If you’ve picked up a fitness or bodybuilding magazine recently, you’ve probably seen some advertisements for supplements known as myostatin inhibitors, promising to turn you into some incredible hulk figure - a giant human with muscle bulging from every limb, due to being able to switch of the muscle limiting gene (Myostatin) But, do they really work?

Myostatin is a gene identified as a primary ‘key’ to producing new muscle tissue. The Myostatin gene exists as a “negative regulator” of muscle growth. In simple terms, if you want to gain vast amounts of muscle, without any kind of genetic limit. The less Myostatin you have the better. The theory is great. By inhibiting or “blocking” myostatin, you can take the brakes off muscle growth and gain weight (in the form of lean mass) at a very rapid rate. Much of the early research on myostatin has been conducted in animals. In mice where scientists had switched off their Myostatin gene at birth, the mice produced such incredible muscle levels, that their individual muscles weighed at least twice that of the regular counterparts, along with dramatic increases in strength and yet no increase in calorie requirements were required. You can see that once this gene was ‘identified’ it was only a matter of time before the supplement scammers appeared out of the woodwork with their versions!

Variations in the naturally occurring Myostatin gene can explain why some people gain weight in the form of muscle far more quickly than others. Did you know that muscle fibres in elite bodybuilders are often no bigger than someone who has never picked up a barbell in their life. The reason they are bigger, is their muscles contain a greater number of small to average sized fibres. Unfortunately until gene scientists are able to genetically alter or change your genes via a pill you’ll have to rely upon your parents good old genetics at the time of conception for your own ‘muscle growth limit’ And whilst the scientists are investing millions in trying to change or knock out your genes and eradicate cancers and other terrible diseases, don’t think for a second, that some small time supplement company is going to produce the key to the universe from their back office test tubes!

There’s absolutely no evidence to show that the ingredient being promoted as a myostatin inhibitor (an active extract from the cultured plant Cystoseira) has any effect on muscle growth whatsoever. You don’t need to take our word for it. Here’s what Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, one of the most influential voices on diet, performance and athletic training in the world, has to say. “The myostatin products are total hoaxes and a waste of money. The only thing it has going for them is the advertising, which are smooth con jobs.” Dr. Di Pasquale was a world-class athlete for over 15 years, winning the World Championships in powerlifting in 1976 and World Games in 1981. His work in finding safe alternatives to anabolic steroids and other drugs has won him praise from athletes, trainers and fitness experts around the globe. And he’s certainly less than impressed by the claims made by the companies advertising these products.

“For example, there is one ad that claims a pro bodybuilder went from 195 pounds and 35% body fat to 224 pounds and 5.5% body fat in 16 short weeks. And that it was all due to their myostatin inhibitor/blocker. That’s a gain of 85 pounds of lean muscle in 16 weeks. Even though these kind of results could be achieved with very large amounts of drugs (if you believe them), I can guarantee the myostatin inhibitor had absolutely nothing to do with it. Rather, you might suspect that the high doses of anabolic steroids and a host of other drugs and chemicals, along with an intense training program and targeted diet, may have had something to do with the rapid muscle mass gain.” Although the so-called myostatin inhibitors do bind myostatin in laboratory test tubes, that is very different from real humans. Dr. Pasquale points out that he, “… could use dozens of ingredients that would produce similar results or better, including milk or motor oil in test tube scenarios”. Myostatin inhibitors are more about marketing than real results. Many people who have tried these products have been extremely disappointed with the lack of any real gains. Be very careful of any company and their products if they’re low enough to sell you pure scam Myostatin blockers which you may like to know have been banned from being advertised by the Advertising Standards authority (ASA) within the .K. The only real work being done in being able to turn off the mysostatin gene is some early experiments with patients who were suffering from serious muscle wasting disease (therefore the side effects don’t really matter!). The scientists have been able to take the common cold virus and remove the cold DNA and inject it with the myostatin switch gene. The virus is then placed in the body where it attacks the cells and triggers the myostatin switch gene. Even though results look promising in these seriously ill patients, the results are permanent, the side effects are unknown and the tests have not been done on healthy people.

So for now, if you want the best support for gaining as much muscle and size as possible, you may want to try Maximuscle’s Progain Extreme, which most users consider to be the most effective way to increase size. Of course, you can’t make claims that Progain Extreme will “block” myostatin or somehow “alter” your genetics or put on 85lbs in 10 weeks, rather, Progain Extreme is a convenient, powerful, effective and research proven formula to provide 41g of high quality Biomax whey protein, 3g of Creatine, 3g of Glutamine, 1gm of HMB, complex carbohydrates, 3g EFA’s, 2.5g MCT’s all in one serving. By taking the recommended 3 servings a day, it will provide an additional 1500 calories of superior nutrition to feed your muscle and make them grow, in conjunction with an effective weight training programme. This is one of the few proven ways to add the extra calories your body needs to grow, allowing you to put on 1-2 lbs of extra muscle each week, especially when combined with science proven muscle builders like Creatine, glutamine and HMB. Progain is Britain’s number one selling and most trusted weight-gainer on the market for anyone wanting to pack on muscle size and strength quickly and easily. As the formula is free of casein, Soya or skimmed milk powder and mixes instantly with water, it should provide the extra calories you need, without leaving you feeling bloated or sick.

Reference
Ivey, F.M., Roth, S.M., Ferrell, R.E., Tracy, B.L., Lemmer, J.T., Hurlbut, D.E., Martel, G.F., Siegel, E.L., Fozard, J.L., Jeffrey Metter, E., Fleg, J.L., & Hurley, B.F. (2000). Effects of age, gender, and myostatin genotype on the hypertrophic response to heavy resistance strength training. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 55, M641-M648