behavior. Now, in fairness to Ms. Lohan, she has never attempted to pass herself off as a role model for anyone. What she wants to do with her life, no matter how short she expects it to be, is up to her – so long as she doesn't endanger anyone else along the way. Which is far too often the case, unfortunately.

Lindsay Lohan has come up from the proverbial hard knock life of the child star into drug addled adolescence and adulthood with not a lot to show for it. But, this isn't Variety, so I'll get to what the readers of my blog are interested in with regard to this story. Both sources of this information come from tmz.com. As it is well known, Lindsay does a lot of partying. She goes to clubs and bars basically every night and gets drunk. What other substances besides alcohol she might obtain and ingest would be up for speculation. However, we do know she has been spotted in and around white powder on several occasions. This could either be powder cocaine or methamphetamine. She admitted in a previous interview to The Sun that she has experimented with cocaine. She also tested positive for cocaine in a urine test found by tmz.com.  Both cocaine and amphetamines increase dopamine output and give the user a feeling of invincibility and incredible euphoria. [2]

We also know she has prescriptions for both Adderall and Ambien. A combination of drugs most doctors probably would be hesitant to prescribe. Adderall is a drug of the amphetamine class and is prescribed for treatment of ADHD. It comes as a mixture of the L and D (right and left) isomers of various amphetamine salts which increase oral bioavailability and prolong the halflife of the drug to last throughout the day. Generally, the L isomer of amphetamine has been used for bronchial dilation to help with symptoms of asthma and congestion. The D isomer, dextroamphetamine, is much more potent in terms of brain action and is responsible for the euphoria which makes it a highly sought after drug. The amphetamines also block the reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine, which gives it its stimulant properties and its user a feeling of well being. [3] Dextroamphetamine and its other amphetamine counterparts were originally sold as diet aids and antidepressants in the 1950s and 60s.

In an advertisement for Dexedrine (dextroamphetamine) for doctors circa the 1960s the following prescribing recommendations are made (click the link to see the picture).

Why is this woman tired?

Because she is physically overworked.  If this is the case, you prescribe rest, because rest is the only cure for this kind of physical tiredness

Because she is mentally "done in".  Many of your patients -- particularly housewives -- are crushed under a load of dull, routine duties that leave them in a state of mental and emotional fatigue.  For these patients, you may find "Dexedrine" an ideal prescription.  "Dexedrine" will give them a feeling of energy and well-being, renewing their interest in life and living.  Dexedrine (dextro-amphetamine sulfate, S.K.F.) is available as tablets, elixir, and Spansule capsules (sustained release capsules, S.K.F.) and as manufactured by Smith Kline & French Labortories, Philadelphia.

Ambien (zolpidem) is a hypnotic sleep inducing drug, not a barbiturate nor a benzodiazepine, although it acts similar to them. It is prescribed for short term relief of insomnia for around 14 to 30 days to get the users bodies circadian rhythm back in order on a regular pattern of sleeping during the night and being awake during the day. Using it beyond that period can cause addiction, as can Adderall, if abused or taken improperly. Both of these drugs have a fairly high abuse potential and users have been known to exceed the therapeutic dosages for these drugs and ingest them through other routes, such as snorting them nasally to increase the high that comes from the drug. Unfortunately, as with most any other drugs that effect neurotransmitters, both compounds will lead to tachyphylaxis, where the user most constantly increase the dose of the drug to receive the same pleasurable benefits. It is also interesting to note that the US Air Force uses this combination of amphetamine and Ambien for their long distance fliers. Adderall is known as the “go pill” while Ambien is known as the “no go pill”. Its used in this way to keep fliers awake and alert for long flights, and then back down to sleep from the use of amphetamine. [4] If it's good enough for the US military, surely its good enough for our Hollywood starlets!

Luckily for Ms. Lohan, Ambien will not show up in a standard NIDA-5 drug test, but her amphetamines will. The NIDA-5 is the most common drug test used today. It tests for the metabolites of some of the most commonly abused drugs: marijuana, cocaine, barbiturates, amphetamines, opioids (from codeine, heroin and morphine), and PCP. Since Ms. Lohan has a prescription for the Adderall, this would be overlooked on the test. [2] [3] [6]

So what about the tea?

Lindsay Lohan has been recently sighted drinking Kombucha tea. Kombucha is a mixture of bacteria and yeast that, after fermenting, becomes a sort of "elixir" with all sorts of acidic components that can possibly aid in increasing liver enzymes and increasing breakdown and removal of certain drugs and chemicals.  Although no studies have been performed on humans with kombucha, one study done with rats [7] demonstrated that it helped protect the liver from carbon tetrachloride, a now banned chemical with previous uses in fire extinguishers and as a CFC.

But, there are no human studies on kombucha tea, so its health effects are somewhat dubious, but it probably can't hurt so long as it's made in a legitimate facility and not homebrewed. One problem Ms. Lohan may have is that a byproduct created during the fermentation of kombucha tea is alcohol. Ms. Lohan is required to wear a SCRAM bracelet, which checks if the user has been consuming alcohol by testing if it has been excreted in their sweat. It does this using a process called continuous transdermal alcohol monitoring. Any ethanol that is consumed will come through the sweat pores at a certain measurable rate. The SCRAM bracelet can detect this at a consistent time frame and send the results back to monitoring stations via wireless internet. [8] So, then a question of whether or not the amount of alcohol in kombucha tea could trigger the SCRAM. It would probably depend on batch to batch and there would more than likely be an insignificant amount in commercially brewed preparations.  An article from the Mayo Clinic has more information on kombucha its sketchy benefits.

Overall, kombucha tea seems like one of those oh too common detox products sold which often times claim to clean built up toxins from the body and be high in antioxidants and other nonsense. That isn't to say that it isn't beneficial in some way, but for a person who might have a physiological substance addiction, she'll need more than this tea to help her.  Probably a more suitable compound with proven antioxidant and liver detoxifying properties like NAC would be better suited for her purposes.

Sources
[1] Anger, Kenneth.  Hollywood Babylon.  Simon and Schuster, 1975.
[2] Gahlinger, Paul.  Illegal Drugs.  Penguin Group, 2004.
[3] Adderall: Clinical Pharmacology.  rxlist.com  Retrieved 6/4/10
[4] Bonné, Jon. ‘Go pills’: A war on drugs?  msnbc.com. 1/9/03
[5] Lindsay Lohan -- Sobriety Down to a Tea.  TMZ.com. 5/26/10
[6] Drug Testing May Not Solve Lindsay's Problem.  TMZ.com. 5/25/10
[7] Murugesan GS, et al.  Hepatoprotective and curative properties of Kombucha tea against carbon tetrachloride-induced toxicity. J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2009 Apr;19(4):397-402
[8] Wigler, Josh.  Lindsay Lohan's SCRAM Bracelet: How Does It Work? mtv.com 5/24/10

Just when you thought it was safe to do cocaine...

It seems like everything fun in life always has its downsides.  Eating junk food makes you fat.  Having sex can potentially lead to STDs or pregnancy.  Driving fast in your car can cause wrecks and tickets.

But now, out of the blue, it turns out that all our wonderful cocaine is adulterated with a chemical that causes your skin to rot off.  We all heard in high school hygiene class about how doing cocaine can burn holes in your nose and maybe even you've heard or seen someone who could pull a handkerchief from one side of their nose out the other (which would be totally worth it, in my opinion).  But now it seems cocaine cartels are just getting sloppy with their cutting agents and are resorting to only want to make the drug look nice, but not feel nice.  For shame, FARC! Pablo Escobar would be rolling over in his grave.

In a report in the June 1 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, Dumyati and doctors from the University of Rochester Medical Center discuss two cases involving women with a history of cocaine use who came to the hospital for help when they noticed purplish plaques on their cheeks, earlobes, legs, thighs and buttocks.

Their profiles were typical of toxicity with levamisole, the doctors reported. The medication is a veterinary anti-worming agent, approved for use in cattle, sheep and pigs. It was once used to treat cancer, autoimmune diseases and kidney problems in humans, Dumyati said. It's no longer approved for use in people in the United States, she said, because of adverse side effects.

But it's often used to cut cocaine, before distribution to the user, she said. "Almost 80 percent of the cocaine coming into this country has levamisole mixed in," Dumyati said.

Levamisole is a previously used deworming agent for livestock and apparently has some nasty side effects.  It was used in humans until the first part of the 21st century (which, as it happens, was just a couple years ago) until it was pulled because they found out it wasn't that great.

When you buy cocaine, you always want it to look rocky in texture so you would know it hasn't been too cut or adulterated with other crap (not that I would know).  But, apparently, levamisole is added specifically to make it look less rocky.  I guess the cocaine buyers of the world are becoming less educated.

That's a shame when you think about it, because there are all kinds of cool and interesting things you could cut cocaine with to improve its bioavailability, enhance its route of administration, give it more potency and so forth.  Probably a lot of the stuff doesn't cost too much anyway.  If you ever wonder into a  head shop to get out of the rain you may notice they sell large tubs of the B vitamin, inositol.  This isn't because the customers of these types of shops are interested in their overall health and want to increase their B vitamin intake.  Inositol is a common cutting agent of cocaine because it not only looks similar to cocaine, but it enhances the effects of the drug through some of it's weird mood enhancing benefits that are poorly understood.  Caffeine powder would be another obvious choice to increase the stimulating effects of the cocaine.  A cyclodextrin is a molecule that looks like a donut and an added drug can be placed in the center.  Acting as a simple sugar it absorbs very readily through the mucous membranes in the nose and mouth and helps enhance bioavailability of the drug, making delivery better than without it. [1]

For those who were so inclined, cut cocaine can usually be reduced to remove most of the adulterants, and levamisole would be no exception.  Depending on the molecular weight of the substance, just running it through a coffee filter might help.  But with all that trouble, it might simpler just to brew up a simple cup of tea.  Just keep everything in moderation!

Contaminated Cocaine Can Cause Flesh to Rot: Yahoo News 

[1] Tolson, David.  HPBCD Basics. 1fast400.com/archive.org http://web.archive.org/web/20050501073635/www.1fast400.com/a56_HPBCD_Basics.html.  Retrieved 6/2/10

Get a Free Gillette ProGlide Razor Before they Run out!

Courtesy of the misc section, we now have a bunch of links to the Gillette ProGlide razor marketing promotion give away and members are collecting free razors.

I got myself one for free and I must say they do shave very well.  I can shave with or against the grain and it comes out very smooth without cutting my skin all to bits and leaving me a bloody mess.

So, follow this link and pick one (or more) of the sites and sign up for a free razor.  It's just too bad that a pack of refills costs $26 for 8.

Ben Johnson claims he was sabotaged

Ben Johnson, the Olympic sprinter who was caught using Winstrol (Stanozolol) after winning the Gold Medal for sprinting in 1988, claims in a new book that he was sabotaged.

According to Johnson, his coach was apparently trying to inform Olympic officials of the IOC about the infamous drug doping practices of the East German teams.  Although he wouldn't elaborate on the claims, he is coming out with a new book, entitled Seoul to Soul that will reveal the full details of his new allegations.


The East Germans, under the Soviet proxy state, the GDR (German Democratic Republic) used a variety of steroids on both men and women to increase their performance and help them win medals.  One of the most commonly used substances by the East Germans was Oral Turinabol, which was at the time undetectable.

[Oral Turinabol], as it is called, is a potent derivative of Dianabol.  it is structurally a cross between methandrostenolone and clostebol (4-chlorotestosterone), having the same base structure as Dianabol, with the added 4-chloro alteration of clostebol.  This makes OT a "kindler gentler Dianabol", the new steroid displaying a much lower level of androgenic activity in comparison to its more famous counterpart. [1]

This means Turinabol was a lean muscle builder since it could not aromatize into estrogen, leading to great gains in strength, without the effects of too much bulking -- similar to Winstrol.  The full story of the East German doping program is told in Dr. Steven Ungerleider's book, Faust's Gold: Inside The East German Doping Machine.  A very interesting read.

Although Ben Johnson admitted shortly after the 1988 Olympics he in fact did take steroids and did cheat, he is now trying to come out and claim that it was he who was sabotaged -- he felt that because the East Germans were doing it, it would be okay for him to do it and it should just be an equal playing field after all, a somewhat dubious argument.

Johnson insisted the banned anabolic steroids had not given him any advantage. "It doesn't make you run faster or do anything else," he said. [2]

Technically, that isn't true, as Winstrol is one of the most sought after steroids for use by runners for this purpose.

Win[strol] is also quite effective at promoting strength because it binds very well at the androgen receptor. Short term stanozolol use can promote drastic strength, a feat often employed early in a bulking cycle ... or late in a cutting cycle to prevent a decrease in performance. This combined with the red blood cell count-stimulating properties of its androgen affinity make it popular among track athletes as well in order to beget better results. [3]

So what's the truth?  We'll have to wait and see Johnson's book and if the claims he makes are plausible.  There is currently no word on when is book may be coming out and it is not listed on Amazon.com for pre-order.  But whatever comes out of it, history will still most likely remember Ben Johnson as the first major Olympic drug scandal and our heightened awareness of steroids in sports that we have today.  For the athletes of the GDR who were unwittingly doped with hormones of which they were unaware what they were or what effects they were having, there is a very interesting documentary called Revealed: The Great Olympic Drug Scandal which was broadcast somewhere in the UK.  Although I cannot seem to find it on Amazon, there appears to be quite a few good torrent matches for it if you're interested to check it out.

1.  Llewellyn, William. Anabolics 2005. Body of Science Publishing, Jupiter, FL.  2005
2. Fine, Larry.  Johnson says he was ‘sabotaged’ in ’88 Games.  NBC News/Reuters. 5/27/10
3. Big Cat. Steroid Profiles: Winstrol / Stromba.  Bodybuilding.com/Archive.org. Retrieved 5/31/10