Human Growth Hormone-Somatropin
Growth Hormone
As with no other doping drug, growth hormones are still surrounded by
an aura of mystery. Some call it a wonder drug which causes gigantic
strength and muscle gains in the shortest time. Others consider it
completely useless in improving sports performance and argue that it
only promotes the growth process in children with an early stunting of
growth. Some are of the opinion that growth hormones in adults cause
severe bone deformities in the form of overgrowth of the lowerjaw and
extremities. And, generally speaking, which growth hormones should one
take the human form, the synthetically manufactured version,
recombined or genetically produced form and in which dosage? All this
controversy about growth hormones is so complex that the reader must
have some basic information in order to understand them. The growth
hormones is a polypeptide hormone consisting of 191 amino acids. In
humans it is produced in the hypophysis and released if there are the
right stimuli (e.g. training, sleep, stress, low blood sugar level).
It is now important to understand that the freed HGH (human growth
hormones) itself has no direct effect but only stimulates the liver to
produce and release insulin-like growth factors and somatomedins.
These growth factors are then the ones that cause various effects on
the body. The problem, however, is that the liver is only capable of
producing a limited amount of these substances so that the effect is
limited. If growth hormones are injected they only stimulate the liver
to produce and release these substances and thus, as already
mentioned, have no direct effect.
The use of these STH somatotropic hormone compounds offers the athlete
three performance-enhancing effects. STH (somatotropic hormone) has a
strong anabolic effect and causes an increased protein synthesis which
manifests itself in a muscular hypertrophy (enlargement of muscle
cells) and in a muscular hyperplasia (increase of muscle cells.) The
latter is very interesting since this increase cannot be obtained by
the intake of steroids. This is probably also the reason why STH is
called the strongest anabolic hormone. The second effect of STH is its
pronounced influence on the burning of fat. It turns more body fat
into energy leading to a drastic reduction in fat or allowing the
athlete to increase his caloric intake. Third, and often overlooked,
is the fact that STH strengthens the connective tissue, tendons, and
cartilages which could be one of the main reasons for the significant
increase in strength experienced by many athletes. Several
bodybuilders and powerlifters report that through the simultaneous
intake with steroids STH protects the athlete from injuries while
inereasing his strength. You will say that this sounds just wonderful.
What is the problem, however since there are still some who argue that
STH offers nothing to athletes? There are, by all means, several
athletes who have tried STH and who were sadly disappointed by its
results. However, as with many things in life, there is a logical
explanation or perhaps even more than one:
1. The athlete simply has not taken a sufficient amount of STH
regularly and over a long enough period of time. STH is a very
expensive compound and an effective dosage is unaffordable by most
people.
2. When using STH the body also needs more thyroid hormones,insulin,
corticosteroids, gonadotropins, estrogens and what a surprise
androgens and anabolics. This is also the reason why STH, when taken
alone, is considerably less effective and can only reach its optimum
effect by the additive intake of steroids, thyorid hormones, and
insulin, in particular. But we must point out in this case that STH
has a predominantly anabolic effect. There are three hormones which
are needed at the same time in order to allow for maximum anabolic
effect. These are STH, insulin, and an LT-3 thyroid hormone, such as,
for example, Cytomel. Only then can the liver produce and release an
optimal amount of somatomedin and insulin-like growth factors. This
anabolic effect can be further enhanced by taking a substance with an
anticatabolic effect. These substances are-everybody should probably
know by now-anabolic/androgenic steroids or Clenbuterol. Then a
synergetic effect takes place.'Are you still wondering why pro
bodybuilders are so incredibly massive but, at the same time, totally
ripped while you are not. Most athletes have tried STH during
preparation for a competition in that phase when the diet is
calorie-reduced. The body usually reacts by reducing the release of
insulin and of the L-T3 thyroid hormone. And, as was described under
point 2, this is not an advantageous condition when STH is expected to
work well. Well, we almost forgot. Those who combine Clenbuterol with
STH, should know that Clenbuterol (like Ephedrine) reduces the body's
own release of insulin and L-T3. True, this seems a little complicated
and when reading it for the first time it might be a little confusing;
however it really is true: STH has a significant influence on several
hormones in the human body; this does not allow for a simple
administration schedule. As said, STH is not cheap and those who
intend to use it should know a little more about it. If you only want
to burn fat with STH you will only have to remember user information
for the part with the L-T3 thyroid hormone as is printed by Kabi
Pharmacia GmbH for their compound Genotropin: "The need of the thyroid
hormone often inereases during treatment with growth hormones."
3. Since most athletes vho want to use STH can only obtain it if
prescribed by a physician, the only supply source remains the black
market. And this is certainly another reason why some athletes might
not have been very happy with the effect of the purchased compound.
How could he, if cheap HCG was passed off as expensive STH? Since both
compounds are available as dry substances, all that would be needed is
a new label of Serono's Saizen or Lilly's Humatrope on the HCG ampule.
It is no longer fun when somebody is paying $200 for 5000 I.U. of HCG,
only worth $ 12, and thinking that he just purchased 4 I.U. of STH.
And if you think this happens only to novices and to the ignorant, ask
Ben Johnson. "Big Ben," who during three tests within five days showed
an above-limit testosterone level, was not a victim of his own
stupidity but more likely the victim of fraud. According to statistics
by the German Drug Administration, 42% of the HGH vials confiscated on
the North American black market are fakes. In addition to a display of
labels in the Dutch or Russian language the fakes are distinguished
from the original product, in sofar as the dry substance is not
present as lyophilic but present as loose powder. The fakes
confiscated so far use the name "Humatrope 16" under the name of Lilly
Company (with Dutch denomination) or "Somatogen" (in Russian)."
Nowhere can this much money be made except by faking STH. Who has ever
held original growth hormones in his hand and known how they should
look?
4. In a few very rare cases the body reacts by developing antibodies
to the exogenous STH, thus making it ineffective.
The question of the right dosage, as well as the type and duration of
application, is very difficult to answer. Since there is no
scientificresearch showing how STH should be taken for performance
improvement, we can only rely on empirical data, that is experimental
values. The respective manufacturers indicate that in cases of
hypophysially stunted growth due to lacking or insuffieient release of
growt hormones by the hypophysis, a weekly average dose of 0.3 I.U/
week per pound of body weight should be taken. An athlete weighting
200 pounds, therefore, would have to inject 60 I.U. weekly. The dosage
would be divided into three intramuscular injections of 20 I.U. each.
Subcutaneous injections (under the skin) are another form of intake
which, however would have to be injected daily, usually 8 I.U. per
day. Top athletes usually inject 4-16 I.U./day. Ordinarily, daily
subcutaneous injections are preferred. Since STH has a half life time
of less than one hour, it is not surprising that some athletes divide
their dail dose into three or four subcutaneous injections of 2-4 I.U.
each. Application of regular small dosages seems to bring the most
effective results. This also has its reasons: When STH is injected,
serum concentration in the blood rises quickly, meaning that the
effect is almost immediate. As we know, STH stimulates the liver to
produce and release somatomedins and insulin like growth factors which
in turn effect the desired results in the body. Since the liver can
only produce a limited amount of these substances, we doubt that
larger STH injections will induce the liver to produce instantaneously
a larger quantity of somatomedins and insulin-like growth factors. It
seems more likely that the liver will react more favorably to smaller
dosages.
If the STH solution is injected subcutaneously several consecutive
times at the same point of injection, a loss of fat tissue is
possible. Therefore, the point of injection, or even better, the
entire sisde of the body should be continuously, changed in order to
avoid a loss of local fat tissue (lipoathrophy) in the injection cell.
One thing has manifested itself over the years: The effect of STH is
dosage-dependent. This means either invest a lot of money and do it
right or do not even begin. Half-hearted attempts are condemned to
failure Minimum effective dosages seem to start at 4 I.U. per day. For
comparison: the hypophysis of a healthy; adult, releases 0.5-1.5 I.U.
growth hormones daily. The duration of intake usually depends on the
athlete's financial resources. Our experience is that STH is taken
over a prolonged period, from at least six weeks to several months. It
is interesting to note that the effect of STH does not stop after a
few weeks; this usually allows for continued improvements at a steady
dosage. Bodybuilders who have had positive results with STH have
reported that the build-up strength and, in particular, the
newly-gained muscle system were essentially maintained after
discontinuance of the product.
It remains to be clarified what happens with the insulin and LT-3
thyroid hormone. Athletes who take STH in their build-up phase usually
do not need exogenous insulin. It is recommended, in this case, that
the athlete eats a complete meal every three hours, resulting in 6-7
meals day. This causes the body to continuously release insulin so
that the blood sugar level does not fall too low. The use of LT-3
thyroid hormones, in this phase, is carried out reluctantly by
athletes. In any case, you must have a physician check the thyroid
hormone level during the intake of STH. Simultaneous use of anabolic
/androgenic steroids and/or Clenbuterol is usually appropriate. During
the preparation for a competition the use of thyroid hormones steadily
inereases. Sometimes insulin is taken together with STH, as well as
with steroids and Clenbuterol. Apart from the high damage potential
that exogenous insulin can have in non-diabetics, incorrect use will
simply and plainly make you "FAT! Too much insulin activates certain
enzymes which convert glucose into glycerol and finally into
triglyceride. Too little insulin, especially during a diet, reduces
the anabolic effect of STH. The solution to this dilemma? Visiting a
qualified physician who advises the athlete during this undertaking
and who, in the event of exogenous insulin supply, checks the blood
sugar level and urine periodically. According to what we have heard so
far, athletes usually inject intermediately-effective insulin having a
maximum duration of effect of 24 hours once a day. Human insulin such
as Depot-H-Insulin Hoechst is generally used. Briefly-effective
insulin with a maximum duration of effect of eight hours is rarely
used by athletes. Again a human insulin such as H-Insulin Hoechst is
preferred.
The undesired effect of growth hormones, the so-called side effects,
are also a very interesting and hotly-discussed issue. Above all it
must be said: STH has none of the typical side effects of
anabolic/androgenic steroids including reduced endogenous testosterone
production, acne, hair loss, aggressiveness, elevated estrogen level,
virilization symptoms in women, and increased water and salt
retention. The main side effects that are possible with STH are an
abnormally small concentration of glucose in the blood (hypoglycemia)
and an inadequate thyroid function. In some cases antibodies against
growth hormones are developed but are clinically irrelevant. What
about the horror stories about acromegaly, bone deformation, heart
enlargement, organ conditions, gigantism, and early death? In order to
answer this question a clear differentiation must be made between
humans before and after puberty. The growth plates in a person
continue to grow in length until puberty. After puberty neither an
endogenous hypersection of growth hormones nor an excessive exogenous
supply of STH can cause additional growth in the length of the bones.
Abnormal size (gigantism) initially goes hand in hand with remarkable
body strength and muscular hardness in the afflicted; later, if left
untreated, it ends in weakness and death. Again, this is only possible
in pre-pubescent humans who also suffer from an inadequate gonadal
function (hypogonadism). Humans who suffer from an endogenous
hypersecrehon after puberty and whose normal growth is completed can
also suffer from acromegaly. Bones become wider but not longer. There
is a progressive growth in the hands and feet and enlargement of
features due to the growth of the lower jaw and nose.
What the authorities like to do now is to present extreme cases of
athletes suffering from these malfunctions in order to discourage
others and to drum into athletes the fact that with the exogenous
supply of growth hormones they would suffer the same destiny. This,
however, is very unlikely, as reality has proven. Among the numerous
athletes using STH comparatively few are seven feet tall
Neanderthalers with a protruded lower jaw, deformed skull, claw like
hands, thick lips, and prominent bone plates who walk around in size
25 shoes. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, we do not want to
disguise the possible risks of exogenous STH use in adults and healthy
humans, but one should at least try to be openminded. Acromegaly,
diabpetes, thyroid insuficiency, heart muscle hypertrophy, high blood
ressure, and enlargement of the kidneys are theoretically possible if
STH is used excessively over prolonged periods of time; however, in
reality and particularly when it comes to the external attributes,
these are rarely present. Some athletes report headaches, nausea,
vomiting, and visual disturbances during the first weeks of intake.
These symptoms disappear in most cases even with continued intake. The
most common problems with STH occur when the athlete intends to inject
insulin in addition to STH.
The substance somatropin is available as a dried powder and before
injecting it must be mixed with the enclosed solution-containing
ampule. The ready solution must be injected immediately or stored in
the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. It is usually recommended that
the compound be stored in the refrigerator. With the exception of the
remedy Saizen the biological activity of growth hormones is usually
not impaired when storing the dry substance at 15-25 C (room
temperature); however, a cooler place (2-8° C) is preferable.On the
black market the price for 4 I.U. each of the compounds Genotropin,
Humatrope, Norditropin, and Saizen, in Europpe is $80-120 for a
prick-through vial including the solution ampule. As already
mentioned, there are many fakes. It is noted that for the
U.S.-American growth hormones compounds, the substance content is not
given in I.U.(International Units) but in mg (milligrams). Since l mg
corresponds to exactly 2.7 I.U. the 5mg solution of the compound
Humatrope by Lilly contains exactl 13.5 I.U. of Somatropin. The 10 mg
solution of the Protropin compound by the Genentech therefore contains
27 I.U. of Somatropin. In American powerlifting and bodybuilding
circles Humatrope is usually preferred over Protropin. The reason is
that Humatrope is synthesized from a chain of 191 amino acids and thus
is identical to the amino acid sequence of the human growth hormones.
Protropin, on the other hand, consists of 192 amino acids, one amino
acid too many. This might be the explanation for why more antibodies
are developed with human growth hormone Protropin than with Humatrope.
growth hormones are on the doping list but they are not yet detectable
during doping tests.
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Human growth hormone, as prepared for medical
use. This is currently the most expensive drug in use by athletes,
so one should take special care when acquiring this on the black
market. A high percentage of these items turn out to be relabeled
HCG which bears a resemblance to GH. Some more unsterile and
dangerous counterfeits have also been reported. Growth hormone
itself is very delicate and is best stored at cool temperatures and
used quickly. This is added worry, even when purchasing legitimate
GH, as the item may not have been handled properly before purchase.
Human growth hormone (hGH) is produced by somatotropes in the
pituitary gland of the human brain. Somatotropes make up more than
50% of the pituitary gland and growth hormone is by far the most
important hormone produced there. By the age of 60 most people will
have approximately 80% less growth hormone in their system than
when they were 20. Signs of GH reduction include increased body
fat, increased anxiety, social isolation, poor general health, and
lack of positive well being. GH has been the supplement of choice
for many professional athletes over the years. American football
great, Lyle Alzado, claimed that 80% of all professional American
football players, including himself, have taken GH. GH has amazing
age-reversing effects that make it possibly the strongest anabolic
substance available. Some of the benefits associated with GH
supplementation include the reversal of common diseases associated
with aging, improved brain activity and function, it strengthens
connective tissue which reduces the probability of injury,
incredible weight loss without any loss in lean mass, reduces
wrinkles by rejuvenating the skin, it raises energy levels and
brightens mood, promotes muscle growth, improves libido, improves
functions of the lungs which increases the level of oxygen in the
blood stream, provides immune system support and Thymus function,
and probably the most impressive characteristic is, its ability to
produce more muscle cells, something no steroid can do.
There has been a lot of controversy around GH and its
effectiveness. While one athlete may make tremendous strides toward
his goal, another may see practically no improvement at all. This
is easily explained. Because GH is dosage-dependent, often times an
athlete doesn't use enough, long enough. A sufficient dose of GH
can cost around $150-$170 per day and a common black market price
is around $20-$30 per I.U. making GH possibly the most expensive
supplement. Another misconception is that GH by itself is the
answer. GH by itself is practically useless. The real problem isn't
a lack of GH secretion but a lack of GH conversion in the liver.
There are two other hormones that are needed for maximum anabolic
effect; insulin, and Cytomel or other LT-3 thyroid hormone. This
can be further enhanced by the supplementation of other
anticatabolic drugs such as steroids, Clenbuterol, or an ephedrine
based supplement.
It is tough to find out what the most effective dosages are.
According to our sources, it is popular to use about .3 I.U./week
for each pound of body weight. For example a person weighing
200lbs. will need 60 I.U. per week. The dosages can be injected
intramuscularly three times a week broken into 20 I.U. injections.
A more popular way to inject is subcutaneously (under the skin and
above the muscle) using 1/2" insulin needles. When injected this
way the dosage should be done daily in small intervals alternating
to each side of the body with each injection. American doctors
often prescribe a dosage of 2 I.U. per day, however a popular
dosage is between 4-10 I.U. a day. When injecting GH, it is
important to not inject in the same area every time.
Side effects of GH are not at all the same as with anabolic and
androgenic steroids. Most common side effects are hypoglycemia (low
blood sugar level) and inadequate thyroid function. A huge
misconception, brought on by the mass media, is that Giantism is a
common side effect of using GH in the normal human body. This is
only true if GH is used during the pre-pubescent period time in
ones life. It is very important that a person be completely full
grown and mature before using GH. Other rare side effects include
diabetes, heart enlargement, high blood pressure, and enlargement
of the kidneys. The most common problem is not with the injecting
of GH, but the injecting of the insulin to go with it. Improper
injection of insulin can lead to serious problems.
Growth Hormone comes from the substance somatotropin which is
available in a powder form as well. It must be mixed with the
solution that it comes with before it can be injected. It is
suggested that the solution be injected immediately or stored in
the refrigerator.
Product Information
Courtesy Pharma Group
Product Name: SAIZEN HUMATROPE
International Name: - -
Contents: 10 IU 72 IU
Delivery: 2 vials + 6 syringes 1 container - 3 mL
Manufacturer: Serono Lilly
Pharmacy Price: $409.00 $999.00
Active Substances: Somatropin Somatropin
