Growth hormone for bodybuilding and athletes

First, bodybuilding used synthetic growth hormone to increase muscle mass. However, there were different opinions about its effect on the body. Someone says this is a mystical, amazing drug, while someone talks about colossal damage from growth hormones and negative side effects.

Since 1970-1980, many professional athletes began to increase muscle mass. According to some of them, this was not due to a significant increase in protein in their diet. Many of them simply started taking hormonal drugs.

Along with the growing popularity of growth hormone, many specialists were convinced of its harm to health, while others believed that artificially increasing the level of growth hormone does not affect general health. Those who dared to use synthetic growth hormone found that it was effective for building muscle mass. To date, growth hormone is one of the most popular drugs in professional bodybuilding.

It is similar in effectiveness to anabolic steroids (these were created in the 50s of the last century). At that time, bodybuilders all over the world knew how to get bigger. Growth hormone became popular in the world of bodybuilding in the 70s of the last century – it was time to use drugs that could not be detected in doping tests.

What should we know about growth hormone?

Somatropin or growth hormone causes muscle and body growth. This is a natural substance synthesized in our body to enable physical growth. By the way, the level of growth hormone in the younger generation is much higher than in adults. It should also be said that the level of growth hormone decreases with age: it decreases by 25% after 30, by 50% after 60, etc.

Growth hormone is very popular in bodybuilding. However, there are some questions about the effects of this hormone.

In general, natural growth hormone is produced in small amounts throughout our lives (compared to other hormones). When we are young, its secretion is higher, then it gradually decreases every ten years. Several types of synthetic growth hormone are available today. In fact, humans use it for the growth of cells and tissues.

It should be noted that growth hormone is indeed a very effective drug that causes muscle growth and promotes fat loss. However, it is not suitable for everyone: you need to eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Why do they use growth hormone in bodybuilding?

Due to the low number of side effects, this drug has many advantages over anabolic steroids. So far there are new studies showing how this drug can be used in different areas.

The main effects of growth hormone are:

1. Stimulation of muscle growth and muscle building. Growth hormone blocks insulin, inhibits fat burning, promotes anabolism, rejuvenates muscle fibers and our body as a whole.
2. Fat burning process. Growth hormone injections can convert fat cells into energy, which is extremely useful for overweight people. In addition, this drug helps to improve protein and carbohydrate metabolism.
3. Good sleep quality, increased libido.
4. Healthy joints, bones and ligaments.
5. Acceleration of wound healing. In this regard, growth hormone has more advantages than steroid preparations. For example, GH injections do not cause significant side effects (when used in the correct dosages).

What about growth hormone excess or deficiency in bodybuilding?

Growth hormone is a natural substance that is clearly important for our body. It must be secreted regularly for all body systems to function properly. Both growth hormone excess and deficiency can become one of the causes of health problems.

In some cases, our body may experience growth hormone deficiency. This can lead to a decrease in muscle volume, fat accumulation, low bone density, etc. This guarantees a low quality of life.

Most effects of reduced growth hormone levels are reversible with the help of hormone therapy. It can improve the synthesis of fats and proteins, resulting in significant muscle growth.

Excess growth hormones can lead to acromegaly – abnormal growth of both bones and other tissues in the body. Acromegaly can in turn be accompanied by diabetes and muscle weakness.

In any case, timely growth hormone therapy will help restore your vital functions.

What about side effects of growth hormone?

Growth hormone therapy can in some cases lead to hormonal imbalance. For this reason, one should consult a professional before attempting growth hormone injections. Nevertheless, side effects of growth hormones in professional bodybuilding are extremely rare. You just need to avoid doses higher than recommended levels. The following side effects are known in practice:

1. Acromegaly – this only happens with growth hormone abuse. You should never use extremely high doses of growth hormone to achieve better results.
2. Tunnel syndrome – Pain and numbness in the extremities may occur due to damaged peripheral nerves. This side effect is not dangerous: the first thing you should do is reduce the dose of the drug.
3. Fluid retention in the muscles. Generally, most athletes do not have to deal with excess fluid after the end of the course.
4. Thyroid problems – this is a very rare effect. If you want to improve your health and restore thyroid function, you should use thyroxine (at a dose of 25 mcg per day).
5. High blood pressure – You should either lower the dose of growth hormone or take antihypertensive medication regularly.
6. Hyperglycemia is avoided by using insulin or certain medications that stimulate the pancreas. In fact, this effect is completely reversible. You can also take ALA (alpha lipoic acid) to restore sensitivity to insulin.
7. Cardiac hypertrophy can only occur when growth hormone is used in large doses. Therefore, try to use it correctly.

How should we use growth hormone?

Injectable growth hormone is taken alone or in combination with other medicines. It is recommended to inject growth hormone in the morning on an empty stomach or to divide the daily dose into two equal parts. The minimum dose is 4 IU (for beginners) and the maximum dose is 20 IU (optimal dose for professionals).

When using the drug in large doses, it is recommended to add insulin (5 IU spread throughout the day). The medication is administered intramuscularly or directly into the abdomen.

The recommended course duration is approx. 3 months. It is pointless to use these drugs for a longer period of time. In addition, long courses can lead to undesirable side effects.

Growth hormone in bodybuilding: generalization

In general, growth hormone injections do not bother you when used in moderate doses. Almost all side effects are reversible. At the same time, these drugs can rejuvenate our body.

You should know that growth hormone helps your body build new muscle cells and burn excess fat, so you lose weight even while you sleep or between workouts. Growth hormone in bodybuilding allows athletes to consume a large amount of food without gaining weight. Well, you will gain more muscle mass as the number of fat deposits in your body decreases. This drug gives you the maximum effect – that’s what you can feel confident about.