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Cool New Science On Androgens
heres an article for you...elite.
Cool New Science On Androgens…And Some Other Talk
Written by Jose Antonio, PhD
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
My good friend Darryn Willoughby, a professor at Baylor University and expert in muscle physiology and sports nutrition, sent me an article that just blew me away. This type of candor, particularly in the mainstream press, occurs about as frequently as hot, blond, Swedish supermodels hijack airplanes. The article was titled Let's Just Say Yes To Steroids (by Kate Schmidt) (HoustonChronicle.com) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editor...ok/5270497.html Heck, the title alone is enough to get your attention. There’s so much misinformation on the effects of androgens that 99.9 percent of the North American public has been duped to think that anabolic steroids are fatal drugs. Most folks don’t even realize that acetaminophen kills more people in one year than the use of androgens have ever done in the entire history of androgen use. If you don’t know what acetaminophen is, you can stop reading. Because clearly, you didn’t pass high school biology and need a remedial course in science 101. Go to the library. Educate yourself and then finish the rest of my column. Anyhow, the article goes on to make a point about how the “media and the public have savaged American athletes for using steroids. The case of track and field icon Marion Jones is the most recent. Much of the criticism of Jones and others caught using steroids is unfair. There is a disconnect between what the sports-viewing public knows and expects and what is actually going on. Fans have created such high expectations for athletes that success seems to require steroid use for any sport requiring speed, power or a combination of the two. The genie is out of the bottle— for good.” And then Kate Schmidt asks the fundamental question: “Do we really think it's in the best interests of the National Football League, Major League Baseball or USA Track and Field to punish athletes— their cash cows— who test positive for steroids? There would be far fewer home runs; smaller, slower, less muscular athletes and no new records for the next few decades.” Certainly, the tradeoffs athletes are willing to accept (i.e., getting caught using androgens versus the salary they make if they can perform at the super-elite level) is something us mere mortals will never even contemplate. But think of this analogy. Let’s say you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. And there is a drug or supplement that can enhance your “cognitive processes” significantly. Enough to give you an edge over your rivals. Would you take it? Would you take it if it were “banned” or “illegal?” I’m of the belief that it’s none of your damn business what others put in their body as long as you do no harm to other individuals. If you want to smoke hemp, snort talcum powder, inject fish oil, or do any of a number of silly things, be my guest! Individuals engage in legal behaviors all the time that are potentially hazardous to one’s health (e.g., boxing, cave scuba diving, mountain climbing, hanging out with Lindsay Lohan, calling Mike Tyson a sissy, etc). It’s silly to try and legislate dumb-ass behavior, particularly when the harm is done to oneself. Anyhow, enough of the lecture. Here’s some new cool science on androgens!
Increase Muscle, Less Fat...Good For The Old Guys
Trials of testosterone (T) therapy in aging men have shown gains in muscle and decreases in fat mass. This study determined the effect in non-obese, aging men— with symptoms of androgen deficiency and low to normal serum T levels— of T therapy on total and regional body composition and hormonal and metabolic indices. They took 60 healthy, but symptomatic non-obese men aged 55 or older with low T levels and they were randomized to transdermal testosterone patches or placebo for 12 months. Body composition, by DEXA (fat mass, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle) and MRI (abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, thigh skeletal muscle and intramuscular fat) and hormonal and metabolic parameters were measured at weeks zero and 52. They discovered that compared to the placebo, total body fat-free mass and skeletal muscle were increased and thigh skeletal muscle loss was prevented with T therapy, while visceral fat accumulation decreased without change in total body or abdominal subcutaneous fat mass; so in essence, one YEAR of the stuff was good for the old guys.
Androgens, The Enemy Of Myostatin
Myostatin is an important negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, while androgens are strong, positive effectors. In English, that means myostatin keeps you looking like a marathon runner while androgens help you achieve a gorilla-like physique. OK, moving on. In order to investigate the possible interaction between myostatin and androgen pathways, scientists looked at myostatin expression in the androgen-dependent levator ani (LA) muscle of the rat as a function of androgen status. By testosterone deprivation (castration), it caused the LA to shrink in size; however, both processes could be reversed by testosterone supplementation. Thus, androgens have a strong negative impact on myostatin expression, which might be a key factor in the weight regulation of LA muscle. Or, in other words, the more “sauce” you take, the more it fights off the negative impact of myostatin.
Chicks To Dudes
What happens when you give androgens to girls who want to be guys? Does it kill ‘em? Does it make ‘em not ask for directions? Dose it make ‘em hunt down the remote control with the fervor of religious fanatic? Let’s find out! Scientists reviewed publications on the effects of high-dose androgen administration to female-to-male transsexuals treated between 1975 and 2004 (712 subjects). The standard treatment was administration of testosterone esters, 250mg/for two to three weeks, parenterally). With this dose, virilizing effects on the skin and clitoris were prominent. Yeah, not a good visual. Spatial ability improved, while verbal fluency deteriorated. Ya see! Proof that testosterone is the reason men don’t like to talk about their day, how they’re feeling and if the room should be painted blue or pink. Guys don’t give a shit! Or in this case, girls who are becoming guys. They basically concluded that studies “demonstrated that while some markers of cardiovascular risk factors showed a shift to a more negative risk profile, others were not affected. Androgen effects on cardiovascular risk markers are therefore not universally negative, and it is reasonable to assume that the latter effects will not be negative with the much lower doses suited for administration to women.”
Jose Antonio, PhD, earned his doctorate at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He writes about all sorts of things in sports nutrition and exercise. He also hates cold weather. www.joseantoniophd.com
References:
Allan CA, Strauss BJ, Burger HG, Forbes EA, McLachlan RI. Testosterone Therapy Prevents Gain in Visceral Adipose Tissue and Loss of Skeletal Muscle in Non-obese Aging Men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Oct 16 2007.
Mendler L, Baka Z, Kovacs-Simon A, Dux L. Androgens negatively regulate myostatin expression in an androgen-dependent skeletal muscle. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, Sep 14 2007; 361(1): 237-242.
Gooren LJ, Giltay EJ. Review of Studies of Androgen Treatment of Female-to-Male Transsexuals: Effects and Risks of Administration of Androgens to Females. J Sex Med, Oct 30 2007.
heres an article for you...elite.
Cool New Science On Androgens…And Some Other Talk
Written by Jose Antonio, PhD
Tuesday, 23 June 2009
My good friend Darryn Willoughby, a professor at Baylor University and expert in muscle physiology and sports nutrition, sent me an article that just blew me away. This type of candor, particularly in the mainstream press, occurs about as frequently as hot, blond, Swedish supermodels hijack airplanes. The article was titled Let's Just Say Yes To Steroids (by Kate Schmidt) (HoustonChronicle.com) http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editor...ok/5270497.html Heck, the title alone is enough to get your attention. There’s so much misinformation on the effects of androgens that 99.9 percent of the North American public has been duped to think that anabolic steroids are fatal drugs. Most folks don’t even realize that acetaminophen kills more people in one year than the use of androgens have ever done in the entire history of androgen use. If you don’t know what acetaminophen is, you can stop reading. Because clearly, you didn’t pass high school biology and need a remedial course in science 101. Go to the library. Educate yourself and then finish the rest of my column. Anyhow, the article goes on to make a point about how the “media and the public have savaged American athletes for using steroids. The case of track and field icon Marion Jones is the most recent. Much of the criticism of Jones and others caught using steroids is unfair. There is a disconnect between what the sports-viewing public knows and expects and what is actually going on. Fans have created such high expectations for athletes that success seems to require steroid use for any sport requiring speed, power or a combination of the two. The genie is out of the bottle— for good.” And then Kate Schmidt asks the fundamental question: “Do we really think it's in the best interests of the National Football League, Major League Baseball or USA Track and Field to punish athletes— their cash cows— who test positive for steroids? There would be far fewer home runs; smaller, slower, less muscular athletes and no new records for the next few decades.” Certainly, the tradeoffs athletes are willing to accept (i.e., getting caught using androgens versus the salary they make if they can perform at the super-elite level) is something us mere mortals will never even contemplate. But think of this analogy. Let’s say you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. And there is a drug or supplement that can enhance your “cognitive processes” significantly. Enough to give you an edge over your rivals. Would you take it? Would you take it if it were “banned” or “illegal?” I’m of the belief that it’s none of your damn business what others put in their body as long as you do no harm to other individuals. If you want to smoke hemp, snort talcum powder, inject fish oil, or do any of a number of silly things, be my guest! Individuals engage in legal behaviors all the time that are potentially hazardous to one’s health (e.g., boxing, cave scuba diving, mountain climbing, hanging out with Lindsay Lohan, calling Mike Tyson a sissy, etc). It’s silly to try and legislate dumb-ass behavior, particularly when the harm is done to oneself. Anyhow, enough of the lecture. Here’s some new cool science on androgens!
Increase Muscle, Less Fat...Good For The Old Guys
Trials of testosterone (T) therapy in aging men have shown gains in muscle and decreases in fat mass. This study determined the effect in non-obese, aging men— with symptoms of androgen deficiency and low to normal serum T levels— of T therapy on total and regional body composition and hormonal and metabolic indices. They took 60 healthy, but symptomatic non-obese men aged 55 or older with low T levels and they were randomized to transdermal testosterone patches or placebo for 12 months. Body composition, by DEXA (fat mass, fat-free mass, skeletal muscle) and MRI (abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, thigh skeletal muscle and intramuscular fat) and hormonal and metabolic parameters were measured at weeks zero and 52. They discovered that compared to the placebo, total body fat-free mass and skeletal muscle were increased and thigh skeletal muscle loss was prevented with T therapy, while visceral fat accumulation decreased without change in total body or abdominal subcutaneous fat mass; so in essence, one YEAR of the stuff was good for the old guys.
Androgens, The Enemy Of Myostatin
Myostatin is an important negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, while androgens are strong, positive effectors. In English, that means myostatin keeps you looking like a marathon runner while androgens help you achieve a gorilla-like physique. OK, moving on. In order to investigate the possible interaction between myostatin and androgen pathways, scientists looked at myostatin expression in the androgen-dependent levator ani (LA) muscle of the rat as a function of androgen status. By testosterone deprivation (castration), it caused the LA to shrink in size; however, both processes could be reversed by testosterone supplementation. Thus, androgens have a strong negative impact on myostatin expression, which might be a key factor in the weight regulation of LA muscle. Or, in other words, the more “sauce” you take, the more it fights off the negative impact of myostatin.
Chicks To Dudes
What happens when you give androgens to girls who want to be guys? Does it kill ‘em? Does it make ‘em not ask for directions? Dose it make ‘em hunt down the remote control with the fervor of religious fanatic? Let’s find out! Scientists reviewed publications on the effects of high-dose androgen administration to female-to-male transsexuals treated between 1975 and 2004 (712 subjects). The standard treatment was administration of testosterone esters, 250mg/for two to three weeks, parenterally). With this dose, virilizing effects on the skin and clitoris were prominent. Yeah, not a good visual. Spatial ability improved, while verbal fluency deteriorated. Ya see! Proof that testosterone is the reason men don’t like to talk about their day, how they’re feeling and if the room should be painted blue or pink. Guys don’t give a shit! Or in this case, girls who are becoming guys. They basically concluded that studies “demonstrated that while some markers of cardiovascular risk factors showed a shift to a more negative risk profile, others were not affected. Androgen effects on cardiovascular risk markers are therefore not universally negative, and it is reasonable to assume that the latter effects will not be negative with the much lower doses suited for administration to women.”
Jose Antonio, PhD, earned his doctorate at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He writes about all sorts of things in sports nutrition and exercise. He also hates cold weather. www.joseantoniophd.com
References:
Allan CA, Strauss BJ, Burger HG, Forbes EA, McLachlan RI. Testosterone Therapy Prevents Gain in Visceral Adipose Tissue and Loss of Skeletal Muscle in Non-obese Aging Men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab, Oct 16 2007.
Mendler L, Baka Z, Kovacs-Simon A, Dux L. Androgens negatively regulate myostatin expression in an androgen-dependent skeletal muscle. Biochem Biophys Res Commun, Sep 14 2007; 361(1): 237-242.
Gooren LJ, Giltay EJ. Review of Studies of Androgen Treatment of Female-to-Male Transsexuals: Effects and Risks of Administration of Androgens to Females. J Sex Med, Oct 30 2007.
