EPO Might Increase Muscle And Capillary Growth

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone produced by the kidneys that stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow. Scientists developed a synthetic version of EPO using recombinant DNA technology (genetically alters bacteria to produce EPO). It is very popular with cyclists and distance runners who take it to increase maximal oxygen consumption and endurance. The drug increases the ability to deliver oxygen to the muscles and boosts exercise capacity by 10 percent or more. EPO is a banned substance in most sports and has been at the center of recent doping scandals in the Tour de France and the Olympics. It does more than increase red blood cell production. Danish researchers found EPO receptors in muscle and in cells lining blood vessels. EPO is involved in muscle hypertrophy and promoting capillary density in response to training, but its role is not very well understood. (Journal Applied Physiology, 104: 1154–1160, 2008)

Steroid Users Have Bad Images

During the recent congressional hearings on drug use in baseball, the news media portrayed athletes who used anabolic steroids at about the same level as heroine addicts, burglars and check forgers. It is little wonder that the perception of the average person is similarly misinformed. French psychologists found that people viewed steroid users as less committed and motivated, poor sportsmen and more likely to deliberately injure an opponent. The study showed that in the general population, steroid use is socially undesirable and steroid users are viewed in a bad light. The average non-medical user of steroids is in his early 30s and takes the drugs for self-improvement. Most steroid users seek to increase strength, muscle mass and physical attractiveness and decrease body fat. They follow structured diets and exercise programs and do not play sports. Most are well educated and employed and take the drugs as part of a health-centered lifestyle. It isn’t likely that the image of anabolic steroids will improve anytime soon. If you use steroids, keep quiet about it. (Scandinavian Journal Medicine Science Sports, in press; published online February 4, 2008)

Levothyroxine Therapy Maintains Levels Of T3

Many bodybuilders take levothyroxine, a synthetic form of the thyroid hormone thyroxin (T4), to help cut fat and normalize thyroid function when taking growth hormone and anabolic steroids. The thyroid gland releases thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Both hormones stimulate metabolism. T3 is more powerful than T4. Also, most T4 is converted to T3 in tissues outside the thyroid gland. Metabolism decreases by 50 percent when your body can’t secrete these hormones. Likewise, metabolic rate increases 60-100 percent if your body secretes too much. Georgetown Medical School researchers found that levothyroxine increased levels of T4 and T3 in patients without thyroid glands. This study showed that taking levothyroxine by itself was sufficient for maximizing thyroid therapy and that it was not necessary to also take T3 medications such as Cytomel. (Journal American Medical Association, 299: 769–777, 2008)

Inhaled Insulin Could Cause Lung Cancer

People with type 1 diabetes and many people with type 2 diabetes need insulin injections to regulate blood sugar. The injections are relatively painless, but they are inconvenient and embarrassing. Pfizer Inc., Nektar Therapeutics and Sanofi-Aventis SA developed an inhaled insulin product called Exubera that effectively lowers blood sugar in type 1 diabetics who were taking low doses of injected insulin. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug in 1996, but the companies stopped clinical trials after reporting an increased incidence of lung cancer in patients using the drug. All patients who developed lung cancer smoked cigarettes and there were so few cases that it was difficult to say whether the drug triggered the cancer. Physicians have been reluctant to prescribe the drug, so it has not been the financial success that the companies had hoped. (Reuters, April 9, 2008)

Gene Helps Athletes Beat Drug Test

Testosterone accounts for nearly 50 percent of positive drug tests in Olympic sports. Doping control labs detect supplemental testosterone by measuring the balance between testosterone and epitestosterone. Jenny Schulze and colleagues, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, found that most people with a common gene variant could take high doses of testosterone (500 milligrams of testosterone enanthate) and never test positive for the drug. They injected testosterone into people with three variants of the UGT2B17 gene and attempted to detect the drug for 15 days. One hundred percent of people without the gene variant tested positive throughout the 15-day period, while only about 50 percent with the variant were detected. The researchers concluded that genes play an important role in the metabolism and detection of drugs used in sports and are important considerations in drug testing. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) plans to test 4500 athletes at the upcoming Beijing Olympic games, 1,000 more tests than were conducted at the Athens games. It is not known whether they will screen for gene variants affecting the measurement of testosterone. (Journal Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, in press; published online March 11, 2008)

Change Testosterone Gel To Reduce Side Effects Or Increase Strength

Most men treated with testosterone therapy are prescribed gels such as AndroGel or Testim. Researchers from the University of Toronto found that men treated with AndroGel had testosterone levels on the low side of normal, but increased testosterone when treated with Testim. Likewise, men switching from Testim to Androgel experienced fewer side effects. Most bodybuilders who use testosterone inject testosterone esters such as testosterone enanthate, so they can get higher doses. Injectable testosterone also causes more serious side effects, such as increased hematocrit and hemoglobin (i.e., blood thickening), acne, swelling and gynecomastia (breast tissue development). Physicians can order testosterone creams in stronger concentrations than commercially available products from formulating pharmacies, which can increase testosterone levels above those produced by Androgel and Testim. (International Journal Impotence Research, 20: 213–217, 2008)

Gene Discovery Could Lead To Baldness Cure

Male pattern hair loss affects more than half of men by age 50. The discovery of a gene linked to hair loss could result in the development of anti-baldness drugs. German researchers identified a gene that’s essential for the growth and maintenance of human hair. Defects in the gene are linked to hair loss. The discovery could lead to new drugs to treat baldness. Other factors promoting hair loss include disease, poor nutrition, stress and testosterone. Topical minoxidil promotes regrowth, but does little to stop hair loss. Other oral 5-alpha reductase inhibitors such as finasteride can stop hair loss but don’t promote regrowth. Hair-care products can make hair more manageable and look better, but they have no effect on hair loss. Male pattern baldness is not inevitable, so see your doctor if you are getting a little thin on top. (Nature Genetics, 40: 329–334, 2008)

Nortestosterone (Deca-Durabolin) Converted To Estrogen In The Liver

Nortestosterone, sold as Deca-Durabolin, is extremely popular with bodybuilders. It is anabolic, but produces relatively mild side effects such as mild acne, water retention and gonadal suppression. It has little effect on blood pressure, liver function or gynecomastia (breast tissue formation). German researchers found that nortestosterone could be converted to estrogens in the liver, which could cause bleeding disorders and an increased risk of stroke or endometrial disease in women taking the drugs. The drug poses less risk in men. Many bodybuilders prefer Deca because it produces relatively few side effects. However, even a single dose can be detected up to six months later, so athletes concerned with drug testing should not use it. (Climacteric, 10: 344–353, 2007)