Avoiding Dangerous Red Blood Cell Count While Using Equipoise; IGF-1 Over hGH?
by Author L. Rea
Publication Date: May 19, 2003 Nothing in this article is intended to take the place of advice from a licensed health professional. Consult a physician before taking any medication.
Q1 : Mr. Rea: In your description of equipoise (In the book Chemical Muscle Enhancement) you said that long-term use of this AAS for a lengthy protocol gave you an "unfavorable CBC result." What kind of result is this and how long is too long to remain on EQ.
A1: I neither endorse nor condemn the use of AAS (Anabolic Androgenic Steroid) and related chemistries though I have dedicated many years to understanding their unique mechanisms. However, I do have a real problem with issues of health sabotaging protocols destructive simply by design without forethought. Maximum progress can be obtained without tempting death.A simple CBC (Complete Blood Count) can help anyone avoid health problems of many origins…not only from AAS use. In the case of boldenone (Equipoise), the length of administration resulting in excessive and dangerous red blood cell count was dose dependent. Most have shown only acceptable upregulation at dosages of 200-400mg/w (@ 1-2mg per pound of bodyweight) for up to 12 weeks. However, dosages of 600-800mg/w (3-4mg per pound of body weight) usually resulted in exceeding the upper "safer" levels for red blood cell count after only 4-6 weeks of employment. This is a real concern. Red blood cell count elevation can result in blood clots, strokes and circulatory depreciation.
Many precontest athletes using longer AAS protocols have avoided this concern by using: - Lower dosages.
- A 50/25/25 division between boldenone/nandrolone/Masteron (nandrolone draws water and Masterone mediates it).
- Using the higher dosage range only the last 4 weeks precontest.
Q2 : What’s the big deal about IGF-1? That stuff costs big bucks. Isn’t hGH better anyway?
A2: Better is always a relative point in the world of hard-core chemical muscle enhancement. What if I told you that due to correct application of IGF-1 I once added 16 lbs of new lean tissue in only 28 days and got harder…without any AAS? This is not regrowth after a long lay-off. This was after a mass gaining protocol employing AAS. Several others have of course had similar experiences as well…with the correct application of IGF-1. To begin with let it be said that GH can have profound positive effects upon any athlete’s musculature if the protocol is sound and takes into account the body’s Action/Reaction Factors. This simply means that the best results can be obtained when an athlete’s physiology is working with, instead of against, the chemistry employed. To be even more blunt, it often amazes me how many hard-core athletes will administer a couple of grams of androgens weekly in conjunction with substances that actually block androgen receptors or activity. Action/Reaction Factors must be anticipated and correctly responded to.
The Right IGF-1?
A point of issue that is directly of interest here is choosing between IGF-1 and Long R-3 IGF-1. It seems often forgotten that hormones are either unbound/free or bound/inactive. An unbound/free hormone can merge with its receptor and do its thing (Like IGF-1 triggers major muscle anabolism). A bound/inactive hormone is too fat and misshaped to merge, but it does have a longer active and half-life. (Huh?) IGF-1 has an active-life of only a few minutes in its unbound/free state but has an active-life of about 12 hours in its bound/inactive state…but the latter has no activity or anabolic value because it is fat due to a binding protein attached.
A Proper Amount of S &M… Please
The S & M team that ties up IGF-1 are called binding proteins. In particular we are focusing on the binding protein IGF-1BP-3. It would seem that if all of our super anabolic IGF-1 was unbound we could grow to Mr. Olympia proportions overnight. Sadly this is not true. When a hormone is active/unbound, as it travels around the circulatory system it can be destroyed rather easily by the liver. If we were speaking of naturally produced (endogenous) or common pharmacological parental (injectable & exogenous) IGF-1 this would be a bad idea as the body’s cells (like muscle and stuff) need a prolonged and multiple periods of exposure to IGF-1 to trigger a significant degree of growth. So maybe the goal would be to adjust the amount of IGF-1BP-3 in the body to a point where less is destroyed by the liver, yet more is active. Hmmm?
Enter Long R-3 IGF-1
No, this is not some irritating robot in the Star Wars prequels, and I did not name the stuff either. Long R-3 IGF-1 is several more times potent then regular IGF-1. In fact it would require a few milligrams of regular IGF-1 to equal only 50 micrograms of Long R-3 IGF-1 in activity and results. Think about that: 1 milligram (mg) = 1000 micrograms (mcg). That is powerful stuff. Long R-3 IGF-1 is resistant to binding proteins. In particular to IGF-1BP-3. The result of use of this super anabolic is less available binding proteins yet more activity. This translates into a lot of lean muscle growth. Personally I have always been a little awed by its effects. Like what, you ask? How about 16-20 pounds of new lean mass in only 28 days? And this is the effect upon experienced AAS (Anabolic Androgenic Steroid) users! Not enough? Most get leaner and more vascular as they grow. AND STRONGER! Ya, that is a pretty big deal…and a little scary as well. |
