The Basics of Human Growth Hormone
| 15
|
by user Chachi
A question was raised by Awrigh01 about what HGH is and any possible side effects. I thought I'd try and do some research and help inform the AGM community.
Growth Hormone is a substance that is produced in the pituitary gland and is essential for human growth (they really went out on a limb naming it huh). In childhood an excess of of the hormone can lead to gigantism and an underproduction can lead to dwarfism. In adulthood an overproduction can lead to acromegaly (more on this later).
GH is a sought after commodity with athletes and bodybuilders because it functions differently than anabolic steroids. Steroids increase the size of the cells in the muscle (hypertrophy) while GH allows for new muscle cell creation through cell divison (hyperplasia). These new cells can then naturally grow larger through hypertrophy.
One of the main draws of GH to athletes is that it does not have to be cycled on and off like steroids. Users actually see better results through continuous use of more than two months. The other main draw is that there is no 100% conclusive test for GH.
Another draw for athletes to GH is the fact that at lower doses there are few if any side effects. However, at higher doses (that many of these athletes would probably be using if they really wanted an edge), GH has been known to create permanent side effects in the form of acromegaly.
Acromegaly is a hormonal disorder caused by the overproduction of GH by the pituitary gland. It can also be caused by directly injecting yourself with GH. The disease can cause premature death and serious illness and can often be missed as it is extremely hard to diagnose.
Some of the symptoms or side effects of acromegaly. Take a look around at your favorite ball players for some of these.
- Enlarging hands and feet
- Brow and lower jaw protrusion
- Arthritis
- Hypertension
- Diabetes
- Heart failure
Once again, this is just some real quick stuff I threw together so we could all be a bit more informed. There are more symptoms than these and more uses for Growth Hormone than I have mentioned. I was just trying to keep it in as much of a sports context as possible.
Date
Tue 06/13/06, 12:16 am EST
