Tomatidine Supplements: The Next Big Muscle Builder?

TOMATIDINE Supplements: THE NEXT BIG THING?

Recently, there’s been quite a stir in the athletic community concerning the latest hot item – tomatidine. This isn’t without reason, as there exists at least one study showing anabolic, anti-catabolic, fat burning and endurance/VO2 max benefits. In order to make a recommendation though, we need to understand the history of these products…

NON-HORMONAL ANABOLIC AGENTS

So-called non-hormonal anabolic agents are the ideal: Ingredients that produce drug like results, without the side effects. Who wouldn’t want something like this? Supplement companies know this of course, so there’s been no shortage of them offered over the years: Ecdysterone, Laxogenin/other sapogenin analogs of Ecdysterone, Ipriflavone, Methoxyisoflavone and Ursolic Acid among others. You can find dazzling results in furry little creatures. In fact, in some studies Ecdysterone outperforms steroids and other bodybuilding drugs..

“Ecdysterone Beats Popular Anabolics!? Plus 75% Muscle Size in 21 Days in Rats – More Than DHT, IGF-1, Dianabol…”

http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2015/12/ecdysterone-beats-popular-anabolics.html

In the real world though, no bodybuilder is trading in his Dbol for Ecdy. Still, the latest ingredient to assume this mantle has some pretty solid research behind it – Tomatidine.

TOMATIDINE: ANABOLIC IN GREEN TOMATOES?

Tomatidine is a steroid-like substance in tomatoes that prevents hardening of the arteries. In-vitro and animal studies molecular scientists at the University of Iowa published in 2014 have shown that tomatidine also has an anabolic effect. It makes muscles bigger and stronger, boosts endurance and inhibits the growth of fat tissue. Shazaaam! Sounds just like what we need..

Even better, there appears to be a complete lack of deleterious side effects. No liver toxicity, blood pressure remains normal and won’t suppress your natural testosterone production.

THE STUDY/IES

Researchers carried out in-vitro (test tube) and animal (lab rats) studies. In most of the animal studies they used feed that contained 0.05 percent tomatidine. Take note: The human equivalent dose (HED) would be about 500mg per day. The lab rat studies lasted nine weeks.

VERY IMPORTANT: The researchers were financed by their university and the American government, NOT by the supplements industry.

http://www.jbc.org/content/289/21/14913

TEST TUBE RESULTS

In in-vitro studies, muscle cells exposed to tomatidine formed muscle fibers faster than normal. They also formed more mitochondria and boosted protein synthesis. Tomatidine activated the anabolic signaling molecules Akt and SK6. It also induced the muscle cells to produce more IGF-1.

RAT STUDIES

Tomatidine stimulated muscle growth in both young and older mice (significant IMO). In other NHAA’s like Laxogenin/Compounds 1-4. Castrateing the animals almost completely obliterated the anabolic effects, suggesting a testosterone magnification (not mimicking or boosting) effect.

Tomatidine made the mice a bit stronger and boosted their endurance capacity. It’s not surprising that tomatidine resulted in an increase in lean body mass. What is surprising is that it inhibited an increase in fat mass.

MY TAKE

I’ve seen this before, an ingredient resembling our favorite 4 carbon right structure showing muscle growth, fat loss etc.. Could Tomatidine supplements succeed where Ecdysterone, Methoxy-Isoflavone and Ursolic Acid come up short? It just may be..

I would not expect what I’d call direct anabolic effects, but rather an accumulation of muscle over time owing to its function as an anti-catabolic and inhibiting fat gain. On an over-feeding/caloric surplus diet – that could be huge.

I WANT TO TRY TOMATIDINE SUPPLEMENTS NOW!!!

I’m sure a lot of people would. Trouble is, I could find only one Tomatidine supplement for sale in the U.S., and there are two potential problems..

I’m not clear if it’s the same material as used in The Univ. of Iowa study and;
Recall the HED used in the study is 500mg/day. You only get 100mg/day in this Tomatidine supplement currently for sale.

To be fair, the company selling this replied as follows when I brought this to their attention: They claim that 1.) Although that’s true, it doesn’t mean a lower dose may be effective and 2.) They’ve radically improved bio-availability (an issue that’s problematic with it) by complexing it with fulvic acids in Shilajit.

Nevertheless, I bought a bottle of this tomatidine supplement to review for my newsletter subscribers. And at around $70 a bottle it was a spendy little experiment.

BOARD/MY FEEDBACK

There’s a popular message board where Tomatidine supplements was rolled out to great fanfare recently. To date, people running it haven’t been posting much positive (certainly nothing more than can be explained by placebo). Personally, I used the product at the suggested 100mg/day for a month and got ZILCH out of it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Until a properly dosed product hits the market, I’d steer clear of Tomatidine supplements for now. I’m aware that Protein Factory is working on one, so I’m hopeful it’ll come to pass.

Until then save your money for high quality whey, casein/micellar casein and proven performers like bet-alanine and creatine. You’ll be considerably bigger and stronger in six months, something I hope we can say some day about Tomatidine…