Recently, a new doping drug has come on the scene for horse racing. Actually it’s been around for a while, but it seems to be catching on. So what does this have to do with humans? A lot.
Thymosin Beta-4 is a unique peptide that was first discovered in the thymus, a gland in the human body. Since that initial discovery, however, thymosins of all sorts have been found present in all different types of tissue throughout the body. One particular place we see Thymosin Beta-4 that is of interest to us, is muscle, both smooth (like heart muscle) and skeletal (our movement muscles). Thymosin Beta-4 is upregulated when damage occurs to muscle tissue. When trauma occurs, Thymosin beta-4 is released to increase the healing of that trauma. It also acts to prevent the formation of adhesions. This means less scar tissue, and hopefully, more flexibility.
TB500 is a synthetic version of Thymosin Beta-4 which does all the same wonderful things that its natural counterpart does. Some of the claims made by makers of TB500 include:
- Endothelial (blood vessels) cell differentiation
- Angiogenesis (growth of new blood cells from pre-existing vessels) in dermal tissues
- Keratinocyte migration
- Collagen deposition; and
- Decreases inflammation.
In some instances, these are all good things. Increased blood flow, healthy vasculature, enhanced healing from skin abrasions (keratinocytes are part of the barrier in our skin that keeps bad stuff from just seeping in) collagen deposition (healthy joints, and of course decreased inflammation.
The last one in particular should make a lot of sense. Thymosin beta-4 is involved in regulating the immune system. Increasing levels of Thymosin Beta-4 through the use of TB500, would decrease our inflammatory response to injury, because the injury would be healing at a much faster rate. Inflammation is our body’s signal to repair. Once that repair is underway, inflammation goes down.
So we know what makers of it are touting for dogs and horses. Increased endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, less scarring, and decreased inflammation. But are there any benefits for humans? Some scientists think it may be able to help our hearts heal after a heart attack. I have seen one study show that Thymosin Beta-4 activates progenitor cells after a heart attack, essentially allowing the heart to heal itself. I have also read elsehwhere that this effect has not been reproduced during further testing.
What do i know about this new drug? Not much. I have actually experimented with 5 mg a week of this and have found it to be a great preworkout booster of sorts, but nothing dramatic as of yet. It has been said results come over time, so we shall see. I personally think the dosages being sold on the internet are much lower than we should take in order to see results, but that doesn’t surprise me, as most online sources of research peptides tend to make sure the profit margin is well within their own favor. If supply becomes abundant and we see larger amounts surfacing for reasonable prices I may try and go for something more like 10 mg a day and see how that treats me.
In the meantime I keep stretching, and hoping this stuff will help increase my flexibility, which was the primary reason I showed interest in this. I am one giant muscle knot.
