Minggu, 21 Mei 2000

 

Men can't help staring at breasts...even their own.

“Yeah, I guess I’m pretty lean,” he acknowledges. “But I still feel like I’m not getting as much out of my workouts as I could. I think my attack [on weights] could be more intense.”

Dave has heard about a testosterone boost you can supposedly get from a new class of supplements called prohormones. “They turn you into a monster,” says a friend who jumped on the androstenedione bandwagon after baseball beast Mark McGwire acknowledged using the stuff during his record 1998 season.

He’s not the only one: The following year brought in more than $50 million in andro sales, a more than 1,000 percent jump. McGwire may have ceased and disavowed his prohormone habit, but since andro and similar substances are still banned by the ioc, the ncaa and the nfl, Dave figures there must be something to them.

So what’s the problem? Well, another gym buddy took andro and said it was 200 bucks down the drain. “His skin looked like hell,” recalls Dave. “And he told me the stuff made his nipples itch. So now what do I do?”

Chemical engineering
Love them or leave them, prohormones are the closest thing to an anabolic steroid you can purchase. Technically, they are hormone precursors, that is, they must undergo one or more chemical alterations before they become hormones. Call it pharmacological sleight of hand: You can’t get testosterone over the counter, but you can get something one or two biochemical steps away. Unlike earlier prohormones, such as the anti-aging agent dhea, the latest generation is focused on improving athletic performance rather than overall health.

Simply stated, anabolic substances encourage the body’s utilization of blood-borne nutrients to provoke cellular reactions that stimulate tissue synthesis. In other words, they help you work out harder, recover more rapidly between workouts and put on muscle faster. While normal testosterone levels for men in their 20s average about 500 nanograms per deciliter, prohormone partisans argue that pushing that number into the 800 to 1,000 range will help athletes heal faster, build more muscle, lose body fat, enjoy increased energy levels, boost the libido and have a greater sense of well-being.

Unfortunately, those claims have been subjected to little, if any, independent scientific study. And the catch to all steroids is that they are androgenic as well as anabolic, which means they promote aggression, acne, hair growth where you don’t want hair and hair loss where you do. Women can look forward to clitoral enlargement, facial hair and male-pattern baldness. (With the exception of dhea, steroid prohormones are never recommend for women.) Obviously, the best prohormone would be highly anabolic with few androgenic effects.

Major-league misgivings
The biggest concern surrounding hormone self-medication is that consumers may find the initial effects beneficial and start upping their doses. Oral prohormone supplementation raises circulating testosterone levels for only a few hours, which is why industry sources recommend taking them just prior to training. Despite the brief testosterone spike, a few weeks of consistent use may cripple a body’s natural capacity to produce testosterone. This is of particular importance to healthy guys in their 20s and 30s who are most likely producing adequate quantities of anabolic hormones without supplementation.

Prohormones also have the propensity to metabolize into dihydrotestosterone. Over time, dht can promote prostate enlargement (causing urinary difficulty) and male pattern baldness (causing dating difficulty). Highly androgenic compounds are also notorious for their ability to undergo a chemical reaction known as aromatization, which essentially transforms them into the female hormone estrogen. The presence of estrogen can lead to increased water retention (goodbye muscle tone) and gynecomastia (“bitch tits” in politically incorrect gymspeak). By the way, the first sign of gyno is itchy nipples.

Certain precautions can help circumvent ill effects. Prohormones, like any other steroid, should be cycled. Proponents generally advocate three to six weeks on, followed by the same amount of time off. Second, it’s possible that saw palmetto may lessen the risk to hair and prostate: A study performed at a urology clinic in Germany showed that the herb blocks 5 alpha-reductase, a chemical that’s responsible for converting testosterone to dht. Finally, it’s often recommended that anyone who uses prohormones should take a natural estrogen antagonist such as chrysin. Anecdotal evidence suggests that one to three grams per day of chrysin, taken before bedtime during any prohormone cycle, can help prevent estrogen production (and breasts).

Prohormones affect every individual differently. Each substance is potentially toxic, and a safe and effective dose for Tom may not be safe for Dick or effective for Harry. Prior to embarking on a regimen that incorporates any sort of prohormone supplementation, a complete physical evaluation by a health professional, including a full liver and kidney profile with appropriate blood tests, is essential to establish a baseline. Be aware that there are virtually no human studies in the medical literature on the long-term safety of these substances. Any use of steroid prohormones should not be undertaken lightly.

Certain people just seem to work best in pairs. Laurel and Hardy. Simon and Garfunkel. Cindy Margolis. Similarly, there are supplements which, when combined, function symbiotically to turbocharge your health and musculature.

 

The Fat-burner

The most important example of this mutual motivation society—known as “stacking”—is the classic combo of protein and carbs. Consumed immediately after exercise, a stack of approximately 400 calories split evenly between protein and carbs will speed recovery and enhance muscle building more than either ingredient alone. Consistent use of this one-two punch will do more for your performance and physique than any pills.

Not everything functions better in tandem: A few popular stacks—such as ephedra, caffeine and aspirin taken together—are overrated and even dangerous. But if you’re already following sound eating and workout habits, it pays to check out these potentially beneficial supplement combinations.

The fat-burner: conjugated linoleic acid + garlic
A form of fat found in beef, lamb and milk products, conjugated linoleic acid is a promising new compound for weight reduction. cla seems to aid the reduction of body fat by decreasing abnormally high insulin levels or by turning on one or more genes that encourage fat burning, or possibly both.

“Studies show that cla decreases adipose [fat] tissue in mice, rats, chickens, pigs and cattle,” says Martha Belury, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Purdue University in Indianapolis. “My lab and others are just beginning to test cla in humans, but I’m hopeful we’ll see beneficial effects for weight reduction.”

Since you’d have to eat a mammoth amount of fatty foods to get an effective dose, use a supplement. If you insist on getting your cla from steak, season it with plenty of garlic (and share it with the one you love or you won’t be loving anyone). In an animal study at Kobe University in Japan, garlic eaters experienced an elevation in metabolic rate and burned significantly more fat than their sweeter-breathed confederates. While an appropriate dosage for humans hasn’t been determined, three to five garlic cloves or two capsules of garlic extract a day is plenty.

 

The Mass Builder

The mass builder: creatine + carbs + leucine
Creatine is the foundation of this stack because it’s the undisputed champion of mass building. Begin with a “loading” phase of 20 g a day (split into three or four servings) for five days, then reduce your intake to between 3 g and 5 g per day for the next two or three months. At the end of a three-month cycle, discontinue use for one month.

Studies indicate that an easily absorbed carbohydrate, such as fruit juice, can maximize the amount of creatine that gets into your muscles. “Carbs stimulate insulin, which in turn stimulates uptake of creatine,” explains Craig Horswill, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Barrington, Ill.

 

The Joint Protector

You can enhance the powerhouse pairing of creatine and carbs by adding a third ingredient: the branch-chained amino acid leucine. “We think that leucine stimulates the first step in protein synthesis,” says Donald K. Layman, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at the University of Eastern Ontario. “Leucine appears to act much like insulin, our primary anabolic hormone, to promote this process.” To reap leucine’s benefit, Layman recommends consuming at least 0.8 g of protein per pound of body weight daily and eating at least 14 g of any protein immediately after exercise.

The joint protector: Sam-e + glucosamine + vitamin C
The antidepressant S-adenosylmethionine, commonly known as Sam-e, is being hailed for its ability to relieve joint pain and possibly repair damaged cartilage. “Sam-e has been used for about 20 years in Europe to treat osteoarthritis as well as depression,” says Felicia Busch, M.P.H., R.D., a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. “It helps rebuild worn-down joints by stimulating the production of the building blocks of cartilage.” This is good news for competitive and recreational athletes who are prone to cartilage damage and, consequently, joint pain and arthritis.

According to Dallas Clouatre, Ph.D., author of All About Sam-e, a safe supplement program should begin with 200 milligrams taken twice daily for two days. On the third day, increase the dose to 400 mg twice daily. After two weeks, increase the dose to 400 mg three times daily. Once your symptoms subside, decrease the dose to 200 to 400 mg twice daily. About 5 percent of people using Sam-e have reported side effects, including nausea and gastrointestinal disturbances.

In addition to Sam-e, consider using glucosamine for a month or so. “While Sam-e helps rebuild old joint cartilage, glucosamine stimulates the growth of new cartilage and may also help reduce joint pain,” says Busch. However, she adds, glucosamine is not more effective when combined with chondroitin sulfate, its traditional stackmate.

And don’t forget to consume plenty of vitamin C, which is essential for healthy joints and cartilage. “One study, in which people consumed 150 milligrams of vitamin C daily from orange juice, showed slowed progression of osteoarthritis of the knee,” says Busch. Experts disagree on an optimal dose of vitamin C, but 200 to 500 mg a day is a good bet.

The disease killer: vitamin C + vitamin E + lycopene
Vitamin C disables cancer-causing free radicals in two ways: on its own and by recycling vitamin E, another potent free-radical hunter. Indeed, according to William Pryor, Ph.D., professor of nutrition at Louisiana State University, vitamin E can prevent—not just reduce the risk of—cancer and heart disease.

You don’t have to double up on vitamin C; if you’re already taking 500 mg a day for your joints, it will cover your antioxidant quota. It’s more difficult to get enough vitamin E, particularly since even moderate exercise will deplete your stores. Pryor suggests a daily dose of 400 IU of natural vitamin E (labeled as d-alpha-tocopherol or rrr-alpha-tocopherol), which is absorbed much better than synthetic vitamin E (labeled as dl-alpha-tocopherol).

Joining the C-E equation is lycopene, which is most easily obtained from ketchup and other cooked tomato products. Lycopene primarily disables free radicals that attack cellular membranes; in one study lycopene helped reduce the risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent. Since vitamin E has similar defensive duties, experts speculate that lycopene will help protect vitamin E from depletion. This will also take some of the burden off vitamin C, which will then be available to disable free radicals in the water-rich parts of your body. Now, that’s teamwork.

The endurance booster: carbs + pyruvate + DHA
During exercise, you rely mainly on sugars, which are stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. To maximize glycogen storage, experts recommend that athletes consume 200 to 600 calories of carbohydrates immediately after training (depending on the degree of intensity), along with about 200 calories of protein. Consuming an additional 100 to 200 carbohydrate calories two hours and four hours after working out will provide even more stamina during your next session.

Pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone may further increase stamina. “Pyruvate and dha are naturally present in your body as products of carbohydrate metabolism,” explains Horswill. “Preliminary research suggests supplements of these compounds may stimulate glucose uptake into cells or slow the use of glycogen in the liver.”

In a study conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, sedentary men were fed a high-carb diet or a high-carb diet supplemented with pyruvate and dha. After one week, all subjects cycled to exhaustion, with the latter group managing to go 20 percent longer. While this stack hasn’t yet been tested in athletes, it looks promising.

Menurut surat dari Mayo Clini, apabila anda berhenti merokok saat ini juga, yang terjadi selanjutnya:
1. 20 menit kemudian tekanan darah anda akan kembali ke      
    normal
2. 8 jam kemudian tingkat carbon monoksida dalam darah 
    akan kembali normal.
3. 48 jam kemudian kemampuan rasa dan penciuman 
    meningkat.
4. 5 tahun kemudian, resiko kangker tenggorokan berkurang 
    menjadi separuhnya. 
5. 15 tahun kemudian resiko meninggal karena kangker paru- 
     paru sama dengan yg tidk merokok.

Pencegahan untuk bau mulut atau halitosis telah menjadi trend bagi anak muda di Jakarta, yaitu dengan banyak cara. Diantaranya adalah dengan: gosok gigi 3x sehari, membeli penyegar mulut cair berbagai merek, memakai benang gigi, berkumur dengan teh. Tetapi sebenarnya semua metode tersebut hanyalah sebagai penyembuh sementara dan bukan menghilangkan akar permasalahan. Sebenarnya yang paling penting apabila terjadi bau mulut adalah mengunjungi dokter gigi atau THT, yang akan memeriksa secara mendetail apa yang menjadi penyebabnya. Dan semoga cepat sembuh dari bau mulut....