Hm... of course quite a few muscle builders these days take steroids. I
can't say that I like it. Personally, I only do body-weight exercises,
which are quite effective for me precisely because I am overweight and so I
can gain muscle from it. On the other hand, I would not mind something that
would help me burn the fat - even Jason Statham admitted to using such a
substance before shooting a film.
On Wed, Oct 21, 2015 at 6:48 PM, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
http://gizmodo.com/gene-edited-dogs-with-jacked-up-muscles-are-a-worlds-fi-1737545538
*Researchers in China are reportedly the first to use a powerful gene
editing tool to produce super-muscled dogs. The goal is to create test
subjects that mimic degenerative human diseases, but the breakthrough also
raises the prospect of customized pets.*
*A cheap and powerful gene editing technique called CRISPR is taking the
science world by storm. Over the past year, biologists have used the
genetic cut-and-paste tool to genetically modify human embryos, produce
supersized fruit, and create double-muscled pigs and micropigs. Other
animals involved in CRISPR work include goats, rabbits, and monkeys.*
*Now, as Technology Review reports, scientists in China have used CRISPR
to knock out the myostatin gene (MSTN) in beagles, which roughly doubles
their muscle mass. The details of this work can now be found at the Journal
of Molecular Cell Biology*.
. . .
*Comment: *Hmm. At 14 or so I was a skinny kid with little muscle
mass. In high school instead of gym I was sent to the corrective class. I
couldn’t afford to buy regular weights but found an old piece of Iron that
weighed 73 pounds and worked out with that every day. I gained muscle
mass, made the gymnastics team and lettered in the vault. However I only
weighed 155 pounds when I entered the Marine Corps at age 17. When I got
out of the USMC I weighed 165 pounds. In my late 20s I worked out heavily
with weights for 3 years and ended up with considerably more muscle mass
and weighed 187 pounds.
So if the technology described in the article were available would I have
wanted to get the “more-muscle-mass” treatment? My first reaction is
“yes.” And after thinking it over I say “hell yes.” But I feel a little
uncomfortable with that decision and require the aid of a philosopher.
What of all the “character-building” hours I spent working out with
weights? Would I have done something equally valuable if I didn’t have to
work-out to gain muscle mass? Or would I have worked out and gained even
more muscle mass and instead of 187 pounds at age 30 been 225. I’m 5’10
and though I have gotten out of shape from time to time over the years have
never weighed as much as 200 pounds.
With more time on my hands nowadays I’ve started another serious workout
program. The fat to muscle ratio of my 187 pounds isn’t quite what it
ought to be and I’m hoping to trim down to about 175 pounds eventually. In
other words at age 81 I don’t want more muscle mass. Would I have wanted
it back when I was in my 20s? Probably, but I might have regretted it by
now.
But a more muscular dog sounds pretty interesting. My 110 pound Rhodesian
Ridgeback Ben is well enough muscled. But check the muscles on the Whippet
in this article:
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/542616/first-gene-edited-dogs-reported-in-china/
Lawrence
------------------------------
[image: Avast logo] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus>
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/antivirus>
