Nicotine and Bodybuilding

Most people are aware of the fact that the drug nicotine is found in cigarettes and other tobacco products and is the substance primarily responsible for their addictive nature. But what exactly is nicotine, where does it come from, what are the real effects, and are there any possible uses for the average bodybuilder? We are always looking for novel ways to use existing drugs aside from the intended medical use, a fact which is clearly apparent when considering certain Prescription Only Medicines (POMs).

What is Nicotine?
Nicotine is an organic alkaloid which is found more notably in the tobacco plant in quantities of around 5% of the plant's dry weight. Although a poison in higher quantities, it acts as a pleasure stimulant in lower concentrations. There is approximately 0.8-1.0mg of nicotine in a single cigarette.

What are the effects of use?
It acts as an agonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, stimulating their activity which leads to increased amount of the hormone adrenaline to be released. As a result, an increase in blood pressure and heart rate is seen, as well as a rise in blood glucose. Chronic use often provides a relaxing effect, though this is in all probability due to the cessation of short term withdrawal effects which include irritability, headaches and anxiety, amongst others. Aside from its effects on adrenaline, nicotine also increases levels of dopamine in the brain, resulting in a feeling of pleasure; a trait that is primarily responsible for the addictive qualities of the drug.

Benefits to the Bodybuilder
As you would expect from a stimulant, particularly in reference to its effect on adrenaline release, nicotine appears to hold some promise for those wishing to reduce bodyfat. There is evidence to suggest that nicotine supplementation of just 1mg per dose could be beneficial in increasing total calorie expenditure, through increases in metabolic rate and thermogenisis. Furthermore, it has been shown that the conjunctional ingestion of 50mg caffeine results in an approximate 100% increase in thermic response over nicotine alone, with no reported side effects. There is also a notion that nicotine may result in reductions in insulin secretion which may lead to an increase in the utilisation of fat, protein and glycogen together with a reduction in preference for sugary foods.

Also, nicotine clearly acts as an appetite suppressant. This fact is proven from many accounts of ex-smokers who find themselves gaining weight.

Further noteworthy effects are that nicotine appears to decrease lipolysis, resulting in lower storage of adipose tissue. It may also act as a stimulus of Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) in adipose tissue. As we know, UCP1 acts within the mitochondria making the conversion of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) less efficient, with a resultant generation of heat. The mitochondria therefore need to work much harder to produce the same level of energy (ATP)

Looks very promising doesn't it?! If nicotine is indeed benficial for those looking to shed fat, would I advocate that one should starting puffing 20 cigarettes a day? I would hope that everyone would agree that doing so would not be a sensible choice. Nowadays however, there are products available such as nasal sprays, inhalators, chewing gum or tablets that dissolve under the tongue, which are designed to deliver the drug in a much safer, more controlled manner, without the negative consequences associated with tobacco smoke.

What are the risks of supplementation?
Due to the effects on blood pressure, it would be wise to monitor this closely so that supplementation can be stopped should it rise to abnormal levels. Some users may experience nausea, or even vomiting, something which is also sometimes endured by new smokers. Although not thought to be directly carcinogenic, nicotine does interfere with apoptosis, which is one of the means used by the body to destroy unwanted cells (programmed cell death). Since apoptosis helps remove mutated or damaged cells that may evolve into cancerous tissue, its inhibition by nicotine creates more favourable conditions for cancer to develop once the initial mutations have occurred. Risk of birth defects associated with nicotine appear very small, but would nontheless be worthy of consideration for pregnant females and nursing mothers.

But what about addiction? It's true that chronic smoking can often lead to the addiction of nicotine, so is it possible that dependance may occur from using other sources such as chewing gum? Well the incidences are very slight indeed, with less that 1% of gum users becoming dependant upon it. Addiction appears to depend largely on the speed of absorbtion. Nicotine from smoking reaches the brain within 7 seconds, with maximum blood concentrations of around 22ng/ml reached after only 5 minutes. In comparison, chewing gum will yield a maximum blood concentration of around 7ng/ml, this level being reached 30 minutes after chewing begins.

So is it worth it?
It is clear that this drug holds some promise as an aid to fat loss and may be a worthy addition to the arsenal of products used, though the relative high cost, and perhaps the stigma that is attached to smoking and thus nicotine, means that we're unlikely to see it becoming a feature in legitimate supplement formulations.

Growth Hormone vs. Testosterone for Lean Muscle Mass and Fat Loss.

Which is Better for Body Composition?
New research has shed some light on the anabolic effects of growth hormone. Several studies in the past have shown an increase in lean body mass in subjects taking growth hormone. However, lean body mass does not necessarily mean muscle, but anything that is not fat and this includes water, organ tissue growth, bone mass, and connective tissue growth. One recent study on HIV positive test subjects showed no significant change in skeletal muscle mass after taking six milligrams (about 18 units) per day of growth hormone for 12 weeks. Another study, also on HIV positive test subjects, also showed a lack of muscle growth when doses of nine milligrams (roughly 27 units) per day were given. Keep in mind that HIV positive individuals are often suffering from muscle wasting conditions, which should make them more responsive to any possible anabolic effects of growth hormone. Growth hormone is probably equally ineffective in healthy individuals.

One study on young (aged 22-33), highly trained athletes did show a significant increase in lean mass after six weeks of taking 2.67 milligrams (about 8 units) per day. However this increase was only 4%, and may have not included any muscle mass at all. It seems overwhelming clear that growth hormone is either non-anabolic or very weakly anabolic for skeletal muscle when taken by itself, and it definitely not worth the large price if you are taking it solely for gaining muscle. The only real use in gaining muscle may be as a synergistic agent with testosterone. A synergistic effect of taking growth hormone with testosterone has been reported for increases in lean mass, but further research needs to be done to see if this synergistic effects holds for skeletal muscle. Keep in mind that some increases in lean mass are not desirable. Growing some organs too big such as kidneys can produce some embarrassing effects seen in some professional bodybuilders. You do not want your "guts" sticking blatantly out of your body.

But enough on growth hormone for muscle gain. For information, see Bryan Haycock’s article in this issue or go to Michael Mooney’s web site. If you are going to spend the money on growth hormone to try to improve your body, your best bet is to use it as a fat loss or "sculpting" agent. The previously mentioned study with growth hormone on trained athletes did show an impressive 12% decrease in bodyfat. So well it is well established that testosterone is far, far better for building muscle than growth hormone, is growth hormone the better choice for fat loss? The research on this issue is mixed, and there is no easy answer to this question.

One recent study put growth hormone head to head with testosterone and measured its effects on fat loss. In this study, men on growth hormone lost an average of 13% of their bodyfat compared to 5.8% in the group taking testosterone. But before you jump to conclusions, there are a couple of reasons why this study doesn’t settle the question. For one thing, this study was on very old individuals (aged 65 to 88) who had low IGF-1 and testosterone levels. Another problem is that the doses of the hormones haven’t been reported yet (the study is only in abstract form right now) which also makes the comparison difficult to make. Most interesting about this study was that a synergistic effect was found in a group taking both testosterone and growth hormone, as they lost an average of 21% of their bodyfat. This is more than the averages of the testosterone alone and growth hormone alone groups combined.

Not all studies have shown this dramatic of an effect on body fat. One study using fairly large doses (adjusted by weight, but roughly 5 mg per day) on obese women failed to show any significant effects on body fat. The growth hormone group lost less than two pounds more than the placebo group over a one month period. The main significant result was that the growth hormone group lost much less lean mass (an average loss of 1.52 kg compared to 3.79 in the placebo). While this may seem impressive, the same results could be achieved with a caffeine/ephedrine formula at a fraction of the price. While there are a good number of studies showing growth hormone to be effective for fat loss, testosterone may be almost as good for this purpose.

Testosterone was recently found to be effective for fat loss in young men even in small doses. One recent study showed that men given only 100 milligrams per week of testosterone enanthate lost an average of six percent of their bodyfat after eight weeks. 100 mg per week is generally considered a very low dose by bodybuilding standards. Most impressive about this study was that the result was obtained in young, normal healthy men (aged 18 to 45), not obese or testosterone deficient. Most of the studies showing positive effects with hormone replacement therapy are on subjects who are obese or hormone deficient – i.e. the very subjects most likely to respond. While the amount of muscle gain reported in this study was not reported (it is still just in abstract form), another study showed 100 mg per week of testosterone enanthate was not anabolic. It appears that testosterone has a strong mechanism for fat loss other than increased ********* rate from increased muscle. Considering how much cheaper testosterone is than growth hormone, it may well be the cost-effective choice for burning fat even if it is slightly less effective overall.

Safety of Growth Hormone and Testosterone
Testosterone is widely believed to be far more dangerous than growth hormone. However, recent research is rapidly showing that much of these dangers have been exaggerated. For instance, the hypothesis that testosterone causes prostate cancer has never been established. In fact, one study even showed a slight negative correlation between testosterone levels and prostate cancer! A study on young men given supraphysiologic doses of testosterone showed no change is prostate specific antigen (PSA), which is one measure of prostate cancer risk.

Growth hormone may also be less dangerous to the prostate than previously believed. One study showed strong positive correlation with prostate cancer and IGF-1 levels. Since growth hormone stimulates IGF-1 synthesis in the liver, this study and others bring up the possibility of a link of growth hormone and prostate and breast cancer. Keep in mind that statistical correlations do not necessarily prove causality, i.e. IGF-1 has not yet been proven to be a cancer-causing villain. Actually IGF-11 may be one of the culprits in the cancer story, and not IGF-1. At the Serano sponsored Symposia on the Endocrinology of Aging in October, 1999 and at the Endocrine Society Meeting in June, 1999 there was an informal consensus that patients on growth hormone did not increase their risk of breast or prostate cancer. Several other recent studies have also cast doubt on the role of growth hormone as a cancer-causing villain.

Testosterone may have also gotten a bad rap for its effects on blood lipids. Since testosterone and other anabolic steroids have been shown in some studies to lower HDL cholesterol levels, it was believed that testosterone may increase the risk for heart disease. This was refuted in one recent study on testosterone that showed some positive results. A study on 21 hypogonadal men (aged 36 to 57) showed a replacement dose of testosterone using the Androderm transdermal patch to reduce blood clotting. While HDL levels did drop slightly, blood coagulability is believed to be the more important marker of heart disease risk. Another study showed a very strong negative correlation with testosterone levels and heart disease.

Growth hormone has shown mixed results on its effects on heart disease risk. One study on elderly men and women (aged 65-88) showed that growth hormone administration to lower LDL levels, but raised triglyceride levels. Since high LDL and triglyceride levels are considered measures of heart disease risk, growth hormone’s effects on heart disease risk are ambiguous. However, long-term use of growth hormone as been shown to decrease the thickness of the carotid artery lining – i.e. increased room for blood flow.

While much more research needs to be done, I am convinced right now that testosterone replacement therapy in hypogonadal men may be safer than excessively large doses of growth hormone. The long-term studies have not yet been done to test the true long-term effects of these hormones, but the research seems quite clear at the moment. Michael Mooney has reported similar results on safety and side effects of these hormones:

While none of the studies on testosterone or anabolic steroids used for HIV have documented any significant health problems associated with their proper therapeutic use, Dr. Gabe Torres' data on his patients who experienced a reduction in symptoms of HIV-related lipodystrophy with Serostim growth hormone showed that at the standard 5 and 6 mg doses, 80 percent of his HIV patients experienced significant side effects, that included elevated glucose, elevated pancreatic enzymes, or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Don’t get me wrong – I still use both growth hormone and testosterone as part of overall anti-aging programs in my patients. This article is not meant to say one hormone is "good" and another is "bad". It is just my opinion at the moment that the overall benefit/cost ratio for improving body composition is higher with testosterone than growth hormone. By cost, I mean both the monetary price – testosterone is far cheaper than growth hormone, and the side effect/safety profile – testosterone is safer than high-dose growth hormone use.

Since growth hormone is extremely expensive and perhaps riskier than testosterone, I screen patients very carefully and only recommend it to those who either have very low IGF-1 levels and fail growth hormone stimulation tests, or those who have failed to respond to testosterone or other therapies. The new research has also made me confident in encouraging more and more patients to go on testosterone. However, we must keep constant track of the new research to better refine both anti-aging and bodybuilding programs. The science of hormone supplementation is still in its infancy, and there is still a lot more questions that need to be answered. 

Bodybuilding and the Endocrine System

Many health benefits are to be gained through bodybuilding. In fact, bodybuilding's training regimes and dietary practices can enhance cardiovascular, mental and immune health and improve weight loss. One aspect of health that is not often touched on, when bodybuilding's benefits are discussed, is the endocrine (or hormonal) system.

The endocrine system (from the Greek terms "endo" meaning within and "krine" meaning to separate or secrete) is comprised of chemical substances called hormones which serve as messengers, passing information from endocrine gland to organ, to control a large number of physiologic functions. To ensure these functions are governed efficiently, effective hormonal control is of paramount importance. Exercise is one of the best ways to beneficially assist the release and reception of hormones. Studies have shown that exercise actually increases the amount of circulating hormones in our bodies as well as strengthening the receptor sites on their target organ cells.

The Endocrine System 

The endocrine systems glands manufacture and secrete hormones, which communicate with specific organs and, in concert with the nervous and immune systems, enable vital functions to occur within our bodies. The endocrine glands are ductless, which means they secrete the hormones they manufacture directly into the bloodstream to be taken to the appropriate target organ, upon which these hormones act. Specific cells on the target organ which act as binding sites (hormone receptors) recognize the shape of each hormone and allow it to enter (a lock and key mechanism).

Hormones bring their characteristic effects on target cells by modifying cellular activity, and given that they are very potent substances, hormones need to be tightly regulated to maintain homeostasis.

Many hormones are controlled through what is termed a negative feedback mechanism, which causes a reversal of increases or decreases in the concentration of a particular hormone, to maintain homeostasis. This negative feedback mechanism illustrates just how sensitive a target organ is to the hormone it receives.

The Major Endocrine Glands Are:  

1. The thyroid 
2. Parathyroid 
3. Adrenal 
4. Pituitary 
5. Pineal glands 
6. Pancreas 
7. Testes 
8. Ovaries

Organs that are hormonally active as part of their function, but are not endocrine glands per se, are:  

1. Thymus 
2. Stomach 
3. Heart 
4. Small-intestine 
5. Placenta 

Although the endocrine glands are scattered throughout the body, and serve different functions, they are considered a system because they have similar mechanisms of influence and functions, and many important relationships.

The Three General Classes Of Hormones Classified By Their Protein or Steroid Chemical Structure Are:  

• Amino Acid Derivatives: as the name suggests these are derived from amino acids; tyrosine in particular. Epinephrine for example is an amino acid derived hormone.  
• Steroid Hormones: these include prostaglandins and all are lipids, made from cholesterol.  
• Peptide Hormones: the biggest group of hormones, peptides are short chains of amino acids. Insulin for example is a peptide hormone. 

Key hormones beneficially affected by exercise are:

• Testosterone 
• Growth hormone 
• Estrogen 
• Thyroxine 
• Epinephrine 
• Insulin 
• Endorphins 
• Glucagon            

Testosterone 

Both males and females produce testosterone, which is a key bodybuilding hormone, as it increases basal metabolic rate, decreases body fat, increases feelings of self-confidence, and maintains muscle volume, tone and strength. In fact, testosterone, along with growth hormone, is responsible for the hypertrophy (increased size and density) of muscle cells as well as the repair of micro-tears in the muscle tissue.

Females have only about one tenth of the testosterone males have, but even at that level, powerful effects are exerted: libido and strength of orgasm for example.

The process underlying testosterones release is rather complex.  Firstly, the hypothalamus (situated in the brain), releases gonadotrophin releasing hormone to the anterior pituitary gland, which, in turn, releases luteinizing hormone, which travels to the Leydig cells of the testes and stimulates the enzymatic conversion of cholesterol to Testosterone.

The key to boosting testosterone levels through exercise is to concentrate on the larger muscle groups while avoiding training the same body-part two days in a row. It has also been shown that a higher level of training intensity can be achieved in the morning as it is then that testosterone levels are at their highest. Consequently, greater gains could theoretically be made at this time.

Repetitions should be kept low, while a correspondingly heavy weight is lifted, if testosterone boosting is ones aim. 85% of ones one-repetition-maximum for 1-2 reps is best.

In essence, the best form of training for testosterone increase is short, intense, anaerobic session. With aerobic training, shorter, 45-minute sessions are ideal as testosterone is depressed is this period is exceeded.

Growth Hormone  

Growth hormone which is released from the brains pituitary gland is an important bodybuilding hormone. It stimulates protein synthesis, and helps to strengthen bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage. It also plays a role in fat mobilization, and the corresponding decrease in carbohydrate usage, during exercise.

As a result, body fat is used and blood glucose levels are balanced which allows one to train over a longer period of time (without exceeding the testosterone maximizing 45-minute period of course).
Increases in growth hormone provide a multitude of immediate benefits which include, increased energy, ability to concentrate, and interest and ability in sex. Longer-term benefits include, increased aerobic capacity and strength, thickening of hair, tightening of wrinkles and loose skin, decrease in visceral fat, and strengthening of osteoporotic bones.

Growth hormone production is reduced significantly as we age and can be prescribed to offset the negative effects of aging. However, without going to extremes, one can increase their output of growth hormone in the most effective natural way possible: though exercise.

For increased growth hormone the most productive form of exercise is vigorous, sustained anaerobic training. Adopt the same strategy as when training for testosterone release and, target the large muscle groups, the quads in particular. Train no longer than 30 minutes when specifically aiming to increase growth hormone.

This applies to aerobic training also, which should be undertaken at a very high intensity; bordering on anaerobic. Interval training is the ideal.

Estrogen 

The beneficial effects of estrogen, in its most biologically active form, 17 beta estradiol, include, fat mobilisation for fuel, mood elevation, increased basal metabolic rate, and libido in women primarily. As a woman ages her estrogen levels vary to regulate the reproductive system and are reduced significantly by the time she reaches menopause.

A study by Copeland, Consitt and Tremblay, reported that blood levels of estrogen, were significantly higher in women aged 19-69 years old after 40 minutes of either endurance or resistance exercise versus a control group who performed no exercise. Furthermore, blood levels of estrogen remain elevated for up to four-hours following an exercise session.

Thyroxine  

This hormone is produced by the follicular cells of the thyroid gland and its main role is to raise the body's metabolic rate. It is therefore a key hormone for weight-loss, as more calories are expended through its release. Thyroxine has an additional effect of influencing physical development.

Thyroxine increases in the blood by about 30% during exercise and remains elevated for up to five hours afterward. The intensity should be kept high to realise maximum benefit. Thyroxine levels at rest are also increased through exercise.

Epinephrine  

Produced in the adrenal medulla, epinephrine, a neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system, increases the amount of blood the heart pumps and directs the blood to where it is needed - the extremities. Epinephrine is one of the catecholamines, the other being norepinephrine, and both are synthesised from the amino acid tyrosine.

Epinephrine also stimulates the breakdown of glycogen in the liver and muscles and stored fat to be used as fuel. Vasodilation in muscle and liver vasculatures results also from increased epinephrine release. This allows the muscle to receive more oxygenated blood, increasing our ability to use these muscles while exercising.

To increase epinephrine exercise sessions, once again, need to be very intense. The amount of epinephrine released from the medulla is proportional to exercise intensity.

Insulin  

Insulin, produced in the islet cells of the of the pancreas, is an important hormone which decreases (regulates) blood levels of glucose and directs amino acids and fatty acids into cells.

Most of our body's cells have insulin receptors, which are composed of two alpha subunits and two beta subunits linked by disulfide bonds, and bind the circulating insulin. The cell then can activate other receptors which are designed to absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood stream into the cell.
An insulin response ensues after a meal has been consumed. An excessive insulin response causes fat to accumulate within cells, and, over time, those who frequently experience such responses can become overweight and their cells may develop a resistance to insulin (diabetes).

Weight loss through daily aerobic and weight-training can help to rectify this situation, depending on the type of diabetes they have. One may be fortunate to escape diabetes, but they will likely become overweight with continual, excessive insulin responses.

Therefore, it is important to exercise to help offset any potential blood sugar problems. Blood-insulin levels begin to decrease within ten minutes of aerobic training and continue to decrease as the session progresses. Weight training has been shown to increase the cells sensitivity (receptivity) to insulin at rest.

Endorphins  

Released from the pituitary gland, the endorphins are an endogenous opioid class of chemicals produced under conditions of pain, which block this pain, decrease appetite, create a feeling of euphoria and reduce tension and anxiety. Biochemically, endorphins are polypeptide neurotransmitters, containing 30 amino acid units.

Exercising is particularly beneficial in terms of endorphin release. In fact blood levels of endorphins increase above resiting levels up to five times with longer duration (over 30 minutes) aerobic exercise at moderate to intense levels. An increased sensitivity to endorphins is developed after several months of regular exercise.

This means that a higher high will arise from the same training stimulus. Although longer duration exercise is suggested as a rule, it is rather arbitrary, as individual variability dictates how one will experience the effect of endorphins.

Glucagon 

As with insulin, glucagon, a linear peptide of 29 amino acids, is secreted by the pancreas. Its main role, in contradiction to insulin however, is to increase blood glucose levels. Glucagon is synthesized as proglucagon and proteolytically (the hydrolysis of proteins into simpler compounds through the actions of enzymes) processed to yield glucagon within alpha cells of the pancreatic islets.

Glucagon exerts its physiologic effects in two ways:

• It is secreted when blood sugar falls too low, and this causes carbohydrate in the liver to be released into the blood stream, which raises blood sugar levels to normal.  
• It activates hepatic gluconeogenesis. This process involves the conversion of amino acids into glucose to be used as energy. 

Researchers Bonjorn, Latour, Belanger and Lavoie, from Montreal University, found that exercise enhanced the livers sensitivity to glucagon. This demonstrates the effect exercise, and its facilitation of glucagon, has on nutritional conversion for energy purposes. Glucagon is typically secreted about 30 minutes into an exercise session, at the onset of blood glucose reduction.

Can you convert Fat to Muscle?

Most people consider the idea that you can convert fat to muscle as commonly accepted knowledge. After all, if you throw a 300-pound guy and a scrawny 150-pounder in the gym, the 300-pound man is going to have more muscle after hitting the weights. But is this because his fat has converted to muscle?

Absolutely not! The reason why it seems that fat guys immediately get more muscular than skinny guys is because they often have more muscle to begin with - it's just tucked underneath all those layers of lard. Additionally, bigger people eat more calories, so they're likely to get more muscle-building protein. With that said, let us discuss the reality behind the myth that you can change fat to muscle.

Two Different Cells

Let's start this off by quickly stating that muscle and fat are entirely different cells. Muscle is mainly comprised of muscle tissue, glycogen and water. The muscle tissue has amino acid chains that contain nitrogen, which is stored as muscle.

Fat, on the other hand, lacks nitrogen so it cannot be stored as or changed into muscle. Instead, it just sits there as a reserve energy source in the event that you're starving. Luckily, it can also be burned off through exercise like lifting weights.

One Step at a Time

Wouldn't it be so convenient if you could just kill two birds with one stone by changing fat to muscle? Unfortunately, as we just discussed, this isn't possible and so getting a ripped body becomes that much harder.

Taking this into account, it almost always works best if you focus on one goal at a time - i.e. burn fat or build muscle. Weightlifting can accomplish both goals in heavy people, especially right off the bat. However, there'll eventually become a point where you should focus on one or the other.

The reason why is because burning fat requires a calorie deficit, while building muscle requires more calories. My personal preference is to bulk up, then start cutting after you've gained some muscle mass. But those who are tired of being fat might just want to lift for reps while doing more cardio.

Once again, don't believe the myth that you can turn fat into muscle. Instead, you need to work on accomplishing two separate goals to get the body of your dreams. For the lucky mesomorphs out there, these two goals can be met simultaneously. But for us ectomorphs and endomorphs, the journey will be a lot tougher.