Growth hormone – what are the concerns? All the pros and cons.

Categories of foods to increase the body’s production of growth hormone:

• Growth hormone activators
• Increase testosterone
• Protein synthesis activators
• ZMA
• GABA, GAMC

A growth hormone today it is quite popular among professionals and sports amateurs. However, in recent years, more and more often they began to talk about side effects and the dangers of using this drug, while the information is quite contradictory. Some experts consider growth hormone to be one of the most effective means for prolonging life, while others argue that it is very harmful to our body. Let’s try to understand this controversial issue!

The mechanism of action of growth hormone.

A growth hormone, or somatotropin, is a protein that consists of the 191st amino acid. The production and secretion of this hormone occurs in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland (in the endocrine gland). By the way, of all existing pituitary hormones, growth hormone is produced in the greatest amount, and this process lasts throughout a person’s life (after 20 years, growth hormone production begins to decrease by 15% per decade). The baseline level of growth hormone reaches its maximum in early childhood, and the peak of secretion is observed during adolescence (puberty, intense linear growth).

The main functions of growth hormone.

Having a direct effect on the endocrine glands, growth hormone accelerates the production of a number of growth factors and muscle mass, and also actively regulates the metabolism of human bone tissue.

Growth hormone inhibits enzyme activity, which have a destructive effect on amino acids, regulates collagen synthesis in bone tissue, skin and other tissues and organs. It causes an increase in the size and number of cells of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, liver, gonads, thymus and muscles.

Growth hormone enhances fat breakdown, as a result of which the concentration of fatty acids in the blood increases, which suppress the effect of insulin on the membrane transport of glucose.

Physiological effects of growth hormone.

Growth hormone prevents the development of a large number of destructive processes in the human body and stimulates recovery. Many reputable scientists claim that under the influence of growth hormone, the body is rejuvenated for 10-20 years:

• the skeletal system is strengthened;
• body fat is converted to muscle;
• increased immunity;
• mental abilities increase;
• the level of cholesterol in the blood decreases;
• increased sexual activity.

Dosage.

Growth hormone is the strongest active drug for the active growth of muscle mass and the rapid reduction of body fat. But in order to achieve the desired results from taking this drug, a number of conditions are required, which not many people can adhere to (a rather rigid schedule of nutrition, training and injections). So what is the growth hormone cycle? Of course, the course of the drug and its dosage depend on the severity of physical activity and the type of sport, for example, the dosage of athletes reaches 8 units per day, which is insufficient for an effective set of muscle mass for a weightlifter.

For bodybuilders, the dosage should be at least 12-16 units, and the duration of the course should be at least 3 months. Growth hormone is recommended to be taken in high dosages for one simple reason: the receptors quickly get used to the drug, so you should not inject it for a long time. After the course of therapy, a break is required equal to the length of the course.

Of course, growth hormone is not prohibited from taking for 6 months or more, but only in small dosages of 2-4 U per day. However, it is almost impossible to achieve hypertrophy and hyperplasia of muscle cells with this regime.

Anabolic effect of growth hormone and concomitant medications.

Your goal is hyper muscle growth. For such a process, your body will need maximum stimulation, and growth hormone alone will not cope here. A complex therapy is needed, which includes drugs that can not only enhance the effect of growth hormone, but also ensure the safety of your body. There is a certain scheme of drugs: growth hormone – anabolic and androgenic steroids – insulin – thyroid hormones. Let’s analyze each drug separately.

Androgenic steroids have powerful anabolic properties and significantly enhance muscle cell hypertrophy, so their inclusion in the complex is mandatory. Steroids will also stimulate cell hyperplasia, which will lead to faster results.

Insulin also a mandatory drug in the complex, especially if the dosages of growth hormone are really high. Insulin will ease the load on the pancreas, which, under the influence of growth hormone, enhances its work and quickly depletes its reserves, and also accelerates the growth of muscle cells. It is recommended to take 6-8 units of insulin before each meal.

Thyroid hormones help to accelerate metabolism and stimulate tissue growth. The inclusion of thyroid hormones in the cycle will weaken the effect of growth hormone on the function of the gland (the size of the thyroid gland may increase). It is important to know that the use of growth hormone in high dosages can lead to changes in the function of the thyroid gland (the development of hypothyroidism). Athletes using rather large dosages of growth hormone should take triiodothyronine (thyroid hormone) 50 mcg per day in two doses. At the same time, large doses of triiodothyronine are not recommended, since this will contribute to the opposite effect, i.e. loss of muscle mass.

What are the concerns.

Growth hormone, referring to anabolic agents, promotes a more intensive course of metabolic processes and the production of free radicals in the body, which in turn leads to a reduction in life and the occurrence of a mass of diseases: heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc.

When using growth hormone, side effects can occur such as nausea, headache, hyperglycemia, increased intracranial pressure, the development of diabetes mellitus, excessive growth of cartilaginous bones, which leads to enlargement of facial features and an increase in the lower and upper jaw.

To avoid local reactions, the sites of subcutaneous injections should be changed, as lipoatrophy, the burning of adipose tissue, may develop over time. With open growth zones (up to 25 years), the fact of linear body growth is not excluded.

In custody.

Remember that you should not start a course of growth hormone without auxiliary medications – otherwise you will not only not achieve the desired results, but you will also earn a number of chronic diseases. Dosages and duration of administration in this case are of decisive importance. Therefore, use caution and only trust experienced professionals!