posted April 02, 2000 09:07 PM         

Q: What are the pros doing these days to get those blown-up, distorted biceps and triceps? It's not even funny anymore. Many of them look like they've been attacked by a swarm of killer bees! Is it still just Synthol, or have these freaks found something even better (worse)?

A: I'll give you a quick cheat sheet of the most popular product choices for lagging body parts among the pros:

Esiclene) This is where it all started. It's still kicking around in some places (I bought 20 boxes the other day). Esiclene was commonly used the last few days before a show and usually involved the injection of one ampoule per bicep, calf, tricep, or whatever bodypart was deemed inferior, every day or every other day. However, I've known athletes to rely on far larger amounts (6-10 ml) per muscle several days out with a smaller shot the day before. Generally, the practice was probably quite safe when you consider that this was mainly a pre-contest thing, leaving muscles plenty of time to heal. The good news is that it's now become available in Spain as Hubernol.

Synthol and its clones) With so many versions going around, who knows anymore what's in this "external use only" product. I know several people who've done some analysis of it only to find MCT oil. Synthol is supposed to be taken over several weeks on an "every other day" basis, commencing with 1-2 ml, eventually progressing to daily administration of 1-2 ml. In fairness, the original product seemed to impart some long-lasting size with little in the way of side effects. While the original is still available, the most readily available versions are dirty and best avoided.

Sesame oil) Yes, you read that right! The use of sesame oil is common among German bodybuilders who purchase the sterile product out of the pharmacy. Huge quantities are injected locally, often resulting in the same side effects as counterfeit Synthol. Additionally, it makes a lovely salad dressing.

Testosterone propionate) This is commonly used for its ability to cause almost immediate swelling. Low strength preparations (25 mg/ml) are usually used so that several milliliters can be injected at one time. It commonly causes allergic reactions and flu-like symptoms. Not a good choice!

Prostaglandins) While it could be true that these compounds (particularly PGF2) may impart some anabolic effects, the regularity of injections, resultant pain, elevations in cortisol, and all of the side effects mentioned in previous columns�plus a whole host of potentially dangerous ones�make their use impractical.

Miscellaneous) I've seen several other products around supported by bullshit literature. One is supposed to contain prostaglandins and, believe it or not, silicone. After all, nobody ever worried about silicone leaking into anyone's system, right? So why should you worry about injecting a few hundred cc directly into your muscles? (Everyone catch the dripping sarcasm in that statement? Good.)

There you have it, the weirder side of bodybuilding. It's also worth noting that the usual accompaniments to this practice include infections, cysts that require surgical removal, and massive deposits of scar tissue that result in bicep detachments. I personally hear about these casualties on a weekly basis.

As for permanent local gains, I believe that a combination of IGF-1 and FGF (fibroblast growth factor) exhibit some potential. I once met a South African cosmetic surgeon who told me that one of his colleagues had performed "fat injections" on the biceps of two Olympia competitors. Based on the same principle used with penis enlargement surgery, bodyfat was drawn from their lower abdomen for use.

Just think, there are still a few wide-eyed teenagers out there who think that the pros look the way they do because of their wonderful MuscleTech supplements! Sad, really.