Oxybolin 250 is the product every athlete or health conscious person has been waiting for. Every now and then, a supplement comes along that defies the odds. In other words, it actually works the way its advertisers claim, and at the dosages recommended on the bottle. This is far from the norm, though. In my opinion, the only clear-cut, non-steroidal anabolic agent and ergogenic aid to come out of the 90's was creatine. As fate would have it, I recently received a lot of Soviet translated research on a water soluble, sugar-like derivative of cholesterol. According to the data, it is orally active, effective at low dosages (assuming the proper starting material is used prior to extraction), non-toxic, and in most people, exerts noticeable effects in less than 10 days. It's called 20-Hydroxyecdysone (20-EC), and I can honestly say that this compound works, if extracted correctly with the other phytochemicals in Rhaponticum carthamoides.

As a group, ecdysteroids are naturally occurring, polyhydroxylated plant sterols that have a plethora of non-hormonal anabolic and ergogenic activities in the body. Their structure includes three hexane (6 carbon) rings and one pentane (5 carbon) rings. The most biologically active form of the ecdysteroids is thought to be 20-EC and turkesterone, both of which are harvested from Rhaponticum carthamoides. Extracts of this potent plant have been approved by the Ministry of Public Health in the former Soviet Union over 20 years ago to be used for "raising the mental and physical working ability" as a pharmacological preparation.

Introduction

Rhaponticum carthamoides (Willd.) Iljin, syn. Leuzea carthamoides (Willd.) DC, is a large perennial herb in the compositae family. Rhaponticum carthamoides has a wood-like horizontal rhizome, multiple long, hard roots, and is capable of growing to a height of over six feet. Rhaponticum carthamoides grows in the pristine alpine and subalpine zones and alpine meadows of Southern Siberia. The roots and rhizomes are the medicinal parts, with the biological activity determined by phytoecdystone quantity, including ecdysterone.

Chemistry

The principal constituents of the whole plant are ecdysteroids (5-beta-cholest-6-on-7-ene derivatives) and flavonoids. Also polyacetylenes and triterpenes have been isolated from different parts of the plant (Girault et. al. 1984, Szendrei et. al. 1984, Varga et al. 1986 and 1990). Of the isolated compounds, only 20-hydroxyecdysone and Turkesterone are currently considered to play an important role in the action of this plant. (Syrov and Kurmukov 1976). The main flavonoids are 6-methoxy-kampferol, patuletin, isorhamnetin-glycoside and quercetin-5-glycoside. All leaf and root samples contained 20-hydroxyecdysone as a main compound of Rhaponticum carthamoides. The 20-hydroxyecdysone of the roots ranged from 0.7% to 2.0% being higher than that of the leaves.

The 20-hydroxyecdysone content of the leaves ranged between 0.006 and 0.10%. According to the quantitative and qualitative data obtained experimentally, the optimum time for root harvest of Rhaponticum carthamoides is at the end of August when the 20-hydroxyecdysone content is the highest.

The research on the effects of Rhaponticum carthamoides has been done for the last 60 years on the whole plant extract with 20-Hydroxyecdysone and turkesterone being the principal active compounds. Ingested ecdysteroids survive exposure to gastric acid and are rapidly absorbed into the enteric blood vessels. Excretion is primarily via the liver. More recent research has identified 8 ecdysterones, and has confirmed synergy in their combined usage (Baltaev and Abubakirov 1987; Gorovits et al 1974; 1977). When using a powdered extract of Rhaponticum carthamoides ensure that it is standardized to 50-65% 20-Hydroxyecdysterone. This will ensure that the extract possesses an effective amount of 20-EC and with a natural extraction process it should yield between 75% and 100% total Ecdysones or ecdysteroids. When properly extracted, Rhaponticum carthamoides should have 2 parts 20-Hydroxyecdysterone to 1 part total ecdysones or ecdysteroids. Rhaponticum carthamoides contains a number of other biologically active compounds believed to act in harmony with ecdysterones, imparting its unique adaptogenic qualities (Azizov and Seifulla 1998). It is rich in flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, and polyines (Opletal et al 1997).

OxyBolin 250 & Protein

In one study a natural protein substance known to favorably influence the muscle-fat ratio, as well as work capacity among athletes, was used in combination with RCE and compared to placebo (Lupandin 1991). In the combined study it was found that taking RCE combined with additional supplemental protein was optimal to achieve the highest increase in work capacity in athletes. Of the athletes who consumed just protein, only a slight increase in muscle mass was observed. Those who used a placebo lost a slight amount of lean muscle, while those who used protein plus ecdysterone showed a 6-7% increase in lean muscle tissue with nearly a 10% reduction in fat. No difference in hormonal parameters in those taking RCE was observed during the study period.

Oxybolin 250 is perfect for:

• Anyone who wants to build muscle and/or enhance athletic performance.
• Any bodybuilder/ athlete already using anabolic steroids, HGH, and/or creatine supplements who wants to promote muscle growth.
• Anyone who wants a supplement that will complement (rather than be redundant to) his or her current athletic supplement stack.
• Athletes who are avoiding androgen supplements (e.g., women), but still want to promote muscle growth.