Wonder how long until the military uses drugs like these to produce "super" soldiers.

Wasn't that the origin story for Captain America? Secret military performance enhancing drugs? I can remember when only the "serious" science fiction eventually became reality. Now it seems even the comic book version of science fiction is destined to become reality.

IGF-1 seems to be the closest thing to a super serum that we've seen up until this time...if in fact IGF-1 proves to be safe, people from all walks of life will be lining up for it, and it could put a huge dent in the business of cosmetic surgeons...as a matter of fact, as long as it's available, safety won't matter that much to many people.

I don't have much interest in this type of physical performance enhancing drug but I'd love to read some informed stuff on mental PEDs like modafinil...

Frankly I'd be too embarrassed to go out in public if I looked like the freaks you have pictured here, Sal, but if I could do the same for my brain, it might be different!

i used the pictures of body builders because they represent the freakish side of what these drugs can do. however, the potential anti-aging and muscle repairing benefits of igf-1 will thrust this drug into the mainstream.

modafinil/provigil - which was cocktailed into the mix by balco - is an anti-narcolepsy drug, and is a stimulant.

the anecdotal stories provided as a result of the balco case speak to this drug's ability to crank athletes up to incredible levels if intensity in both their workouts and in competition.

I'm gonna get a huge bottle of it and mix it with my milkshakes! Yummmmmm! Muscles!

if more companines are working with igf-1 that just increases the chances for others to get their hands on it, and start using if in what ever manner that the wish.

Among subjects who were physically active, an increase in IGFBP-3 was associated with a 48 percent reduction in colon cancer-specific deaths. No association was apparent for IGF-1.

For the physically inactive, there was no association between IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 and colon cancer survival.

Haydon told Reuters Health that that "physical activity can increase IGFBP-3 levels, which, in turn, reduces the amount of free IGF-1." IGF-1 has been shown to stimulate cell growth, inhibit cell death, and promote angiogenesis -- the formation of new blood vessels, which tumors need to grow.

Reuters 29 May


Go to: www.go-iplex.com for as save IGF1/IGFBP3 product.

Outstanding analysis, Sal. Indeed, besides erstwhile bodybuilders, Olympic athletes were documented to have been using HGH by 1980 (steroid testing was implemented at the 1976 Games) and designer steroids by 1984. By 1988, apparently, at least some were already enjoying the efficacy of IGF-1 for performance enhancement. In football, meanwhile, NFL and NCAA players were well acquainted with HGH and low-dose testosterone by 1990, when both organizations began trumpeting "year-round" random urinalysis as THE solution to muscle doping. Unfortunately, such organizers were wrong. Size and performance parameters have only risen since, and today we still lack any bona fide prevention. As a former small-college football player who used steroids long ago (1982) and, most significantly, as a researcher/writer on the topic, I fear my children's competing in sport at higher levels. My wife, a former All-American gymnast, feels the same. And that's a shame.

Great article, Sal. Just superbly well-written and balanced. As a big baseball fan, I'm very concerned about the use of PEDs by players. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a handful of them using IGF-1, though I doubt it's widespread. It seems that currently, the availability of IGF-1 is quite limited. Am I right? I mean, can anyone just go on the internet and buy it? Are there many doctors/clinics dispensing it right now for sports performance? It would be great if you can write more about this topic in the future, updating us about its actual availability and use by bodybuilders/athletes.

pete:
this is a murky area...there are very narrow applications for the use of igf-1 in humans, as i mentioned.

how people get their hands on this stuff is conjecture, but you can be sure that since everybody has their price, this stuff can be had.

have you been wondering why guys seem to be recovering so quickly from major surgeries? knee reconstructions, tommy john surgery, other ligament and tendon surgeries?

without naming names, i'll bet that you can think of at least three prominent athletes who have gotten ready very quickly after one of these surgeries. grimsley himself reportedly came back from his surgery very quickly.

i'm working on a piece that covers this exact topic and hope to have it ready for this week.

thanks.

I am sure Rafael Nadal and other tennis players like Roger Federer (he is not as weak as he looks) are using the drug IGF-1 (or others), with a mixture of other non detectable agents. I work in the gym like crazy and I can tell you that there is no way you can build up and upkeep these muscles naturally when you are playing tennis tournaments every week around the world (how many calories do you lose in a match that is 5 hours?) If the mass public were educated in professional sport they would not bother athletes and just let them be, knowing everybody uses something. The people that question athletes should take the same drugs they do and go try playing like them. Great article, please write more!!!!!!!

alex:
i don't watch much tennis, but i recently saw nadal in action and was surprised at how muscular his upper body appeared.

you make a great point with regards to the near impossibility for a person to develop and maintain muscle mass while competeing, and how the public is largely unaware of this.

this was one of the things that had me suspicious about baseball players 10 or so years ago...there were way too many older guys putting on and keeping noticable amounts of muscle mass.

great artical lots of info thanks. you didnt really touch on basketball i would bet alot of them are using so many of them seem like freaks of nature i mean just look at lebron james 20years old and he looks like a monster and all these guys going threw knee surgeries and coming back and playing better than before.

i always find it - shall we say interesting - when in any sport muscularity increases to a great degree.

go back and watch an nba game from the mid 90s on espn classic and you'll be amazed at the difference in size of the players. those guys from 10-15 years ago look like kids compared to the kids who are playing in the pros today.

and guys were weight training back then so the increase in size can't be attributed to any training related variable. there haven't been any earth-shattering breakthroughs in the conditioning field that could be responsible for such an amazing transformation.

I don't come from a background that allows for very hospitable thoughts regarding supplements, and most of my encounters with IGF-1 have been in the framework of macronutrient ratios in the diet, their effects on IGF-1 production in the body, and subsequent health effects. While I've read varying reports about what in the diet causes the greatest surge in IGF-1 (carbohydrates versus protein), I've seen precious little evidence showing that high IGF-1 levels are beneficial, and that they are antiapoptotic and contribute to tumor growth.

It's amusing that they use rodent studies to claim that IGF-1 actually extends lifespan, because from what I've seen, a strain of mice who have had the gene that codes for IGF-1 production knocked out of them have reliably managed to outlive their IGF-normal brethren by a good quarter of a lifespan or more. These IGF-1 deficient mice were also dwarfs. This correlates pretty well to the slew of evidence suggesting that large people in general are more susceptible to all sorts of diseases. Bulking up and living long tend to be two diametrically opposed things in the natural kingdom, at least when it comes to members in the same species. This is intuitive: who do you expect to live longer, a Schipperke or an Irish Wolfhound? Why do we then jump on the supplement bandwagon whenever some chemical is discovered that will make us HUGE, justifying our hysteria with claims that being big and meaty is the secret to longevity?

I've also read a little evidence suggesting that those same IGF-1 deficient mice also lacked in the brains department, and that for all the terrible things IGF-1 seems to be contribute to, it does appear to be neuroprotective, at least in doses that one would find in a normal body under normal dietary conditions. But I can't see anything good enough about this chemical to justify putting myself through the rigors of uncontrolled cell growth and subsequent tumorigenesis that would inevitably follow from high doses of it.

first of all anyone who makes a reference to the Schipperke is worth listening to!

there really isn't a place for rational thought when discussing why athletes or people in general will use supplements or other PEDs. i agree with you when you say that you wouldn't expose yourself to the potential havoc that igf-1 or any other substance could have on your system.

but the bottom line is that igf-1 has been shown to be beneficial in the area of regrowing certain connective tissues. i spoke with a researcher who worked on studies where ligaments and tendons were regrown in horses who was of the opinion that igf-1 would definitely do the same in humans.

so were not just taking about getting bigger here, we're talking about being able to make connective tissue stronger, and also being able to heal people quicker and better than before.

also, whether or not there is enough science to justify these conclusions or to allow this substance to be used in humans isn't the issue. the issue is that in some quarters the thought is that this stuff DOES work and CAN do miraculous things. for some people this is all they need to hear.

After use of scitopin and sazann hgh i found neither had any great benifits.I stumbled across igf1 by accident from a friend who bought it but was'nt sure whether to use it or not so i bought it. After using just 1 bottle i noticed the gains dramatically this was so unbeleivable because i had been suffering from fatuge as well as low sex drive and even my eye sight was starting to become a bit how u doing, then this wonder drug " fountain of youth " was here just couldnt beleive how good it has been it has cut my body fat down and increased my muscle development bigger then it has ever been even more then doing a cycle of test. My biggest problem now is were to get more.Im so happy with igf1 and i think with using in moderation it can help so many other people so to all those guy's that use test this is the way to go no more low sex drive after a course no more mood swings and no more water retention just perfect lean muscle mass i hope that it works ass well for u as it has for me.matt h.

Yeah lets all go use this and 10 years later die of cancer!

here we go, the negative side-effects, everything has a catch to it.

Even having slightly higher levels of igf-1 can more than double your risk of cancer, i cant immagine what pumping your body full of it will do. So for me, the short term side-effects dont compensate for the negative long-term effects.

there is no question that igf-1 - like most other drugs/substances - can pose serious health risks if either used or abused. however, those playing the performance enhancing game have never been concerned with the potential downside associated with any of these substances.

to the point that there are no proven performance benefits from using igf-1 is almost irrelevant for two reasons. the first being that once the word is out that a substance has purported benefits and there are those willing to attest to these benefits, others will sieze upon this as "proof" enough to use the substance. the second issue deals with the fact that legit science will never study the illegit use of substances for the sole purpose of performance enhancement.

there really aren't any definitive studies dealing with the efficacy of steroids with regard to performance enhancement, yet there are countless example of anecdotal success stories. the reasons for this situation are many, but the most important reason is that science will never be able to study these substances in the way that those looking for an edge will use them.

this post isn't meant to champion the use of these substances, but to recognize the fact that people are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get an edge.

My Mom has ALS and since this disease is debilitating and fatal, I think she might benefit from IGF-1, despite the risks. The problem is finding a doctor to prescribe this. Anybody....?

researchers at the jonas salk school of medicine at johns hopkins university and at the mayo medical center in minnesota have been studying the affects of igf-1 in studies on mice.

perhaps you can look into the possibility that they are involved in any human trials.

also, body builders don't get perscriptions for the igf-1 they use...

hmm i know a friend who used igf, he said while he was on it hilucinated spiders attacking him 2-3 times a week.

I am currently on IGF-1, i have used it before with large quantities of steroids.

IGF-1 and steroids is teh most potent mucle building stack in existance IMO.

this stuff works good but you need to use alot more than whats recomended, which makes it not very cost effective.

oh jeeze im sorry it was going so slow!

This is an interesting article, but as a newly diagnosed acromeglic I am alarmed that the very thing that my body is overproducing (IGF1) is being represented as it is in your article. First of all, it WAS detected by a simple blood test that had nothing to do with extracting muscle tissue. Maybe most alarming of all, acromegaly, the name of the disease that people have whose bodies overproduce IGF1, is reputed to SHORTEN, not LENTHEN your life. In living with the disease, you find that you have many problems - with trapped nerves, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and one of the main muscles to enlarge is your heart. I would urge anyone considering this "option" to read about acromegaly before choosing to take it on deliberately.

So which one is more potent? IGF-1 or IGF-1 Long3? I've read about some of the stuff it does and it sounds pretty impressive. Any thoughts?

if you can believe what you read on the body building message boards the IGF-1 Long 3 is where it's at.

i find it very interesting that Major League Baseball saw fit to include IGF-1 on its list of banned substances this year despite the fact there isn't and won't be any way to test for it.

I just watched the Andy Murray quarter final match and it reminded me of why I gave up competitive bodybuilding. Nadals Physiqe is not a normal one. Im not a young man just 40 years of experience in power sport. There is no way you will stop this there is too much money in sport. It saddens me to see someone with heart and talent beaten by 5ml of ..........

I've checked out quite alot on IGF-1 and am actually currently on it. The only thing is, I'm not taking pills and I'm not injecting it. I'm burning body fat and I haven't felt this good in years. Check it out!