Growth Hormone Treatment Study Shows it Improves Sports Performance

The latest research and researchers in Australia have just published medical data showing a positive and benefical influence of human growth hormone treatment on sprint capabilities and abilities in athletes. The impact was even more evident when androgenic hormone or testosterone was co-administered.

Athletes taking human GH experienced a 0.4-second improvement in a 10-second sprint.

“This improvement could turn the last place finished in the Olympic finals into a gold medal winner,” Ken Ho, MD, head of the department of endocrinology at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, said in a press release.

These information justify Gh staying a banned substance, even though evidence of its performance-enhancing effect has been poor so far, in accordance to the researchers.

The research incorporated 96 recreationally trained sports athletes, which include 63 men ). Dr. Ho and colleagues randomly assigned athletes to a placebo, Gh 2 mg per day, testosterone 250 mg per week for men only, or combined Growth hormone and testosterone.

Spring capability significant upgraded for males and women who received human GH (combined improvement, 0.71 kJ; 95% CI, 0.1-1.3), for a relative increase of 3.9%.

Males designated to Gh and testosterone experienced increased improvements in sprint capacity (0.71 kJ; 95% CI, 0.5-3.0), equal to a relative increase of 8.3%.

In a 6-week follow-up, spring ability changes were not maintained, in accordance to the scientists.

Combination therapy in males was additionally connected with significantly decreased fat mass and increased lean body mass through an improvement in extracellular water and body cell mass.

The research workers observed no substantial changes in other overall performance measures such as endurance and stamina, strength and power.

Runners in all treatment organizations reported inflammation, joint/muscle pain, paresthesias and acne; however, negative consequences were more repeated in those assigned to Gh, particularly joint pain.

“In our study, we used doses of GH on the low end of what is believed to be abused in sports,” Ho said. “For that reason, we think that the real effects of GH could be far greater than what is reported in our study. Equally, the side effects could be much more serious, as well.”

The analysts recommended future research to address aerobic overall performance, energy and power responses to Gh therapy at higher doses for extended durations and an examination of the biochemical components that trigger Gh’s growth of anaerobic capacity.

Meinhardt U. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152:568-577.

Tags: Growth hormone treatment, HGH products