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.

Testosterone Cypionate is a testosterone which has undergone 17 beta-estrification. Due to the length of its ester (8 carbons) it is stored mostly in adipose (fat) tissue upon intra-muscular injection from where it is released at a slow and steady rate. It peaks at 24-48 hours and then exhibits a slow and steady release over the course of 12 days. Although the compound stays in your system for up to three weeks, most athletes choose to inject it on a weekly basis.

Testosterone itself is a highly anabolic and androgenic hormone (rating 100 on each index). Its primary mode of action is to increase nitrogen retention in the muscle. It is also known to increase levels of growth factor IGF-1 in both muscle tissue and in the liver.
In addition to this, testosterone increases the activity of ’satellite cells’. These are cells which surround the muscle tissue and play an active role in repairing damaged muscle tissue and contribute to the growth of new muscle. 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.

Testosterone Enanthate is an oil based injectable steroid, which is designed to slowly release testosterone from the injection site. This slow release delivery leads to an elevation in testosterone levels lasting for approximately two weeks (it may even take as long as three weeks for the drug levels to fully diminish). Due to its relatively long activity level, Testosterone Enanthate is favored by the medical profession and is primarily used to treat cases of hypogonadism and similar disorders where low androgen levels are at fault.
As with all testosterone products it has strong anabolic and androgenic activity. Gains in strength and muscle mass are notable, along with an increase in libido. It has also been noted that a relief in tendon pain and an increase in stamina are direct effects of testosterone administration. This is probably due to increased water retention coupled with an increase in red blood cells – leading to a greater oxygen uptake in the blood. 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.

(Testosterone blend: 30mg Testosterone Propionate, 60mg Testosterone Phenylpropionate, 60mg Testosterone Isocaproate, 100mg Testosterone Decanoate)

Sustanon 250 is an oil based injectable testosterone blend. Its popularity lies in the fact that it presents the user with a blend of four different testosterone esters: Propionate, Phenylpropionate, Isocaproate and Decanoate. This allows for a fast yet sustained release of testosterone which stays active in the system for around three weeks.

The Propionate and Phenylpropionate esters are the first to be released in the system and take effect within the first four days, whilst the Isocaproate and Decanoate remain active for two to three weeks respectively. This supplies the user with the obvious advantage of more sustained testosterone levels throughout its active life – unlike the shorter activity of other testosterone products. However, despite this fact, some athletes choose to inject Sustenon at a dose of 250mg every seven to ten days. As with all drugs, higher doses have been reported with some using 750-1000mg/week but this is not advisable since side effects are likely to increase hand in hand with dosage. Continue Reading »

Giants, the Team to Beat, Ring in the New Year

2008 NEW YORK GIANTS PREVIEW

This time, they won’t be able to take anyone by surprise. The entire league will be on the lookout for the Giants, and - if they know what’s good for them – emulate what they did in Super Bowl XLII to defeat the high-flying New England Patriots. Facing the task of replacing a veteran leader two years in a row, Big Blue will look to make Michael Strahan’s absence as inconspicuous as Tike Barber’s.

Playing in the extremely tough NFC East, the regular season will not be a cakewalk, but an overall weaker conference should allow the Giants to qualify for the playoffs easily. Eli Manning made all the doubters swallow their words and pride with a postseason full of magic, while head coach Tom Coughlin reaped the benefits of a championship after being raked over the New York coals. Continue Reading »

More Than Half the Issue are Advertisements; Fluff Features

When people ask what is the leading publication for bodybuilding and people that work out, most would answer without hesitating, “Muscle & Fitness,” the Joe Weider magazine that has been around (under a few different names) since 1940. How many of us received our first diet and routine from the pages of this title? Through the years, we have kept it by us almost like a security blanket, updating our workout from recommendations taken from pages of ‘The Bible.’ .

But have you seen one lately? Take the June 2008 issue for example. A robust 280 pages makes handling this mag a workout all in itself. But a closer look reveals that only 129 of those pages are completely advertisement-free. That’s only 46 percent editorial. You have yo navigate all the way to page 14 just to reach the ‘Contents.’ Continue Reading »

…But Was That Just A Convenient Excuse?

It comes down to what you really believe. After opening up a can of worms, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw did a little damage control. Appearing during the press conference introducing the recently retired Michael Strahan to the FOX NFL crew, Bradshaw did his best to backtrack from his comments last week during a radio interview with Dan Patrick, most likely after bunkering down with FOX executives.

“I’m not bodybuilding here,” he said. “They were not that kind of steroids. They were anti-inflammatories.” Trying to pass off his earlier comments as though he meant cortisone shots is like Bill Clinton saying that he smoked marihuana, but didn’t inhale. All athletes - even ones that come across as unintelligent as Bradshaw - know what a cortisone shot is and not call it a ’steroid,’ especially in today’s paranoid sports world. Continue Reading »