Back when they were first released, we warned you that myostatin inhibitors were a con. Now it seems that science has finally caught up.

A new study, published in the August 2004 issue of the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (pages 461-472), put myostatin blockers to the test. I’ll reveal exactly what happened in a moment. First, if you haven’t heard about it before, here are the basics on myostatin and muscle growth.

Myostatin is a gene expressed in developing and mature muscle tissue. A specific gene encodes for the transcription of the myostatin protein, which is a “negative regulator” of muscle growth. In simple terms, if you want to gain weight in the form of muscle, the less myostatin 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 myostatin has been “knocked out”, individual muscles weigh twice as much as those of normal mice.

However, there’s absolutely no evidence to show that the ingredient being promoted as a myostatin inhibitor (an active extract from cultured Cystoseira) has any effect on muscle growth whatsoever.

In the study to test the effects of myostatin-blockers on muscle growth, two groups of men took part in a weight-training programme for 12 weeks.

One group received a dummy pill, while group two used the myostatin blocking supplement.

Muscle strength and size were assessed before, during and after the 12-week study.

Both groups gained muscle strength and improved their body composition. But the results in the group using the myostatin-blocking supplement were no different to those given the placebo. Nor was there any effect on myostatin levels in the blood.

It’s possible there’s some kind of dose-dependent effect. In other words, the amount of the supplement used in the study may have been too low for it to have any effect on muscle growth.

But it’s a lot more likely that myostatin-blockers are just another in a long line of muscle-building supplements that simply don’t work

“The myostatin products are total hoaxes and a waste of money,” says Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale - one of the most influential voices on diet, performance and athletic training in the world. “The only thing it has going for them is the advertising, which are smooth con jobs.”

Reference
Willoughby, D.S. (2004). Effects of an alleged myostatin-binding supplement and heavy resistance training on serum myostatin, muscle strength and mass, and body composition. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 14, 461-472

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