HGH, unlike most hormones used by bodybuilders, is not a steroid hormone, but a proteinaceous hormone consisting of a chain of 191 amino acids. All animals produce growth hormone, but each growth hormone appears to be specific to the species. HGH was first isolated in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a biological form. The hormone was literally extracted from the pituitary glands of deceased persons. As with anything extracted from carcasses, this posed a serious risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (best known since the late 1990s as mad cow disease or BSE), a normally rare neural disorder that leaves the patient spastic and over a period of not more than two weeks can lead to death. This didn’t sound very attractive to potential users. Understandably, there was not much demand for such a drug on the black market. However, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, geneticists succeeded in creating a genetic form of HGH through a very complicated technique using the genes of mice. This also resulted in a very high price for the substance. Because of this safer form, athletes at the highest level became interested in the substance during that period. As drug tests that could detect the most effective steroids increased, a pharmaceutical race was on to find drugs to replace steroids without being detectable. Since then, several athletes have used HGH, and many still use it. It is a very mythical substance, as professionals use it in high doses and see significant improvements, but most recreational users who want to try it opt ​​for lower doses and see little to no results in terms of increasing lean muscle mass. Together with a number of studies done on humans (1,2) that clearly show that HGH administration does not offer any benefit in this area, this gives food for thought. It’s incredibly expensive and most people don’t seem to get any benefit from it. So is it really worth it when highly effective steroids are available at a much lower price? Some experts think not (4).

One may therefore wonder what the use of GH is as a doping agent. Studies could show that it certainly has an effect on the reduction of subcutaneous body fat. Daily doses of subcutaneously injected HGH of 3 to 6 IU were actually shown to reduce fat mass, and for at least some athletes it apparently had invaluable value during competition preparation. This dosage may be somewhat affordable for a truly dedicated athlete for a short period of time. But one may still wonder if it is really worth it. It has also been shown that GH can exert very positive effects on erythropoiesis (3), the production of red blood cells. The administration of GH in older athletes with a sharp drop in GH levels was found to cause a serious improvement in endurance. Since the level of GH in the body decreases by half every ten years, a person in their sixties has about 15-20% of the GH they had at age twenty. Thus, HGH is especially beneficial for older athletes, with regard to its effects on endurance. But no one knows for sure how effective high doses of HGH are in younger top athletes.

As for the increase in muscle mass, there is little or no evidence to show that it exists. Experts also report that they have not noticed significant increases in muscle mass in amateur users, at least as a direct result of GH. However, the dosages used by professionals are also much higher (10-12 IU per day). Some proponents claim that HGH can cause hyperplasia rather than hypertrophy. Hypertrophy is the growth of muscle cells, hyperplasia is the division and therefore the multiplication of cells. The theory is that this will not immediately increase muscle mass, but over time, due to the increase in the number of cells, and as they grow under the influence of steroids and insulin, the results will be much greater. However, one of the side effects of HGH is that it makes absolutely everything grow, including bones (which can provide little aesthetic protrusion in some people) and certain organs in the abdomen (which can cause increases in abdominal mass in professional bodybuilders, even at low rates). body fat, explains). If there is already an increase in lean body mass, it could well be the result of these side effects, and if there is already a gain of 1 or 2 kilos of muscle mass, one may wonder whether this is worth 100 euros per day is worth.

HGH may have many benefits, but will rarely be worth the money. Some elite athletes, especially those undergoing drug testing, might find this a valuable tool to give them that little bit extra, but most would not. HGH is a very effective substance that has a lot to offer, but currently not really worth what has to be paid for it. It is getting cheaper (for example the Genetonorm 36 IU, with a street price around 40-50 euros), but until manufacturing is more cost-effective, the chance that prices will become more affordable is not that high. There is currently still a danger that amateurs will opt for the old organic form because of the more affordable price. They risk their lives because the professional environment claims that HGH is the holy grail of performance-enhancing drugs.

Stacking and usage

For good results, HGH must be stacked (combined) with other substances. If possible, a severe course of steroids should be considered with Cytomel (T3) and insulin. These products not only ensure a more effective effect of HGH, but HGH also ensures a better result. It promotes the release of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) in the liver, which is a highly anabolic hormone. When combined with insulin, it will promote strong nutrient retention in the muscle cells, creating the perfect anabolic environment. Cytomel appears to provide a significant benefit. Metabolism is increased, making them a powerful fat loss combo, but more nutrients also become available. Together with the nitrogen/protein retention of some strong anabolic steroids, this should produce very good results. But one cannot see HGH as some kind of miracle cure. It is no better than other remedies and it does not turn the treatment into a miracle of muscle growth. People sometimes think this because of the enormous costs, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s on par with any other drug, but just costs a lot more. For that reason, many do not find it really interesting.

For all purposes related to increasing endurance and performance up to a certain level, 3 to 6 IU per day may be sufficient. The same goes for fat loss purposes. HGH has a very short half-life (approximately 30-45 minutes) and should be injected at least once a day, perhaps even twice a day if possible. For possibly more anabolic results, due to the release of nutrients and increasing IGF-1 levels, 10-12 IU per day is needed, and this for a longer period (10-15 weeks), usually in combination with other anabolic agents. It is interesting to note that an aromatizing steroid such as testosterone is preferred, as estrogen also has positive effects on HGH.