The effects of Human Growth Hormone

It seems that some of the athletes and “gym rats” are not relying only on steroids anymore in order to improve their performance. The new trend in the world of performance enhancing substances is the Human Growth Hormone, or HGH, as they are also called. One of the biggest news came a while ago when Anthony Galea, a Canadian doctor has been charged with distributing such substances to various US athletes. Just like the steroids, the Human Growth Hormones seem to be very popular and much demanded by the athletes. The main characteristics of the Human Growth Hormone are that it is able to produce lean body mass, and to speed the process of repairing the muscles in case of injury or fatigue.

Athletes from all the four major sports seem to be involved with these substances. Basketball, baseball, football, and hockey players seem to take them in order to become leaner, and faster. The problem is that the effects of the Human Growth Hormone are unknown. Most of the people and the athletes believe that the HGHs will improve the capacities of the one who takes them, but the studies seem to show something different. There have been various debates whether if the Human Growth Hormones improve the athletic performance. A new study which has been conducted on the HGHs has revealed the fact that the illegal substances can improve the performance of an athlete but not as greatly as everyone thought.

Every man and woman produces HGH, because the substance is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland. The main task of this substance is to help the cell reproduction and to promote the growth of the individual from a physical point of view. The hormone stimulates the liver and other organs in order to make them to create the insulin-like growth factor 1. The insulin-like growth factor 1, or IGF-1, is a protein, and it has the task of growing the bone and of helping the muscles and organs to grow as well. The artificial HGH, which some of the athletes use is made by genetically engineered bacteria and it has first been discovered in 1981. Back then the doctors used it in the case of the people who did not have enough of the natural HGH in their bodies. There was no real evidence that the people who benefited from it saw an improvement in their athletic abilities. The researchers from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Australia have conducted the previously mentioned study, and they have stated that the HGH will help an athlete from certain points of view.

The researchers from Australia tested 103 males and females with ages ranging from 18 to 40. All of them were recreational athletes, meaning that they engaged in sport-related activities at least a couple of time each week. The athletes were split into two groups. For two months, one group received placebo injections of salt water whereas the other group received Human Growth Hormones. Some men, who received Human Growth Hormones, also received supplements of testosterone. All of the athletes were asked to lift weights, to ride bikes and to jump, in order for their athletic skills to be measured. They were asked to perform these activities before and then after they received the injections. After the two month period, the people did not show any improvements when it came to their strength, endurance, and power, but they did show an improvement when it came to the speed at which they were able to ride their bikes.

From that point of view, the people who received improved their performance by 4% and the ones who also received the testosterone supplements improved by 8%. The scientists wanted to prove that the athletes who take the Human Growth Hormones have an advantage over the others, even if the advantage is not as great as most of the people assumed. However, the test might be considered inconclusive for some because all of the people who were involved in the experiment were amateurs. Another difference is that the professional athletes, who take HGH, receive much higher doses than the people who were involved in the experiment. The time during which the people received the HGH is shorter than in the case of the professional athletes.