Retain

• Lower cortisol levels in muscle tissue.
• Significant lean mass retention or addition
• Decreased water retention
• Faster recovery
• Increased strength
• Improved body composition

Several hormones and hormone-like-substances trigger catabolism or muscle wasting. Glucagon does so by setting into motion a series of metabolic events that result in the release of fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose/glycogen from body tissues to restore blood circulatory glucose and energy substrate levels. However, the group we are most concerned with are called corticosteroids or glucocorticoids. This is a group of steroids that originate at the adrenal cortex of the adrenal glands (above your kidneys). The most commonly discussed hormone of this group is cortisol. When a cortisol molecule merges with a muscle cell cortisol receptor-site, it triggers the release of amino acids from the cell. That probably does not sound like a big deal until you realize that these amino acids come from the breaking down of the muscle cell proteins. This of course means all of that hard earned lean mass tissue begins to waste away and become energy or toilet trash.

Cortisol levels are elevated as a result of stress. Unfortunately, the body views stress stimuli such as increases in muscle tissue mass, training, sickness, and the spouse in a bad mood as reason to increase circulatory cortisol levels. Cortisol production can also inhibit endogenous GH and testosterone production while fueling pathways that allow fat to accumulate around the waste and upper legs.

Two Sides of the Muscle Mass Augmentation Equation

The use of anabolic/androgenic steroids (AAS) or hormonalogs triggers anabolism or tissue building (more commonly referred to as protein synthesis) in excess of what is considered normal. In short, packing on the beef. This is a means of altering the balance or ratio between anabolism/catabolism in favor of anabolism and increased muscle mass. During protocols employing hormonal substances such as hormonologs, the body attempted to re-establish the balance between anabolism/catabolism (homeostasis) in a variety of ways. First, after a few weeks, the body begins to step-up cortisol production to trigger catabolism equal to AAS induced anabolism.

Second, through aromatization, his body attempts to create excessive estrogen levels that would induce a negative feed-back loop resulting in HPTA suppression. The excessive unnatural estrogen levels would have also triggered female pattern fat deposits, gyno, water retention and prolactin release. (which are counter-productive for the most part) Excess fat accumulation is also a major aromatase enzyme production site. (Yikes! More on this…see Ultra HOTter™)

Back To Muscle Wasting…

As most of you know, steroids, prohormones and hormonalogs help you get bigger and stronger by up-regulating anabolic processes within the body. They aid greatly in tipping the scales in our favor in terms of protein synthesis vs protein degradation. However, what you may not know is how "anti-catabolic" steroids and prohormones are as well. Simply put, this means they can also block some of the nasty effects of cortisol, a hormone which I mentioned earlier that can rob you of hard-earned muscle tissue pretty fast. A major problem occurs once a cycle of steroids or PH’s has been completed, in that the very compounds that were keeping cortisol at bay have now been removed from the picture, and just at a time when the body is looking to re-achieve the balance between testosterone and cortisol that it so badly desires.

So here’s the ugly scenario...your body wants more cortisol, so it enhances production of a hormone called adrenocorticotropin, or ACTH, which in turn triggers the adrenal cortex to pour out more cortisone/cortisol. You no longer are taking steroids, PH’s or Hormonalogs, so not only will your body have less androgens, but more muscle-wasting cortisol screaming through your veins and your muscles! The result is a bodybuilder’s worst nightmare, as you will now be in a state where protein breakdown is exceeding protein synthesis, which means only one thing...declining lean muscle mass!
What to Do…

Retain Phases are a way of creating a state of “protein sparing”. When we altered the anabolic/catabolic ratio by decreasing protein wasting, we realize a net gain in lean tissue mass. Let me explain that.

Some studies have stated that we gain and lose daily, equal amounts of protein based tissue at a rate of bodyweight x 1.818 expressed in grams. Obviously we have the ability to increase protein based tissue mass either by addition (Anabolism) or by accumulation (Protein sparing/anti-catabolic/saving). And for many, just decreasing the loss side of the equation a little bit results in superior post-cycle retention.

This is like a checking account. If we have a daily deposit of $100 and withdrawal $100 daily, then our account is in a state of homeostasis or “no change balance”. But if we increase our daily deposits without also increasing or daily withdrawals we increase by addition (Anabolism). Now, how about if we left our daily deposits at $100 but decreased our daily withdrawals? Yes, you are right. Our account would experience an increased balance daily due to accumulation. In theory this would mean that a (Small) 200 lb bodybuilder could experience a net gain in lean mass tissue daily of 363.6 grams (200 lb x 1.818 = 363.6 grams) if the catabolism side of the anabolic/catabolic ratio were reduced 100%. That would result in a net gain of about 24 lbs of lean tissue in a month. Of course this is not only impossible, it would also be very unhealthy.

But… we can decrease the catabolic side of the ratio enough to not only put an end to cortisol induced post cycle lean mass tissue loss, but in many cases, we have actually augmented gains while “off-cycle”. Yes, I know, systemic (whole body) reduction in cortisol using prescription drugs like Cytadren only works for a short time…but what if this can be done site-specifically (like muscle mass)?

Retain™ is formulated to be a synergistic protein sparing repartitioning agent that works based upon well know principals of science…we just did it better and more cost effectively.

Supplement Facts:

Serving Size: 1 capsule
Servings Per Container: 90
Amount Per Serving DV%*

Retain Proprietary Matrix:
p-Tyramine, Clary Sage Extract, 17a-methyl-baET 50 mg**

** Daily value not established. Inactive Ingredients: Magnesium stearate, maltodextrin and gelatin capsule

Suggested Use: As a dietary supplement, take 1-3 capsules nightly. Do not exceed 8 weeks of continuous use