cyanocobalamin

[debo]

what does cyanocobalamin (vitamin B-12) do? does it increase muscle or strenght? i want to know cause i have a 1000mcg bottle.

[CYCLEON]

none of the above - but it will help increase your red blood cell production if you are not getting enough B12 in your diet and this can be a problem when you are on cycle.

[bigkev]

it makes me feel better in general. definatly worth adding to your regime, IMO.

[TNT]

Vitamin B12, in my opinion, has no significant anabolic value. It is basically used for people who have a low B12 level. (Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause pernicious anemia, paresthesias, and a host of other hassles.) B12 deficiency is most commonly seen in vegetarians, since the main source of our B12 is from animal products.

For someone with a low B12 level, the usual dose is 1,000 mcg (micrograms - 1,000 mcg is equal to 1 mg.) every 30 days. Seriously - cyanocobalimin (the injectable form of B12, which is absorbed better than oral B12 tablets) is only injected once a month. If you do it more often, or if you inject more than 1,000 mcg per month, chances are that your body won't use it, in which case you will simply excrete it in your urine.

Incidentally, cyanocobalimin is one of the cheapest drugs out there today. A 30 ml bottle (at 1,000 per ml, enough for 30 injections) of generic cyanocobalimin is less than $4.00; last time I picked one up, my insurance reimbursed 80% and the net cost was $0.76.

Some physicians, primarily osteopaths (a D.O., who tends to be more holistic than an M.D.) will routinely inject B12, but the truth is that before you get B12 injections you should have lab work done to see if you even need it. Normal B12 values are in the 200-1100 range; if you have no symptoms of a B12 deficiency and are not a vegan, chances are that you don't need it.

Bottom line: It may not help you, but it may not hurt you. In other words, why stick it into your bod' if you don't need it to complete the big picture? On the other hand, there are worse things to stick in your bod', but make sure you have a quality product. If you are in the U.S., for example, cyanocobalimin is one thing for which you should not have to look south of the border.