HGH - use of exogenous sources of
Growth Hormone has been popular in the United States for almost 8 years
now. Originally, athletes used biologically active forms that were the
actual extract of the pituitary glands of cadavers. While production was
under way on the synthetic, recombinant DNA versions of this drug, it was
discovered that the biologically active form was associated with the formation
of a rare brain virus called Creutzveldt Jacob Disease. This was a fatal
virus that afflicted a very small number of GH users, none of whom were
athletes. In light of this discovery, the FDA removed all of these natural
GH versions from the market in the United States. Luckily, the synthetic
recombinant versions were approved by the FDA a short time afterwards.
These versions were developed after years of experiments with amino acid
chains. The first of these versions was patented and produced by Genentech
Labs with the brand name Protropin. A short time later, another form of
synthetic Growth Hormone gained FDA approval. It was produced by Eli Lilly
Labs and brand named Humatrope. This product was allowed to be patented
because it was shown to be unique in that it contained a slightly different
amino acid chain than the Protropin. The difference was that Humatrope
had 191 amino acid chains in sequence and Protropin had 192. For some very
complicated reasons, the 191 amino acid configuration has been shown to
be more effective. It had been speculated that these synthetic versions
of GH would greatly improve the cost effectiveness of using GH, yet that
has not been the case. An athlete who wants to do a cycle of GH can still
expect to be out as much as $2000 a month. There are numerous versions
of Growth Hormone available in Europe, the majority of which are made up
of the 191 amino acid sequence. There is even a form of the original human
extract Growth Hormone, called Grorm which is available in a few countries.
Although this drug is indicated for the treatment of pituitary deficient
dwarfism, it has been used extensively by athletes who are attempting to
alter their body composition. Growth Hormone itself, is an endogenous hormone
produced by the pituitary gland. It exists at especially high levels during
the teen years when it promotes growth of almost all tissues. It also contributes
to the deposition of protein and promotes the breakdown of fat for use
as energy. As the body reaches full maturation, the endogenous levels of
GH are substantially diminished. After this, GH is still present in the
body but at a substantially lower level where it continues to aid in protein
synthesis, RNA and DNA reactions and the conversion of body fat to energy.
By introducing an exogenous source of this hormone, athletes are hoping
to promote these effects, causing the body to deposit more muscle tissue
while at
the same time reducing body fat stores. On paper, GH should work exceptionally
well; however, it does not seem to be delivering up to its potential. Most
athletes who have experimented with this product end up being disappointed.
There is some evidence that exogenous sources of GH are being destroyed
by antibodies which appear after the introduction of the synthetic compound.
Although the 191 amino acid sequence versions have been shown to produce
less of an antibody reaction, they are still not yielding consistent results.
I have speculated as to whether the introduction of exogenous GH would
yield an appreciable degree of efficacy simply due to the fact that the
body does not have sufficient receptor affinity to GH in the post-teen
years. A number of athletes claim that GH is not that effective on its
own, but in a stack with steroids it can do remarkable things. Perhaps
there is some type of actual synergism created by the concomitant use of
these two agents. Empirical data suggests that the efficacy of GH is dose
related and that the majority of users may not have been taking enough
of it to get positive results. Despite speculation concerning its efficacy,
synthetic GH is being used by thousands of elite athletes. These include
men and women bodybuilders, strength athletes, as well as a multitude of
Olympic competitors. Although Growth Hormone is banned by athletic committees,
there is no method for the detection of it which allows drug tested competitors
to use this product freely without any ramifications. Adverse reactions
to GH use are rare but technically could involve
acromegaly (elongation of the feet, forehead and hands). Other possible
side effects involve overgrowth of the elbows or jaw, thickening of the
skin and a type of diabetes. Effective dosages seem to be in the area of
4 IU/day. Cycle length is usually determined by how long the athlete can
afford it. Some take the product for 6 week cycles, others use it year
round.
Package:
Usualy 2 vials. One with water solution & one with 4 IU of GH powder.
Usage:
Average dose is 4 IU a day.