The Morning Dose #36: Planning Yearly Cycles, Cold Plunge Research, and Faulty Chinese Syringes

In this week’s edition of The Morning Dose:

 How Many SARM Cycles Per Year?

FDA Issues New Warning About Chinese Syringes

BPC & The Brain

Research Spotlight: The Truth About Cold Plunges

Let’s inject this.

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 How Many SARM Cycles Per Year?

This week on the Muscle + Brawn blog, Daniel’s back with another great article that’s a must-read for anyone considering SARM use.

Many turn to SARMs as an alternative to using anabolic steroids, as they tend to have fewer side effects… when used properly.

While most people who are using anabolics know the importance of cycling throughout the year, even if they received their advice from the local gym “expert,” your average bodybuilding coach still doesn’t understand SARMs quite as well as steroid cycles.

If you want to maximize your results while protecting your health, it’s essential to use SARMs correctly.

In his latest article, head coach Daniel Louwrens explains everything you need to know about planning your SARMs usage over the course of the year.

Read it here: How Many SARMs Cycles Per Year?

FDA Issues New Warning About Chinese Syringes

Back in November, the FDA released a warning about using Chinese-made syringes.

The original statement warned against breaks and leaks with these syringes, and since of none of us want to be injecting microplastics with our testosterone shots, this is certainly alarming.

The FDA claimed that faulty syringes were being distributed in the US, and warned against using specific brands.

We thought this news would spread, and people would turn to higher-quality syringes… but this isn’t the case.

A few days ago, they updated their original warning, saying that the use of these Chinese syringes is more widespread than they originally thought, urging people to take caution with their syringes.

In response, companies like Becton Dickinson (BD) announced they’re ramping up the production of their syringes, which were NOT flagged by the FDA.

Editor’s note: I’ve been using BD insulin syringes for TRT injections for years, and have never had any problems, though of course, do your own research or ask your medical provider. We have no affiliation with BD.

So, if you’re using syringes, check to see where they were manufactured, and if they were made in China, you may want to look for alternative brands ASAP.

We understand it’s tempting to order the cheapest syringes you can find, especially for those doing multiple injections per week, but this is one area where we strongly advise paying for quality.

Here’s the FDA’s official advice from their full press release, which can be found here for those interested.

“Until further notice and because of potential quality and performance issues:

Immediately transition away from using plastic syringes manufactured by Jiangsu Caina Medical Co Ltd, unless use of these syringes is absolutely necessary until you can complete the transition.

Immediately transition away from using unauthorized plastic syringes manufactured by Jiangsu Shenli Medical Production Co Ltd, which includes all models other than the 5 mL luer lock syringe, unless use of these syringes is absolutely necessary until you can complete the transition.

For all other plastic syringes made in China, while the FDA’s evaluation remains ongoing, we continue to recommend the following:

Check the manufacturing location for syringes you use or have in your inventory by reviewing the labeling, outer packaging, or contacting your supplier or group purchasing organization.

Use syringes not manufactured in China, if possible. At this time, glass syringes, pre-filled syringes, or syringes used for oral or topical purposes are not included.

If you only have syringes manufactured in China, then continue to use them as needed until you are able to use alternative syringes and closely monitor for leaks, breakage, and other problems.

Report any issues with syringes to the FDA.”

 BPC & The Brain

We love a good scientific breakdown, and we’re particularly big fans of YouTube user Peptide Buddy, who we’ve shared before.

He just published a fascinating new breaking down all of the science around BPC and how it affects your mood – it’s under 7 minutes, and well worth the watch for anyone looking to optimize their mental health with peptides.

Research Spotlight: The Truth About Cold Plunges

In the world of biohacking, cold plunges, or ice baths, have become extremely popular in recent years.

They were first introduced by Wim Hof, nicknamed The Iceman, and now health-conscious individuals around the world are using variations of ice baths and cold showers to reap the benefits of cold immersion.

Fans of ice baths claim they can reduce inflammation, improve fat loss, mental function, accelerate recovery, and more…

But do they really work?

Is it really worth plunging your entire body into a giant tub of literal ice water? I don’t know about you, but unless an ice bath has powerful benefits, I prefer to stay warm.

Anyway, in recent years there’s been a growing body of research investigating the true benefits of ice baths.

We also have to consider safety, as sadly, a few people have died over the years from losing consciousness while submerged in the cold tub.

A brand-new study published in PLOS ONE looked at nine individual studies on ice baths and concluded that ice baths can reduce inflammation in healthy individuals, but further research is needed.

We also need to consider the impact on training, for those of us looking to optimize muscle tissue. After all, inflammation is part of the recovery process, and research has shown that a cold plunge post-workout may blunt anabolic signaling, AKA, muscle growth.

In other words, further research is needed, but this is promising so far, and it seems that ice baths are quite powerful for reducing general inflammation…

Just be careful about using them after a hard workout if you’re looking to maximize recovery, as inflammation is a crucial part of the recovery process, and

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