Unfair Advantage Or Just Healthy Muscle Supplements? Are there “Conor McGregor Supplements”?
He hails from Ireland and counts the great Muhammad Ali as one of his inspirations, which probably accounts for why he ‘trash talks’ like the great man did. There must be something in it though because, like his idol, Conor McGregor is one of the most successful fighters currently competing in the UFC. He is the current Featherweight Champion. During his career Conor McGregor has also competed as in lightweight and welterweight divisions.
Update July 2018: Conor McGregor will return to the UFC on October 6 against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Irishman will fight for the UFC lightweight belt, which he previously held, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Conor spent all of his youth and most of his fighting career to date in his home country. He was a successful footballer and boxer, holding a youth All-Ireland boxing championship. It wasn’t until 2007 that Conor McGregor swapped to mixed martial arts and was immediately successful, winning his first fight.
After that fight he turned pro and, despite a couple of defeats, went on to win 8 successive fights throughout 2011 and 2012. In February 2013 he was offered a contract to join the UFC, which he accepted, and the rest as they say, is history.
So how does an Irish featherweight become one of the most popular pay-per-view drawcards in mixed martial arts? And knock up a string of “Performance of the Night” awards as well as fight so well his fights often earn “Fight of the Night” honors? Not to mention being able to compete successfully across three weight divisions?
We wondered about this ourselves so we set out to find out. We knew there had been some controversy around a ‘secret’ substance Conor McGregor was apparently taking to get that powerful featherweight physique and we wanted to find out what it was.
Are there “Conor McGregor Supplements”?
Well, it turns out that these (what we like to call them) Conor McGregor supplements are all perfectly legal and nothing sinister at all! However it does give those taking it a bit of an ‘unfair’ advantage because it allows them to build up lean powerful muscle and shed excess fat like lightening.
Sure, Conor McGregor works out like crazy but it’s this secret addition to his daily diet that seems to be helping him maintain the power and strength he needs to remain at the top of his game. And the UFC rankings! Here is our report on our findings….
To be continued …
Planet Supplement Quick Wiki
DHEA – A Prohormone That May Have Health Benefits
DHEA was banned from over-the-counter sales in 1985 by the FDA. Because of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, DHEA was reclassified as a food supplement. This androgen precursor was first identified in 1934 and is produced naturally by the zona reticularis cells of the adrenal glands.
The exact function of DHEA in the human body is not fully known, but scientists do know that it is a metabolic precursor to testosterone. DHEA may also increase levels of IGF-1 and may have a stimulatory effect on neurotransmitter receptors.
Three biologically active forms of DHEA are found circulating in plasma (DHEA, DHEA-S, and DHEA). Like other sex steroids, DHEA circulates in blood bound to a protein (albumin) and is easily
converted to other androgens and estrogen. DHEA and DHEA sulfate (DHEA-S) are converted peripherally to androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone. It can also be aromatized to estrogens via the enzyme P450 aromatase. Factors that influence these conversions are not well understood, but both aerobic and resistance exercise may playa role in the formation of various androgens or a decrease thereof.
The research on DHEA has mostly tested older subjects, not young athletes. For some individuals, supplementing with DHEA might restore feelings of youthfulness. A gap in the literature comes when we look at DHEA’s effects in younger males, especially bodybuilders.
To date, two studies looking at DHEA in those producing normal amounts of the hormone have been conducted. Welle et al. used 1600 mg of DHEA for 4 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study in men (average age, 26 yrs). With supplementation, serum levels of DHEA increased, but there was no significant effect on body weight, body mass, resting metabolic rate, proteolysis, total energy expenditure, or cholesterol.
In a study by Nestler et al., 10 young men were divided into a placebo versus DHEA-supplemented (1600 mg/day) group for 28-day treatment duration. There was no effect on serum total testosterone, free testosterone, SHBG, estradiol, or estrone concentrations.
However, there was a slight decrease in body fat and a decrease in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the DHEA-supplemented men. Tissue sensitivity to insulin remained unchanged. This study and the one discussed previously illustrate that DHEA research is still in its infancy. Previous data from animal research by Han et al. showed that DHEA might be a potent antiobesity agent. However, at best DHEA produces only modest changes in body composition in humans.
Thus, DHEA’s applications in medicine could be far-reaching, but it is not clear whether DHEA is useful as an ergogenic aid.