If you are interested in building your body and developing muscles, whether you want the lean muscular look or the beefy body builder look, it is more likely than not that you explore the three options of diet, exercise and supplements to help you achieve the look that you want.
While diet and exercise have a large role to play in achieving your body building goals, testosterone supplements allow you to build muscles faster and stronger. Sometimes it happens that no matter which supplements you use or your diet and exercise regimen, you are still unsuccessful in building muscles. You are then stymied as to the reason for this roadblock.
Would you believe that there may actually be a genetic reason why you cannot build muscles? Yes, that is a very real possibility according to research done by scientists. If you have too much myostatin in your body, you will find it difficult to develop muscles.
What is myostatin?
Myostatin is a muscle inhibiting protein, and its inhibition has many applications in neuromuscular diseases, particularly those which are genetic in origin. It can also have a positive effect in muscle wasting diseases like muscular dystrophy, AIDS and cancer. Scientific research suggests that myostatin may have different roles to play at different stages of development of the heart and skeletal muscles.
More exciting is the impact this can have on body builders and athletes. If there is a substance that can actually cause your body to build more muscle, it can have many uses.
How does myostatin work?
Human beings and complex living creatures have growth factors in their bodies which enable them to grow normally. These growth factors are responsible for tissue growth, development and function and are synthesized by cells. Growth factors are found in very low concentrations and bind with target cells and either inhibit or increase growth of cells.
Among the growth factors (GFs) are the transforming growth factor beta (TGFb), which are further differentiated by subtypes. Early studies, which were done on mice, showed that myostatin has an important role to play in the growth and differentiation of skeletal muscle. In 1997 a team of scientists led by McPherron and Lee of Johns Hopkins University studied the role of myostatin at the genetic level. Their research came to the conclusion that when myostatin was reduced or removed, the muscle mass actually increased. The studies were done on mice. In cattle and mice the muscle mass doubled.
This actually gave a scientific standing to what livestock breeders had known for long: when they selectively bred heavily muscled cattle they were able to specifically get more beefy cattle over generations. Belgian Blue and Piedmontese cattle have a myostatin deficiency which results in their being over muscled. Whippets, too, have a myostatin related genetic mutation which leads to a muscular appearance.
Myostatin has been detected in the blood stream as serum myostatin in the processed form. It has been found in people who are suffering from muscle wasting diseases. But the exact mechanism of how myostatin works has yet to be discovered.
Effects of myostatin
There are three effects of myostatin: one is that reduction of myostatin may help in producing beefy animals, thus benefiting the livestock industry. The other is that interfering with the production of myostatin in humans may help in reversing the effects of muscle wasting diseases. The third is that lack of myostatin may help in body building or building excess muscle mass.
A substance which inhibits myostatin may have the following effects:
- Stronger muscle mass
- Bigger muscle mass
- Body fat reduces so you can get leaner muscles
- You can eat more without getting fat
Even a reduction of between 20 and 50 percent of myostatin levels can have a big effect on muscle development.
Myostatin supplements
Supplements containing proteins and drugs that inhibit myostatin production and enable you to build muscles have hit the market. These supplements are known as myostatin inhibitors or myostatin blockers. These work by reducing myostatin levels in the body and help to regenerate and repair muscles after workouts. Many people in the anabolic steroids community think myostatin supplements are the next big thing.
A caveat: no myostatin inhibitors or blockers have been FDA approved, nor have there been any human trials on such substances. There may be natural myostatin blockers which have been refined and used in these supplements.
Should you take myostatin supplements?
While it is debatable whether myostatin supplements actually work the way they are supposed to, what is clear that scientists have their research in place and have found that inhibiting myostatin production does help in building muscles. That is why a medical company has actually applied for a patent which will cover a vaccination against myostatin.
As for the myostatin supplements which have to be taken orally – when you get a money back guarantee there is usually no harm in trying something which may have a positive effect on your body. You will know through personal experience whether it works for you or not.