We're just brushing up against the scientific density of this product. I'm really excited for this release - it has been a long time in the making.
[h=1]MyoSynergy Write Up[/h]
MyoSynergy is a brand new, unique formula designed to potently trigger multiple pathways of muscle building at the cellular level. In addition, it will also aid in preventing muscle breakdown, boosting strength levels, and encouraging mitochondrial biogenesis.
To better understand the inclusion of the specific ingredients in the formula, it is important to have a little bit of background on the ways the body upregulates muscle growth. We don't just grow or shrink unless we have the proper signals to do so. The primary growth signal, and the main anabolic focus of MyoSynergy, is the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
[h=2]Anabolic/Catabolic Signaling[/h]To trigger anabolism, the body primarily engages in the following sequence of events:
Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF1) activates Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K), which activates Protein Kinase B (Akt), which then activates the Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (MTOR, also known as the mammalian Target of Rapamycin). Considered the master regulator of protein synthesis in muscle, MTOR is the key player in this cascade.
IGF1àPI3KàAktàMTOR
When this happens, we see the following take place (1,2):
Ø Protein Synthesis (muscle growth)
Ø Anti-catabolism (prevention of muscle breakdown)
Ø Myostatin inhibition (major governor on muscle growth)
Ø MuRF1 reduction (more on that below)
Although it was previously thought that Myostatin generated a cellular signal to kickstart muscle breakdown, it has now been shown to instead block the above anabolic pathway (1,2). So inhibition of myostatin allows for accelerated anabolism.
Catabolic Signaling is multifaceted and complex, but a couple of key players in the triggering of muscle protein degradation are MuRF1 and MAFbx (3–5). These can be activated by inflammatory cytokines like TGF-a and NF-kappaB, but are also susceptible to other mechanisms of activation (6).
Now with this background out of the way, let's get into how MyoSynergy will favorably manipulate these pathways to greatly augment your ability to gain muscle!
[h=2]Astragalus Membranaceus 20:1[/h]While Astragalus Membranaceus (AM) has numerous potential benefits, here we are focused on a few specific ones, namely IGF1 boosting, Myostatin inhibition, glucose and insulin signaling, and exercise performance.
AM has been shown to upregulate IGF1 production, which, as noted above, kickstarts the entire anabolic cascade (7). Researchers later conducted a study to re-test this, and found that it did in fact increase IGF1 while also stimulating bone growth in rats, and suggested that AM "may be helpful in stimulating growth in children with short stature", which it is actually used for in traditional Korean medicine (8). In fully-grown adults, IGF1 is no longer responsible for bone growth, as it shifts its focus to other duties like muscle growth. So, sorry, MyoSynergy will not make you taller, you'll just have to distract people with your bigger muscles.
As you recall from earlier, IGF1 activation is going to indirectly decrease Myostatin levels. In addition to that, another study showed that AM was able to reduce Myostatin more directly by inhibiting the NF-kappaB pathway (9).
Aside from boosting IGF1 to enhance anabolism, AM also appears to have a pronounced effect on the way the body handles glucose and insulin. In one study, when researchers tried to fatten rats up and give them diabetes, AM was able to ameliorate "glucose toxicity", improve insulin sensitivity, and increase glucose uptake in the muscle cells (10). This boost in insulin sensitivity and increased muscle glycogen storage has been corroborated by other studies as well (9,11,12). Better skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and more glucose uptake = bigger muscles. Nice.
AM has also been shown to enhance exercise performance by reducing the accumulation of metabolic waste products (11).
[h=2](-)Epicatechin[/h](-)Epicatechin is an exciting ingredient with potential to stimulate muscle growth through multiple avenues.
As we age, Myostatin increases while its inhibitors like follistatin and myogenin/MyoD (the latter two are responsible for regulating muscle cell differentiation) tend to decrease. This sets the stage for increased muscle loss. (-)Epicatechin has been shown to reverse this, decreasing Myostatin and improving the follistatin/myostatin ratio and increasing strength after only seven days of intake (13). As well, MyoStatin expression is one of the major limiting factors in muscle growth for people of all ages. Inhibition of MyoStatin by MyoSynergy should result in increased muscle growth rates for all users.
(-)Epicatechin has also been shown in multiple studies to increase muscle capillarity and biogenesis of mitochondria, which persists even with cessation of use (14,15). More blood flow and mitochondria paves the road to enhanced hypertrophic capability and improved performance. In addition, (-)epicatechin has recently been shown to favorably regulate the function of specific proteins in control of muscular contraction (16).
[h=2]HICA[/h]HICA stands for Hydroxyicocaproic Acid, also known as Leucic Acid, and is a metabolite of the main MTOR activating amino acid L-Leucine. When you ingest Leucine, it goes down one of two metabolic pathways and either converts to KIC or HMB. If it gets converted to KIC, some of that gets converted to HICA. Now the problem with this traditional conversion cascade, is that KIC upregulates an enzyme called BCKDH, which then oxidizes BCAA's including Leucine, so it acts as a governor on the available Leucine pool in the bloodstream, eventually using it all up to halt MTOR activation. One of the main reasons people can get away with a lower protein intake on a ketogenic diet and still build muscle is because in ketosis, the body oxidizes (wastes) less Leucine, so each gram of protein is more anabolic. Now, this still needs to be shown in research, but theoretically HICA can sneak by the regulatory mechanisms that trigger BCKDH, therefore allowing more MTOR activation before the party gets shut down.
A recent study published in the highly respected ISSN Journal looked at the effect of HICA supplementation for four weeks in male soccer players. The results showed an increase in lean body mass, 23% reduction in DOMS, and improved training alertness in the HICA group compared to placebo (17). A full daily dose of MyoSynergy exceeds the 1.5g of HICA used in this study.
Another study performed on rats placed into casts analyzed the effect on both immobility induced atrophy and post removal protein synthesis. While the HICA didn’t prevent the atrophy, recovery was remarkably sped up to precasting rates in the HICA treated animals. Accelerated protein synthesis rates from HICA administration were indicated (35)
[h=1]MyoSynergy Write Up[/h]
MyoSynergy is a brand new, unique formula designed to potently trigger multiple pathways of muscle building at the cellular level. In addition, it will also aid in preventing muscle breakdown, boosting strength levels, and encouraging mitochondrial biogenesis.
To better understand the inclusion of the specific ingredients in the formula, it is important to have a little bit of background on the ways the body upregulates muscle growth. We don't just grow or shrink unless we have the proper signals to do so. The primary growth signal, and the main anabolic focus of MyoSynergy, is the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.
[h=2]Anabolic/Catabolic Signaling[/h]To trigger anabolism, the body primarily engages in the following sequence of events:
Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF1) activates Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K), which activates Protein Kinase B (Akt), which then activates the Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (MTOR, also known as the mammalian Target of Rapamycin). Considered the master regulator of protein synthesis in muscle, MTOR is the key player in this cascade.
IGF1àPI3KàAktàMTOR
When this happens, we see the following take place (1,2):
Ø Protein Synthesis (muscle growth)
Ø Anti-catabolism (prevention of muscle breakdown)
Ø Myostatin inhibition (major governor on muscle growth)
Ø MuRF1 reduction (more on that below)
Although it was previously thought that Myostatin generated a cellular signal to kickstart muscle breakdown, it has now been shown to instead block the above anabolic pathway (1,2). So inhibition of myostatin allows for accelerated anabolism.
Catabolic Signaling is multifaceted and complex, but a couple of key players in the triggering of muscle protein degradation are MuRF1 and MAFbx (3–5). These can be activated by inflammatory cytokines like TGF-a and NF-kappaB, but are also susceptible to other mechanisms of activation (6).
Now with this background out of the way, let's get into how MyoSynergy will favorably manipulate these pathways to greatly augment your ability to gain muscle!
[h=2]Astragalus Membranaceus 20:1[/h]While Astragalus Membranaceus (AM) has numerous potential benefits, here we are focused on a few specific ones, namely IGF1 boosting, Myostatin inhibition, glucose and insulin signaling, and exercise performance.
AM has been shown to upregulate IGF1 production, which, as noted above, kickstarts the entire anabolic cascade (7). Researchers later conducted a study to re-test this, and found that it did in fact increase IGF1 while also stimulating bone growth in rats, and suggested that AM "may be helpful in stimulating growth in children with short stature", which it is actually used for in traditional Korean medicine (8). In fully-grown adults, IGF1 is no longer responsible for bone growth, as it shifts its focus to other duties like muscle growth. So, sorry, MyoSynergy will not make you taller, you'll just have to distract people with your bigger muscles.
As you recall from earlier, IGF1 activation is going to indirectly decrease Myostatin levels. In addition to that, another study showed that AM was able to reduce Myostatin more directly by inhibiting the NF-kappaB pathway (9).
Aside from boosting IGF1 to enhance anabolism, AM also appears to have a pronounced effect on the way the body handles glucose and insulin. In one study, when researchers tried to fatten rats up and give them diabetes, AM was able to ameliorate "glucose toxicity", improve insulin sensitivity, and increase glucose uptake in the muscle cells (10). This boost in insulin sensitivity and increased muscle glycogen storage has been corroborated by other studies as well (9,11,12). Better skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and more glucose uptake = bigger muscles. Nice.
AM has also been shown to enhance exercise performance by reducing the accumulation of metabolic waste products (11).
[h=2](-)Epicatechin[/h](-)Epicatechin is an exciting ingredient with potential to stimulate muscle growth through multiple avenues.
As we age, Myostatin increases while its inhibitors like follistatin and myogenin/MyoD (the latter two are responsible for regulating muscle cell differentiation) tend to decrease. This sets the stage for increased muscle loss. (-)Epicatechin has been shown to reverse this, decreasing Myostatin and improving the follistatin/myostatin ratio and increasing strength after only seven days of intake (13). As well, MyoStatin expression is one of the major limiting factors in muscle growth for people of all ages. Inhibition of MyoStatin by MyoSynergy should result in increased muscle growth rates for all users.
(-)Epicatechin has also been shown in multiple studies to increase muscle capillarity and biogenesis of mitochondria, which persists even with cessation of use (14,15). More blood flow and mitochondria paves the road to enhanced hypertrophic capability and improved performance. In addition, (-)epicatechin has recently been shown to favorably regulate the function of specific proteins in control of muscular contraction (16).
[h=2]HICA[/h]HICA stands for Hydroxyicocaproic Acid, also known as Leucic Acid, and is a metabolite of the main MTOR activating amino acid L-Leucine. When you ingest Leucine, it goes down one of two metabolic pathways and either converts to KIC or HMB. If it gets converted to KIC, some of that gets converted to HICA. Now the problem with this traditional conversion cascade, is that KIC upregulates an enzyme called BCKDH, which then oxidizes BCAA's including Leucine, so it acts as a governor on the available Leucine pool in the bloodstream, eventually using it all up to halt MTOR activation. One of the main reasons people can get away with a lower protein intake on a ketogenic diet and still build muscle is because in ketosis, the body oxidizes (wastes) less Leucine, so each gram of protein is more anabolic. Now, this still needs to be shown in research, but theoretically HICA can sneak by the regulatory mechanisms that trigger BCKDH, therefore allowing more MTOR activation before the party gets shut down.
A recent study published in the highly respected ISSN Journal looked at the effect of HICA supplementation for four weeks in male soccer players. The results showed an increase in lean body mass, 23% reduction in DOMS, and improved training alertness in the HICA group compared to placebo (17). A full daily dose of MyoSynergy exceeds the 1.5g of HICA used in this study.
Another study performed on rats placed into casts analyzed the effect on both immobility induced atrophy and post removal protein synthesis. While the HICA didn’t prevent the atrophy, recovery was remarkably sped up to precasting rates in the HICA treated animals. Accelerated protein synthesis rates from HICA administration were indicated (35)