Nequals1
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Results:
After 90 days, application of UH/11KT/DC combined with supplements and RE training lead to an increase in plasma testosterone (T), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Estradiol (E2) did not change. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) increased concomitant with T, leading to an insignificant reduction in free testosterone.
Strength increased in both endpoint exercises. The projected one repetition max (pORM) in bench press increased by 52 lbs (150 vs 202 lbs), for an average increase of 18.6 lbs/mo or 12%. Seated leg press increased by 54 lbs (336 to 390 lbs), for an average of 19.35 lbs/mo, or 6%. Previous studies in which only supplements were consumed resulted in significantly less increases in strength in total and on average for the same duration.
In addition to the serum hormones and strength assessment, three psychological factors were monitored: libido, masculinity, and quality of workout. Of the three, libido exhibited a multiphasic pattern that oscillated between a high score of 5 and a low score of 1 on a roughly biweekly cycle from week 1 through week 6. After week 6, libido plateaued at a median score of 3 for 2 additional weeks (week 6 -8) before dropping precipitously to a low level of 1 where it remained for 2 additional weeks. After, the biweekly oscillation continued from week 9 through the end of the study at week 12. Masculinity tracked roughly with libido, except that the pronounced biweekly peak and trough levels observed for libido were less regular and less pronounced for masculinity. Interestingly, the quality of the workout was ranked very high (4/5) during the first 4 weeks of the study, but then remained elevated (score >3) for the remainder of the study with the pattern becoming more cyclical in the terminal weeks of the study, which did not appear to correlate with either libido or masculinity. In the non-quantitative notes section of the self-reporting form, the subject continually reported feeling greater endurance and ability to execute additional sets and reps when previously unable and unmotivated to do so. In addition, subject reported a greater degree of satisfaction with the way shirts fit and accented recent gains in muscle size and definition.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prohormones and dietary supplements on the development of strength. Additional secondary endpoints measured reproductive hormones and assessed overall libido, masculinity, and quality of workout. Previous efforts reported the effects of prohormones on the plasma levels of reproductive hormones alone without assessing their impact on strength or in combination with dietary supplements commonly used by recreational bodybuilders. Here we see that the combined use of PH and supplements along with RE led to a significant increase in strength gains.
These findings confirm and extend the established literature that RE leads to increased strength and that PHs and supplements enhance the strength gained by RE. This is obviously not new and should come as no surprise to both the lay audience and expert bodybuilder. What is new is the specific effects of this combination and the quantification of the enhancement. It is common to project a 5 - 10% increase in the ORM for every 8 weeks of RE training. An aggressive training regimen, a high degree of compliance to routine, genetics, and training experience can all yield greater strength gains, but these are outliers and not the expected results for most individuals. Indeed, in this study the participant has an ectomorph body type, and despite many years of effort with a certified trainer and dietician, struggles to gain significant muscle mass. Accordingly, the combination of PH and supplements yielded a greater increase in strength over what was expected based on the subject’s previous efforts.
Beyond the directly measured endpoints in strength and plasma hormone profiles, the self-assessed psychological parameters provide additional insights. Perhaps most relevant is the consistently high ranking in workout quality. During the 12 week period, 48 workouts using the weekly 4-day split were recorded. Of these, 29 scored ≥ 3 and were accompanied by some tangible achievement such as an increase in pORM, repetition or volume record. In addition, 10 workouts included comments regarding the ability to do more than the proscribed weight, sets and/or repetitions. These high-ranking workouts and achievements started within 1 week of starting the PH and supplement regimen and continued throughout. No such comments/entries were recorded in the prior study using only supplements.
There is some overlap and interaction between the psychological parameters measured. Indeed, high-ranking workouts can be reasonably expected to correlate with a high score in masculinity; who would not rank themselves as having a higher level of masculinity after crushing a tough workout? Similarly, it is expected that a higher libido would also correlate with a higher score in feelings of masculinity. Despite this potentially confounding overlap, it is clear that the subjective measure of workout quality was highly correlated with objective measures of strength and achievement in the gym. In addition, despite a precipitous drop in libido in week 8, overall feeling of masculinity and workout quality did not diminish concordantly. Hence these results can be cautiously interpreted as indicating that the combination of PH and supplements acted synergistically to increase gains as well as the perception that gains were being made, leading to the actual realization of greater gains than had been previously experienced.
It remains to be determined if these results can be replicated in other subjects, hard gainers/ectomorphs and other body types. Indeed, the major limitation of this study is the n = 1 design. The results provided here can best be used as a guideline for stacking these supplements and PHs, and for what individuals may expect regarding overall gains in strength.
After 90 days, application of UH/11KT/DC combined with supplements and RE training lead to an increase in plasma testosterone (T), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Estradiol (E2) did not change. Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) increased concomitant with T, leading to an insignificant reduction in free testosterone.
| Parameter | ||||
Pre | Post | Delta (%change) | ||
| Testosterone (total, ng/dL) | 271 | 320 | + 49 (18%) | |
| Testosterone (Free, ng/dL) | 54.0 | 53.3 | - 0.7 (-1.3) | |
| SHBG (nmol/L) | 35 | 39 | + 4 (11%) | |
| E2 (pg/mL) | 19 | 20 | + 1 (5%) | |
| DHT (ng/dL) | 39 | 73 | + 34 (87%) |
Strength increased in both endpoint exercises. The projected one repetition max (pORM) in bench press increased by 52 lbs (150 vs 202 lbs), for an average increase of 18.6 lbs/mo or 12%. Seated leg press increased by 54 lbs (336 to 390 lbs), for an average of 19.35 lbs/mo, or 6%. Previous studies in which only supplements were consumed resulted in significantly less increases in strength in total and on average for the same duration.
In addition to the serum hormones and strength assessment, three psychological factors were monitored: libido, masculinity, and quality of workout. Of the three, libido exhibited a multiphasic pattern that oscillated between a high score of 5 and a low score of 1 on a roughly biweekly cycle from week 1 through week 6. After week 6, libido plateaued at a median score of 3 for 2 additional weeks (week 6 -8) before dropping precipitously to a low level of 1 where it remained for 2 additional weeks. After, the biweekly oscillation continued from week 9 through the end of the study at week 12. Masculinity tracked roughly with libido, except that the pronounced biweekly peak and trough levels observed for libido were less regular and less pronounced for masculinity. Interestingly, the quality of the workout was ranked very high (4/5) during the first 4 weeks of the study, but then remained elevated (score >3) for the remainder of the study with the pattern becoming more cyclical in the terminal weeks of the study, which did not appear to correlate with either libido or masculinity. In the non-quantitative notes section of the self-reporting form, the subject continually reported feeling greater endurance and ability to execute additional sets and reps when previously unable and unmotivated to do so. In addition, subject reported a greater degree of satisfaction with the way shirts fit and accented recent gains in muscle size and definition.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of prohormones and dietary supplements on the development of strength. Additional secondary endpoints measured reproductive hormones and assessed overall libido, masculinity, and quality of workout. Previous efforts reported the effects of prohormones on the plasma levels of reproductive hormones alone without assessing their impact on strength or in combination with dietary supplements commonly used by recreational bodybuilders. Here we see that the combined use of PH and supplements along with RE led to a significant increase in strength gains.
These findings confirm and extend the established literature that RE leads to increased strength and that PHs and supplements enhance the strength gained by RE. This is obviously not new and should come as no surprise to both the lay audience and expert bodybuilder. What is new is the specific effects of this combination and the quantification of the enhancement. It is common to project a 5 - 10% increase in the ORM for every 8 weeks of RE training. An aggressive training regimen, a high degree of compliance to routine, genetics, and training experience can all yield greater strength gains, but these are outliers and not the expected results for most individuals. Indeed, in this study the participant has an ectomorph body type, and despite many years of effort with a certified trainer and dietician, struggles to gain significant muscle mass. Accordingly, the combination of PH and supplements yielded a greater increase in strength over what was expected based on the subject’s previous efforts.
Beyond the directly measured endpoints in strength and plasma hormone profiles, the self-assessed psychological parameters provide additional insights. Perhaps most relevant is the consistently high ranking in workout quality. During the 12 week period, 48 workouts using the weekly 4-day split were recorded. Of these, 29 scored ≥ 3 and were accompanied by some tangible achievement such as an increase in pORM, repetition or volume record. In addition, 10 workouts included comments regarding the ability to do more than the proscribed weight, sets and/or repetitions. These high-ranking workouts and achievements started within 1 week of starting the PH and supplement regimen and continued throughout. No such comments/entries were recorded in the prior study using only supplements.
There is some overlap and interaction between the psychological parameters measured. Indeed, high-ranking workouts can be reasonably expected to correlate with a high score in masculinity; who would not rank themselves as having a higher level of masculinity after crushing a tough workout? Similarly, it is expected that a higher libido would also correlate with a higher score in feelings of masculinity. Despite this potentially confounding overlap, it is clear that the subjective measure of workout quality was highly correlated with objective measures of strength and achievement in the gym. In addition, despite a precipitous drop in libido in week 8, overall feeling of masculinity and workout quality did not diminish concordantly. Hence these results can be cautiously interpreted as indicating that the combination of PH and supplements acted synergistically to increase gains as well as the perception that gains were being made, leading to the actual realization of greater gains than had been previously experienced.
It remains to be determined if these results can be replicated in other subjects, hard gainers/ectomorphs and other body types. Indeed, the major limitation of this study is the n = 1 design. The results provided here can best be used as a guideline for stacking these supplements and PHs, and for what individuals may expect regarding overall gains in strength.
