So I just read this new article (sorry if links not allowed)
Has anyone heard of this? Is it what it is made up to be? Thoughts?
Something new approaches on the horizon
We set up a feedback thread on our forum a few months ago asking our forum members who tend to really know the science of supplements inside out, what products we were missing from the site they would like to see. They gave us a great list of brands which we have since added. The likes of EBF, Myotropics, Muscle Feast, Millennium Sports, and several others all came via users suggesting them to us. However, one name we saw pop up frequently is the one which has since caused waves on there.
What has caused such excitement?
I will be honest and admit I had never heard of this product. With a none too fancy looking website and ingredients I had heard of before, I was sceptical. User feedback told a radically different story.
"Big gains in muscle and strength."
"Improved recovery ability, even as volume and training frequency increased."
"Better sleep."
"Improved libido."
"An absence of muscle soreness the day after."
"Joint aches and pains disappearing."
"Reduction in body fat."
I kept reading this and really the question became not why we should stock this product but why the hell didn't we?
Ecdysterone overview
Ecdysterones form part of a group of compounds referred to as phytosteroids, more commonly referred to as plant steroids. Research, much of it conducted in the former Soviet Union, indicates that Ecdysterone can increase the rate of protein synthesis and help to lower body fat also. Unlike anabolic steroids they do this without the negative side effects commonly witnessed in users of androgenic steroids.
Key Point - Ecdysterone works in a similar manner to steroids but without the negative effects associated with steroids. They won't impact your body's natural testosterone levels or cause negative side effects.
If it's so good why haven't we heard of it before?
Ecdysterone supplements have actually been around for sometime. The success that Russian athletes have experienced with them make it a popular supplement in Russia. Unfortunately, as with much in life, the results someone experiences will be proportional to the quality of the product itself. In the same way that a cheap, low quality protein will not deliver the correct levels of ingredients in a form that enables you to make gains at a rapid pace (as opposed to sending you to the toilet more frequently), so an Ecdysterone supplement that fails to use the correct extract, from the correct plant, at the right concentration, will fail to deliver the results people expect. As cost tends to increase with greater quality Ecdysterone extracts, and with the effect that the supplement becomes less affordable, so we have tended to see companies putting out cheap, low quality Ecdysterone supplements to maximise profit margins as opposed to ensure the customer receives the very best quality product possible.
Ecdysterone - The right source is crucial
There are many types of Ecdysterone from many plants and to cover them all would mean writing forever and you quickly losing interest. The key point would be no different so I will save time and say it here that the only form of Ecdysterone which is supported by research is ecdysterone sourced from the rhaponticum carthomoides plant. Full spectrum Rhaponticum carthomoides extract had been shown to accelerate anabolic signalling (1,2) and increase protein synthesis (3). Furthermore, this extract can increase free arachidonic acid levels (4), which have been shown to have a strongly anabolic effect in the body. For those of you who like the Molecular Nutrition supplement X-Factor you can expect powerful synergy between Mass Pro Synthagen and X-Factor.
Unfortunately, this is the most difficult to source and most expensive out there which has resulted in many supplement companies using Ecdysterone sources which are less effective explaining why many users of such supplements got nowhere with them.
The Bottom Line
You wouldn't expect a high performance car to be built using low octane fuel and the same applies with getting good results from Ecdysterone products. A wide range of products have been offered for sale by supplement consumers but using woefully low percentage extracts of Ecdysterone, not comparable at all to what is used in the research or what was used by Russian athletes. The wrong source of extract, an insufficient dose, or failing to extract to a high percentage will all lead to an absence of positive effects for users. Of all the products on the market featuring Ecdysterone there is only one which uses full spectrum Rhaponticum carthomoides extract and combines it with nutrients designed to maximise intracellular energy status (creatine, ATP, BCAA's, PH Buffer and nucleic acids).
The feedback on our forum has been nothing short of immense. I have personally used it and am happy to give it my highest recommendation.
Introducing Mass Pro Synthagen
Mass Pro Synthagen uses full spectrum Ecdysterone extracted from Rhaponticum carthomoides , the exact same source used in the research. Going on, Synthagen also adds in other ergogenics designed to work in synergy with Ecdysterone to provide a comprehensive all in one solution designed to progressively increase the rate at which the body can gain muscle and lose fat.
See the Mass Pro Synthagen thread here.
References
(1) Syrov VN. “Mechanism of the anabolic action of phytoecdysteroids in mammals.” Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki (11), (1984): pages 16-20.
(2) N. Todorov, et al. “MOLECULAR-BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF DRUG DESIGN AND MECHANISM OF DRUG ACTIONTHE EFFECT OF ECDYSTERONE ON THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF PROTEINS AND NUCLEIC ACIDS IN MICE.” Translated from Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, 34 (9), (Sep 2000): pages 3-5.
(3) Steroids 2010;75:632–637 - Gorelick-Feldman J, Cohick W, Raskin I. Ecdysteroids elicit a rapid Ca2+ flux leading to Akt activation and increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells.
(4) Lafont R., Dinan L. 2003. Practical uses for ecdysteroids in mammals including humans: an update. 30pp. Journal
(5) 1) Syrov VN, et al. “Anabolic activity of phytoecdysone-ecdysterone isolated from Rhaponticum carthamoides.” Pharmacologic I Toksikologiia vol 39 (6), (Nov-Dec 1976): pages 690-693
Has anyone heard of this? Is it what it is made up to be? Thoughts?
Something new approaches on the horizon
We set up a feedback thread on our forum a few months ago asking our forum members who tend to really know the science of supplements inside out, what products we were missing from the site they would like to see. They gave us a great list of brands which we have since added. The likes of EBF, Myotropics, Muscle Feast, Millennium Sports, and several others all came via users suggesting them to us. However, one name we saw pop up frequently is the one which has since caused waves on there.
What has caused such excitement?
I will be honest and admit I had never heard of this product. With a none too fancy looking website and ingredients I had heard of before, I was sceptical. User feedback told a radically different story.
"Big gains in muscle and strength."
"Improved recovery ability, even as volume and training frequency increased."
"Better sleep."
"Improved libido."
"An absence of muscle soreness the day after."
"Joint aches and pains disappearing."
"Reduction in body fat."
I kept reading this and really the question became not why we should stock this product but why the hell didn't we?
Ecdysterone overview
Ecdysterones form part of a group of compounds referred to as phytosteroids, more commonly referred to as plant steroids. Research, much of it conducted in the former Soviet Union, indicates that Ecdysterone can increase the rate of protein synthesis and help to lower body fat also. Unlike anabolic steroids they do this without the negative side effects commonly witnessed in users of androgenic steroids.
Key Point - Ecdysterone works in a similar manner to steroids but without the negative effects associated with steroids. They won't impact your body's natural testosterone levels or cause negative side effects.
If it's so good why haven't we heard of it before?
Ecdysterone supplements have actually been around for sometime. The success that Russian athletes have experienced with them make it a popular supplement in Russia. Unfortunately, as with much in life, the results someone experiences will be proportional to the quality of the product itself. In the same way that a cheap, low quality protein will not deliver the correct levels of ingredients in a form that enables you to make gains at a rapid pace (as opposed to sending you to the toilet more frequently), so an Ecdysterone supplement that fails to use the correct extract, from the correct plant, at the right concentration, will fail to deliver the results people expect. As cost tends to increase with greater quality Ecdysterone extracts, and with the effect that the supplement becomes less affordable, so we have tended to see companies putting out cheap, low quality Ecdysterone supplements to maximise profit margins as opposed to ensure the customer receives the very best quality product possible.
Ecdysterone - The right source is crucial
There are many types of Ecdysterone from many plants and to cover them all would mean writing forever and you quickly losing interest. The key point would be no different so I will save time and say it here that the only form of Ecdysterone which is supported by research is ecdysterone sourced from the rhaponticum carthomoides plant. Full spectrum Rhaponticum carthomoides extract had been shown to accelerate anabolic signalling (1,2) and increase protein synthesis (3). Furthermore, this extract can increase free arachidonic acid levels (4), which have been shown to have a strongly anabolic effect in the body. For those of you who like the Molecular Nutrition supplement X-Factor you can expect powerful synergy between Mass Pro Synthagen and X-Factor.
Unfortunately, this is the most difficult to source and most expensive out there which has resulted in many supplement companies using Ecdysterone sources which are less effective explaining why many users of such supplements got nowhere with them.
The Bottom Line
You wouldn't expect a high performance car to be built using low octane fuel and the same applies with getting good results from Ecdysterone products. A wide range of products have been offered for sale by supplement consumers but using woefully low percentage extracts of Ecdysterone, not comparable at all to what is used in the research or what was used by Russian athletes. The wrong source of extract, an insufficient dose, or failing to extract to a high percentage will all lead to an absence of positive effects for users. Of all the products on the market featuring Ecdysterone there is only one which uses full spectrum Rhaponticum carthomoides extract and combines it with nutrients designed to maximise intracellular energy status (creatine, ATP, BCAA's, PH Buffer and nucleic acids).
The feedback on our forum has been nothing short of immense. I have personally used it and am happy to give it my highest recommendation.
Introducing Mass Pro Synthagen
Mass Pro Synthagen uses full spectrum Ecdysterone extracted from Rhaponticum carthomoides , the exact same source used in the research. Going on, Synthagen also adds in other ergogenics designed to work in synergy with Ecdysterone to provide a comprehensive all in one solution designed to progressively increase the rate at which the body can gain muscle and lose fat.
See the Mass Pro Synthagen thread here.
References
(1) Syrov VN. “Mechanism of the anabolic action of phytoecdysteroids in mammals.” Nauchnye Doki Vyss Shkoly Biol Nauki (11), (1984): pages 16-20.
(2) N. Todorov, et al. “MOLECULAR-BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF DRUG DESIGN AND MECHANISM OF DRUG ACTIONTHE EFFECT OF ECDYSTERONE ON THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF PROTEINS AND NUCLEIC ACIDS IN MICE.” Translated from Khimiko-Farmatsevticheskii Zhurnal, 34 (9), (Sep 2000): pages 3-5.
(3) Steroids 2010;75:632–637 - Gorelick-Feldman J, Cohick W, Raskin I. Ecdysteroids elicit a rapid Ca2+ flux leading to Akt activation and increased protein synthesis in skeletal muscle cells.
(4) Lafont R., Dinan L. 2003. Practical uses for ecdysteroids in mammals including humans: an update. 30pp. Journal
(5) 1) Syrov VN, et al. “Anabolic activity of phytoecdysone-ecdysterone isolated from Rhaponticum carthamoides.” Pharmacologic I Toksikologiia vol 39 (6), (Nov-Dec 1976): pages 690-693