Deer Antler Velvet for Muscle Growth
Deer antler velvet has been garnering a lot of buzz in recent months as headline after headline extols its virtues and vices. Amid claims of increased muscle growth, enhanced performance and accelerated healing time are headlines about deer antler velvet being banned by the NFL, MLB and PGA. With all the news about deer antler velvet and its uncertain status as a performance enhancing substance, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. Keep reading to find out more about deer antler velvet, what it can do for you, and whether or not its use will leave you warming the bench.
What is Deer Antler Velvet?
Deer antler velvet is exactly what the name suggests: it's the velvet found on the antlers of young male deer (bucks). Deer antler velvet contains insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a hormone responsible for muscle growth and cellular repair. The human body naturally produces IGF-1 in the liver in response to levels of HGH (human growth hormone). While natural IGF-1 production is enough for the average person, individuals looking to build muscle or recover from sports injuries frequently need to supplement their intake. Deer antler velvet contains has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to stimulate growth and speed up recovery. Many antler velvet supplements grind up the entire antler for added benefits, such as calcium supplementation to enhance bone repair.
Deer Antler Velvet Benefits
Deer antler velvet is quickly gaining popularity as a sport supplement for the myriad of benefits it offers. Deer antler velvet's benefits include:
- Enhanced muscle growth. The IGF-1 found in deer antler velvet helps facilitate nutrient transport to the muscles to provide them with the amino acids necessary for increased muscle growth. Amino acids are the building blocks of muscle tissue and are essential for muscle development.
- Increased carbohydrate metabolism. IGF-1 functions similar to insulin to improve carbohydrate metabolism, helping to convert it to usable energy. This increase in glucose production helps improve muscle growth.
- Accelerated healing time. IGF-1 stimulates cellular repair to reduce recovery time following injury. The same mechanism that increases muscle growth also repairs torn muscle to get you back in the game sooner.
Unfortunately, these benefits can be seen as offering players a competitive advantage and deer antler velvet was banned by the NFL, PGA and MLB.
The Ban is Lifted
Deer antler velvet was officially banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) since at least August 2011, when the PGA Tour officially banned it. Deer antler velvet was supposedly banned because it contains IGF-1, but MLB links their ban to a number of products which were contaminated with steroids. Many people stopped supplementing with deer antler velvet when this news became public.
Earlier this year, WADA changed their stance on deer antler velvet and removed it from their banned substances list. Both WADA and the PGA have gone on the record as saying that they no longer ban deer antler velvet; neither MLB nor the NFL has issued an official statement, although they are believed to be going by the official WADA guidelines. Many people suspect that the ban was lifted because it is difficult to test for IGF-1 and there is no standardized level with which to compare players' test results to.
Now that the deer antler velvet ban has been lifted, many people are rushing out to purchase a product for themselves. The easiest way to experience significant muscle growth is by using a sublingual spray. The area beneath the tongue has numerous blood vessels, which help absorb the deer antler velvet quickly.
We recommend Antler Force, a natural deer antler velvet spray. Read our Antler Force review for more information on how this powerful spray can help you build muscle fast.