Human Growth Hormone For Increased Muscle Mass And Improved Strength
The benefits of HGH are numerous and that is why athletes use it to improve their performance. The use of human growth hormone by athletes has become very popular in recent years, especially with arrests and banning of several cyclists in Tour de France. Anabolic steroids are also commonly used in performance-enhancing hormones.
Background information
Recombinant DNA technology has made available an abundant HGH supply. Adults and children who are deficient in human growth hormone and those who have the clinical syndrome of pituitary dwarfism respond favorably to the replacement therapy of human growth hormone. This type of therapy increases growth. It is also accompanied by the effects of anabolic steroids including increased lean muscles and reduced fat mass.
Production and Pharmacology
The human growth hormone is a small polypeptide produced by a gland known as the anterior pituitary gland in pulses a few times a day. During slow-wave sleep is when this hormone is secreted in high quantities. The production of the human growth hormone reduces after puberty. The decline underlies some popular claims that human growth hormone therapy will somehow overcome aging.
Endogenous production is regulated by neural control, hormonal feedback mechanisms and the circulation levels of bio-chemicals. The production of human growth hormone can be increased by stress, exercise, fasting, fever and ingestion of amino acids. Particular drugs such as L-dopa, Clonidine, Gamma hydroxybutyrate, and corticosteroids, increase the production of HGH by acting on the pituitary. This secretion is reduced by obesity, hyperglycemia and hypothyroidism.
Exercises increase the production of the human growth hormone. Prolonged moderate exercise can increase human growth hormone levels. Intense exercise can lead to extremely high human growth hormone concentration in non-doping athletes.
Mechanism of action
Human growth binds to specific membrane receptors and proteins throughout the body. It increases the uptake of amino acids into the muscles. Human growth hormone has acute transient effects that are similar to those of insulin and stimulate the uptake into the muscles and adipose tissue. Its chronic effects are however antagonistic of insulin and this leads to fatty acid mobilization, reduced insulin sensitivity and inhibition of glucose uptake. Human growth hormone also has some indirect effects mediated primarily by the IGF-I.
Clinical studies
Controlled studies have provided results that differ from anecdotal reports from a lot of underground users. This use involved the use of several anabolic drugs in complex regimens and at high doses specific to each sport. There are few controlled studies and the studies involve the human growth hormone alone at lower doses. This means that the safety and effectiveness of the usage of human growth hormone is hard to evaluate.
Conclusion
The benefits of HGH mostly result in a faster increase in muscle size and muscle mass- a result desired by most athletes. The favorable change in body composition is achieved by fluid retention. These results are enough to make athletes believe that they can compete better and this may improve their actual performance. But it is important to understand that sometimes, water retention can interfere with athletic performance.
