Hank Vangut
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this article was in this months ESPN magazine. i'd like to get thoughts and opinions from those who know about some of the new genetic alteration stuff comming out.
MUSCLING UP
Right Now, Steroids and HGH get all the performance enhancing buzz, but some day soon, muscle type IIX will join that illustrious clique. IIX is one of the four pre-dominant muscle types in the human body (of the others, two are fast-twith fibers and one is slow-twitch). But because IIX is a minor, complimentary type that is bundled with other muscles, its functions have been a mystery. Recently, though, scientists at Harvard Medical School used a gene to transform mouse muscles made up of 15% to 20% IIX into ones that were entirely IIX. Result: Mice with the amped-up fibers ran about 25% farther than untreated rodents and worked about 40% harder, too. "This shows the conversion from fast-twitch to slow-twitch fibers seems to go through IIX," says Harvard prof Bruce Spieglman, who is most interested in what this finding could mean for treating ALS and muscular dystrophy. The researchers envision the development of drugs that will turn other types of muscle fibers into IIX. And that will no doubt be good news for performance enhancers everywhere. Are the Harvard folk worried about off-label uses? "Fear of that is not going to stop us from developing a drug to treat muscular diseases, "Spiegelman says. Note to drug testers: Don't say we didn't warn you.
MUSCLING UP
Right Now, Steroids and HGH get all the performance enhancing buzz, but some day soon, muscle type IIX will join that illustrious clique. IIX is one of the four pre-dominant muscle types in the human body (of the others, two are fast-twith fibers and one is slow-twitch). But because IIX is a minor, complimentary type that is bundled with other muscles, its functions have been a mystery. Recently, though, scientists at Harvard Medical School used a gene to transform mouse muscles made up of 15% to 20% IIX into ones that were entirely IIX. Result: Mice with the amped-up fibers ran about 25% farther than untreated rodents and worked about 40% harder, too. "This shows the conversion from fast-twitch to slow-twitch fibers seems to go through IIX," says Harvard prof Bruce Spieglman, who is most interested in what this finding could mean for treating ALS and muscular dystrophy. The researchers envision the development of drugs that will turn other types of muscle fibers into IIX. And that will no doubt be good news for performance enhancers everywhere. Are the Harvard folk worried about off-label uses? "Fear of that is not going to stop us from developing a drug to treat muscular diseases, "Spiegelman says. Note to drug testers: Don't say we didn't warn you.
