GHB while on a diet

Bodybuilders’ low calorie diets are usually very rich in proteins and low in both carbs and fats. Though very effective for losing weight, this type of diet is unhealthy for several reasons. One of them is that it promotes the formation of lots of hydrogen ions (acids) which will acidify the blood leading to a continual state of acidosis. That is undesirable, because it will promote the oxidation (destruction) of the proteins you ingest as well as your muscle proteins. This is particularly true of glutamine which is wasted at an accelerated rate during the state of chronic acidosis. Bodybuilders are generally unaware of this risk, or else they minimize it. It’s a costly mistake, as acidosis has a very negative repartitioning effect. It induces muscle wasting while it promotes fat conservation.

GHB will partially combat the state of acidosis while on a diet. GHB gives rise to the formation of basic agents (bicarbonates) [8]. These are the molecules that will fight and neutralize acids. If you are not on a diet or do not follow a high protein regimen, the alkalizing effect of GHB is of no value. Your body will get rid of the antacids. If you are in a state of acidosis because of your diet, this particular action of GHB will spare some of your muscle mass while permitting fat loss. The extra GH release due to GHB will also help you to get rid of the extra acid and therefore spare your muscle mass and glutamine. If you are not in a state of acidosis, this anti-catabolic action of GHB will not appear.

You may wonder if the alkalizing actions of GHB might help you train harder. The theory would go like this:
The muscle burn sensation at the end of a set is due to the excessive local formation of acids.
This intracellular acid has a depressing impact on muscle strength.

By fighting acid, GHB would help you get some extra reps.

It does not appear to be the case. The alkalizing effects of GHB are mostly due to the formation of bicarbonates. Although bicarbonates are excellent for neutralizing the circulating acids, they are poor buffers of the intracellular acid. So while you can look forward to the muscle sparing action of GHB during a very low calorie diet, do not look for GHB to increase muscle strength during training.

GHB and potassium

When people see an article about potassium they generally skip to something more interesting. In this case, please read on as it is very important not only for your muscle mass but also your health. Many bodybuilders report cramps while on GHB. It is unlikely that GHB is the main mediator of those cramps.
Some of the drugs taken by bodybuilders induce cramps as a side effect. Clenbuterol for example. The addition of GHB may exacerbate this tendency, and a low calorie diet will act like oil on the fire. GHB tends to promote electrolyte imbalance which paradoxically is going to be helpful for bodybuilders if we exclude the cramps and the possible negative influence on heart rate of course.

GHB promotes the intracellular accumulation of potassium [8]. While too much potassium in the heart may lead to an irregular heart beat, it will assist the growth in the skeletal muscle. Unfortunately, an accelerated entry of cellular potassium is going to empty the blood of this mineral, which may be the reason why GHB promotes cramping.

This shortage of potassium can easily be overcome by using oral potassium pills [8]. The heart is the problem here. The more potassium you would ingest, the more you would grow except that it might also kill you. So you have to watch your extra potassium intake. As soon as you feel that your heart is beating abnormally, you know that you are using too much potassium even though the cramps may still be annoying. I suggest to use extra magnesium (around a gram a day depending on your weight) in order to combat the potential side effects associated with extra potassium while getting the most benefits out of it.

While we are on the subject of supplementation, be also careful whenever you stop GHB. The extra intracellular (especially muscle) potassium is going to quickly leave the muscles and pass in the blood. This time, you run the risk of having too much potassium in your blood. So you want to reduce or stop your potassium supplementation for a short while whenever GHB is discontinued.

I said that the accumulation of potassium in the muscle cells is very positive for muscle growth. Hard training and severe diet both tend to reduce the intracellular accumulation of potassium while promoting the invasion of sodium. A state of high intracellular sodium and low potassium inside the muscle will promote wasting while the reverse situation will favor growth. So this is a very positive effect of GHB. Alone, it may not do much but used in synergy with anabolics, it will enhance their muscle building effects.

During a low calorie diet, potassium losses in urine are accelerated, depleting the body (and therefore our muscles) of its potassium. This phenomenon has been shown to contribute to the muscle catabolism experienced during low cal diets by increasing the overall acidosis. The potassium sparing action of GHB is therefore another advantage of this compound while on a diet.

Is GHB dangerous?

As all drugs, GHB is to be considered and handled with care. A minority of people will react very unexpectedly to it. So make sure it does not happen to you by using small doses first and build up from there. Of course, do not drive while under the influence of GHB. Needless to say that you do not want to use GHB along with alcohol or other street drugs.

To conclude, GHB is a very popular compound. It has some very useful effects for bodybuilders, especially while on a diet. This is probably not due to its well known and characterized effect on GH. But any serious bodybuilder will tell you he is much better off dieting with rather than without GHB, even if he does not have a clue about what GHB is doing and how it is working.