Supplements - to Take or Not to Take?

[jvrl]

Ok lng b is u take xenadrine along with ZMA, im worried bka may side effects

[hint-of-lime]

the brand is SPORTS NUTRITION INTERNATIONAL... u can google it, comes in 100-g white bottles

 

as for roids, dont believe all the crap on it... used wisely, steroids have lots of health benefits... in fact, roids are often used for therapy (hypogonadotropism, spina bifina, asthma, other congenital defects)

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Let me clarify that a bit. Steroids are used medically only as a last resort to medical therapy should other modes of therapy fail. This is especially true of steroids which are taken systemically (e.g. ingesting a tablet of the drug) because taken in such a way, the effects are felt in all organs of the body. An exception is topical steroids (e.g. cream) used quite frequently in dermatology, because the effects are felt only in the area where the cream is applied. Another is in asthma - steroids are usually used in the form of an inhaler so that the effects would be felt only in the respiratory system - how ever, its use is indicated only in the severe stages of asthma, also because of its potential sideeffects. Hypogonadotropism is a very complex disease and with any number of causes. By definition, it means that the sexual organs are underdeveloped. The treatment is aimed at medically inducing development and thus virility and fertility in the patient. The complexity of the disease is one reason why the treatment is also very complex and involves the use of gonadotropins and testosterone substitutes. Anabolic steroids like those used for muscle mass enhancement are definitely not indicated because these have been linked to infertility which is not the endpoint wanted in this disease. Sex steroids, on the other hand, such as testosterone and estradiol are currently part of the treatment regimen, though with variable success. Steroids are not used for the treatment of specific congenital defects such as spina bifida, but for the complications arising from the defect. In spina bifida, for example, may used whenever spinal cord compression (e.g. naiipit ng buto yung spinal cord), particularly if the compression is sudden or acute, is detected to decrease the inflammation at the area of compression (steroids being strongly anti-inflammatory). However, surgical treatment is the definitive treatment for the problem. A congenital abnormality that leads to adrenal insufficiency is another indication for steroids but the patients more often than not end up with a problem called Cushing's syndrome which is a medically documented steroid side effect. Steroids are also used in transplant patients to decrease the rejection-rate of the organ - but again, more often than not, Cushing's syndrome is involved. As for anti-inflammatory properties, the reason why NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs) have been developed is to provide a safe substitute for patients who have problems with inflammation and the severity of whose disease does not warrant the use of systemic steroids. Even these NSAIDs have side-effects of their own, though usually easily managed relative to those exhibited by steroids. So my friends, my 2 cents for the day? Steroids are serious drugs taken only for serious diseases and monitored closely by a doctor. Taken on its own, it provides no health benefit. Sure you build up muscles fast, but at the risk of what? You look good at the peak of your life then at 30-40 years old, you get hip pain and your doctor tells you you have avascular necrosis of the hip for which you need a hip replacement (papalitan ng bakal ang balakang), a surgery which costs in the hundred of thousands of pesos. Or a person can't figure out why he and his wife can't have a baby - the doctor says the sperm count is really low because his testicles have atrophied. These are only a few of the many documented problems with steroids! This is why in the field of medicine, systemic steroids are always a last resort!

 

Peace my friends! I don't mean to antagonize anyone, it's just that I feel obligated to share my knowledge on medical matters as serious as this. Like I always tell my patients, they are the masters of their bodies and have the option not to follow a single word I have told them, but so long as they know the risks involved, so choose wisely!

[lord_gate]

Share niyo naman ang workout supplements niyo... Amino acid Doesnt work for me! They say Combination of creatine and whey protein works better and show positive results in weeks... How many grams per serving shall I take?

[Guest k....]

Share niyo naman ang workout supplements niyo... Amino acid Doesnt work for me! They say Combination of creatine and whey protein works better and show positive results in weeks... How many grams per serving shall I take?

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what most people do is 1.5-2 g of creatine per lb of body weight, depending on you tolerance, etc., and cycling it on/off for 1-2 week periods. I never attempted cycling, as I take it primarily for the kick and performance gains you get 30-60 mins after taking it (makes me lift 50% more at best! could be psychological tho :goatee: )

 

uh, to rub it in even more, 'bout 2 mos ago i tried xenadrine nrg and lost 14 lbs in 2 wks (I didnt notice any physical changes, but that's just me, baka anorexic lang ako ).. i'm not exactly chub, just in the midsec area stubborn eh may flabs pa din. so starting next wk on my cutting cycle i'll try hydrox

[Google]

ako i just take whey protein before workout, and around 5 mgs of creatine/day. works for me.

[lomex32]

GNC - BCAA 2 caps 3x a day (amino)

GNC - Creatine 1 cap 2x a day

GNC - Glutamine 2 caps 2x a day

[spitzky]

what most people do is 1.5-2 g of creatine per lb of body weight, depending on you tolerance, etc., and cycling it on/off for 1-2 week periods

 

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if i were u, i wudnt do that

 

ako i just take whey protein before workout, and around 5 mgs of creatine/day. works for me.

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5 grams cguro.. di milligrams

[Batabatuta™]

What happens when you take Hydrocut and Creatine at the same time?

[action_guy]

Ako naman amino ang iniinom ko amino 12000 before and after workout. 1 week lang inom ko nun kasi natakot ako na baka pag makatigil ako sa pag woworkout bigla nalang babagsak ang mascle ko, so til now hindi na ako nagtitake ng amino but i have a doctor friend at niyaya nya ako kung gusto ko ba daw ang steroids kasi mabilis daw magpalaki ng muscle, at yon ang ginagamit ng mga celibrety ngayon.

[Google]

if i were u, i wudnt do that 

5 grams cguro.. di milligrams

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sorry. typo. yup, it should be 5 gms instead of 5 mgs.

 

@batabatuta: tingin ko wala. kasi yung hydroxycut naman is a fat burner and creatine is a muscle builder. although may limitations ang hydroxycut na dapat may kasamang diet diba? pag sinabayan mo ng diet, naturally, hindi ka makakabuhat ng mabigat, which contradicts the effect of creatine.

 

@actionguy: hirap steroids pre... maganda nga kaha mo ngayon, pagtagal tagal ka naman sisingilin.

[Guest k....]

if i were u, i wudnt do that 

5 grams cguro.. di milligrams

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ngerkz should i guillotine my trainer now/ :cry: like i said the last time ive been a tad iffy about cycling creatine. mahina liver ko eh, it runs in the family

[budhaman]

what most people do is 1.5-2 g of creatine per lb of body weight, depending on you tolerance, etc., and cycling it on/off for 1-2 week periods.

 

are you serious? 5g per body weight?

[dawnman]

tnx kwol.....xenadrine is not banned pala sa tate??...i hope tama mga sources mo....

[hint-of-lime]

tnx kwol.....xenadrine is not banned pala sa tate??...i hope tama mga sources mo....

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I believe somebody asked about xenadrine in the MTC medical thread. Here are abstracts from articles of studies done on xenadrine which were published by rep*table medical journals abroad and are on file in the Medline Database at www.pubmed.com:

 

Short-term metabolic and hemodynamic effects of ephedra and guarana combinations.

Haller CA, Jacob P, Benowitz NL.Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2005 Jun;77(6):560-71.

Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. dchaller@worldnet.att.net

 

OBJECTIVE: Serious adverse health events have been reported with the use of dietary supplements containing ephedra and guarana. We sought to determine whether repeated dosing and multi-ingredient formulations contribute to the adverse effects of these supplements. METHODS: In this study, 16 healthy adults (8 women) took 2 doses each of ephedra-guarana alone, Xenadrine RFA, a multicomponent dietary supplement containing 25 mg ephedra alkaloids and 200 mg caffeine, or placebo 5 hours apart in a randomized, double-blind, 3-arm crossover study. RESULTS: Peak plasma ephedrine levels averaged 130 to 140 ng/mL. Compared with placebo, Xenadrine and ephedra-guarana significantly increased heart rate (maximum increase, 9.4 +/- 8.6 beats/min; P = .002), blood pressure (maximum increase in systolic and diastolic pressure, 11.5 +/- 10.7 mm Hg and 7.3 +/- 7.4 mm Hg, respectively; P = .015), postprandial glucose concentration (maximum change, 41.0 +/- 18.8 mg/dL; P < .0001), and insulin concentration (maximum change, 41.2 +/- 47.8 microIU/mL; P = .005). Serum potassium concentrations were significantly decreased by both treatments. Hemodynamic and metabolic changes were observed after both the first and second doses. However, plasma free fatty acid concentrations increased after the first dose only. Xenadrine RFA produced higher increases in glucose concentration than ephedra-guarana, but no other pharmacodynamic differences between the treatments were found. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of 2 doses of ephedra and guarana supplements, per supplement label recommendations, results in persistent increases in heart rate and blood pressure and unfavorable actions on glucose and potassium homeostasis. Such effects could be detrimental in persons with hypertension, atherosclerosis, or glucose intolerance, conditions that are strongly associated with obesity.

 

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Coronary thrombosis related to use of Xenadrine RFA.

Sachdeva R, Sivasankaran S, Fishman RF, Zarich SW, McPherson CA.

Tex Heart Inst J. 2005;32(1):74-7.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Bridgeport Hospital, Yale Universitty School of Medicine, Bridgeport, Connecticut 06610, USA.

 

Recently, ephedra was removed from the U.S. marketplace due to a heightened concern that dietary supplements containing ephedra may present "an unreasonable risk of illness or injury." This is the 1st time the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned an herbal supplement, and the ban sheds light on the potential harm of nutritional supplements that are used for weight loss or as a boost to athletic performance. We report the case of a body builder who used Xenadrine RFA, an ephedra-containing supplement, at recommended doses for nearly a year; he then experienced an acute myocardial infarction, which was documented to be secondary to thrombosis in situ. We ruled out other possible causes of myocardial infarction, as well a hypercoagulable state. There was no evidence of illicit drug use. Our report serves as a poignant reminder of the potential dangers of herbal supplementation, especially when used to heighten athletic performance.

 

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Ephedrine increases ventricular arrhythmias in conscious dogs after myocardial infarction.

Adamson PB, Suarez J, Ellis E, Kanaly T, Vanoli E.

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2004 Oct 19;44(8):1675-8.

Department of Physiology, Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 920 S.L. Young Boulevard, Oklahoma City, OK 73190, USA. Philip-adamson@ouhsc.edu

 

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the hypothesis that the sympathomimetic activity of ephedrine increases the risk of lethal arrhythmias. BACKGROUND: The sympathomimetic amine, ephedrine, is used to augment physical performance and as a weight loss aid, but little is known about the cardiovascular consequences in individuals with ischemic heart disease. METHODS: Fifteen dogs at low risk for ventricular fibrillation (VF) during exercise and transient myocardial ischemia 30 days after a small anterior myocardial infarction were retested after five days of ephedrine use (Xenadrine, 0.4 mg/kg/day orally). To assess the effects of ephedrine on cardiac autonomic control, baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS), heart rate (HR) variability, HR response to acute myocardial ischemia, and resting catecholamines were measured before and after ephedrine. Dogs were used as their own control when possible. RESULTS: Nine of 15 animals had increased ventricular arrhythmias during ephedrine treatment (p = 0.01) and four had VF. Three dogs that had VF could not be resuscitated. Five animals with increased arrhythmias during ephedrine treatment had none during a third exercise and ischemia test after drug washout. Heart rates were higher after 30 s of myocardial ischemia during ephedrine treatment (204 +/- 25 beats/min no drug vs. 218 +/- 26 beats/min with ephedrine, p = 0.03). All plasma catecholamines increased after ephedrine administration. No changes in BRS, HR variability, or exercise HR were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Ephedrine increases ischemia-dependent arrhythmias at doses recommended in over-the-counter preparations. Increased arrhythmia risk was associated with augmented ischemia-dependent sympathetic reflex activation.

 

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Exercise-induced syncope associated with QT prolongation and ephedra-free Xenadrine.

Nasir JM, Durning SJ, Ferguson M, Barold HS, Haigney MC.

Mayo Clin Proc. 2004 Aug;79(8):1059-62. 

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.

 

The Food and Drug Administration recently banned the sale of ephedra alkaloids because of their association with arrhythmic sudden death, myocardial infarction, and stroke. This has resulted in the emergence of formulations marketed for weight loss and performance enhancement that are "ephedra free" but contain other sympathomimetic substances, the safety of which has not been established. We report a case of exercise-induced syncope in a healthy 22-year-old woman that occurred 1 hour after she took the second dose of Xenadrine EFX, an ephedra-free weight-loss supplement. Electrocardiography revealed prolongation of the QT interval (corrected QT, 516 milliseconds); this resolved in 24 hours. Results of echocardiography and exercise stress testing were normal. Nine months of monitoring with an implanted loop recorder revealed no arrhythmias in the absence of Xenadrine EFX. Although this product contains a number of compounds whose pharmacologic effect is poorly characterized, notable quantities of phenylephrine are present, and the proarrhythmic potential of this compound in the setting of exercise is discussed.

 

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An acute clinical trial evaluating the cardiovascular effects of an herbal ephedra-caffeine weight loss product in healthy overweight adults.

Kalman D, Incledon T, Gaunaurd I, Schwartz H, Krieger D.

Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2002 Oct;26(10):1363-6.

Miami Research Associates, Miami, Florida 33143, USA. dkalman@miamiresearch.com

 

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to determine the acute effects of a commercial weight loss supplement containing herbal ephedrine and caffeine on cardiovascular function in healthy overweight adults. DESIGN: Randomized double blind clinical trial evaluating the cardiovascular effects of an ephedra-caffeine (Xenadrine; XEN) based herbal product vs placebo (PLA). SUBJECTS: Twenty-seven healthy overweight adults (age 21-60 y; body mass index > or = 25 kg/m(2)). MEASUREMENTS: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, serial electrocardiograms (EKG) and Doppler echocardiograms. RESULTS: A comparison of means between the groups indicated no statistically significant differences at the start of the study for the variables above. There were no serious adverse events. When examining the effects of XEN vs PLA on cardiovascular health/function, there were no significant effects observed in heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, left ventricular ejection fraction, heart valve function or in cardiovascular physiology within the parameters measured. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that, over a 14-day period, ingestion of the commercial weight loss supplement in a healthy overweight population did not produce any noticeable cardiovascular side effects.

 

These 5 studies were enumerated after using "Xenadrine" as the search word. Four out of the three studies reported detrimental effects after use of the supplement xenadrine. The actual US-FDA ban is on Xenadrine RFA-1 which contains ephedra. You can view the ruling on the official website of the US-FDA on this link US-FDA Final Ruling on Ephedra containing compounds Note, however that one study mentioned among these 5 specifically mentioned the use of Xenadrine EFX.

 

And again, as with my spiel on steroids, you are the master of your body. I have said my piece and it is up to you to decide what you wish to do, knowing the possible consequenes of your actions. Choose well! *med

[don_cruzer]

daily routine sabay sa breakfast, Ascorbic Acid (smoker kasi) + Vitamin E (nagpapabata)

 

haven't noticed any change/improvement the past year... but who knows baka totoo pala sabi ni Doc, what do you have to loose, tuloy-tuloy lang.