I've been in the industry for 36 years now (18 of which I've been the CEO of Supplement Giant), and in that time we've developed a running joke.
In the early 2000s the supplement industry gave us one of the absolute best examples of a product that promised everything, delivered nothing, and frankly showed the worst side of this industry.
So because of that, anytime a new product sounds too good to be true, we'll just call it a "myostatin blocker."
On paper, myostatin blockers sounded incredible.
The claim: your body has a gene that limits muscle growth called myostatin. If you could block that gene, your growth potential is unlimited.
For example, there's a certain breed of Belgian cattle with a mutation that reduces their myostatin levels. They're massive and don't look like normal cattle. This would be the holy grail. It would change the world as we know it.
The unfortunate reality was that none of these products ever worked. Not even a little. Most of their 'evidence' came from in vitro studies, which are very different from the human body. In vitro is a great place to start, but what works in a petri dish doesn't always work in real life.
The unethical brands that thrive in this industry took this weak data and stretched it into ridiculous marketing claims. The marketing was relentless. Then people figured out none of it worked and moved on.
When you hear a claim that sounds too good to be true, that overrides biology or promises extreme results without tradeoffs, it's probably a myostatin blocker.
So if these "myostatin blockers" don't do anything, what actually matters?
The truth is you probably don't have bad bodybuilding genetics. Almost every person I've worked with over the years, when we really sat down and examined every angle they almost always were lacking one or more of these: consistency, nutrition, or training structure.
I've seen this a thousand times. Someone comes in saying they're not making any gains. So we audit their lifestyle and when we strip everything down they're either not lifting enough, not eating enough, or not doing it consistently. It's not complicated, but it is hard. And sometimes you just have to eat the same boring food, meal after meal, day after day.
I use a ton of supplements myself. You should see my kitchen. There are plenty that actually work.
Protein, amino acids, creatine, caffeine, citrulline, beta-alanine. Proven, reliable, and not going anywhere.
If you're looking for an edge, let's talk about what actually delivers.
Don't worry though, the industry is on the hunt for the next Myostatin Blocker. They always are.
Ryan Ragsdale is the CEO of Supplement Giant, a multi-location supplement retailer with stores across Colorado and Kansas. He grew up in the supplement industry and has spent over 30 years around supplements, including the last 18 running Supplement Giant.