Follistatin is an exciting new myostatin inhibitor which helps in building strong muscles.
Human are complex living organisms and all systems in the body work in a delicate balance which should ideally be maintained. However, perfect health and perfect bodies, while ideal, are not the norm. There is an eternal quest for better health and better bodies. And the ideal body type has shown vast variations across times, cultures and races.
Currently for a large number of people, muscular beefy bodies are popular and ideal. This may be frank huge muscles or smaller muscles with a toned and lean body. However, muscle growth is regulated a great deal by the efforts that you put in by exercise, diet and supplements. These supplements my help in muscle building by providing protein, help in endurance so that you can exercise more and longer and also help in building stronger and bigger muscles.
The body has its own restrictions in body building activities. For instance it produces myostatin which inhibits the growth of muscles. Myostatin inhibitors have long been used to help in muscle building by body builders, gym rats and those who want to build bigger bodies faster. Follistatin is a naturally occurring protein which inhibits myostatin in the body and helps builds muscles.
Follistatin 344
Research studies have shown that Follistatin 344 (FS344) when injected into monkeys showed impressive results as far as muscle building is concerned. A mysostatin inhibitor, Follistatin 344 is the best among the different Follistatins which were studied and researched.
Follistatin is an active binding protein which reduces the action of myostatin by acting as a myostatin antagonist. Follistatin 344 helps in increasing skeletal mass and also acts to prevent muscle degeneration – this aids in reducing muscle fatigue and injuries caused by strenuous exercise.
Medical usage of Follistatin
The research focus on Follistatin usage focuses on its medical usage. Follistatin 344 can help patients with muscle wasting diseases like muscular dystrophy and other, those suffering from AIDs and cancer and those whose muscular growth is not normal to recover muscle and lead a more normal life.
Currently studies and trials are going on in animals. Human trials have still to start. It will take time for the actual medical usage to start in human beings after adequate testing and trials are over.
Follistatin 344 and muscle building
Meanwhile those who are into body building, athletes and sports persons are excited about the new developments. Follistatin 344 has shown positive effects on mice – it helps build stronger and bigger muscles, and its effects last till the end of life. However, there is some concern that like other myostatin inhibitors, Follistatin 344 also results in shorter tendons which can cause other health problems.
Follistatin 344 is available as an injection. It is sold legally only for non human use, which means that if you actually use it to build muscles, you are doing so at your own risk.
If Follistatin 344 negatives are overcome, then there is no doubt that it could be hailed as the best thing for body builders and for those who suffer from muscle wasting diseases.
Research studies
1. Ueno N, Ling N, Ying SY, Esch F, Shimasaki S, Guillemin R (December 1987). “Isolation and partial characterization of follistatin: a single-chain Mr 35,000 monomeric protein that inhibits the release of follicle-stimulating hormone”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 84 (23): 8282–6. doi:10.1073/pnas.84.23.8282. PMC 299526. PMID 3120188.
2. Tortoriello DV, Sidis Y, Holtzman DA, Holmes WE, Schneyer AL (August 2001). “Human follistatin-related protein: a structural homologue of follistatin with nuclear localization”. Endocrinology 142 (8): 3426–34. doi:10.1210/en.142.8.3426. PMID 11459787.
3. Lee SJ, McPherron AC (2001). “Regulation of myostatin activity and muscle growth”. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 98 (16): 9306–11. doi:10.1073/pnas.151270098. PMC 55416. PMID 11459935.
4. “’Mighty mice’ made mightier”. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-08/jhmi-mm082407.php. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
5. “Success Boosting Monkey Muscle Could Help Humans”. NPR. 11 Nov 2009. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120316010. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
6. Rose FF, Mattis VB, Rindt H, Lorson CL (December 2008). “Delivery of recombinant follistatin lessens disease severity in a mouse model of Spinal Muscular Atrophy”. Hum. Mol. Genet. 18 (6): 997. doi:10.1093/hmg/ddn426. PMC 2649020. PMID 19074460. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2649020. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
7. Thompson TB, Lerch TF, Cook RW, et al. (2005). “The structure of the follistatin:activin complex reveals antagonism of both type I and type II receptor binding.”. Dev. Cell 9 (4): 535–43. doi:10.1016/j.devcel.2005.09.008. PMID 16198295.
8. Nakatani M, Takehara Y, Sugino H, et al. (2008). “Transgenic expression of a myostatin inhibitor derived from follistatin increases skeletal muscle mass and ameliorates dystrophic pathology in mdx mice.”. FASEB J. 22 (2): 477–87. doi:10.1096/fj.07-8673com. PMID 17893249.
9. Walsh S, Metter EJ, Ferrucci L, Roth SM (2007). “Activin-type II receptor B (ACVR2B) and follistatin haplotype associations with muscle mass and strength in humans.”. J. Appl. Physiol. 102 (6): 2142–8. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01322.2006. PMC 2646094. PMID 17347381. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2646094.
10. Ogino H, Yano S, Kakiuchi S, et al. (2008). “Follistatin suppresses the production of experimental multiple-organ metastasis by small cell lung cancer cells in natural killer cell-depleted SCID mice.”. Clin. Cancer Res. 14 (3): 660–7. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-07-1221. PMID 18245525.
11. Blount AL, Vaughan JM, Vale WW, Bilezikjian LM (2008). “A Smad-binding element in intron 1 participates in activin-dependent regulation of the follistatin gene.”. J. Biol. Chem. 283 (11): 7016–26. doi:10.1074/jbc.M709502200. PMID 18184649.
12. Kostek MA, Angelopoulos TJ, Clarkson PM, et al. (2009). “Myostatin and follistatin polymorphisms interact with muscle phenotypes and ethnicity.”. Medicine and science in sports and exercise 41 (5): 1063–71. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181930337. PMID 19346981.