We have all heard the promises before. “Steroid-like gains in no time!” “Gain 20 pounds in 2 weeks!” “100% safe and side effect free!” Then, being the seekers of lean mass we are, we try the supplement only to be thoroughly disappointed by the results, or better yet, lack of results.

These “Better than Steroid” supplements usually have no scientific backing and consist of a proprietary blend of some ingredients you have never even heard of in amounts not listed on the label. You take their word for it and everytime you are left weighing less due to the lack of cash in your wallet. Even worse, the effective products come with a price tag—your health. Methylation has become the catch phrase of the century, but the methylation process can lead to ill effects on your liver health and the compounds themselves can lead to undesirable side-effects such as testicular shrinkage, gynecomastia (breast growth), and a host of other symptoms. It makes matters even worse when the consumer isn’t fully educated on how to “cycle” the supplement to avoid shutting down their own testosterone production. This leaves us asking, “Is it worth it?”

Scivation, the leaders in Science-based innovative supplements and the company that brought you Xtend™ introduce ANAGEN™--the world’s first anabolic adaptogen. Not only is ANAGEN backed by numerous scientific studies and formulated by Scivation Director of Research and Development Chuck “The Ripper” Rudolph and Derek “Beast” Charlebois, the compounds in ANAGEN have been proven extremely effective in the real world by Chuck’s elite athletic clients. Furthermore, it is safe and 100% side effect free. Sound too good to be true? Read on to find out how ANAGEN may be the key to unlocking your best gains ever….

Anagen- Anabolic Adaptagen
 

• 20-Hydroxyecdysterone
• Rhodiola Rosea
• Bacopa Monniera

What is ECDY?
ECDY is a photoecdysteroid, which is a type of chemical produced by plants to defend against insects. Insects that ate plants that produced certain photoecdysteroids would suffer adverse effects and most likely die. This means that the plants that did produce photoecdysteroids survived; it made them stronger. Photoecdysteroids are synthesized by plants through the mevalonate pathway with acetyl-CoA as a precursor. While humans can produce similar chemicals using this pathway, they cannot produce photoecdysteroids. 20-Hydroxyecdysterone is a specific photoecdysteroid that has been shown to have many beneficial effects.

ECDY and Protein Synthesis
Recently, ECDY was shown to enhance skeletal muscle growth of skeletal muscle cell cultures by increasing gene expression (Xiao et al 2003). There are two ways by which gene expression can be increased (1) hormone/ligand binding to a nuclear receptor and (2) nongenomicly. When a hormone/ligand binds to a nuclear receptor protein synthesis begins, which consists of a long series of processes (transcription ? protein translation ? incorporation of protein into cell membrane) that takes hours to complete. A nongenomic effect results in the same series of events, but is an immediate response and does not require hormone/ligand binding. 

It is believed ECDY works through nongemoic effects including stabilization of cell membranes and modification of membrane proteins and other effects on the membrane, and accumulation of ligands (Kholodova 2001), which I think could lead to increased ligand binding to nuclear receptors. ECDY can also increase RNA synthesis (Otaka 1969) and protein translation (Syrov 1984), which would further enhance the process of protein synthesis and growth. 

Further Benefits of ECDY
ECDY has been shown to enhance sexual activity in both animals and humans (Lafont & Dinan 2003) and improve sexual function in men (Mirzaev 2000). ECDY increases the body’s ability to respond to stress by increasing acetylcholine esterase activity in the brain (Slama & Lafont 1995). ECDY also improves cholesterol levels by decreaseing liver cholesterol levels and increasing excretion of cholesterol in the bile (Slama & Lafont 1995), decreases glucose levels independently of insulin (Chen et al 2006), all of which improve the bodies ability to adapt to stress. 

Side Effects of ECDY
ECDY administration has not been shown to induce any side effects and have no toxic response in animals (Slama & Lafont 1995). ECDY will not lead to suppression of natural testosterone production as it does not bind to steroid hormone receptors (Dinan 2001)

Dosing ECDY
Based on our experiences with our athletes, we recommend the following dosing schedule based upon bodyweight to maximize effectiveness: 
 

Rhodiola Rosea
Rhodiola Rosea belongs to the plant family Crassulaceae and has been used for centuries in Russia, Scandinavia, and other eastern countries in traditional medicine. Rhodiola Rosea is known as an adatogen, a substance that increases an organism’s resistance to homeostatic disturbances. Rhodiola Rosea has been shown to:
 

• Increase physical working capacity (Abidov 2003) 
• Improve endurance exercise performance (De Bock 2004) 
• Antidepressant, anticancer, cardio-protective, and central nervous system enhancement (Kelly 2001) 
• Decrease mental fatigue (Spasov 2000) In addition, in a study done on men suffering from erectile dysfunction, subjects were given 150-200 mg Rhodiola Rosea per day for three months. 26 of the 35 subjects showed improved sexual function and 17-ketosteroids in urine (a sign of increased androgen levels) (Saratikov 1987). 

Bacopa Monnieri
Bacopa Monnieri, an adaptogen like Rhodiola, is also a traditional Ayurvedic medicine used for centuries as an analgesic (pain reliever), memory enhancing, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic (fever reducer), and antiepileptic (prevent convulsions) agent (Russo 2005). Recent research shows bacopa monnieri to have anti-stress properties (Rai 2003) and antioxidant properties (Russo 2003).

The Ultimate Anabolic Adaptogen
Based on our findings, we feel that you need a higher dose to reap the extensive benefits ecdysterone has to offer. Through research and experimentation, Scivation developed ANAGEN to help their athletes and customers achieve the gains they always dreamed of. The addition of Bacopa Monnieri and Rhodiola Rosea to Ecdysterone adds a synergy that will help you cope with the stresses of training and diet and achieve the most significant, healthiest gains of your life.