Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Regular physical exercise during childhood and adolescence can promote growth and development of muscle and bone mass. Although physical exercise is closely linked to the anabolic function of the GH /IGF-I axis the real impact of resistance training on GH/IGF axis is still unclear. The kinetics of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 during chronic training is not fully understood yet and an initial catabolic phase followed by an later anabolic phase has been reported in swimmers.</p...

Background: The GH-IGF system plays an important role in strength gain. Some studies suggest that Zinc, Magnesium and Pyridoxine (ZMA) supplementation could increase GH/IGF and testosterone levels in young subjects. This hypothetical increase could lead to significant changes in body composition. ZMA is a very popular supplement, easily found in specialty stores, and it is presumed to increase GH, IGF-I and testosterone levels. However, studies are divergent regarding its effi...