Actovegin is a highly filtered extract obtained from calf blood, manufactured by the Swiss drug company Nycomed. While it has been used medically for decades, its application as a performance enhancer has made it a subject of significant debate in the world of sports. Known to be used by top medical professionals like Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, Actovegin's legal status and effectiveness remain a complex issue.
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What is Actovegin?
The raw material for Actovegin is calf blood from animals younger than eight months old. The blood undergoes a meticulous process of ultrafiltration, removing all proteins. The final product is not a single compound but rather a complex "soup of molecules" containing protein fragments, intermediaries of steroid hormones, amino acids, sugars, electrolytes, and other organic compounds. This highly purified extract is also known as a "hemodialysate."
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How It Works: Metabolism and Performance
Actovegin's primary mechanism of action is to enhance cellular metabolism and respiration. In simple terms, it improves the way cells produce energy. The substance helps transport glucose (the body's primary fuel) into muscle cells faster and assists the mitochondria (the cell's power plants) in burning that glucose more efficiently. This leads to an overall increase in energy (adenosine triphosphate or ATP) production.
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The presence of compounds like superoxide dismutase enzymes and magnesium is thought to contribute to this process. By improving the absorption of glucose and oxygen uptake in tissues, Actovegin may enhance physical performance, particularly in activities requiring endurance and efficient energy use.
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Medical Uses and Administration
According to its manufacturer, Actovegin is used to treat a variety of conditions, including:
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-Circulation and nutrition disturbances
-Skin grafting
-Burns and wound-healing impairment
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It has also been investigated for the treatment of polyneuropathy in diabetes and for stroke. Studies have found that it can be beneficial for tissues suffering from hypoxia, a condition where not enough oxygen reaches the tissue.
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Actovegin can be administered through different methods:
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-Infusion: For doses of 10 to 50 ml, the infusion speed should be around 2 ml per minute.
-Intramuscular Injection: A dose of no more than 5 ml should be injected slowly, as the solution is hypertonic.
-Tablet Form: Recommended usage is often two tablets three times a day (1200 mg/day) for a total treatment duration of six months.
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Preclinical trials suggest that Actovegin is not toxic, even at doses 30-40 times larger than the recommended amount, and there have been no reported cases of overdose. Side effects are rare but can include allergic reactions such as fever, hives, sudden redness, and in very rare cases, symptoms of shock.
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The Doping Controversy
Actovegin's use in elite sports has been highly controversial. Despite its use by a number of high-profile athletes, including Usain Bolt, Michael Jordan, Christiano Ronaldo, and Vladimir Klitschko, its status on prohibited substance lists is not straightforward.
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While the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) currently does not list Actovegin as a prohibited substance, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has previously banned its use. This disparity highlights the ongoing debate. Furthermore, many anti-doping rules prohibit the intravenous injection of any substance in certain contexts, which is a common method of administering Actovegin.
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Some athletes have reportedly used Actovegin in conjunction with Erythropoietin (EPO), a substance that increases the number of red blood cells to enhance oxygen delivery. Actovegin, by improving the cell's ability to use that oxygen, is believed to work synergistically with EPO.