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It’s theorized in the bodybuilding community that the reason Flex Wheeler and other top Olympia caliber bodybuilders are able to build such incredible physiques is due to Myostatin deficiency.Other popular theories circulate around that include ideas as vastly different as androgen receptor sensitivity is higher in top bodybuilders, to the complete opposite side of the spectrum where some believe that training past a certain pain threshold is what separates champions from the rest and that genetics are just a small factor in determining bodybuilding success.In this article I delve into Myostatin gene mutations, claims about top Mr. Olympia bodybuilders’ DNA, and outline what kind of potential impact Myostatin has shown to have in the clinical data.In addition, I take a deep dive into the actual study conducted on Flex Wheeler and a handful of other Mr. Olympia contenders and show what was revealed about their DNA, as well as how it compared to average individuals.Table of ContentsMyostatin Gene (MSTN) and Its Role in Myostatin ProductionBefore delving into a real-world example of a purported Myostatin deficiency in humans (Flex Wheeler), I’m going to get into the gene a bit itself.The MSTN gene is a gene that makes instructions for producing the protein myostatin.Myostatin regulates skeletal muscle growth by restraining it when necessary.In turn, it prevents the body from gaining too much muscle.Current research that surrounds myostatin is based around its treatment for musculoskeletal degenerative diseases.Coincidentally, animals that have mutations in the encoding gene MSTN show greater muscle mass, strength, and in some circumstances reduced body fat as well.Examples of Myostatin deficiencies are found in lab based rodent models, as well as in the farming industry with myostatin deficient cattle.Myostatin Knockout MiceMice that lack the gene that creates myostatin have approximately twice as much muscle mass as normal mice [R].Myostatin inhibitors have been proposed by many to be the most promising new area of science in a bodybuilding context, as well as potentially better alternative treatment for muscle wasting diseases.Belgian Blue Double-Muscled CattleThe Belgian Blue has a myostatin gene mutation, consequently preventing its feedback loop of muscle growth inhibition from working correctly.This mutation interferes with fat deposition and can lead to accelerated lean muscle growth.The acceleration of muscle growth in Belgian Blues is due primarily to physiological changes in the animal’s muscle cells (fibers) from hypertrophy to a hyperplasia mode of growth.This growth occurs in the fetus and results in a calf being born with two times the number of muscle fibers as a calf without a myostatin gene mutation [R].Myostatin Elevates In Response To AndrogensWhile there are likely other counterregulatory mechanisms in the body that inhibit excessive muscle growth, the main factor appears to be myostatin elevation.Myostatin increases to prevent you from gaining unhealthy amounts of muscle.In the following study, the effects of exogenous testosterone and trenbolone on myostatin levels was evaluated [R].This study showed that after 29 days of administration of either testosterone or trenbolone, myostatin protein levels were 197% higher in the castrated and testosterone group, and 209% higher in the castrated and trenbolone group when compared to the placebo.There’s a reason why this mechanism is in place in our bodies and we can’t grow linearly.Too much of anything is not going to be good, and when you try to push your body to a place that isn’t healthy, homeostatic mechanisms in the body will try to stop you.The human body is a big balancing act.More Androgens = More Myostatin = More Muscle Growth InhibitionAs previously outlined, myostatin is a growth inhibitor that elevates in the presence of androgens.Based on the current research it appears that the higher your dose of exogenous anabolics, the greater muscle growth potential you have, and consequently the higher your myostatin will elevate in parallel to inhibit absurd rates of muscle growth.In a study evaluating the effect graded doses of testosterone have on myostatin levels in young and older men, myostatin levels were significantly higher on day 56 than baseline in both groups [R].The myostatin hypothesis isn’t air tight and has some holes in the data contradicting its muscle growth inhibiting effects.However, based on what we know to date, the research suggests that its more than likely the main regulatory mechanism involved in muscle growth response relative to androgen receptor activation.Myostatin is well known to negatively regulate muscle mass in mice, cattle, dogs and humans [R].Myostatin Is Elevated In HIV Positive IndividualsMyostatin is detectable in human skeletal muscle, and its expression is increased in the muscles of HIV-infected men with muscle wasting compared to that in normal men [R].Does this mean that the muscle wasting that occurs with disease is caused in part by myostatin elevation?Maybe, and the relationship between the two is definitely notable.Studies Measuring How Much Myostatin Gene Mutations Can Affect Bodybuilding ProgressA small study was conducted to discover if the mutations in the SNP rs1805086 have any impact on the male bodybuilding population from a muscle hypertrophy and muscle performance standpoint [R].The secondary aim was to speculate if rare mutations are more prevalent in those who decide to choose a sport such as bodybuilding, as research indicates that mutations in MSTN can illicit larger muscle mass gains and a reduction in body fat.The Lys(K)153Arg(R) polymorphism in exon 2 (rs1805086, 2379 A >G replacement) of the myostatin (MSTN) gene is a candidate to influence skeletal muscle phenotypes and is listed on SNPedia as the top risk genotype for causing myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy [R, R].17% of the subject group had one mutation (AG), 83% had the common outcome (AA) and 0% (0) had two mutations (GG).Those with the AG genotype had an average arm circumference of 46.37 cm compared with AA which had an average of 42.02 cm.Those with the AG genotype had an average pull-up max score of 21 compared with AA with an average of 12.Those with the AG genotype had an average push-up max of 61 compared with AA with an average of 40.The study clearly shows that those with a mutation are rare, however the mutation does appear to give the subject a performance and size advantage over those with the common outcome.Another study had similar findings when evaluating A55T and K153R polymorphisms [R].Our results indicated that individuals with AT + TT genotype of the A55T polymorphism showed a significant increase in the thickness of biceps (0.292 ± 0.210 cm, P = 0.03), but not quadriceps (0.254 ± 0.198 cm, P = 0.07), compared to carriers of AA genotype.For the K153R polymorphism, the increases in the thicknesses of both biceps (0.300 ± 0.131 cm) and quadriceps (0.421 ± 0.281 cm) were significantly higher among individuals with KR than those with KK genotypes (P < 0.01 for both muscles).The results obtained therefore suggested a possible association between the two polymorphisms and the strength training-induced muscle hypertrophy among men of Han Chinese ethnicity.The K153R polymorphism is the same Lys(K)153Arg(R) polymorphism in exon 2 (rs1805086, 2379 A >G replacement) of the myostatin (MSTN) gene evaluated in the first study mentioned.SNPs Found To Influence Myostatin-Related Muscle HypertrophyAccording to SNPedia, these 3 SNPs definitely relate to myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy:The rs1805086 SNP in particular is the one most commonly looked at in relation to bodybuilding outcomes.It is often referred to during discussions of the “bodybuilder gene”.The rs1805086 SNP genotype AA is seen as the commonly occurring one, with the risk alleles being the rs1805086 GG genotype.The disease literally listed as a potential outcome of having this risk genotype is myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy.Just having one G allele is rare to begin with, and being homozygous for it is very rare.In my first video, I was basing my conclusion of Flex Wheeler’s genetic significance solely off the extrapolation of Victor Conte’s broad statement in his letter.[embedded content]I assumed that Flex probably had the rarest GG genotype for the rs1805086 SNP.However, after digging into the study conducted on Flex Wheeler itself, we are led to what is likely a much different conclusion, and is what I will delve into next.Flex Wheeler Myostatin DeficiencySupposedly, Flex Wheeler was a participant in a study conducted in collaboration with the department of human genetics at the university of Pittsburgh involving 62 men.During this study, Flex was purportedly found to have a very rare myostatin mutation at the exon 2 position on the gene.In theory, this supposed gene mutation prevented his body from producing normal amounts of myostatin, consequently resulting in a much larger number of muscle fibers than the average male.Animals and humans with inhibited myostatin levels have consistently shown to have much greater levels of musculature relative to their non-inhibited counterparts, and based on this it isn’t crazy to assume that genetic freaks in bodybuilding developed their physiques as a result of a similar gene mutation.In theory, someone with low myostatin levels could continue to progress at rates that would be impossible for someone with normal myostatin levels.The end result of chronically low myostatin levels could potentially be substantially greater levels of muscle gain from the exact same diet, training and drugs.Victor Conte’s Letter About Flex WheelerVictor Conte is one of the individuals associated with the myostatin mutation study conducted on Flex Wheeler and an assortment of other IFBB pro bodybuilders.99% of those in the bodybuilding community who discuss Flex’s myostatin deficiency are referencing a letter written in October, 1998 by Victor Conte.Whether this letter is legitimate and unaltered is unclear, but for what it is worth, we will assume it is legit as it is what has circulated around our community for years.October 1, 1998Re: Flex WheelerTo whom it may concern:I am writing this letter per the request of Flex Wheeler.I would first like to briefly provide you with some background information regarding BALCO Laboratories. BALCO has been working with elite Olympic and professional athletes for over fifteen years. BALCO has provided testing and consultation for over 250 NFL players including the entire 1998 Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos team and the entire Miami Dolphins team. BALCO works with professional athletes in many sports including tennis (Michael Chang, Jim Courier, etc.), hockey, bodybuilding (10 of the 16 1998 Mr. Olympia contestants), track and field, soccer and basketball (Seattle SuperSonics).BALCO Laboratories has been testing and monitoring Flex on a routine basis during the last year. We have performed tests including blood chemistry (SMAC), complete blood count (CBC), PSA, anabolic hormone levels, genotyping as well as comprehensive testing for nutritional elements. Flex’s test results have been compared to twenty-four other professional bodybuilders and overall he has one of the healthiest profiles. Basically, Flex is in excellent health and has demonstrated the discipline necessary to maintain a peak level of conditioning.Flex was a participant in a study we recently conducted in collaboration with the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh involving 62 men who made unusually large gains in muscle mass in response to strength training (extreme responders). Flex was one of only nine extreme responders that had the very rare “myostatin mutation.” Myostatin is the gene that “limits muscle growth.” Specifically, Flex had the rarest form of myostatin mutation at the “exon 2” position on the gene. This simply means Flex has a much larger number of muscle fibers compared to the other subjects or the normal population. We believe that these are the very first myostatin mutation findings in humans and the results of this landmark study have already been submitted for publication. Flex was also found to have a very unusual type of the IGF-1 gene. In fact, Flex was the only participant in the study that did not have a “match.” All of the other extreme responders had at least three other subjects with a matching IGF-1 gene. Based upon Flex’s very unique genetic profile, we plan to expeditiously publish a scientific paper that reveals his complete genotype in specific detail. The publication of his remarkable genetic data should generate an enormous amount of media exposure.Hope this information will be helpful and please call if I can be of assistance.Sincerely,/s/ Victor ConteVictor ContePresidentBALCO Laboratories, Inc.The Myostatin Mutation Study Conducted On Flex Wheeler And Other IFBB ProsThis study is commonly referenced but I have yet to see someone actually dig it up and cross reference the data in it with the statements made in Victor Conte’s letter.I did some digging and found it.The study is called “frequent sequence variation in the human myostatin (GDF8) gene as a marker for analysis of muscle-related phenotypes” [R].Based on what Victor stated in his letter, there were nine extreme responders with a very rare myostatin mutation.Supposedly Flex Wheeler had the rarest mutation of all at the exon 2 position on the gene, making him unique from all other individuals in the study.[embedded content]Subjects In The StudySequencing of selected regions of the myostatin gene and genotyping of common variants were carried out in a comparison sample of 96 randomly selected Caucasian and 96 African American subjects from the general population.An additional 72 individuals were screened for a common exon 2 variant.One hundred fifty-three subjects, including 127 men (32 African American, 91 Caucasian, and 4 Asian) and 26 women (9 African American, 16 Caucasian, and 1 Asian), were categorized by the magnitude of increases in muscle mass they experienced from strength training.The subjects consisted of:18 world-class bodybuilders (ranked in the top 100 worldwide)25 competitive bodybuilders not ranked in the top 1007 elite power lifters9 university football players55 previously untrained subjects who had their quadricep muscle volume measured by magnetic resonance imaging before and after 9 weeks of heavy resistance strength training of the knee extensors61 nonathletes, who were questioned about their ability to increase their muscle mass in response to intense and prolonged strength training5 of the 18 world-class bodybuilders were Mr. Olympia contenders ranked in the top 10 worldwide. [embedded content]A rating of 5 was given to those who were world-class bodybuilders and to those who increased their quadriceps muscle mass by more than 400 cm³ after only 9 weeks of strength training, whereas a rating of 0 was given to those who experienced no noticeable increase in muscle mass after vigorous strength training for at least 6 months.Eighteen subjects received a rating of 5, and 13 subjects received a rating of 0.The ratings of the remaining subjects fell somewhere between these two extremes.62 subjects who were rated as either 4 or 5 were classified as extreme responders, and were compared to 48 subjects who were rated as either 0 or 1 and were classified as nonresponders.Subjects were also grouped and compared by race.Information on muscle mass changes with strength training from the remaining subjects was obtained through either estimates of fat-free mass assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry or hydrodensitometry or in the case of competitive bodybuilders, power lifters, football players, and nonathletes, through questionnaire data on prior success in bodybuilding competition and/or reported changes in muscle mass with strength training.Study ResultsWithout boring you with the less relevant details in the study, the most notable part is the conclusion.The lack of a significant relationship between myostatin genotypes and overall muscle mass response to strength training suggests that response is not significantly influenced by variation at the myostatin locus.However, it is interesting to note that three of the African American nonresponders were homozygous for the less common (Arg) allele at the exon 2 K153R site, while none of the responders were homozygous for this allele.Three of the five mutations causing the double muscle phenotype in cattle occur in exon 2 and are recessive, but two are chain termination mutations and one is a deletion, expected to produce a nonfunctional myostatin protein.Whether variation in the myostatin gene influences muscle phenotypes other than the muscle mass increase in response to strength training requires further exploration.The less common Arg allele that is being referred to in the study conclusion is the mutation that you would expect Flex Wheeler to have.But, it doesn’t appear that he has it.Sandwiched in the middle of the study is a mention of what may be highlighting the true root of Flex’s genetic superiority.Among the six nucleotide changes, two, P198A and the intron 2 A/G, were observed in a single individual and two, I225T and E164K, were observed in two individuals, always heterozygous with the wildtype allele.The remaining two were present in the general population as common polymorphisms.The (A55T) and (K153R) variants are common in both ethnic groups, with the less frequent allele having a three to four times higher frequency in African Americans.These variable sites have the potential to alter the function of the myostatin gene product and could alter nutrient partitioning in individuals heterozygous or homozygous for the variant allele.What we can presume Flex Wheeler has is two nucleotide changes, P198A and the intron 2 A/G.That is the only note in the entire publication that distinguishes one individual in the study from the rest.What we can presume to be the nucleotide changes Flex Wheeler has aren’t even mentioned on SNPedia’s list of related risk genotypes.The only vague reference we have to it is in a study that examined the association between the MSTN exonic variants and ‘explosive’ leg power in 214 male university students [R].And in that study the only thing mentioned is that no subjects in the study had the MSTN exonic variant P198A.It appears that despite the uncommon (Arg) allele at the exon 2 K153R site being the main focus of most Myostatin papers and being honed in on as the root of the “bodybuilder gene”, it does not seem to have as significant of an impact on muscle growth response to training as many thought at the end of the day.The lack of a significant relationship between myostatin genotypes and overall muscle mass is very notable as this study included 5 Mr. Olympia caliber bodybuilders, and several other top tier IFBB pros.The most interesting thing to note is that three of the African American nonresponders were homozygous for the less common (Arg) allele at the exon 2 K153R site, while none of the responders were homozygous for this allele.Of the identified GDF8 variations in humans, the Lys(K)153Arg(R) polymorphism in exon 2 (rs1805086, 2379 A >G replacement) of the myostatin (MSTN) gene is a candidate to influence skeletal muscle phenotypes [R].None of the extreme responder bodybuilders were homozygous for this allele though.I had mentioned in the first video that having the AG genotype in general is rare.It was found to have a significant impact on muscle size and muscle strength in the study I outlined earlier in the article.Logically, you would assume that the GG genotype (which is even more uncommon), would result in a lack of myostatin and some insane level of muscle growth.That doesn’t seem to be the case though based on this study.3 of the subjects who had a poor response to training and subpar muscle growth (nonresponders) were the ones who had this rare genotype.Only three individuals had extremely rare nucleotide changes.This includes who I assume to be Flex who has two nucleotide changes, P198A and the intron 2 A/G, and two other individuals having I225T and E164K nucleotide changes, all of which were heterozygous with the wildtype allele.That leaves 2 top tier Mr. Olympia caliber bodybuilders, several other world class IFBB pro bodybuilders, and a lot of other elite athletes, with MSTN genotypes that have shown to have minimal impact on muscle growth response to training in this study.The two other nucleotide changes causing the double muscle phenotype in cattle are the A55T and K153R variants and are present in the general population as common polymorphisms.These variable sites have shown potential to alter the function of the myostatin gene product and could alter nutrient partitioning in individuals heterozygous or homozygous for the variant allele.However, the data in this study shows that there is not a significant relationship between myostatin genotypes and overall muscle mass response to strength training.Inconsistencies In The Clinical Data And Victor Conte LetterI don’t know where the statements in the letter Victor wrote are coming from.He claims that Flex Wheeler had the rarest form of myostatin mutation at the exon 2 position on the gene.But when we look at the study itself, it says 3 of the non-responders were homozygous.None of the responders were homozygous.Flex Wheeler would have undoubtedly been categorized as an extreme responder, and yet, he was not one of the individuals with the GDF8 variation in humans we would expect to see in a myostatin deficient individual.Based on this, we can presume he is the individual mentioned in the study with two nucleotide changes, P198A and the intron 2 A/G.Victor also mentioned how “nine extreme responders had the very rare myostatin mutation.”We can see in the data that only three individuals had uncommon nucleotide changes, not nine, and the rest of the subjects had common polymorphisms present in the general population.In addition, of the mutations mentioned, even if more of the top caliber bodybuilders had notable mutations, the study conclusion still states that there is not a significant relationship between myostatin genotypes and overall muscle mass response to strength training.Victor also stated in his letter that Flex is one of the healthiest of his professional bodybuilders he’s been monitoring, and that Flex is in excellent health.We have performed tests including blood chemistry (SMAC), complete blood count (CBC), PSA, anabolic hormone levels, genotyping as well as comprehensive testing for nutritional elements.Flex’s test results have been compared to twenty-four other professional bodybuilders and overall he has one of the healthiest profiles.Basically, Flex is in excellent health and has demonstrated the discipline necessary to maintain a peak level of conditioning.This was written on October 1, 1998.If you know the history of Flex Wheeler, you’ll know that he ended up having to stop competing after discovering in 1999 that he had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (a form of kidney disease), and then retired shortly thereafter.I don’t know how something that massive could be overlooked to that extent.It makes me question the legitimacy of this letter in the first place.If Flex was truly on the brink of kidney failure, I don’t see how it was determined that he was one of the healthiest bodybuilders being supervised by Victor, and how this extensive testing didn’t pick this up.The first thing that comes to my mind is curiosity around whether or not there was some sort of money-making endeavor associated with this.The supplement industry was crazy in the 90’s.Steroids were sold legally over the counter, and you could make ridiculous false claims about pretty much whatever you want and then sell products based on that.The false claims are still around today, but now we have the resources at our fingertips to actually see through the garbage being marketed to us, whereas in the 90’s nobody knew better and a myostatin inhibiting supplement that can make you as jacked as Flex Wheeler likely would have sold like crazy.Maybe this guess is way off of what the real intention was, but I don’t see what could have been the motivation behind this letter, or what it was seeking to accomplish.It is entirely possible that they were thinking of teaming up to create some sort of myostatin inhibitor supplement that would be based on Flex’s unique genotype.ConclusionI don’t know if the further publication that Victor mentioned in the letter ever came to surface.Based upon Flex’s very unique genetic profile, we plan to expeditiously publish a scientific paper that reveals his complete genotype in specific detail.The publication of his remarkable genetic data should generate an enormous amount of media exposure.I’m assuming that this was probably put on the back burner after Flex had his health issues in 1999.I don’t know what the goal of this letter was, and there are several inconsistencies between it and the actual study that would need further clarification to make any conclusive statements.Who was this letter addressed to and why was Flex Wheeler requesting this letter be written in the first place?Aside from the mystery of this letter that greatly interests me, it seems like we can at least conclude based on the study findings that most myostatin gene mutations do not appear to be the differentiating factor between top Mr. Olympia caliber extreme responders and the average joe.Related

Chemyo is one of the best SARMs sources in the industry, bar none.They have been a staple in my research for years, and I have yet to experience a lapse in quality in any batch I have received since day 1.Chemyo was one of the first companies in the industry that set the standard with top tier quality control.Back when companies wouldn’t even post COA’s, let alone get proper third party testing, Chemyo was one of the few companies setting the standard for the industry.Before you buy SARMs from a company keep in mind that the quality of SARMs varies enormously between different sources in this industry.In an investigation involving chemical analyses of 44 products marketed as SARMs and sold via the internet, only 52% contained SARMs at all, and many were inaccurately labeled [R].ACCURATELY DOSED SARMs will produce repeatable results that are selective for anabolic effects in muscle or bone tissues with a relative absence of androgenic effects in tissues such as the prostate gland at therapeutic dosages.POOR QUALITY SARMs on the other hand, will generally offer nothing (because they are underdosed or completely bunk), or may even be tainted with liver toxic methylated Prohormones (which are now illegal).If you are researching with compounds like SARMs that suppress endocrine function and can have varying levels of health implications, then it pays to get the best SARMs you can to ensure you can predict with far greater accuracy exactly what to expect, and how to tackle any potential side effects or obstacles that may occur during experimentation.Unfortunately, in this industry cutting corners when it comes to quality control is a given with almost every single company.There are hundreds of SARMs suppliers out there and I’ve tried a lot of them over the years (I’ve personally been researching SARMs for half a decade).From the type you buy in local supplement stores with overly-hyped up aggressive packaging (horrible marketing practice as they aren’t dietary supplements), to the companies that swear their liquid SARMs are stronger than all capsule SARMs, to the seemingly good suppliers that have been around for years.I’ve experienced such a vast array of product quality over the years between all of these companies that I can’t stress enough how important transparent testing is when it comes to yielding accurate results in your research.Table of ContentsMy Supplier Requirement ChecklistOver the years I have developed some specific criteria that I feel a SARMs company should meet if I am to give them my business.This is based on my past experiences with good and bad companies.In terms of SARMs quality, I believe the more a company meets these criteria, the higher quality the SARMs are likely to be.My requirements are as follows:Third Party TestingI don’t recommend buying SARMs from a company that doesn’t pay for third party testing. Period.Third party testing for every product SKU is a bare minimum, and ideally there would be third party test results for every single batch manufactured of every single SKU for full transparency.This is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to SARMs quality control.Simply put, I am not going to compromise my research by risking it with some random company that has no proof of consistently high product purity.It baffles me how many people will completely ruin their experiments just to save a few bucks on their order with some garbage fly-by-night company.LegalityThere are a lot of research chemical companies nowadays, and one thing I find crazy is how many sell blatantly illegal substances.Personally, I think all drugs should be legal, but the fact remains that they aren’t, so there are some key things I look for when I am assessing a SARMs company’s legal compliance and risk profile.If a company sells SARMs, but then they also sell a myriad of Rx only/scheduled compounds, it is a bit sketchy and it is likely not a company I want to be trusting my money with when there is an impending ban on SARMs.To be frank, from a legal standpoint, SARMs have yet to be scheduled (in my country at least, you should double check where you live if they are legal before you buy SARMs from anyone), so if there is a company that is commingling their legal products with illegal products and selling everything they can get away with, it’s probably not a good sign for their longevity, and likely not a good sign for their quality control procedures.No Hyped Up MarketingI don’t recommend buying from companies that go out of their way to market SARMs as legal steroids with no side effects for extreme bodybuilding purposes, or as dietary supplements in general.The more a company markets SARMs as hardcore bodybuilding compounds with aggressively hyped up expectations, the worse the SARMs usually are.Not only is the product usually of lower quality with these companies, this sort of behavior is also what gives people the wrong idea about SARMs and only increases the chances of them being made illegal (which is probably inevitable at this point already).To be clear, these are not dietary supplements, so if a company is labeling them that way, they’ve already blown it in my books, and the aggressive marketing is just icing on the cake.Don’t be seduced by this aggressive, misguided marketing, and don’t support it.Why I Think Chemyo Is An Excellent Source To Buy SARMs From OnlineChemyo can make an argument that they are the only source that is “truly” third party tested.Their compounds are sent in randomized by third parties for testing and not by themsleves, which is less subject to manipulation/bias.They also release their full raw testing data to the public for review (not just the final HPLC test result) and lot code every single batch so that customers can see the test results of the exact batch that they received.Third party testing is critical in ensuring quality, and this extra step in their supply chain is just another factor that can distinguish them as an industry leader.Chemyo is one of the only companies that consistently achieves greater than 99% purity on every single batch.Elaborate, extensive testing is conducted on every single batch, of every single one of their product SKU’s.This includes FTIR, HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS & NMR testing.They repeat this process for every single batch of product they manufacture, not just one random batch a year ago that they had tested just so they could show results on their website as a marketing ploy (what most companies do, if they even third party test at all).This is one of the few companies I don’t have to worry about my results being skewed by inconsistent quality control.With other SARMs companies, you need to account for a huge margin of error, and frankly, no research findings are even credible in any capacity with products coming from 99% of other sources because of this.Extensive Third Party Testing And Quality ControlEvery single batch of every single product Chemyo sells is third party tested.[embedded content]Most companies don’t pay for third party testing at all, and of the ones that do, even the top companies have test report data showing a range of a chromatographic purity of 98-100% at best.Chemyo consistently achieves chromatographic purity of over 99% on all of their testing data.Unlike most other companies who third party test their products, Chemyo releases their full testing data.Here is an example of this: Chemyo RAD140As you can see, Chemyo has test reports showing their HPLC and FTIR raw data, not just a third party COA.Most companies will just post their third party test results via a COA, but will not show full raw testing data.In addition, most companies that do get third party testing done will only use an HPLC assay for their raws testing, consequently resulting in less precise purity testing than what Chemyo ensures via their far more elaborate analysis.Chemyo tests their solutions in triplicate to enhance their accuracy of testing their solutions for potency.Referring back to the RAD140 product listing, if you review this RAD140 test report you can see that they test 3 solutions.Replicate tests are needed to ensure precision and to assess how close they are to each other.To measure accuracy, the lab has to compare the unknown to a pure reference standard.This is done routinely, but a single measurement has unknown precision so quality labs will use replicates to confirm the accuracy of the measurements.This takes into account potential errors in weighing, volumes, chromatography variables and peak integration.Chemyo is unique in that they have their testing done via other parties.Their full inventory stock is at their 3PL and their samples are sent in by them, completely blind randomized and not by Chemyo themsleves.They can prove that what is tested is what people actually get due to their supply chain.Most companies in this industry will have an extremely hard time proving this, and Chemyo has shown initiative to set the bar even higher when it comes to quality control.When Chemyo launched in late 2016 it was almost impossible to find a bottle of MK-677 at a chromatographic purity of over 95-96%.Chemyo was the first company to achieve greater than 99% chromatographic purity verified via HPLC and FTIR raw data.They were also the first company I am aware of to do proper batch tracking and release concentration report audits to the public.Most SARMs companies literally don’t have a clue what’s in the products that they are selling you.There are SO many companies out there that claim they are third party tested, have HPLC results showing that their products are 99% pure, blah blah blah, but then when you ask to see their third party tests, they either don’t have anything to show you, or they show you a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from their raws supplier in China.A COA, is NOT the same thing as third party testing.A COA is a document that the Chinese supplier can doctor however they want, and likely doesn’t even show true results, as most of these companies (literally 99% of companies) are NOT paying an unbiased third party lab to test their products for them.The only way you can know for certain what you are getting is legitimate is by literally paying thousands of dollars out of your own pocket to send your products to a third party lab, and have them perform a completely unbiased test on your products, and then send you those results.COA’s mean nothing.Chemyo products are batch and lot coded with publicly visible lab reports.This not only allows Chemyo to identify problematic batches and immediately rectify the issue, but it allows customers to cross reference which test reports were conducted on the specific batch they received.In addition to third party submitted randomized testing, the level of transparency and commitment to quality control Chemyo consistently shows is exceptional.To read more about their elaborate quality control process, including how they source their raws, quarantine them for third party testing, have a third party submit their products for unbiased test results, review third party analysis results, and test their products again a second time for purity confirmation, check out the Chemyo quality control page.Supply ChainPeople mistakenly believe that testing is all that matters.Yes, testing matters, but the supply chain is just as important.Testing only proves that X party has sent out a sample to a lab and has paid for that test.It does not prove that you are actually being sent the right stuff you asked for.Someone could still underdose your solutions at the end of the day.This is where the supply chain comes in and is equally important.When you look at Chemyo’s supply chain, they work with several parties.ChemyoRaw ingredient manufacturer supplierContractor mixing & filling serviceTesting labThird party logisticsWhen I asked Chemyo to detail exactly how their supply chain functions they were incredibly transparent and sent me this:1. We order raw materials from our supplier.We set strict requirements.Our supplier in some cases needs to re-purify a batch in order to pass our quality standards.This raw powder batch goes directly to our contractor that does our mixing & filling in the USA.2. As soon as our mixing & filling contractor receives the raw powder batch we instruct him to send out a sample of the batch to S&N labs, which is our testing lab.3. S&N labs tests the powder for both identity (FTIR) & purity (HPLC).4. If the results are positive (so that means the raw powder batch is of correct identity with a purity of above 99%) we instruct our contractor to go ahead and mix and fill the bottles after.5. When the batch is mixed and bottled, the batch gets a final QC inspection and is sent out to our 3PL.The whole batch is batch coded and also induction cap sealed.6. Our 3PL receives the whole batch of solutions.7. We instruct our 3PL to send out a solution or more solutions from the batch to S&N labs for concentration testing.This picking is completely randomized and is done by an employee from them, not us.8. If the concentration matches label criteria the solutions are finally ready to be sold to our customers.The advantages of our supply chain are as follows:– Maximum trust for the customer. It’s pretty much impossible for us to underdose our solutions this way. Our powders are first tested for identity & purity and our solutions for concentration.– Professional parties, especially on the mixing & filling front. Some companies mix from their basement. We use a professional filling contractor that also mixes for companies in other high profile niches like e-liquids.– We are audited in a way. Our parties know exactly how much is produced and how much is received in stockPricesChemyo’s solutions are all featured in 50 ml bottles, which is 66% more volume than the industry standard that is 30 ml.When you price it out milligram for milligram, Chemyo prices are better than most companies, and that is without even factoring in that they actually achieve greater than 99% chromatographic purity in every single batch, and the majority of other companies don’t even have the right compounds in the bottles they are labeling as SARMs.When you order from another fly-by-night company, the probability is nearly 50% that their products are completely bunk without even delving into their quality control.Then, the probability that their current batch for sale is accurately dosed is extremely low.As mentioned previously, look at how many companies are actually getting third party testing, then look at how many of those companies are showing their raw data from those test results.When all is said and done, there are almost no companies out there that are consistently achieving chromatographic purity of over 99% on all of their testing data.Even if a company has third party testing and has published test results for you to view, what are the chances that those test results reflect the purity of the batch that they will actually be sending you and isn’t an old test result?Are those test results batch coded to allow you to actually see what the purity of the batch you received is specifically?At the end of the day, when you go look for loss leader companies in this industry to save a few bucks, you will get burned with garbage quality almost every single time.I am shocked at how many people will completely compromise their research using some random company that has zero credibility, proof of product purity, or proof of consistency just to save $5-10 per product in their order.Fortunately, the handfuls of truly credible companies in this industry do not charge multiple times more than the crap people are buying, even though it would be more than justified.All things considered, Chemyo MAJORLY underprices their products.If you get a massively underdosed product, or something else entirely (the chances are disturbingly high that this will happen with most SARMs sources), did you really save any money at the end of the day?No, you spent more money for less of what you were paying for, and your results/reports will be useless to reference.Product Presentation And Website LayoutChemyo was the first SARMs company I am aware of that actually had a presentable website as far back as 2016.It has always been easy to navigate with a very professional layout.It is clear that attention to detail is a priority of theirs, as 99% of companies in this industry had crappy looking Shopify skeleton websites, or poorly designed WordPress sites back then.If a company doesn’t take the time to make an easy to navigate website with a user-friendly checkout menu, or get high quality images of their products and accompanying graphics, to me that just shows that they are willing to cut corners.The more a company is willing to cut corners in one aspect or another, the more likely this lack of pride in presentation will bleed into quality control.The Chemyo website looks amazing and their product presentation is fantastic.Attention to minor details is clear even during the packaging process of their products.The packaging is designed to prevent evaporation in storage and maximize product shelf life.Each bottle has tamper-proof seals to ensure safety in transitEach bottle also comes with a free 1 ml dropper for accurate measuring.Most companies that even feature a means of measuring product to begin with will include a graduated 1 ml pipette with notches every 1/4 ml.This can lead to wildly inaccurate measurements, which was recognized by Chemyo.Their droppers are separated into 0.1 ml markings, with ten 0.01 ml mini markings in between each of those for extremely accurate measurements.Customer ServiceThe customer service at Chemyo is great.Over the years I’ve only had to email about an international order once, and my concern was quickly addressed.Chemyo offers quick and friendly support should you need it.The Different SARMs for SaleAs you should know, different SARMs possess different properties than one another, despite all operating via a very similar mechanism of action.They are all intended to be non-steroidal and exert tissue-selective anabolic effects in muscle and bone, while sparing other androgenic effects that come from anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS).To make things easier for you, I’ve made a table to show you each of the most well known and researched SARMs, and broken them up into varying levels of endocrine suppression, as well as separated the compounds that are not SARMs at all, but are commonly lumped into the SARM category.You can also read through all of the notable clinical research conducted on each compound in an organized format, as well as my personal interpretation of the research and anecdotal findings of each compound linked below:Chemyo stocks most of these, with the exception of ACP-105, AC-262536 and LGD-3303.They also don’t stock SR9009 as it is useless orally, and frankly I have no idea why any company stocks this product in oral format.Chemyo has transparent potency audits and batch purity analysis for every single batch they produce of each of these products.Each batch is guaranteed to be at least 99% chromatographic purity verified via HPLC and FTIR raw data that can be cross referenced with each lot code.Other Product OfferingsWhen I first ordered from Chemyo years ago they only had a few products, but the quality was undoubtedly superior to the vast majority of the industry.This was reflected not only in their third party transparent test results, but also every single time in my own personal research.They’ve since expanded their catalog, and I’ve been told that a large expansion is to be expected soon.These range from SARMs to Nootropics, to anti-aging and longevity enhancing agents, and even some of the very obscure hair loss prevention compounds that I experiment with.NootropicsSome of the most notable Nootropics available right now that caught my eye are Noopept and Phenibut.I am a big fan of acute Phenibut usage for enhancing social freedom.Noopept stacks exceptionally well with Gorilla Mind Rush and Gorilla Mind Smooth as well for intense focus and productivity.Anti-Aging & LongevityI’ve started to transition into a significant amount of anti-aging and longevity research as of late, and it was nice to see that some of the most novel agents being evaluated right now for potential therapeutic applications are offered by Chemyo as well.The most notable currently in their expanded catalog being NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide).Hair Loss PreventionChemyo has started to expand their product line to include compounds developed for hair loss prevention as well.The main compound currently in their catalog that I have a lot of experience with and has shown significant therapeutic promise is RU58841.Where to Buy SARMs Internationally?Chemyo ships worldwide and guarantees delivery.They will ship anywhere SARMs are currently legal.BEFORE you buy SARMs, check if these products are legal in your country.Check the laws in your country prior to buying anything online to make sure it is compliant where you live with your current government laws.Cryptocurrency DiscountChemyo offers an additional 5% discount at checkout for those who use Cryptocurrency as their form of payment.If you order Chemyo products with Cryptocurrency to get a discount on your orders, checkout Coinbase HERE.I believe Coinbase is the most user friendly exchange to buy Bitcoin/Cryptocurrency from.My Chemyo Review In SummaryBlind randomized third party testing, batch and lot tracking, triplicate batch analysis, transparent publicly posted HPLC and FTIR raw data, and guaranteed 99% chromatographic purity make it extremely difficult for any other company in this industry to stack up to Chemyo.They are a true pioneer in this industry and I would not hesitate to recommend Chemyo SARMs, RU58841, Nootropics, or any other product offerings currently in their catalog.Chemyo Coupon CodeDespite already offering very competitive pricing, there are coupon codes available to use at checkout.At checkout, you can use the Chemyo coupon code “DC10” to save 10% on your entire order.Chemyo 99%+ Pure Third Party Tested SARMsDisclaimer: The information included in this article is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Prior to buying anything, check that it is compliant where you live with your current government laws. Chemyo Review Product Name: SARMs And RU58841Brand: ChemyoOverall4.9Third Party TestingAccurate DosingPricingBatch Consistency

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Many health authorities state that natural Testosterone levels decrease by 1% per year.This figure is incorrect, and is not based on bioavailable Testosterone.[embedded content]Once men enter their 30’s and start to get closer to being middle-aged, their endogenous Testosterone production starts to steadily decline.This is well understood, but how accurate is the 1% per year figure commonly thrown around?In general, not very accurate when all things are considered.On the surface, total testosterone levels decline by 0.8 to 1.6 percent on average in men over the age of 40 [R].But, that’s not the value that actually matters.Most will look at total testosterone levels as a way to measure adequate hormone levels.The fact is, you could have a 900 ng/dL total testosterone level and still experience low testosterone symptoms if you don’t have an optimal SHBG and free testosterone level.At the end of the day, free testosterone levels will show you exactly how much testosterone is actually available to be used in tissues.If you have high testosterone production, but more of it is being bound up by SHBG and albumin than should be, it won’t matter what your total testosterone level is on paper.If you have a sky high total testosterone level, but a very low free testosterone level, you will not have enough usable testosterone available to tissues to support optimal function.With that in mind, we have to also consider the fact that sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels increase by 1.6% per year [R].Not only do natural testosterone levels decrease, but we also have a concurrent increase in the main protein in the body responsible for binding up usable testosterone and preventing it from transcribing its effects in tissues.As you would expect taking both factors into consideration, free testosterone levels in the body decline even more substantially.With total testosterone levels decreasing, there is less testosterone in the body, and with an increase in SHBG, even more of that further declining testosterone gets rendered unusable.Because of this, bioavailable testosterone levels decrease by 2 to 3 percent per year on average.2 to 3 percent of your usable testosterone per year is substantial, and expectedly will often eventually lead to significant detriment to quality of life.Now, how is this random statistic useful to real world application?Well, armed with this knowledge you can more accurately interpret blood work, and I will detail exactly what tests you need to get done to actually assess your hormone profile.Most doctors are quick to send you packing if your total testosterone levels are in range, even if you still have chronic low testosterone symptoms.First of all, most doctors have no idea what the difference between total and free testosterone levels are, and secondly, most of the doctors who know what the difference is still have no idea how to order accurate high sensitivity hormone testing.On paper you could have a total testosterone level of 800 ng/dL but still experience horrendous low testosterone symptoms if free testosterone, estradiol and SHBG aren’t being tested properly.Most of the time, a doctor will write you a requisition to get your hormones assessed via a primitive methodology known as electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA).This is an outdated assay that is not accurate, especially if you use exogenous hormones.It is not uncommon to have a critical hormone incorrectly show as “healthy” in the middle of the reference range when high sensitivity testing would reveal that you are actually severely deficient.I have verified this now several times myself with both Estrogen testing and Testosterone testing.At minimum, these are the exact tests you should be getting to assess your hormone profile:Total Testosterone determined using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS)Free Testosterone determined using Equilibrium Dialysis or Equilibrium UltrafiltrationEstradiol determined using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS)Sex Hormone binding Globulin, Serum (SHBG)DHT, DHEA and Pregnenolone would be useful to have too, but the tests above are the main ones that will ultimately determine if you are functioning at a high level or not.To simplify things, this is the comprehensive blood test I recommend that you get to assess your health as a whole: Male Athletic Anti-Aging PanelIt is the best overall panel offered for men in all regards for health status evaluation, but the garbage Testosterone testing using direct analog enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and ECLIA is what is included in the panel.You will need to add Testosterone, Free, Equilibrium Ultrafiltration With Total Testosterone, LC/MS-MS separately to your cart as the comprehensive panel I recommend only comes with sensitive assay Estradiol testing.Related

Science.bio is a SARMs source that was brought to my attention earlier this year.My first impression of this company was that they have a very impressive looking website with a clean layout, and their product quality control appeared to be head and shoulders above the rest of the industry.There is less than a handful of other companies in the entire industry that have as stringent purity testing across their entire product line.Science.bio has A LOT of different products, and to my surprise, they were all third party tested.Not just COA’s.Not just one third party test for a batch they produced a year ago.But third party testing for every single product, for every single batch ever manufactured.When I saw that, I knew this wasn’t your run of the mill SARMs company who hired a good web designer to set up a nice looking Shopify page and was looking to make a quick buck.Most companies that get on my radar don’t make it past a quick 5 minute scope of their website because they are always missing some key element I feel is critical to make a great company.Whether that be a lack of sufficient quality control and third party testing, irresponsible marketing, questionable product offerings, or a number of other things I look out for, 99% of companies screw up at least one major thing I consider mandatory for me to even consider incorporating their products into my personal research.Science.bio made it past my initial assessment, as well as my more thorough assessment I completed afterwards.This entailed digging into their company track record, unbiased reviews online, as well as asking friends for feedback who are highly respected in this industry.They made it past my follow-up assessment too.I decided to put an order in afterwards to evaluate the product quality first hand.Keep in mind, the quality of SARMs varies enormously between different sources in this industry.In an investigation involving chemical analyses of 44 products marketed as SARMs and sold via the internet, only 52% contained SARMs at all, and many were inaccurately labeled [R].ACCURATELY DOSED SARMs will produce repeatable results that are selective for anabolic effects in muscle or bone tissues with a relative absence of androgenic effects in tissues such as the prostate gland at therapeutic dosages.POOR QUALITY SARMs on the other hand, will generally offer nothing (because they are underdosed or completely bunk), or may even be tainted with liver toxic methylated Prohormones (which are now illegal).If you are researching with compounds like SARMs that suppress endocrine function and can have varying levels of health implications, then it pays to get the best SARMs you can to ensure you can predict with far greater accuracy exactly what to expect, and how to tackle any potential side effects or obstacles that may occur during experimentation.Unfortunately, in this industry cutting corners when it comes to quality control is a given with almost every single company.There are hundreds of SARMs suppliers out there and I’ve tried a lot of them over the years (I’ve personally been researching SARMs for half a decade).From the type you buy in local supplement stores with overly-hyped up aggressive packaging (horrible marketing practice as they aren’t dietary supplements), to the companies that swear their liquid SARMs are stronger than all capsule SARMs, to the seemingly good suppliers that have been around for years.I’ve experienced such a vast array of product quality over the years between all of these companies that I can’t stress enough how important transparent testing is when it comes to yielding accurate results in your research.Table of ContentsMy Supplier Requirement ChecklistOver the years I have developed some specific criteria that I feel a SARMs company should meet if I am to give them my business.This is based on my past experiences with good and bad companies.In terms of SARMs quality, I believe the more a company meets these criteria, the higher quality the SARMs are likely to be.My requirements are as follows:Third Party TestingI don’t recommend buying SARMs from a company that doesn’t pay for third party testing. Period.Third party testing for every product SKU is a bare minimum, and ideally there would be third party test results for every single batch manufactured of every single SKU for full transparency.This is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to SARMs quality control.Simply put, I am not going to compromise my research by risking it with some random company that has no proof of consistently high product purity.It baffles me how many people will completely ruin their experiments just to save a few bucks on their order with some garbage fly-by-night company.LegalityThere are a lot of research chemical companies nowadays, and one thing I find crazy is how many sell blatantly illegal substances.Personally, I think all drugs should be legal, but the fact remains that they aren’t, so there are some key things I look for when I am assessing a SARMs company’s legal compliance and risk profile.If a company sells SARMs, but then they also sell a myriad of Rx only/scheduled compounds, it is a bit sketchy and it is likely not a company I want to be trusting my money with when there is an impending ban on SARMs.To be frank, from a legal standpoint, SARMs have yet to be scheduled (in my country at least, you should double check where you live if they are legal before you buy SARMs from anyone), so if there is a company that is commingling their legal products with illegal products and selling everything they can get away with, it’s probably not a good sign for their longevity, and likely not a good sign for their quality control procedures.No Hyped Up MarketingI don’t recommend buying from companies that go out of their way to market SARMs as legal steroids with no side effects for extreme bodybuilding purposes, or as dietary supplements in general.The more a company markets SARMs as hardcore bodybuilding compounds with aggressively hyped up expectations, the worse the SARMs usually are.Not only is the product usually of lower quality with these companies, this sort of behavior is also what gives people the wrong idea about SARMs and only increases the chances of them being made illegal (which is probably inevitable at this point already).To be clear, these are not dietary supplements, so if a company is labeling them that way, they’ve already blown it in my books, and the aggressive marketing is just icing on the cake.Don’t be seduced by this aggressive, misguided marketing, and don’t support it.Why I Think Science.bio Is An Excellent Source To Buy SARMs From OnlineScience.bio goes the extra mile not just to third party test their products, but they also pay for NMR, FTIR, HPLC, LC-MS, GC-MS, TLC, ICP-MS, Gravimetry, UV-Vis, Titration, Melting Point and Organoleptic analysis.Elaborate, extensive testing is conducted on every single batch, of every single one of their product SKU’s.They repeat this process for every single batch of product they manufacture, not just one random batch a year ago that they had tested just so they could show results on their website as a marketing ploy (what most companies do, if they even third party test at all).This is one of the few companies I don’t have to worry about my results being skewed by inconsistent quality control.With other SARMs companies, you need to account for a huge margin of error, and frankly, no research findings are even credible in any capacity with products coming from 99% of other sources because of this.Extensive Third Party Testing And Quality ControlEvery single batch of every single product they sell is third party tested.Most SARMs companies literally don’t have a clue what’s in the products that they are selling you.There are SO many companies out there that claim they are third party tested, have HPLC results showing that their products are 99% pure, blah blah blah, but then when you ask to see their third party tests, they either don’t have anything to show you, or they show you a Certificate of Analysis (COA) from their raws supplier in China.A COA, is NOT the same thing as third party testing.A COA is a document that the Chinese supplier can doctor however they want, and likely doesn’t even show true results, as most of these companies (literally 99% of companies) are NOT paying an unbiased third party lab to test their products for them.The only way you can know for certain what you are getting is legitimate is by literally paying thousands of dollars out of your own pocket to send your products to a third party lab, and have them perform a completely unbiased test on your products, and then send you those results.COA’s mean nothing.Science.bio products are batch and lot coded with publicly visible lab reports.This level of transparency and commitment to quality control seriously impressed me.Their testing also ensures that their products are free of adulterants, excipients and flow agents to ensure purity.Small factors that most companies would completely overlook Science.bio clearly takes very seriously.For example, their products are slightly over-weighed to compensate for loss by adhesion.They also promise less than 5% variance in concentration per lot, guaranteeing consistency.Science.bio SARMs, Nootropics, and all of their other product offerings are accurately dosed, consistently accurately dosed, and this holds true across their entire product lineup.It is not just exclusive to 1 or 2 products that they felt would net them a bigger profit.To read more about their elaborate quality control process, including how they source their raws, quarantine them for third party testing, review third party analysis results, and test their raws in-house again for purity confirmation, check out the Science.bio quality control page, and their frequently asked questions page.PricesI am shocked at how many people will completely compromise their research using some random company that has zero credibility, proof of product purity, or proof of consistency just to save $5-10 per product in their order.I would rather pay several times more to ensure what I am getting is not only what it is supposed to be, but meets label claims.Fortunately, the handfuls of truly credible companies in this industry do not charge multiple times more than the crap people are buying, even though it would be more than justified.All things considered, Science.bio MAJORLY underprices their products.Their prices are on par, or cheaper than complete garbage companies out there with websites that look like they were made by a 10 year old, monkeys working their customer service, and zero quality control.I wouldn’t be surprised if Science.bio’s profit margins are the lowest in the industry given how much goes into their presentation and strict quality control.Frankly, I don’t even like using pricing as a metric of whether a company is good or bad when they are doing everything right and pouring the majority of their revenue back into the company with the elaborate level of purity analysis that Science.bio uses.Evidently, Science.bio still manages to maintain competitive pricing because of economies of scale in manufacturing and quality control.They order in volume, have good connections (largely influenced by their ties to IRC.bio), and have an organized infrastructure that allows them to stay competitive with pricing.Any person with reasonable intelligence can tell that the retail price of a SARM often does not reflect the value you are getting either.If you order a bottle of LGD-4033 from Science.bio and can see with complete transparency that their product consistently meets label claims via potency audits and batch purity analysis, what is the actual value of that product relative to another company with the same price or a $5 cheaper price tag?Well, the probability that the other company is bunk is nearly 50% without even delving into their quality control.Then, the probability that their current batch for sale is accurately dosed is extremely low.Even if it is third party tested and has published test results for you to view, what are the chances that those test results reflect the purity of the batch that they will actually be sending you and isn’t an old test result?Were those results analyzed by qualified professionals and used as a reference point for further testing and purity confirmation in-house?I rest my case.Science.bio is truly a diamond in the rough of this trash infested industry.I would rather pay double to ensure I’m getting what I paid for.Hell, I’d even pay triple.And then there is Joe Shmoe in Facebook groups asking if anybody has heard of (insert fly-by-night company name here) SARMs because he thinks that their blend consisting of 4 different products and their $5 cheaper prices are more attractive than actually getting what you paid for.If you get a massively underdosed product, or something else entirely (the chances are disturbingly high that this will happen with most SARMs sources), did you really save any money at the end of the day?No, you spent more money for less of what you were paying for, and your results/reports will be useless to reference.Product Presentation And Website LayoutAttention to minor details is clear even during the packaging process of their products.They use PET single-wall jars and glass bottles with UV resistance to minimize degradation.The packaging is also designed to prevent evaporation in storage and maximize product shelf life.They also manufacture their products with tamper-proof seals to ensure safety in transit.Their liquid solutions even contain a graduated 1 mL pipette for convenient measurement.Pre-mixed liquid suspensions as well as raw powders are available for most of the products sold on the site as well, which is ideal for researchers like myself.These kind of details set Science.bio apart even further from the rest in this industry.It is clear that the individuals behind this company are veterans, and it shines through not just with their meticulous quality control, but even with their packaging and website presentation.If a company doesn’t take the time to make an easy to navigate website with a user-friendly checkout menu, or get high quality images of their products and accompanying graphics, to me that just shows that they are willing to cut corners.The more a company is willing to cut corners in one aspect or another, the more likely this lack of pride in presentation will bleed into quality control.The Science.bio website looks amazing and their product presentation is fantastic.Customer ServiceThe customer service at Science.bio is excellent.I would expect no less when dealing with an organization as professional as this.Science.bio offers quick and friendly support should you need it.When I had a question about an order I made, my inquiry was answered promptly and thoroughly.The Different SARMs for SaleAs you should know, different SARMs possess different properties than one another, despite all operating via a very similar mechanism of action.They are all intended to be non-steroidal and exert tissue-selective anabolic effects in muscle and bone, while sparing other androgenic effects that come from anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS).To make things easier for you, I’ve made a table to show you each of the most well known and researched SARMs, and broken them up into varying levels of endocrine suppression, as well as separated the compounds that are not SARMs at all, but are commonly lumped into the SARM category.You can also read through all of the notable clinical research conducted on each compound in an organized format, as well as my personal interpretation of the research and anecdotal findings of each compound linked below:Science.bio is the only company that stocks every single one of these compounds, and has transparent potency audits and batch purity analysis for every single batch they produce of each of these products.Usually a SARMs source will be missing S23, or LGD-3303, or another more obscure SARM that does not have as much demand as the more mainstream compounds.Science.bio offers everything, all with verified elite purity and batch consistency.Other Product OfferingsScience.bio has an elaborate catalog of products for sale.These range from SARMs to Nootropics, to hard to source stimulants, to anti-aging and longevity enhancing agents, and even some of the very obscure hair loss prevention compounds that I experiment with.NootropicsSome of the most notable Nootropics available right now that caught my eye are Noopept, Methylene Blue, Phenylpiracetam, Dihexa and Phenibut.I am a big fan of acute Phenibut usage for enhancing social freedom.Noopept, Methylene Blue, Phenylpiracetam and Dihexa all stack exceptionally well with Gorilla Mind Rush and Gorilla Mind Smooth as well for intense focus and productivity.StimulantsThis really piqued my interest.Science.bio carries some exotic stimulants that can be very difficult to source domestically.Especially when it comes to finding them on their own and not jammed in some fly-by-night supplement company’s garbage pre-workout supplement.Some of these include, 1,3-DMAA, Flmodafinil (CRL-40,940) and 1,4-DMAA.Anti-Aging & LongevityI’ve started to transition into a significant amount of anti-aging and longevity research as of late, and it was nice to see that several of the most novel agents being evaluated right now for potential therapeutic applications are offered by Science.bio as well.Some of these include NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide), Resveratrol, Pterostilbene and NAD+.Hair Loss PreventionScience.bio has started to expand their product line to include compounds developed for hair loss prevention as well.The compounds currently in their catalog that I have experience with and have shown therapeutic promise include RU58841, CB-03-01 and Setipiprant.Where to Buy SARMs Internationally?Science.bio ships worldwide with free shipping on international orders over $300.They will ship anywhere SARMs are currently legal.BEFORE you buy SARMs, check if these products are legal in your country.Check the laws in your country prior to buying anything online to make sure it is compliant where you live with your current government laws.Cryptocurrency DiscountScience.bio offers an additional 5% discount at checkout for those who use Cryptocurrency as their form of payment.If you order Science.bio products with Cryptocurrency to get a discount on your orders, checkout Coinbase HERE.I believe Coinbase is the most user friendly exchange to buy Bitcoin/Cryptocurrency from.My Science.bio Review In SummaryAfter thoroughly reviewing their quality control procedures, customer service, presentation, and general practices, I would not hesitate to recommend Science.bio SARMs, Nootropics, or any other product offerings currently in their catalog.From receiving and sampling raws to transparent batch and lot tracking, to extensive third party testing, to in-house analysis review and further testing, you would be hard-pressed to find another company in the entire industry that can stack up to Science.bio in all aspects.The entire company is on a different level than 99% of other companies, and you are going to be in good hands ordering from them.Science.bio Discount CodeDespite already offering very competitive pricing, there are discount codes available to use at checkout.At checkout, you can use the Science.bio discount code “DC10” to save 10% on your entire order.Science.bio 99%+ Pure Third Party Tested SARMsDisclaimer: The information included in this article is intended for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Prior to buying anything, check that it is compliant where you live with your current government laws. Science.bio Review Product Name: SARMs, Nootropics And Longevity CompoundsBrand: Science.bioOverall4.9Third Party TestingAccurate DosingPricingBatch Consistency

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In this article I detail what I wish somebody taught me before I started using anabolics about the ideal testosterone dosage to use during a bulking phase.When I first got into bodybuilding, I started researching bodybuilding pharmacology like a maniac.I was on the forums daily, I would rack the brains of guys I considered veterans in the community, I would listen to gurus, and I would scour the internet for anything I could find.For the last decade I’ve been absorbing information, and filtering out the crap.As you’ve probably experienced first hand, there is A LOT of garbage that circulates in this community.Unfortunately, when I first started researching there weren’t nearly as many credible sources of information in the community.The logical conclusion you make as a newbie is that the guy who is older and bigger than you probably knows more than you, so you should probably take what they say as solid advice.I did this a lot, and I also took a lot of theories to heart that weren’t backed with any science.With that being said, personal experience is still very important.A research paper can only tell you so many things about X compound before you need to just try it for yourself to really have valuable insight on its potential benefits and drawbacks in a bodybuilding context.My personal experience and research has led me to many conclusions that I wouldn’t have been able to wrap my head around even a few years ago, let alone when I first started learning about this stuff.Table of ContentsThe Point Of Using A Testosterone BaseOne of the most misunderstood concepts in our community is the Testosterone base.I had heard for years that Testosterone needs to be a base for every single steroid cycle.No matter what, you needed to have Testosterone in there.Logically, this makes sense on the surface.We naturally produce Testosterone, so if you shut down your hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG axis) with exogenous steroids then you would need to replace your Testosterone production with exogenous Testosterone.That was as far as anyone would explain the point of a Test base though, and for several years I accepted that as best practice.At a higher level, despite the fact that a Test base is still something that will be beneficial for the vast majority of AAS users, it is important to understand why you are injecting a steroid to begin with.Why exactly is an oral-only cycle a poor choice at a higher level than your gym bro telling you “if you don’t use Test you will get f*cked up!”Well, the main reason you need Testosterone is not just to activate androgen receptors and transcribe anabolic and androgenic effects in tissues in the body, but also it is to aromatize into a sufficient amount of Estrogen to fulfill a myriad of other physiological functions.Only in recent years has the importance of adequate Estrogen levels been highlighted even by experts in the community, and the previous dogma in the community up until the last few years was that Estrogen is bad and you should use an Aromatase Inhibitor to lower Estrogen to the middle of the reference range no matter what.Little consideration was given for the androgen to Estrogen ratio in the body, the fat loss and growth factor inhibiting effect unnecessarily lowering Estrogen can have, or the massive impact Estrogen has on lipid modulation.The clinical data also suggests how neuroprotective and cardioprotective Testosterone is relative to other anabolic steroids, but often fails to acknowledge that this effect may not be mediated by Testosterone at all, rather, it is the Estrogen that is created as a result of aromatization in the body.Give a man a bunch of any drug that suppresses Testosterone production to nearly zero and you will see a subsequent spike in neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity.Creating a therapeutic amount of Estradiol in your body is mediated through Testosterone aromatizing into Estrogen.While there are synthetic steroids that have proven to act on Estrogen receptors, or aromatize into Estrogen themselves, they have inherent flaws that cannot match the bioidentical androgen our body modulates in all aspects with far greater ease.Dianabol aromatizes into 17α-methylestradiol and is inherently hepatotoxic.Equipoise (Boldenone) is a poor substrate for aromatase and is incredibly kidney toxic relative to Testosterone.Trestolone aromatizes into 7α-methylestradiol and could potentially become a viable “test base” alternative, but for the time being, its therapeutic efficacy in this context still lags behind the obvious go to which is bioidentical Testosterone.Nandrolone is a very poor substrate for aromatase and will not maintain healthy levels of Estradiol relative to the androgen load exerted on the body, even at high dosages.While certain steroids can activate Estrogen receptors or aromatize into Estrogens themselves, none fit the bill for a perfect balancing act in all aspects like bioidentical Testosterone does.The 3 Categories Of SteroidsThe anabolic steroids we use for bodybuilding more or less break down into 3 different categories that you should understand thoroughly.Testosterone (and its derivatives), DHT Derivatives, and 19-Nor’s.Testosterone And Its DerivativesThe main steroids we concern ourselves with in this category include Testosterone, Dianabol and Equipoise.Aside from Trestolone, these are the only notable steroids that provide enough Estrogenic activity to function as “bases” of a cycle.DHT DerivativesThe main steroids we concern ourselves with in this category include Masteron, Proviron, Winstrol, Primobolan, Anavar, Anadrol and Superdrol.DHT derivatives are not substrates for aromatase and thus have minimal estrogenic activity (with the exception of Anadrol). 19-Nortestosterone (Nandrolone) DerivativesThe main steroids we concern ourselves with in this category include Nandrolone, Trenbolone and Trestolone (MENT).The Point Of Stacking Other Anabolics With TestosteroneThe main purpose of the Testosterone base is to maintain a physiologic amount of Estrogen that you would otherwise lose when your endocrine system is shut down in the presence of exogenous androgens.Once this function is fulfilled and you have that therapeutic level of Estradiol (E2) fulfilled via a base of Testosterone, what are you doing above and beyond that that’s helping you in a bodybuilding context?When I was first getting into my research I would commonly see 500 mg of Testosterone per week being deemed a “newbie cycle” dosage, and a Test base during a cycle was no less than 500 mg per week in every single cycle thereafter when stacked alongside other compounds.The dosage of Testosterone proposed in the “ideal” newbie cycle is so high that you already have guys on their first cycle forced to use Aromatase Inhibitors to prevent Estrogenic side effects.In general, if you need to use an aromatase inhibitor to use a certain dosage of Testosterone, I would deem that dosage of Testosterone too high for you.Testosterone is a great muscle building hormone, but oftentimes there are better ways to get the job done with lower overall stress on the body.Remember, Testosterone is one of the most primitive steroids there is.All steroids developed after Testosterone were synthesized in attempts to make a more tissue selective hormone than Testosterone in order to be used in a clinical setting with higher levels of tolerability.Tolerability, virilization, and health/biomarker impact are three very different metrics to assess the overall safety profile of a compound.The ideal anabolic agent would induce a significant amount of anabolic activity, with a relative lack of impact on biomarkers and masculinization.This is easier said than done though.This is what drove chemists to continue synthesizing new steroids after discovering Testosterone.You can’t inject a woman with a bunch of Testosterone to prevent muscle wasting without inducing severe virilizing side effects.Expectedly, more tissue selective alternatives that can induce the same anabolic activity with less side effects are more ideal in a therapeutic setting.This is also why the development of SARMs is very promising.This is where compounds like Primobolan, Anavar and Nandrolone showed such therapeutic promise too.With that being said, anabolic/androgenic ratios aren’t the end all be all that we should base our compound choices on, and oftentimes they are completely incorrect (e.g. with Winstrol).When To Stack Other Steroids With TestosteroneTaking this all into consideration, if muscle growth with a minimization of negative health impact is the goal, this is what I would suggest.After ensuring you have a physiologic amount of testosterone as your base at minimum, would it be wiser to increase your Testosterone dosage into the stratosphere and force yourself to introduce adjunct ancillary drugs to continue breaking plateaus, or introduce anabolic steroids that complement your base.Well, that depends on your genetic propensity to aromatization among numerous factors, but in general, I would say that the most intelligent approach to creating a steroid cycle should be increasing Testosterone as much as you can get away with until the need for an aromatase inhibitor presents itself.Obviously I’m not suggesting you do this on a first cycle, or perhaps even a second or third cycle, but I’m trying to lay out a framework to determine when/if it is justified for you to start stacking on top of your base.As long as Testosterone dosages are slowly tapered upwards as you gain muscle mass, side effects can be kept to a minimum with greater ease than most other compounds.The exception to this are androgenic side effects, but for the sake of this article being focused on bodybuilding outcomes and health, I will be disregarding hair loss/androgenic side effects when I lay out this framework.The synergy between Testosterone and more tissue selective alternatives will always give better results on a milligram for milligram basis, but the impact that total milligram amount per week has on your health, and other things you may or may not care about (e.g. your hair) is what you need to take into consideration.Testosterone wins over all other compounds when you factor in everything with exception of androgenic side effects, but there comes a point for the majority of individuals where more Testosterone is just not feasible without forcing the user to introduce an AI.For those who can blast Test into the sky with no side effects, frankly, they’d probably be better off using a slowly titrating dose of Testosterone to continue breaking plateaus with all things considered (finances, bloodwork, long term health ramifications, etc.).But, for those who are very prone to estrogenic side effects, stacking will be necessary if your goals in muscle accrual exceed what you can accomplish with a moderate dosage of Testosterone. Testosterone will produce dose-dependent increases in muscle mass.We already know this.However, once you hit a certain dose (individual dependent), you will be forced to introduce adjunct drugs just to mitigate side effects, which will also impair other important biomarkers and hinder muscle growth.This dosage is typically around the 300-400 mg Testosterone per week mark for many individuals.If you don’t need an AI though and your body is extremely efficient at balancing androgens relative to estrogens, then by all means, push the Testosterone higher instead without stacking if your biomarkers indicate that it is the healthier choice for you.Testosterone has proven time and time again to be the most forgiving steroid on health markers and it is more than sufficient to grow a physique to IFBB pro standards.Pharmaceutical grade Testosterone is also relatively easy to find for a fair price, whereas pharmaceutical grade Primobolan, Anavar, Nandrolone and Anadrol are commonly faked, or very expensive.How To Know What Compounds To Choose In Your StackOnce you get to a point where you’re forced to use an AI just to use a higher dose of Testosterone, was it a wise choice to use that much Testosterone in the first place?Personally, I believe that is where introducing a DHT derivative would then be justified rather than increasing your Testosterone dosage even higher.The DHT derivative will accomplish the following:Exhibits inherent anabolic effects itself and are typically well tolerated (several DHT derivatives are decent muscle builders).Some can bind with SHBG, consequently freeing up more Testosterone to be used in tissues. Thus making your current dose of Testosterone work “better”.Some can antagonize Estrogen, consequently reducing your need for an AI. This may even give you more wiggle room to increase your Testosterone dose even higher without needing an AI.Only once you’ve plateaued from a cycle comprised of a Test base and a DHT derivative do I believe you should even consider introducing a 19-Nor, as they are the least forgiving on health markers, despite their superior anabolic/androgenic tissue selectivity.All steroids accomplish the same thing at the end of the day more or less, so how they are used in your protocol should be based on your propensity to side effects and individual specific biomarkers.In addition, your tolerance to androgenic activity needs to be factored in, as managing hair loss and other androgenic side effects on hormones is a totally different ballgame than managing side effects in a completely health focused context.While you can get to 260+ pounds lean on a bunch of Testosterone (if you have great genetics), could you have not accomplished the same thing with a much lower androgen load, or without needing to pop AI’s like candy to tolerate the dosage of Testosterone needed to support that much lean muscle growth?This is what I wish I learned about sooner, because it wasn’t until after I finished trying to chase bodybuilding goals that I feel I really started to understand more optimal practices.Misconceptions Surrounding Certain CompoundsCertain compounds that are very effective get completely overlooked because of their relative lack of potency, and oftentimes even their relative lack of side effects.“Wet” compounds like Dbol will give the user an inflated look as a result of its conversion to 17α-methylestradiol.If something bloats you up 10 pounds nearly overnight, does that mean it is a more effective muscle builder than something dry but less dramatic due to its relative lack of side effects?No, I don’t think so.Compounds like Primobolan will get overlooked because of this, and they are seen as “girl steroids”.If you’re in this for the long haul, long term muscle growth is our goal with the least impact on our health possible.There are very few compounds that edge out Primobolan in this regard, despite yielding what may be perceived to be better increases in size in the short term.The reality is, there are several commonly overlooked compounds with better outcomes than commonly reached for steroids not only in a clinical setting, but in a bodybuilding context as well in the long-term.Comparing someone waterlogged on a Test, Nandrolone and Dbol cycle to someone on a Test, Primobolan and Nandrolone cycle, the guy on Dbol might appear to be making significantly more progress at a much faster rate, but are those outcomes just inflated by the guy being waterlogged?Or are they actually yielding more nitrogen retention and lean muscle accrual with their inclusion of Dbol?The side effect profile of the second cycle would be far more tolerable and still yield nearly identical gains in muscle mass all things considered.Keep this in mind when you’re designing your cycles.How I Would Approach A Blast PhaseIf somebody outlined these concepts to me when I was younger I could have significantly reduced my dosages and avoided so much unnecessary hair loss, cardiovascular stress, oxidative stress, and organ stress in general.My dosages were excessive for my goals was the main issue, which I outline further in my article detailing my first cycle.If I were to design subsequent blast phases for myself now (and hair loss wasn’t a concern), it would follow the framework I outlined earlier in the article.Testosterone DosageI would use a base of 300 mg Testosterone per week split into everyday administrations.My Testosterone dosage would titrate up to as high as my body can tolerate without needing an AI or substantial detriment to my health markers during the subsequent cycle.DHT DerivativesPrimobolanIn the subsequent cycle I would introduce a DHT derivative like Primobolan if I hit a wall with my titrating Testosterone dosage.By hit a wall, I mean that I am put in a position where I need more AAS, but increasing my Testosterone dosage any further would result in me needing to introduce an AI to prevent significant estrogenic side effects from occurring.So, instead of increasing Testosterone further and using an AI, at that point we can look to the DHT derivative family.The dosage of Primobolan would titrate up as needed based on SHBG and Free Testosterone levels (Primo doesn’t bind well to SHBG, but the dosage would still be based on what my limits are with Testosterone titration), estrogenic activity in the body, biomarkers, and my tolerability of 19-Nor’s.19-Nortestosterone (Nandrolone) DerivativesNandroloneNandrolone is my choice of 19-Nor that would be introduced several cycles later once my body had plateaued from all of the previous blast phases where I had already peaked my Test base dosage and tried a subsequent cycle of a Test base with Primobolan.Advanced AAS Protocol FrameworkThe foundation of each blast phase after I deem my body had reached an “advanced” stage of AAS use again would likely include Testosterone as my base, Primobolan and Nandrolone.While certain compounds could be considered interchangeable, I see no need to rotate compounds in and out during a mass building phase.The primary growth promoters of that stack are Testosterone and Nandrolone, but the dosages of each would be highly dependent on individual gene expression and health markers (as well as basic things like blood pressure).I’ve been on therapeutic TRT for years so I would milk this compound progression again if I wanted to experience significant progress without needing to jump straight into an advanced stack.It should take you at least a couple years of cycling before you work your body up to a point where a protocol designed using advanced cycle framework is even necessary to deploy to break muscle building plateaus.Related