We have all heard the promises before. "Steroid-like gains in no
time!" "Gain 20 pounds in 2 weeks!" "100% safe and side effect
free!" Then, being the seekers of lean mass we are, we try the
supplement only to be thoroughly disappointed by the results, or
better yet, lack of results. These "Better than Steroid"
supplements usually have no scientific backing and consist of a
proprietary blend of some ingredients you have never even heard
of in amounts not listed on the label. You take their word for
it and everytime you are left weighing less due to the lack of
cash in your wallet. Even worse, the effective products come
with a price tag; your health. Methylation has become the catch
phrase of the century, but the methylation process can lead to
ill effects on your liver health and the compounds themselves
can lead to undesirable side-effects such as testicular
shrinkage, gynecomastia (breast growth), and a host of other
symptoms. It makes matters even worse when the consumer isn't
fully educated on how to "cycle"the supplement to avoid shutting
down their own testosterone production. This leaves us asking,
"Is it worth it?"
Scivation, the leaders in Science-based
innovative supplements and the company that brought you XTEND
introduce Anagen - the world's first anabolic adaptogen. Not
only is Anagen backed by numerous scientific studies and
formulated by Scivation Director of Research and Development
Chuck "The Ripper" Rudolph and Derek "Beast" Charlebois, the
compounds in Anagen have been proven extremely effective in the
real world by Chuck's elite athletic clients. Furthermore, it is
safe and 100% side effect free. Sound too good to be true? Read
on to find out how Anagen may be the key to unlocking your best
gains ever.
20-Hydroxyecdysterone
Ecdysterone (ECDY) has
been around for a while. Interest in Ecdy first developed after
Burdette (1962) found that protein synthesis was increased in
mammalian tissue after administration of ECDY. Next, eastern
scientists named Hikino et al (1969) and Otaka et al (1969) both
found ECDY to have anabolic effects in mice. In the 1980’s,
Chinese and Russian Olympians began using ECDY as a performance
enhancer. Ecdy never really became popular in the United States
until recently, but many users were not impressed. The problem
there lies in not getting enough of the active photoecdysteroid
20-Hydroxyecdysterone. Companies were using either low percent
extracts or not dosing their capsules high enough. Anecdotal
feedback from users who have used a large amount of
20-Hydroxyecdysterone has been impressive, and here is why.
What is Ecdy?
Ecdy is a photoecdysteroid, which is a type of
chemical produced by plants to defend against insects. Insects
that ate plants that produced certain photoecdysteroids would
suffer adverse effects and most likely die. This means that the
plants that did produce photoecdysteroids survived; it made them
stronger. Photoecdysteroids are synthesized by plants through
the mevalonate pathway with acetyl-CoA as a precursor. While
humans can produce similar chemicals using this pathway, they
cannot produce photoecdysteroids. 20-Hydroxyecdysterone is a
specific photoecdysteroid that has been shown to have many
beneficial effects.
Recently, Ecdy was shown to enhance
skeletal muscle growth of skeletal muscle cell cultures by
increasing gene expression (Xiao et al 2003). There are two ways
by which gene expression can be increased (1) hormone/ligand
binding to a nuclear receptor and (2) nongenomicly. When a
hormone/ligand binds to a nuclear receptor protein synthesis
begins, which consists of a long series of processes
(transcription à protein translation à incorporation of protein
into cell membrane) that takes hours to complete. A nongenomic
effect results in the same series of events, but is an immediate
response and does not require hormone/ligand binding.
It is
believed Ecdy works through nongemoic effects including
stabilization of cell membranes and modification of membrane
proteins and other effects on the membrane, and accumulation of
ligands (Kholodova 2001), which I think could lead to increased
ligand binding to nuclear receptors. ECDY can also increase RNA
synthesis (Otaka 1969) and protein translation (Syrov 1984),
which would further enhance the process of protein synthesis and
growth.
Ecdy has been shown to enhance sexual activity in
both animals and humans (Lafont & Dinan 2003) and improve sexual
function in men (Mirzaev 2000). ECDY increases the body’s
ability to respond to stress by increasing acetylcholine
esterase activity in the brain (Slama & Lafont 1995). Ecdy also
helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels (Slama & Lafont 1995),
decreases glucose levels independently of insulin (Chen et al
2006), all of which improve the bodies ability to adapt to
stress.
Ecdy administration has not been shown to induce any
side effects and have no toxic response in animals (Slama &
Lafont 1995). ECDY will not lead to suppression of natural
testosterone production as it does not bind to steroid hormone
receptors (Dinan 2001)
Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola Rosea
belongs to the plant family Crassulaceae and has been used for
centuries in Russia, Scandinavia, and other eastern countries in
traditional medicine. Rhodiola Rosea is known as an adaptogen, a
substance that increases an organism's resistance to homeostatic
disturbances. Rhodiola Rosea has been shown to:
*Increase
physical working capacity (Abidov 2003)
*Improve endurance
exercise performance (De Bock 2004)
*Central nervous system
support (Kelly 2001)
*Decrease mental fatigue (Spasov 2000)
*Bacopa Monnieri
Bacopa Monnieri, an adaptogen like
Rhodiola, is also a traditional Ayurvedic medicine used for
centuries (Russo 2005). Recent research shows bacopa monnieri to
have anti-stress properties (Rai 2003) and antioxidant
properties (Russo 2003).
The Ultimate Anabolic
Adaptogen
Based on our findings, we feel that you need a
higher dose to reap the extensive benefits ecdysterone has to
offer. Through research and experimentation, Scivation developed
Anagen to help their athletes and customers achieve the gains
they always dreamed of. The addition of Bacopa Monnieri and
Rhodiola Rosea to Ecdysterone adds a synergy that will help you
cope with the stresses of training and diet and achieve the most
significant, healthiest gains of your
life.
Directions
Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement,
take 1 vegetarian capsule three times daily with meals.
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