What IGF-1 Does in the Body

IGF-1 or Insulin like Growth Factor 1, is a protein encoded by the IGF-1 gene and it is similar to the molecular structure of insulin. It contains seventy amino acid polypeptides that are produced by the liver and endocrine hormone. IGF-1 has many effects on the body. When in balance… It does a body good! But when out of balance it can cause many repercussions to the body.

IGF-1 supports cellular division and growth to the muscles and organs. IGF-1 automatically begins being produced at birth. This is one of the major factors in height and muscle growth throughout childhood and puberty. Some people, however, are born without the correct amount of IGF-1 production and that can lead to dwarfism, or in some cases have synthetic IGF-1 therapy.

IGF-1 helps in repairing nerve damage, which can aid in many different areas of the brain, cardiovascular, circulatory systems and my favorite anti-aging. It helps to reduce body fat because it halts insulin from moving glucose through the body, resulting in the body using fat as a source of energy instead of glucose.

IGF-1 also plays a role in cell repair to the brain, heart and of course muscles. New developments have shown that IGF-1 helps in the development of new muscles by igniting human stem cells. It also plays a role in muscle regeneration, due to cell repair. It also, increases the number and size of cells in the body. It helps to reduce the amount of muscle loss, and in turn aids in muscle growth, as mentioned before. It is due to all of these reasons synthetic IGF-1 is of the hottest muscle building products and anabolic steroids on the market today.

One must be careful not to have too much supplemental IGF-1 in the body or side effects can occur. When too much synthetic IGF-1 is present one can experience jaw pain, facial, hand, and heart swelling. Heart swelling can lead to higher blood pressure and heart failure. Synthetic IGF-1 stays in the body longer than natural IGF-1 and because IGF-1 produces growth cells it can lead to muscle and organ overgrowth. References to bodybuilders and power lifters with abnormally large stomachs have been linked to overuse of IGF-1 because their internal organs have grown too large. Lastly, if free roaming IGF-1’s stay in the body too long there has been evidence to show that it can produce different cancers.

So, in a nutshell, IGF-1 is a great hormone that your body produces naturally. It is an amazing compound that helps with cellular growth and repair throughout the body. It helps our bodies grow to their natural state as well as aids in the building and repairing of muscles. But one must be careful when using synthetic IGF-1 for bodybuilding purposes, not to over do it. In my opinion the side effects of overuse do not outweigh the results. Again, the saying “You can’t have your cake and eat it too!” comes to mind.

CHEST NASSER’S WORKOUT

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR competitors in the IFBB, Nasser El Sonbaty has heaved plenty of weight in his 15 years as a pro. Like most of his peers, he changes his workouts often, but this particular routine is a great example of how he combines presses and flyes for a more intense, and thus more productive, session.
“A technique that works well for me is rest/pause,” Nasser explains. “I may do a set of 6–10 reps on an incline dumbbell press, pause for 10 seconds, do another 4–5 reps, rest again and finish with 1–3 reps.”
Nasser recommends choosing a heavy weight, but not so heavy that you can’t get at least 6 reps in the set.

FLAT-BENCH DUMBBELL FLYE
START: With a dumbbell in each hand and a slight but unchanging bend in your elbows, lie on a flat bench and allow the weights to travel out and away from your body in a wide arc.
MOVE: Feel the stretch, then contract your pecs to forcefully raise the weights overhead while keeping the angle in your elbows nearly constant.


DECLINE DUMBBELL FLYE
START: When he does the decline press with dumbbells, Nasser will go right into the decline flye as the second half of a compound set. With a weight heavy enough for presses, he doesn’t get a really deep stretch at the bottom but still strives for a decent range of motion. Lie back on a decline bench and hold a pair of dumbbells overhead, keeping your hands in a neutral (palms-facing) position.
MOVE: Maintaining a slight bend in your elbows throughout, power the weights up in a wide arc, keeping constant tension on your chest by not locking out at the top nor allowing the weights to rest against each other. When lowering the weights, fight gravity to gain the benefit of the negative.



DECLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
START: Lie back on a decline bench and hold the weights directly over your pecs.
MOVE: Resist the negative as you lower the dumbbells until they just touch your lower-chest region. In a forceful movement, power the weights up but don’t lock out. “I think ‘squeeze the pecs’ at the top,” Nasser adds.

Why Bodybuilders Use HGH And Peptides

GHRP-2, is a synthetic, hexapeptide that has some very potent properties. It is in the class of growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRPs), which act on the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, to release growth hormone, by appearing through the endogenous ghrelin receptor. It is considered one of the few healthcare means that can be able to reverse the aging effects in adults who are deficient of the growth hormone.

GHRP-2 is known to encourage appetite and hunger. It does this by stimulating the release of Ghrelin, which is also a peptide observed in the stomach, that advertises urge for food and gastric emptying. GHPR-2 is also used for a range of other medical issues, which include, correcting low growth hormone production, and also promoting excess weight gain in the abnormally thin individuals.

GHRP user may report strength raise and improved muscle mass. This is along a much better overall sense of well being and decreased body fat. Neurons are also affected in the same method as they would be by steroids, causing a significant strength raise. For someone who has previously used artificial development hormone, slowing the body's natural production of the same, this peptide can be used to activate the natural production of this growth hormone.

This peptide is also a very suitable compound to use if one is nursing and rehabilitating injuries. It has been shown, clinically, to have a very good effect on connective tissues and tendons regeneration and strengthening. Depending on one's goals, a person may use between 100 - 600mcg per day. For instance, a person looking for some slight raise in sleep quality, or joint and tendon improvement, may stick towards the lower end of this dosage amount. Alternatively, a person seeking to use this peptide for its mass and muscle building effects may ramp up the dosage considerably.

Other benefits of using GHRP-2 include improved sex dr and desire, stomach fat decrease, enhanced energy and vitality, improved skin elasticity and lines elimination. There is also boostd endurance, heart strengthening, enhanced immune system, improved eye sight and vision, increased protein synthesis, enhanced bone density as a consequence of boostd lime scale retention (which also increases bone strength and mineralization), reduced glucose uptake in the liver organ, better liver glucogenesis, and contribution in the direction of pancreatic islets maintenance and function, among others. You can get peptide GHRP-2 online at http://www.genezameds.com/hgh-peptides-c75/ghrp-2-5mg-p430 GenezaMeds.com - we provide the bodybuiding and performance enhancing community top of the line service with products and reliability that you can trust.

Peptide Hormones: Insulin

Insulin is produced in the beta cells of the pancreas from a larger peptide called preproinsulin. Endogenous insulin has a half-life of three to five minutes and the pancreas secretes about 40 to 50 units of insulin per day in normal adults. Insulin secretion is stimulated in response to feeding with glucose being the strongest stimulator. Insulin binds to a cell surface receptor resulting in increased glucose and amino acid transport through the cell membrane and glycogen and lipid synthesis and storage. This is accomplished through the increased movement of Glut4 molecules to the surface of the cell membrane. Glut4 is the main transporter of glucose across cell membranes into cells. Insulin also binds to the type 1 IGF receptor which results in growth stimulating effects in muscle cells.

Insulin is the main “storage” hormone and is very anabolic as well as anti-catabolic. In addition to increasing glycogen and lipid synthesis and storage, insulin also promotes protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and promotes glycogen storage by increasing glucose transport in skeletal muscle cells.

Insulin and insulin syringes are available in many states without a prescription making insulin a more available anabolic hormone than AAS. That being said, the dangers of insulin are immediate and potentially deadly. Insulin can produce in a state of severe hypoglycemia that can result in coma or death with a matter of minutes. In addition, insulin resistance will occur over time in healthy individuals using insulin. While this risk is down-played by users and on boards discussing insulin, it should be considered a very real risk. Though insulin is highly anabolic in skeletal muscle, it is also very anabolic in adipose tissue. This can result in increases in body fat, especially when used in high doses on its own. Often insulin is combined with growth hormone to take advantage of growth hormone’s fat burning ability and to combat the decrease in insulin sensitivity with GH. IGF-1 is sometimes combined with insulin (and GH) but this increases the risk of hypoglycemia.

Anabolic Steroid Basics for Beginners

Esters:
You must understand esters. Esters are attached to AAS compounds. The ester acts as a kind of time releasing vehicle. Esters are broken down in the blood stream and thus the AAS compound is freed. Long-acting esters slowly break down, and fast-acting esters break down more rapidly. Half-life describes this occurrence.
Common Ester names in no particular order:
 Enanthate
 Cypionate
 Decanoate
 Phenylpropionate
 Propionate
 Isocaproate
There are blends, or mixtures of tests each with their own ester. These are mutli-esterified. An example is Sustanon 250, Omnadren 250, and Aratest.

Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis (HPTA):
Secondly you must understand the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Testicular Axis and the affect Anabolic Androgenic steroids has on your HPTA. The use of AAS has a negative affect on your HPTA, which I'll put in simple terms. For a detailed explanation see the following link:

The body is always looking to establish homeostasis, a balance in the body. Upon the introduction of AAS to the body, you begin to reduce your own production. Some AAS compounds are harsher to your HPTA and shut your natural production down hard. A rebound from this shutdown is taxing on the body upon discontinuing use of AAS. Other compounds must be used to help the body return to homeostasis.
The compounds that are harsh on your HPTA will also be harsh on your libido; your sexual drive, and for men can result in a limp penis.
Such compounds that are harsh on the HPTA are:
Trenbolone (fina)
Deca-Durabolin
It is therefore, advisable for at least the sakes of sex, to keep Testosterone as a base for any AAS cycle.

Testosterone as a base:
There are limits to the length of cycle use. When you being AAS use, it takes time for the body to 'swap' its natural testosterone with the synthetic compound. The times vary with the particular ester used. However a short AAS cycle will most likely only result in a shut down of HPTA and not leave the body exposed to the synthetic testosterone long enough for positive gains. Too long of a cycle, and your suppressed HPTA will have a harder time recovering.
Further, the body can develop more or less immunities to AAS on cycles ran too long and cycles ran at too high of a dose.
Secondly, the body has limits for how much it can grow. A longer, higher dosed cycle will not be more effective simply because of the body's tolerance and limited ability to grow.
My own guideline for a first and second time user is any cycle ran less than 8 weeks is too short; any cycle ran longer than 15 weeks is excessive. 10-14 weeks is a good range for a first and second time user.

Estrogen:
Estrogen levels will be elevated during the use of AAS. Remember Homeostasis. Application of either anti-estrogen or anti-aromatizer.

The body has AS receptors and estrogen receptors. Your goal in using AAS is to flood the AS receptors. Your goal is not to flood the estrogen receptors.
How an anti-estrogen works is that it attaches itself to the estrogen receptors so that estrogen will not. Therefore the estrogen remains free floating in your blood stream but unable to leech onto the receptors and take action.
How and anti-aromatizer works is that it prevents the aromatization of steroids. It prevents the compounds conversion into estrogen. This however has the ability to weaken the effect of the steroid compound.
Zero estrogen is not desirable. Some estrogen is necessary, but too much can cause complications such as gynocomastia (man boobies) and water retention to name a few.

Common side effects while on Anabolic Steroids:
Users may experience a number of side effects due to increased synthetic testosterone levels as well as due to increased estrogen levels.
 Cardiovascular complications: High blood pressure can result from use of AAS and with heart problems should seek medical consultation. Combined water/sodium retention and the fact that steroids actually can elevate the cholesterol and triglyceride levels gives explanation to this condition. It is also why some athletes experience a reduction in stamina.
 Acne may result from AAS use, but can be combated a number of ways that should be researched.
 Aggression may also increase while on AAS, however some experience this aggression during high exertion activities, and will otherwise feel somewhat lethargic. Feelings of lethargy, sleepiness throughout the day while on AAS may result. This will be largely affected by the amount of physical activity performed throughout the day.
 hair loss on the scalp can occur. This condition, as with the others, is dependent on the individual. Certain individuals predisposed to premature hair loss may be at a greater risk for this side effect.
 Hair gain, or activation of hair follicles on the body may also occur. Hair follicles on the chest, back, arms and other places may be stimulated.
 Certain steroids are I 7-alpha alky-lated and are toxic to the liver. It is important to note this and limit intake of foods and beverages that will also be strenuous on the liver.
 As previously noted, AAS use will result in a reduced testosterone production, a decreased spermatogenesis, and in some cases testicular atrophy. The degree of suppression depends on the duration of the steroid intake, the administered steroid, and the dosage of the steroid
 Most steroids cause a water and electrolyte imbalance in the body This results in an increased storage of water and sodium which further results in a swelling of tissue (edema)
 Gastrointestinal symptoms such as epigastric fullness, diarrhea, nausea or even vomiting may result and are associated solely with the use of oral, I 7-alpha alkylated steroids. The oral compounds can be administered with food to reduce these side effects.
 Feminization may result in males if estrogen levels are not kept in check. The most popular feminization side effect of estrogen is gynocomastia.
 Females may experience masculinization effects.
 Kidney complications: The kidneys are under more strain during steroid intake. They are involved in the filtration and excretion of toxic by-products. A high blood pressure as well as variations in the water and electrolyte balance of the body can lead to long-term changes in the kidney's function.
There may be more side effects not listed. All side effects should be researched and understood. There are ways to alleviate some of the symptoms. Remedies and counter-actions should be researched before use of AAS.

Testosterone the Only Anabolic Steroid In a First Cycle

It is a well-known set-in-stone rule that Testosterone is such an essentially important hormone that it must be included as the primary base compound in every single cycle as either a primary anabolic compound, or at the very least as a supportive compound in the role of TRT. A ‘primary anabolic compound’ is defined as a compound within a cycle that acts as one of the primary contributors to muscle accrual, and must usually be run at supraphysiological bodybuilding doses to do so.
The same concept runs true in the sense that it is undesirable to stack multiple Anabolic Steroids in the very first cycle an individual will engage in. The issue with stacking compounds in a beginner cycle rests in the fact that it is quite possibly a very dangerous practice where unknown reactions are concerned. An individual who is a beginner that has never before utilized anabolic steroids (or has never engaged in cycle up to this point in their lives) would be unsure of what to expect in terms of effects, side effects, and experiences upon first use. Considering the massive amount of misinformation and over-exaggerated propaganda in regards to anabolic steroids by the general public, this can be quite concerning for a novice anabolic steroid user who is beginning to tread on unfamiliar waters. It then stands to reason that if a stack of multiple anabolic steroids are run in a first-time beginner cycle, and the individual reacts in a very negative fashion (or begins to experience very undesirable side effects), there is no possible means for this individual to narrow down and determine which of the multiple stacked compounds is the culprit for the bad reaction. There might even be multiple compounds exhibiting such an undesirable effect, and there might even be two or more anabolic steroids that would never exhibit such an effect without the synergistic interconnected effects with other compounds in the stack. One can easily see how this could easily become life-threatening if a particular reaction were to be a very serious mortal reaction, such as an allergic reaction, for example.

What Are The Risks of Leaving Testosterone Out of Every Cycle?

In the case of the utilization of Testosterone as a base essential compound in every single cycle, the idea of running a cycle that does not include Testosterone (or is an oral anabolic steroid only cycle) is, simply put, a very bad idea. Without any form of Testosterone present (endogenous or exogenous), the body will be unable to maintain those normal physiological functions that are controlled and governed by Testosterone itself.  Many other analogues and derivative anabolic steroids, such as Trenbolone for example, might perhaps be several times as anabolic as Testosterone (in Trenbolone’s case, it is five times the strength of Testosterone, which is extremely impressive). But these attributes and greater anabolic strength increases are all the advantages that the majority of these compounds have going for them. For example, as previously mentioned, Trenbolone is a very strong anabolic steroid – the strongest conventionally and commercially available anabolic steroid in existence – with absolutely no Estrogenic effects and very strong anabolic effects.  However, it does not serve as a proper androgen for normal physiological function within the body. ‘Normal physiological function’ refers to far more than one or two functions such as libido or other apparent functions which happen to be overanalyzed and overemphasized by many individuals that do not see what is essentially ‘the big picture’. The human body’s physiology and endocrine system are not as abridged and dumbed down as many uneducated anabolic steroid users make it out to be, especially when trivializing the inclusion of Testosterone in every cycle.

Testosterone is a hormone that is vital for proper libido function, it is a regulator of cognitive and physical energy, it serves to regulate the population of thromboxane A2 receptors on megakaryocytes and platelets (and hence platelet aggregation in humans), and it is critical for proper function of mental and psychological processes, as well as a myriad of other crucial physiological functions – so many, in fact, that to cover all of these functions would require a completely separate article. However, the majority of these functions have already been discussed throughout this article, and the absolute importance of Testosterone in every cycle for the purpose of the upkeep of these proper physiological functions should be of no surprise to the reader at this point. Because a certain anabolic steroid is ‘better’ or ‘stronger’ than Testosterone in one or two select areas (namely anabolic tissue increases, which is what every individual overemphasizes), and that it could possibly be more convenient to administer (such as oral-only cycles), absolutely does not mean that it is better than Testosterone in every single aspect and function. The majority of anabolic steroid analogues either do nothing at all or falls very short in providing proper regulation to many of those physiological functions that Testosterone is responsible for regulating and governing. There are in fact a plethora of other anabolic steroid variants that can and do also serve to in fact mitigate (hamper or disable) those functions.

Best Steroids

What are the best steroids? This is a tricky question and one that can’t be answered with a single anabolic steroid. With literally hundreds of anabolic steroids available to us deciding which is the best steroids is difficult. We can however, decide which steroid is best suited for your goals or point you in the right direction. There are a number of factors, which can determine the best steroid for you, the user. Your age, past experience, gender, goals, training experience, weight, level of muscle mass, current health state and genetics. Below we will try to discuss this in more detail and determine the best steroids available and optimally suited.

Best Steroids Overall

There is one anabolic steroid that is the best steroid for overall application and that’s none other than the primary male sex hormone – Testosterone. Testosterone is what gives males their sex drive, muscle mass, wide shoulders, strength gains, confidence and sense of well-being. It’s the alpha-male hormone after all and makes us men. Testosterone is what almost all steroids are derived from including some of the most popular steroids available to us, such as Dianabol, Deca-Durabolin and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) derived steroids, like Winstrol and Anavar. Testosterone is the best steroid and most popularly used anabolic steroid used and ever used and for good reason. Testosterone is excellent and building muscle and increases fat loss in users when larger exogenous amounts are injected or administered. As well as building muscle and accelerating fat loss, its also one of the best steroids for preserving muscle mass when in a calorie deficit or when dieting. Whether you’re bulking or cutting, Testosterone is often used as a base for the steroid cycle because of these above positive effects, and ability to maintain sexual function and other male characteristics that other anabolic steroids may decrease when used alone.  Testosterone is also widely available and in numerous applications. Oral testosterone, injectable testosterone, testosterone or steroid creams and gels and pellets all give us extra amounts of testosterone when required.

Because testosterone is already in our bodies we have experienced its effects going through puberty (males). Therefore we may have experienced the acne, gynecomastia, mood swings, aggression, hair growth and hair loss, increased sex drive and deepening of vocal chords. Larger amounts of applied testosterone will merely amplify these effects but generally, testosterone is a well tolerated and fairly friendly anabolic steroid.