Note: This is part six of Author's steroid Q & A, Click here for part one!
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My friend said that almost all professional athlete's use performance enhancement drugs. This does not seem possible to me because they test them. Is he right? Are there any natural athletes left?
Simply said, yes on all counts. But the question of drugs is as complex as a political debate in that each country and state may have profound differences in laws that regulate what is considered a drug and more so what is deemed a performance enhancing substance. As example are the many prosteroids legal is the US and other countries that would get an athlete a trip to jail in others. Whereas anyone can purchase anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) over the counter in many south or the boarder countries, other countries have entire badge carrying task forces seeking those who do the same.
To begin with, I neither advocate nor have dissention to express for the employment of performance enhancing chemistry. I simply research and report upon the realities and facts of it both good and bad alike. Personally I build very healthy and competitive beasts. In doing so I hope to allow an advanced level of informed choices to be made by those who I work with, or who read the various articles, columns and books I am fortunate enough to have written. With that said, you have to realize that all things in life are chemical in structure. From the food we eat to the air that we breathe all things are simply a matter of chemistry.
So often perception of right and wrong depend upon the political climate you live in, but the facts remain the same. Creatine is a performance enhancing substance capable of increasing an athlete's lean mass tissue about 3-8% with an accompanying increase in anaerobic capacity of 8-12%. That is pretty profound when you consider that a 200lb man can realize an increase in lean tissue of 6-16lbs. Consider as well that the same individual could easily add 16-24lbs to a single rep max effort on the bench also. Many AAS cannot compete with these results and it is a legal substance in most every country and banned by few sports organizations. Most athletes use creatine at the least, Lad. This means that they too are chemically enhanced. It is merely an issue of perception that bears the weight of legality for some and availability for others.
Testing for specific drugs does just that: Test only for specific drugs. Additionally, items like GH (growth hormone), IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin and animal origin testosterone are nearly impossible to detect. Many American power and size-oriented athlete's employ all or most of the above even in tested events without concern.
I often laugh when someone comments upon the nearly 100lb increase in average weight for professional football lineman in the last 20 years and comment on the removal of AAS from professional sports in the same breath. It is amazing to think that anyone assumes that evolution has come that far so quickly. Such an evolutionary change would take a few 100,000 years to transpire at best.
"I often laugh when someone comments upon the nearly 100lb increase in average weight for professional football lineman in the last 20 years."
Some will point to improved training and dietary protocols and I would agree to a certain extent... The extent being about 30-40 lbs of course. This is large but by no means does it account for the monsters we see on the playing fields and upon the stages in different events today. The fact is that we each strive to be our best through what means we deem acceptable.
I have worked with many athletes whom do not employ illegal drug use as a performance aid. And I might add that those who are competitive do rather well for themselves. They have made a choice and accept the consequences both favorable and otherwise (they also accept that others may choose otherwise for themselves).
I do hope that you choose for yourself and do not feel the need to do as others do for any reason except that you agree with the course that they have chosen. Being the best you can be can mean a variety of things to different people and who knows, you just may be that epic point in evolutionary events that changes the future forever. You may be that good and not even know it.
There are so many people telling me different ways to take creatine monohydrate that I had to get some expert advice. I want to gain some muscle but not put on a lot of fat. Does it really matter how I take the stuff? Help!
For Creatine supplementation to result in an increase in strength and protein synthesis, the cellular concentration level must reach 20 MMOL/KG DM. During a 5 day loading periods with a high glycemic carbohydrate such as Dextrose and Creatine, the level reaches MMOL/KG DM. When Creatine levels increase in muscle cells, the active Creatine transporters are down regulated, so less Creatine is transported. This could be avoided if the Creatine is fortified with the Creatine substrate 3-guanidinopropionate. Second, Creatine cannot be diffused across the muscle cell membrane without the co-transports of sodium and chloride ions to cause enough electrical charge to transport the Creatine.
(Table salt) Other up-regulators of Creatine transport are Clenbuterol and Ephedrine as well as T-3 thyroid hormone. These are quite potent transporters to say the least. Of course, Insulin (Humulin) and IGF-1 are very effective Creatine transporters. Though Dextrose is an excellent trigger for Insulin release there is a higher glycemic carbohydrate. Malt extracts contain a mixture of maltodextrins, glucose, and dextrose, which are made of glucose chains of 3-7 gycosyl units. And guess what? The small intestines absorb glucose chains containing 3-7 gycosyl units much faster than dextrose. This means a higher and stronger Insulin spike.
So barley malt extract or maltodextrin is a better carb choice and can be utilized in lower levels than 75 GMs per dose. Whey protein also creates an Insulin spike, which can prolong the spike from high glycemic carbs. By the way, caffeine intake over 400 MG daily, as well as the isoflavone genistein in soy protein inhibits creatine transport. Genistein inhibits tyrosine kinases which is necessary for nutrient transport.
The body has 3 periods when creatine uptake is highest: After a nights sleep, the body is in a fasted stated due to a period of natural GH pulses (about half of your daily total GH production is released during the first 4 hours of sleep) and a prolonged period without nutrients. This results in an up-regulation of nutrient transporters and enzymes, which favor intramuscular uptake of nutrients, including Creatine.
When Creatine is ingested 45-90 minutes before a work-out, an athlete can take advantage of the training induced increases in blood flow to muscle tissue to transport essential nutrients across muscle cell membranes. (This also acts as a buffer to lactic acid) Since high intensity workouts trigger the release of adrenal hormones such as Epinephrine and Norepinephrine, the cellular uptake of nutrients is improved.
Within the first 45-90 minutes following an intense workout, the body is in a very nutrient receptive state. Heavy training reduces muscle glycogen stores (glycogen comes from blood sugars such as carbs) and receptor-sites for nutrients become sensitive. This means the body is in a catabolic state requiring nutrient supply. Several storage enzymes are up-regulated and creatine (CP) levels are lower which of course means intramuscular nutrient storage ability is at a high level. It also means the muscle cells need ATP regeneration.
So What Is The Best Creatine Mixture Currently Available?
- 16-32 OZ of water
- 5-10 G of Creatine
- 250-500 MG of salt
- 25 G of Malt Extract
- 300 MG of Lipoic Acid and/or 50 MG of D-Pinitol
- A source of 3-guanidinopropionate
- 4-25 G of Glutamine
- 30 G-50 G of whey protein
Click Here For A Printable Version Of This Creatine Mixture!
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