By Leigh Penman

As we say goodbye to one year and herald the arrival of a new one we often find ourselves jotting down various resolutions for the year ahead. Topping most people’s lists is usually some health related subject, the most popular being losing weight and getting into shape. So, off we trot to the nearest gym, sign up for a membership and then, just as an insurance policy, we head to the health store in search of a ‘training partner’ in the form of some fantastical fat burner which promises us that we will drop pounds in record time. These stimulant-based products have many drawbacks. Some of them have been known to cause nausea so extreme that the only aerobic workout you are going to get is running to and from the bathroom!

However, that is not the biggest problem you are likely to encounter with most OTT (over-the-counter) ‘fat-burners’. No, the biggest problem is the fact that these ‘training partners’ come complete with an evil twin. Allow me to introduce you to…

THE CORTISOL FACTOR

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By Leigh Penman

Certainly one of the most exciting nutritional supplement companies to emerge in recent times is Species Nutrition. Founded by Dave Palumbo and Colette Nelson, this innovative enterprise has released some of the most carefully researched and scientifically advanced products currently available.

You will not find these products ‘hyped to the hilt’, nor will you find them advertised with diagrams that belong in a science fiction book. What you will find is state of the art nutrition combined with scientifically researched information. The result is a line of supplements, which deliver real life results rather than a ‘nice legs, shame about the face’ product.

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By Leigh Penman

Let’s face it; most of us fear the chiropractor like we fear the onslaught of winter after the balmy summer months. My first chiropractic treatment was preceded by a host of scare stories issued by well meaning friends eager to ‘clue me in’ on what was about to happen to me.

This resulted in my walking into the 5th Avenue office of Dr Elizabeth Greenberg in a state of mild terror. However, all my fears were cast aside when she introduced me to the Pro-Adjuster. Let me tell you, when it comes to skeletal adjustment this is ’state-of-the art’.

Using the same technology utilized by NASSA engineers to evaluate the integrity of ceramic cooling tiles on the outside of the space shuttle, the Pro-Adjuster actually makes treatment enjoyable. What’s more, you are able to actually see the results of each manipulation presented before you via a computer graphic screen. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

Vitamin B12 has earned the reputation of being an energy booster and an appetite stimulant and, it is for this reason that many bodybuilders and athletes choose to supplement their diet with this nutrient. It can also be a worthy addition to post cycle treatment (PCT) since it is on discontinuing the use of anabolic agents that most athletes are likely to find their energy and appetite levels falling.

However, aside from its use in PCT, vitamin B12 has many valuable functions in the body, particularly when it comes to the formation of red blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 assists normal growth and development, helps with certain types of nerve damage and treats pernicious anemia. Another important role of B12 is in the maintenance of the myelin sheath, which provides insulation in nerve cells. It is the deterioration of this valuable protective cover which results in the neurological damage seen in such conditions as Multiple Sclerosis. Continue Reading »

SOMALYZE (adj): To Sleep. Perchance to grow

By Leigh Penman

If there were a bodybuilding dictionary then the word/product ‘Somalyze’ would surely fall into the above definition. Somalyze was developed by Species Nutrition to fill the vacant shoes of a sleep driven muscle enhancing product which actually delivered – rather than promised – results. The question on everyone’s lips is did this, relative newcomer on the supplement scene; succeed in bringing results instead of just delivering empty promises? Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

Species Nutrition aim to create products that contain only the highest quality ingredients and present them in specific formulas that have real science and research behind them. You are not going to find complex diagrams, graphs and futuristic explosions of plasma illustrating their effectiveness. Facts not fantasy are what the rapidly growing (no pun intended) range of Species products depend on to illustrate their effectiveness. Founded by two of bodybuilding’s greatest minds (and bodies) Dave Palumbo and Colette Nelson you can bet that Species Nutrition is one company you are going to be hearing a lot more of in the future. One of their best selling products is currently the aromataze inhibiter/testosterone booster, ‘Testolyze’. So what better way to begin this look at the Species product range than by grabbing a bottle and putting it under the supplement microscope? Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Since the premature demise of the popular ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin stack (due to the intervention of ‘the powers that be’) athletes have been delving into the world of over- the-counter fat burning/ energy enhancing supplements in the hope of finding a viable substitute. Having tried many of these products I can attest to the fact that they usually make you nauseous and jittery and exhibit little in the way of energy enhancing powers.
However, in an effort to find a supplement that actually works, I decided to road test a few of the products currently on the market. Some of them will be familiar to you and some of them you may never have heard of…until now. The first product on review probably falls under the latter category and it is…

THERMOGENESIS (Nature’s Lab)

I came across this product on the web and was curious to try it out. The formula claims to be a natural herbal equivalent of the previously mentioned ephedrine-caffeine-aspirin stack. Continue Reading »

By Leigh Penman

This is part of a continuing series provided exclusively by MuscleSport Mag giving information on a variety of performance-enhancing drugs for educational purposes. While it is apparent that people are going to use these substances regardless of the health and legal risks involved, quality information is necessary and learning as much about them as possible can only assist an adult making a decision either way.

Psychoneuro-Immunology is the term given to explain the minds capacity to overcome disease by directly influencing the immune system. If you imagine your body as a hospital, then your immune system is a resident doctor, assisted by a team of nurses, pharmacists and security guards who patrol each and every corner of the body day and night, preventing any unwelcome visitors (e.g. viruses) from gaining access to its inner sanctum.

The brain, the immune system and our hormones are known to communicate with each other, and every cell can receive brain and hormonal messages. This interchange of information is the explanation for the fact that certain thoughts or sad experiences can reduce the number of lymphocytes (immune cells), in the same way that positive thoughts and happy experiences can increase immunological activity. If the immune system is unhappy it ceases to function properly and, in the case of cancer, it eventually becomes paralyzed and completely unable to destroy foreign cells. The high rate of illness amongst those who have lost a spouse, whether through death, separation or divorce, demonstrates that feelings of abandonment and depression directly affect the immune system. This negative effect can continue for up to a year after the event. Fear is also destructive for the recuperative system, as is anger. However, once we realize that we are responsible for our own lives and can influence every part of our bodies with our minds, the sense of inner strength we gain can replace those negative emotions with enthusiasm, excitement, positive thoughts and happiness. Continue Reading »

One Letter Away From Gear Names Grab Attention

Winni-V. D-Bol. Anodrol. Sustenol 250. Deca Nor 50. Somatroph HGH. Test Suspension. Sound familiar? Close enough to some of those names that you’ve heard going back and forth in the gym? The websites that sell this stuff even call the use of them as ‘cycles’ and when they suggest more than one, ’stacking.’

Over the years, especially since the whole country has gone overboard with the specter of performance-enhancing drugs effecting our sports, there has been a sort of daring curiosity to know more about them and even test the waters. Due to the negative attention and law enforcement intervention, the real deal has taken a back seat to what the supplement companies have christened “legal steroids.” These items have names that are so close to the ‘taboo’ drugs that many have felt as is they were buying something that could get them arrested for possessing. The bottles even look like the same ones that hold real anabolic steroids. Coincidence? Continue Reading »

BALCO’s Victor Conte Still Peddlin’

You have to give Victor Conte credit. The mastermind behind BALCO paid his debt to society and is once again pumping supplements, this time probably nothing that will result in a congressional hearing.

The company is called SNAC (www.snac.com) and the Golden Gate Bridge is still looming. The BALCO logo is now available on T-shirts with the saying ‘BALCO Gear’ on the front. A mere $24.95 and you’ll have your own.

As far as the supplements go, these are reportedly very good, although I have never tried them myself. ZMA is back and is an affordable $15.95 for a bottle of 90. Continue Reading »