One-two punch, gonna knock you out with the update to the MyoSynergy writeup. If you're lucky enough to have grabbed a few bottles from the initial release, you know we already knocked you out with the most badass non-hormonal muscle building product on the market.
Enjoy the ride.
MyoSynergy Elite Write Up
Intro
MyoSynergy Elite is a brand new formula capitalizing on the success of the original MyoSynergy formula, with some exciting tweaks. Like the original formula, MyoSynergy Elite has been 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.
Anabolic/Catabolic Signaling
To trigger anabolism, the body primarily engages in the following sequence of events:
Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) 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.
IGF-1PI3KAktMTOR
When this happens, we see the following take place (1,2):
Protein Synthesis (muscle growth)
Anti-catabolism (prevention of muscle breakdown)
Myostatin inhibition (major governor on muscle growth)
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!
Eucommia Ulmoides Extract (EUE)
EUE comes from the bark of a small tree native to China, and has been well studied for a variety of effects on the brain and body.
Firstly, from an anabolic hormonal perspective, EUE has been shown to have “phytoandrogen” properties, acting as a mild androgen. It also acts as an androgen booster/helper, by augmenting endogenous and/or exogenous testosterone signaling at the androgen receptor (7). EUE is also a potent inducer of Growth Hormone release, and increases IGF-1 expression (8,9).
EUE also improves glucose and insulin signaling through multiple angles. It has been shown to selectively increase GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscles, which basically means you can get more carbohydrates into your muscle cells (10). In rats overfed fructose to develop insulin resistance, the group supplemented with EUE for a month saw a significant reduction in fasting insulin and blood pressure vs. the controls (11).
Aside from the anabolic/muscle growth properties of EUE, it also boasts several mechanisms to enhance fat loss (in addition to the previously stated lowering of fasting insulin). Multiple studies have demonstrated EUE’s ability to significantly increase fatty acid oxidation, and it even has the unique ability to increase skeletal muscle’s ability to use ketone bodies on a high fat diet (10,12). Not only does it upregulate fat burning, but it has also been shown to be a powerful inhibitor of adipogenesis (the process of a pre-adipocyte becoming a fat cell) (13). EUE may also promote improved blood lipids by lowering triglycerides, and has been called an anti-metabolic syndrome agent (10,12).
It turns out EUE may even make your brain work better as well. It has been shown to be a potent Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (thereby boosting the function of acetylcholine in the brain), and due to this it was able to improve memory impairment and maze test outcomes in mice with Alzheimer’s Disease (14). In healthy individuals, enhancing the function of acetylcholine can increase speed of thought and even help performance as these levels tend to drop during hard exercise.
Finally, and one of the several reasons we recommend stacking this product with EvoMuse BMP, is the ability of EUE to enhance bone growth signaling (which can actually directly influence muscle hypertrophy as well, which is thoroughly covered in the BMP writeup). EUE markedly increases BMP-2, improves bone cell function during times of oxidative stress, promotes bone growth, increases proliferation of osteoblasts, promotes chondrogenesis, and inhibits osteolysis (8,9,13,15,16).
Butea Superba Extract (BSE)
Bueta Superba is an interesting Thai herb, widely considered to have aphrodisiac qualities. Along the lines of the aphrodisiac aspect, it has been shown to increase penile erections in diabetic rats (diabetes frequently interferes with normal erectile function) (17).
When a compound has libido boosting effects, chances are pretty good that we’ll see some positive interaction with testosterone and/or DHT, which is exactly what we see with BSE. If one were to look solely at the 2008 rat study from Cherdshewasart, et al., it would appear that BSE could actually lower testosterone when taken at high doses, and even elevate liver enzymes (18). However, there’s a couple of things to keep in mind here. One, when taking prohormones or non-testosterone based steroids, the body drops production of its own testosterone to compensate, which is likely what is happening here. And two, the rest of the published data tells a different story, in fact, another rat study using an even higher dose of BSE resulted in increased testis weight and sperm count, and found it to be safe with no adverse side effects at 100x the Thai recommended dose for humans (19).
BSE has also been shown to be anti-estrogenic and androgenic in several other studies, as well as being deemed to work in conjunction, and synergistically with the body’s own testosterone (20–22).
In a 2012 case study, a patient came in “complaining” of an increased sex drive. Lab testing revealed elevated levels of Free Testosterone, DHT, and DHEA-sulfate, and was thus diagnosed as having hyperandrogenemia (aka elevated androgens, sounds like a good problem to have). After assessing current supplement intake, the patient was advised to stop taking BSE. One week after cessation, the patient’s sex drive had returned to normal and lab testing showed DHT had dropped back to normal (23).
BSE also appears to have some positive effects on the brain. Research shows it can increase neurogenesis in the hippocampus, relieve depression-like symptoms induced by chronic stress, ameliorate cognitive dysfunction, and inhibit acetylcholinesterase thereby elevating acetylcholine levels (24,25).
In summary, we should see a nice jump in muscle building anabolic hormones, anti-estrogen activity, and a bit of a brain boost from BSE.
Hwanggeumachal Sorghum (HS)
Sorghum refers to a genus of grasses, typically used in livestock feed. As you can probably assume by now, we didn’t just throw some grass clippings in this advanced formula. We have found a very specific extract of Sorghum that boasts some cool properties.
Growth Hormone (GH) is a well-known regulator of bone growth. When GH is elevated, it triggers something called the Jak/STAT pathway, which regulates IGF-1, a major player in bone and muscle growth. HS has been shown to act almost exactly like GH in activating this Jak/STAT pathway, which then increases the expression of GH related proteins, (one of which, STAT5b triggers BMP7), the GH receptor itself, IGF-1, the IGF-1 receptor, and BMP7 (26).
The science nerds might have noticed something particularly intriguing about that. When we trigg
.er more BMP7, we trigger more MSC differentiation towards osteoblasts, giving the (now also elevated by HS) anabolic IGF-1 more beneficial places to exert its effects.
And for the bonus round, HSE has been shown to reduce plasma Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides when given to obese rats on a high fat diet (27).
Enjoy the ride.
MyoSynergy Elite Write Up
Intro
MyoSynergy Elite is a brand new formula capitalizing on the success of the original MyoSynergy formula, with some exciting tweaks. Like the original formula, MyoSynergy Elite has been 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.
Anabolic/Catabolic Signaling
To trigger anabolism, the body primarily engages in the following sequence of events:
Insulin Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) 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.
IGF-1PI3KAktMTOR
When this happens, we see the following take place (1,2):
Protein Synthesis (muscle growth)
Anti-catabolism (prevention of muscle breakdown)
Myostatin inhibition (major governor on muscle growth)
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!
Eucommia Ulmoides Extract (EUE)
EUE comes from the bark of a small tree native to China, and has been well studied for a variety of effects on the brain and body.
Firstly, from an anabolic hormonal perspective, EUE has been shown to have “phytoandrogen” properties, acting as a mild androgen. It also acts as an androgen booster/helper, by augmenting endogenous and/or exogenous testosterone signaling at the androgen receptor (7). EUE is also a potent inducer of Growth Hormone release, and increases IGF-1 expression (8,9).
EUE also improves glucose and insulin signaling through multiple angles. It has been shown to selectively increase GLUT-4 expression in skeletal muscles, which basically means you can get more carbohydrates into your muscle cells (10). In rats overfed fructose to develop insulin resistance, the group supplemented with EUE for a month saw a significant reduction in fasting insulin and blood pressure vs. the controls (11).
Aside from the anabolic/muscle growth properties of EUE, it also boasts several mechanisms to enhance fat loss (in addition to the previously stated lowering of fasting insulin). Multiple studies have demonstrated EUE’s ability to significantly increase fatty acid oxidation, and it even has the unique ability to increase skeletal muscle’s ability to use ketone bodies on a high fat diet (10,12). Not only does it upregulate fat burning, but it has also been shown to be a powerful inhibitor of adipogenesis (the process of a pre-adipocyte becoming a fat cell) (13). EUE may also promote improved blood lipids by lowering triglycerides, and has been called an anti-metabolic syndrome agent (10,12).
It turns out EUE may even make your brain work better as well. It has been shown to be a potent Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (thereby boosting the function of acetylcholine in the brain), and due to this it was able to improve memory impairment and maze test outcomes in mice with Alzheimer’s Disease (14). In healthy individuals, enhancing the function of acetylcholine can increase speed of thought and even help performance as these levels tend to drop during hard exercise.
Finally, and one of the several reasons we recommend stacking this product with EvoMuse BMP, is the ability of EUE to enhance bone growth signaling (which can actually directly influence muscle hypertrophy as well, which is thoroughly covered in the BMP writeup). EUE markedly increases BMP-2, improves bone cell function during times of oxidative stress, promotes bone growth, increases proliferation of osteoblasts, promotes chondrogenesis, and inhibits osteolysis (8,9,13,15,16).
Butea Superba Extract (BSE)
Bueta Superba is an interesting Thai herb, widely considered to have aphrodisiac qualities. Along the lines of the aphrodisiac aspect, it has been shown to increase penile erections in diabetic rats (diabetes frequently interferes with normal erectile function) (17).
When a compound has libido boosting effects, chances are pretty good that we’ll see some positive interaction with testosterone and/or DHT, which is exactly what we see with BSE. If one were to look solely at the 2008 rat study from Cherdshewasart, et al., it would appear that BSE could actually lower testosterone when taken at high doses, and even elevate liver enzymes (18). However, there’s a couple of things to keep in mind here. One, when taking prohormones or non-testosterone based steroids, the body drops production of its own testosterone to compensate, which is likely what is happening here. And two, the rest of the published data tells a different story, in fact, another rat study using an even higher dose of BSE resulted in increased testis weight and sperm count, and found it to be safe with no adverse side effects at 100x the Thai recommended dose for humans (19).
BSE has also been shown to be anti-estrogenic and androgenic in several other studies, as well as being deemed to work in conjunction, and synergistically with the body’s own testosterone (20–22).
In a 2012 case study, a patient came in “complaining” of an increased sex drive. Lab testing revealed elevated levels of Free Testosterone, DHT, and DHEA-sulfate, and was thus diagnosed as having hyperandrogenemia (aka elevated androgens, sounds like a good problem to have). After assessing current supplement intake, the patient was advised to stop taking BSE. One week after cessation, the patient’s sex drive had returned to normal and lab testing showed DHT had dropped back to normal (23).
BSE also appears to have some positive effects on the brain. Research shows it can increase neurogenesis in the hippocampus, relieve depression-like symptoms induced by chronic stress, ameliorate cognitive dysfunction, and inhibit acetylcholinesterase thereby elevating acetylcholine levels (24,25).
In summary, we should see a nice jump in muscle building anabolic hormones, anti-estrogen activity, and a bit of a brain boost from BSE.
Hwanggeumachal Sorghum (HS)
Sorghum refers to a genus of grasses, typically used in livestock feed. As you can probably assume by now, we didn’t just throw some grass clippings in this advanced formula. We have found a very specific extract of Sorghum that boasts some cool properties.
Growth Hormone (GH) is a well-known regulator of bone growth. When GH is elevated, it triggers something called the Jak/STAT pathway, which regulates IGF-1, a major player in bone and muscle growth. HS has been shown to act almost exactly like GH in activating this Jak/STAT pathway, which then increases the expression of GH related proteins, (one of which, STAT5b triggers BMP7), the GH receptor itself, IGF-1, the IGF-1 receptor, and BMP7 (26).
The science nerds might have noticed something particularly intriguing about that. When we trigg
.er more BMP7, we trigger more MSC differentiation towards osteoblasts, giving the (now also elevated by HS) anabolic IGF-1 more beneficial places to exert its effects.
And for the bonus round, HSE has been shown to reduce plasma Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides when given to obese rats on a high fat diet (27).