But you forgot this one!
Now before you all go yell at me for posting an AST article (Benz) its just more fodder to chew on
Methoxyisoflavone: The Truth
by Paul Cribb, B.H.Sci HMS
AST Director of Research
reatine was probably the best and worst thing to happen to the sports supplement industry.
Several hundred studies now validate creatine's remarkable muscle building, performance enhancing abilities in a variety of sports. Extensive research shows creatine to be safe, side effect-free and, best of all, economical to use. To some extent, the Holy Grail had been found. Creatine single handedly bolstered the credibility of an industry filled with unscrupulous companies.
Now creatine's success has caused a gold-rush among sports supplement companies. They are all eager to cash in on the restored faith of the consumer and discover the next creatine. Creatine was the perfect example of how science and the supplement industry could work together. And while I suspect there will never be another creatine, this has not stopped many supplement companies desperately attempting to find something better. One of the recent, and perhaps most fraudulent, examples is methoxyisoflavone (5-methyl-7-methoxy-isoflavone). This isoflavone has been marketed as a "powerful anabolic", a "scientifically-proven lean mass stimulator" and an "alternative to anabolic steroids".
What are isoflavones?
Isoflavones are compounds found in soy beans or soy-containing foods.[1] They are naturally occurring, non-steroidal phytoestrogens that bind to estrogen receptors and possess weak estrogenic properties.[2] Some of the research that is sited in the marketing of "anabolic" isoflavones shows that compounds such as ipriflavone may hold promise in the treatment of osteoporosis, and soy isoflavone extracts to treat estrogen-deficient conditions, but this research has nothing to do with building muscle.[2-4]
So, exactly what is the scientific literature behind methoxyisoflavone, ipriflavone and the other "highly anabolic" isoflavones? None. I have performed numerous literature scans on these compounds and can find absolutely nothing to do with building muscle, in fish, birds, chickens or any other animal.
What's in a patent?
According to many of the companies that market methoxyisoflavone, this "mysterious" compound remained "buried" in the US Patent Office until 1997 when the rights expired. Some researchers in Hungary filed patents on these compounds over 30-years ago.[5,6] They believed these isoflavone compounds possessed non-estrogenic properties. The patents contain some descriptions of animal research and recommendations of how these compounds may be of use to humans. However, that is about it. That is all the evidence there is to support the amazing anabolic properties of methoxyisoflavone and its related compounds!
Some supplement marketers will attempt to impress you in their advertising with the sighting of patent numbers claiming that the US Patent Office would not award a patent to something that was not effective. This is simply not true. Patent officials do not judge the validity of the information presented to support the patent. A patent is not, in any way, a certification of the effectiveness of a product. A patent is not a verification of the science behind a product. A patent is merely a copyright, concerned only with the novelty of product.
Latest Research?
To successfully complete controlled research involving human subjects consuming sports supplements is a formidable undertaking and the costs are substantial. Funding this type of research at an independent academic facility is something that most supplement companies are not interested in. So when the first ever study involving humans supplementing with methoxyisoflavone was presented at the 2001 American College of Sports Medicine annual conference, [7] I was very interested.
The study examined 14-college men supplementing with methoxyisoflavone during resistance training. However, the research was poorly controlled and yielded insignificant results. The training program and dietary intake were not carefully monitored and the control group showed an increase in body fat, which suggests that many of the subjects did not comply with the procedures required of them during the eight-week period. Disappointingly, no conclusions can be drawn from this kind of research.
There is a lot of hype surrounding methoxy supplements, but there is one thing missing - the science. At this point I would have to say there is absolutely no research at all showing methoxy isoflavone helps build muscle. My personal suspicion is that as an anabolic agent, this supplement's value is non-existent.
You have to understand this industry to understand why products like methoxy isoflavone ever make it to the market. You see, most companies' philosophy is to continually offer the consumer something new. And there is nothing wrong with this, providing the "new" product has science to support its use as an effective nutritional supplement. Methoxyisoflavone does not. Methoxy isoflavone is a perfect example of a supplement that is completely backed by marketing and not by science.
References:
1. Messina M, Messina V. Soyfoods, soybean isoflavones, and bone health: a brief overview. J.Ren Nutr. 10:63-8, 2000.
2. Scheiber MD, Rebar RW. Isoflavones and post menopausal bone health: a viable alternative to estrogen therapy? Menopause. 6:233-41,1999.
3. Carusi D. Pytoestrogens as hormone replacement therapy: an evidence-based approach. Prim Care Update Observ Gyn. 7:253-259, 2000.
4. Ohta H. et al., Effects of 1-year of ipriflavone treatment on lumbar bone mineral density and bone metabolic markers in postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Horm Res. 51:178-83, 1999.
5. US Patent 3949085: Anabolic-weight-gain promoting compositions containing isoflavone deriviatives and method using the same.
6. US Patent 4163746: Metabolic5-methyl-isoflavone-derivatives, process for preparation thereof and compositions containing the same.
7. Incledon T, Van Gammeren D, Antonio J. The effects of 5-methyl-7-methoxyisoflavone on body composition and performance in college men. Med. Sci. Sports Exerci. 33(5):2001.
