Testosterone Production - The Elemental

Facts
An Interview With Victor Conte
by Nelson Montana | 03/13/98

As athletes, our workouts take precedence over just about anything.

We may occasionally cut class or call in sick for work, but miss a
workout? Not on your life. Likewise, we're so very, very careful about
how we eat. Most of us know exactly how much protein is contained in
a 3.5 ounce can of tuna, or how many grams of fat there are in an
average chicken breast (skinless). Yep, we know what we're doing.

Read a book? Nahhh. But show us a new article about how the nasal
hairs of a certain species of Mississippi mule raise testosterone levels,
and we'll study it with all the intensity of a doctor preparing for his
board exams. Yeah, there ain't much you can slip past us.

Well then, why is it that many of us have testosterone levels that

approximate that of a campfire girl, and GH levels that are only one or
two nanograms higher than a dead man's?
Nutritionist/scientist Victor Conte thinks he knows why. Conte and his
company, Balco Labs, have found that, for all our attention to diet,
most of us are deficient in a couple of key areas and when these
deficiencies are rectified, increases of free testosterone of up to 30%
are possible, along with impressive increases in IGF-1 (a marker of GH
levels).

Now, this isn't some testosterone pie in the sky, hocus-pocus, typical
supplement manufacturer scam either. He's got the studies to back it
up, and it's more than likely that you could experience the same kind of
increases in testosterone and GH production by using his very
economically priced supplement.

What do you need to do to experience these tremendous leaps in T-

production? The answer, my friend, is elemental:

NM: So, Victor, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and some
background on Balco Laboratories.

VC: I'm the founder and executive director of Balco

Laboratories in Burlingame, California. Balco has been in
existence for about fifteen years now. We specialize in mineral
and trace element assessment and do research with elite
Olympic and professional athletes.

NM: That's pretty impressive. In what capacity do you work with the
athletes?

VC: We provide a comprehensive mineral and trace element

assessment and, based upon the athletes' test results, we
make specific nutritional supplementation recommendations.

NM: And I understand you've also worked with some of the players on
the Denver Broncos?
VC: Yes. In 1997, we provided testing and consultation for over
250 NFL players, including the entire Denver Broncos Super
Bowl championship team, as well the entire Miami Dolphins
team, including their coaches and trainers.

NM: Football players are often considered among the athlete "elite."
Did you find that many of them had mineral deficiencies?

VC: Absolutely! For example, more than 70% of the 250 NFL
players we tested were deficient in both zinc and magnesium.
Assessing mineral and trace element status is a difficult task.
So, we analyze the elements in several different biological fluids
and tissues [red blood cells, plasma, whole blood, urine, etc.]. A
different type of information is obtained from each of these
compartments. In addition, if an athlete is very dehydrated or
has used anabolic agents, they will have an elevated hematocrit
[thickened blood] and this will effect their mineral balance.

NM: Now, I know that certain anabolic steroids like Deca Durabolin are
known to thin the blood. Is this thicker viscosity caused by a backlash
of coming off steroids?

VC: Probably not. We recently tested 24 professional

bodybuilders that participated or attended the 1998 San
Francisco Pro Invitational. We work with most of the top IFBB
bodybuilders, including Flex Wheeler, Ronnie Coleman, Kevin
Levrone, Milos Sarcev, Mike Matarazzo, etc. The morning after
the San Francisco show, we collected blood samples from 21 of
the competitors, and among this group we did not find many
with an elevated hematocrit. I think there were only two
bodybuilders that were above the normal range. We expected
to see a higher percentage of red blood cells to total whole
blood volume, but we really didn't find that.
NM: Interesting. So what you're saying is the use of anabolic steroids
didn't have as much of a detrimental effect in the pro bodybuilders as
you expected?

VC: Well, at least on that particular parameter. The most

interesting finding with the professional bodybuilders was a
significant reduction in HDL cholesterol levels. Out of 24 tested,
six of these athletes had a less than detectable level! Now,
when you combine that with the fact that some of these athletes
had a total cholesterol level of around 300....

NM: Yikes! That leaves a lot of LDL!

VC: The normal ratio for cholesterol/ HDL is less than five to
one. The mean average of the pro bodybuilders' HDL levels
was 15 mg/dL, whereas the normal range is a level greater than
34 mg/dL.

NM: Obviously, most pro bodybuilders are on steroids almost non-stop.

Have you tested athletes who have done occasional cycles?

VC: Some of the pro bodybuilders we've worked with had been
"off" of anabolic steroids for as long as three months at the time
they were tested. We found a very broad range of testosterone
levels in this group. A few of the athletes' endogenous
testosterone levels came back to within the normal range in just
a few weeks. The normal range for serum testosterone is 260-
1,000 ng/dL. One of the athletes, after being off of anabolic
agents for over three months, was still very low at 77 ng/dL.

NM: No good. Then again, you never know how long they were "on"
before that three month break.
VC: Exactly. However, we found a number of interesting things
concerning serum total testosterone levels. One pro
bodybuilder had a level of 21,000 ng/dL! Another bodybuilder
had a level so low it couldn't be detected. The average
testosterone levels of the 24 pro bodybuilders was about 3,500
ng/dL. We discovered that the bodybuilder with the
undetectable level had been using Halotestin. This anabolic
steroid should be avoided because it completely shuts down the
production of endogenous testosterone and has long lasting
and enduring negative effects upon the endocrine system.
Another interesting finding among the 24 pro bodybuilders is
that 16 of them were also taking growth hormone. Eight of
these 16 were also taking Nolvadex. What we discovered is that
Nolvadex reduces the effect of the growth hormoneas
measured by IGF-1 levelsby about 50%.

NM: So by using Nolvadex to avoid the aromatization of steroids, they

were negating the effects of growth hormone supplementation.

VC: Absolutely. You would be much better off using Teslac

[testalactone] to reduce the aromatization.

NM: What would be a normal growth hormone level for an average 30-
year-old man?

VC: Growth hormone levels are age dependent. The levels

begin to decline significantly about 30 years of age. The normal
ranges are as follows: For ages 16-24 it's 182-780 ng/mL, for
ages 25-39 it's 140-492 ng/mL, and for ages 40-54 it drops all
the way down to 90-360 ng/mL. We recently conducted a study
at Western Washington University with 18- to 24-year-old NCAA
football players, and the average IGF-1 level was around 400
ng/mL.
NM: Would you recommend GH supplementation for older athletes?

VC: I don't condone the use of anabolic steroids or growth

hormone. However, I know of a number of athletes who use
growth hormone, and most of them are reporting tremendous
benefits. A few NFL players who have been caught using
anabolic steroids have switched to using growth hormone by
itself. Some of the older players in their mid-30s are also using
growth hormone.

NM: Only in pro football would somebody in their 30s be considered

old!

VC: A few of the older athletes feel that GH supplementation

has helped them extend their competitive career. I know a pro
bodybuilder named Emeric Delezeg who's 47 years of age who
supplements with GH, and he maintains a level of around 400
ng/mL. This is the level of a man twenty years younger.

NM: The problem with GH is that very soon after the cessation of its
intake, GH levels drop right back down, do they not?

VC: Sure.

NM: What about the propensity for external intake of GH to accelerate

tumor growth?

VC: If you have a very high level, that may be the case. But, a
normal level of around 400 should not increase the risk.

NM: So, if a 40-year-old were to raise his level to that of a 20-year-

old...

VC: I don't see much of a risk in that case. However, more

research is necessary.
NM: Well, that's encouraging. Let me switch over to a related topic. I
understand that Balco Laboratories has recently conducted research
on an interesting new product called ZMA.
VC: Yes, ZMA is a special zinc-magnesium formulation. The
study was conducted at Western Washington University under
the direction of Lorrie Brilla, PhD. The title of the abstract is "A
Novel Zinc and Magnesium Formulation [ZMA] Increases
Anabolic Hormones and Strength in Athletes." It will be
published in the Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation
Journal, November 1998 [in press]. Dr. Brilla has summarized
the study results as follows: "A group of competitive NCAA
football players who took ZMA nightly during an eight-week
spring training program had 2.5 times greater strength gains
than a group on the team taking a placebo. Pre- and post-leg
strength measurements were made using a Biodex isokinetic
dynamometer. The strength differences may have been
mediated by the anabolic hormone increases in the ZMA group.
The ZMA group had 30% increases in free and total
testosterone levels, compared to 10% decreases in the placebo
group. The ZMA group had a slight increase in IGF-1 levels,
compared to a 20% decrease in the placebo group. This study
shows that anabolic hormone and strength increases can be
induced in already strength-trained athletes by using a novel
zinc-magnesium preparation compared to a placebo."

NM: I guess the big question is, what makes ZMA different from a zinc
and magnesium supplement I could buy at my local health food store?

VC: Probably the biggest difference is what ZMA does not

contain. Let me briefly explain. We started out doing mineral
assessments of elite Olympic and professional athletes. We
determined what their deficiencies were and then made time-
and dosage-specific recommendations. We even advised them
regarding the forms with the best absorption. The oxides,
glucates and sulphates are very poorly absorbed as compared
to the aspartates, glycinates, and monomethionines, which
have superior absorption. So, the athletes purchased some
health food store supplements and took them as recommended.
They returned to the laboratory after a period of 60 days and
were retested. We found no change in their blood values and,
at first, we couldn't figure what was going on. So, we asked
them to bring their supplements to the laboratory so we could
analyze them. Well, we found something quite amazing. Ninety
percent of these products contained a level of calcium between
600-1,000 mg that was not disclosed on the label of the bottle.
We contacted the manufacturers and asked them why the
capsules contained extra calcium.

NM: Don't they use it as a binder?

VC: Yes, we were informed that they use either dicalcium

phosphate or calcium sulphate as a filler. We were also told that
this has been an industry standard for over 25 years. The
problem is that calcium significantly inhibits the absorption of
almost all other minerals and trace elements by a factor of up to
60-70%. So you could buy a very good form of chelated zinc
and the absorption will be very low because of the calcium filler
that is not disclosed on the label.

NM: If you are working with very specific ratios, should the
supplements be taken on an empty stomach?

VC: That's a very good question. The answer is YES! Mineral

supplements should be taken on a fasted empty stomach. The
most effective way to administer zinc supplementation is at
night, about 30 minutes before bedtime.
NM: Why is that?

VC: Zinc is a very anabolic element. Its effect on healing, tissue

repair, and muscle growth is maximized during sleep. The
largest daily burst of natural growth hormone occurs during
stage 3 and 4 sleep (about an hour and a half after going to
sleep). The chief synergists that potentiate the effect of growth
hormone are insulin, testosterone, zinc, and magnesium. So,
this is the time you want zinc and magnesium at a peak level in
the bloodstream. I believe that the major reason we achieved
such dramatic study results, in terms of increasing testosterone
and IGF-1 levels, is because one, the product did not contain a
calcium based filler, and two, it was taken on a fasted stomach
30 minutes before bedtime. Finally, I would like to state that
eating a high-fiber cereal which contains phytatestogether
with milk which contains calciumwould not be a good idea
when taking ZMA supplements because of the inhibitory effect it
would have upon absorption.

NM: Allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment. Some people

may say that it's just impractical to have no other nutrients present
while taking supplementation. Aren't nutrients present for hours after
eating?

VC: The general rule of thumb, regarding nutrient interactions,

is consume competitive nutrients at least two hours apart. This
will completely eliminate any inhibitory effects. Of course, in the
real world, compliance with this recommendation may be
difficult. If you take your ZMA supplements at least an hour after
dinner, the absorption rate will be more than adequate.

NM: There is an argument that the high-protein diets that bodybuilders

engage in will make calcium levels too low. What are your thoughts on
that?
VC: It's true that high-protein diets cause calcium excretion, but
resistance training causes a retention of calcium. I read a
recent article in Flex magazine by Jerry Brainum that I believe
contained information that is a tremendous disservice to their
readers. He was saying that bodybuilders need to take extra
calcium. The best way to measure calcium status is to measure
bone density. There are over one hundred studies showing that
athletes who routinely train with weights have a positive calcium
balance.

NM: I understand that athletes can become depleted in magnesium

because magnesium is lost through perspiration.

VC: Absolutely. So is zinc. If you train strenuously on a daily

basis, you can expect to experience a mineral imbalance. There
are several military research studies that have been conducted
with Navy Seal trainees during what is called "Hell Week." The
trainees were subjected to tremendous amounts of
physiological and psychological stress. Their serum zinc and
magnesium levels were reduced by 20-40% at the end of this
week of very intensive training.

NM: What about the tendency for bodybuilders to overcompensate

their supplementation? I know that too much magnesium can be
stressful to the kidneys and zinc can be toxic in high dosages.

VC: Zinc can have adverse health effects at a daily dosage as

low as 50 mg per day. This is the reason we selected a daily
dosage of 30 mg for ZMA. I've retrieved every study that has
ever been done on zinc supplementation and found that a daily
dosage of 50 mg can significantly lower HDL levels, copper
levels, and super oxide dismutase [SOD] levels in just 14 days.
What I'm saying is that too much is just as bad as not enough.
So, it's very important to determine what your zinc status really
is.

NM: So, would you recommend that bodybuilders get a blood test to
determine zinc levels?

VC: Absolutely. A blood test can provide valuable information.

We see athletes that have great diets and supplementation
programs that have a horrible biochemical profile. Everything
from genetics to psychological stress can contribute to mineral
deficiencies. When we worked with the Seattle Supersonics, we
found that about 80% of the team was using an anti-perspirant
instead of a deodorant. Anti-perspirants prevent sweating....

NM: Which in itself may not be a good thing.

VC: Right. But anti-perspirants also contain aluminum

chlorohydrate as an active ingredient. Aluminum is antagonistic
to magnesium and significantly inhibits its absorption and
utilization. In areas that have hard water, like Texas, the
municipal water is treated with sodium aluminate to prevent the
build-up of calcium and magnesium deposits in the pipes. This
could also lead to an elevation of aluminum levels and
magnesium deficiency.

NM: Would a multiple vitamin/mineral provide any insurance for a

healthy mineral balance?

VC: Basically no. Certain minerals must be taken at different

times of the day to avoid competitive interactions. An athlete
can maximize the absorption of minerals and trace elements as
follows: Take chromium and copper together between breakfast
and lunch. Take iron and selenium together between lunch and
dinner. And take zinc and magnesium together just before
bedtime.

NM: What about the ways these minerals occur in nature? Meat
contains both zinc and iron. Are you saying that they would cancel
each other out and you wouldn't absorb either nutrient?

VC: Well, elements do compete for absorption, even when

consumed as a part of foods. That's what makes it so difficult.
Let me give you an example. The highest food source for
copper is mushrooms. We've had people try to eat mushrooms
seven days a week, but because of the competitive interactions,
their blood copper levels remained unchanged. However, if you
have them take a daily copper supplement on an empty
stomach, you'll see their copper levels normalize. In fact, IFBB
pro Roland Kickinger worked with Balco Laboratories to correct
his copper deficiency. After three weeks of appropriate copper
supplementation, he said he no longer experienced any pain or
inflammation problems in his knee.

NM: Speaking of copper, my grandmother swore that wearing a copper

bracelet helped her arthritis. Any validity of copper being permeable
through the skin?

VC: We used to think that was just an old wive's tale, but there
have been studies that show that you can get transdermal
absorption of copper. They now sell copper based creams.

NM: I guess the last question would be, how can people contact Balco
Laboratories concerning mineral assessment and supplementation?

VC: They can call 1-800-777-7122.

NM: Victor, thank you so much for your time. I enjoyed our talk.
VC: My pleasure.

Although this interview covered a variety of topics, the one point that
stands out is that many of usbecause of diet and other extraneous
factorssuffer from mineral deficiencies. And, simply taking a One-a-
Day multivitamin isn't helping.

Remarkably, Victor Conte's ZMA formulation seems to allow the body

to be the best that it can be, naturally. A university study showed that
ZMA-using athletes increased free and total testosterone levels by
about 30%, and experienced IGF-1 increases, while the placebo group
experienced roughly a 20% decrease. Furthermore, the ZMA-using
athletes experienced strength gains that were 2.5 times greater than
the non-ZMA group.

You may not be impressed, but after reading this interview, Charles
Poliquin, TC, and Tim Patterson began using ZMA. I think they're sold
on the concept. Now, are you?