Reviews of a product or service are one of the most important criteria for quality and effectiveness. Unless, of course, they are fabricated by those who are interested in selling that product or service. In this article, we will accumulate all the reviews we come across about growth hormone, and as much as possible – diverse ones: from enthusiasts, scientists, coaches, and professional athletes. This way, we will form a more or less objective picture of the effectiveness and problems associated with the use of growth hormone in bodybuilding.
Main thoughts:
Ali Amini: large doses of growth hormone inevitably lead to bloating
Ali Amini: growth hormone may worsen the progression of cancer diseases
Review of growth hormone by hormone therapy expert Ali Amini
Ali Amini is one of the proponents of hormone therapy in bodybuilding; many modern bodybuilders trust him for competition preparation. His review of the effectiveness of growth hormone as a muscle growth stimulant is interesting. Here are some excerpts from an interview with him published on bodybuilding.com.
“Growth hormone is used in the world of professional bodybuilding due to its ability to burn fat, increase muscle mass, reduce recovery time, strengthen joints and ligaments, and heal damaged muscle tissue. It has been and remains extremely popular in the world of professional bodybuilding, especially today when it is more accessible, and the cost is significantly lower than in the 1990s. It is indeed effective when taken in the right doses and at the right time, but it is not a critical component of an overall training program.”
“Most people perceive growth hormone as a magic potion, but that is not the case. It does not increase strength and muscle mass by 50%. If you are lucky and genetically predisposed to respond to growth hormone, then the maximum you can expect is a 15% increase in muscle mass.”
Ali Amini: the effect of taking growth hormone for muscle mass gain is far from a 50% jump; if you are lucky and genetically predisposed – the maximum is 15%
– If bodybuilders used only growth hormone, without steroids, what could they expect?
“Very minimal effect on muscle mass gain and barely noticeable in fat loss. Alone, growth hormone is not that powerful. And while it has the ability to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, this effect is not as strong and stable as with testosterone and other anabolic steroids.
Most professionals take no more than 8 IU (International Units, for growth hormone approximately 0.33 mg) per day. There are cases of 24 IU per day. Such doses inevitably lead to bloating due to water retention.
Growth hormone makes the process of synthesizing muscle protein from food nutrients more efficient while simultaneously preventing fat formation. It is also strong in stimulating protein synthesis just like testosterone.”
Ali Amini: large doses of growth hormone inevitably lead to bloating
“Growth hormone stimulates the use of calories we consume from food for muscle protein synthesis and prevents their storage in fat reserves, as shown in animal experiments. It is also strong in muscle creation just like testosterone.”
– What signs can indicate whether my body is lacking growth hormone?
“A deficiency in growth hormone manifests as low muscle mass, high fat mass, especially in the abdomen: the higher the natural level of growth hormone in the body, the greater the muscle mass of the person.”
– It is known that all pharmacological drugs have side effects. What potential harmful health effects can be expected from the use of growth hormone? Can one die from an overdose of growth hormone?
“I am not aware of any facts of fatal outcomes. What has been reliably proven is that growth hormone can worsen the course of cancer diseases because it has an anabolic effect and promotes cell volume increase. This is indeed a serious problem. The enlargement of the jaw and nose are the most significant and frequently observed side effects of hormone use.”
Ali Amini: growth hormone can worsen the course of cancer diseases
Doctor’s, bestselling author’s, and criminologist’s reviews on growth hormone in an interview with the Guardian
The following notable review on the effectiveness and possible side effects of growth hormone use is provided by the popular online publication The Guardian. Journalists interviewed several experts from various fields (a doctor, a bestselling author, a criminologist) who are in one way or another related to the issue of growth hormone use.
The first review is from doctor Michael Graham, a senior lecturer on substance abuse issues at Newman University College in Birmingham: “Growth hormone has numerous therapeutic benefits. In the private clinic on Harley Street, it is prescribed privately to elderly people as an anti-aging treatment. But it is also effective in building muscle mass and burning fat, preventing the conversion of carbohydrates into fat.”
My own research indicates that human growth hormone can stimulate muscle mass growth in steroid-using athletes who have reached a plateau in mass gain. It also increases cartilage growth and recovery; there is no doubt that it speeds up healing.”
Michael Graham: “Growth hormone stimulates muscle mass growth in steroid-using athletes who have reached a plateau in mass gain, cartilage growth, and healing speed”
At the same time, doctors and scientists warn that growth hormone is illegal – those who supply and sell it can face 14 years in prison and hefty fines (in the USA). But more concerning is that those who use it may die.
Yes, die, and here’s why.
Today, almost all growth hormone preparations Kigtropin (one of the most popular) are imported illegally and sold online without any control, and the buyers themselves receive no recommendations on how to take them.
Important
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Mick Hart, author of the “Guide for Amateurs on Steroids”, says: “The danger of growth hormone is that 99% of athletes will use it recklessly – in too large doses or without knowing how to administer it. Dealers want you to buy as much of it as they can sell. Previously, the course of growth hormone intake lasted about eight weeks, followed by a break; now athletes take it continuously for two to three years.”.
Mick Hart: “The danger of growth hormone is that 99% will take it recklessly – in too large doses. Previously, the course of growth hormone lasted 8 weeks; today it is taken continuously for several years.”
Those who do not know how to use a syringe can tear arteries and bleed to death, create blood clots, or hit a nerve, risking permanent paralysis. Prolonged use can, according to Mick Hart, “lead to carpal tunnel syndrome (compression of nerves in the wrists causing continuous tingling), increased blood sugar levels (which can lead to type 2 diabetes), heart failure, and – in excessive doses – gigantism, disproportionate growth of body parts.”
Mick Hart: “Prolonged use of growth hormone can lead to nerve compression in the wrist, increased blood sugar levels, heart failure, and gigantism.”
According to drug enforcement expert Allen Morgan, when you buy growth hormone on the black market, there is no guarantee that it is actually growth hormone: “I have had cases where dealers didn’t even know they were selling garbage. From a law enforcement perspective, this is a gray area, as the police simply do not understand how the illegal drug market in bodybuilding works.“
Allen Morgan: “There is no guarantee that when you buy growth hormone on the black market, it is actually growth hormone.”
Review of a real growth hormone user on the forum elitfitness.com
We found a very informative and illustrative review from a real growth hormone user on the forum elitfitness.com, where the author shares his experience, which ended with numerous negative side effects.
“I have an unpleasant experience with growth hormone, so I want to start a thread to discuss the negative side effects of growth hormone” – begins the story of one of the forum participants.
| Initial anthropometric data and result |
|---|
| Age: 50 years “` Dosage: 2IU (International Unit, for growth hormone is approximately 0.33 mg) per day for the first two weeks, then 4IU (twice a day) for a month, then back to 2IU for a month. Other supplements: 500 mg testosterone/200 mg deca durabolin (a popular steroid) per week throughout the growth hormone cycle. A little T3 & T4 thyroid hormones after the first month. Height: 183 cm Weight at the start of the cycle: 111 kg @ 12.7% body fat Weight at the end of the cycle: 118 kg @ 9.5% body fat |
Benefits of growth hormone noted during use:
- Excellent muscle growth
- Great fat burning without diet adjustment
- Rapid recovery after workouts
- Shoulder and elbow joints strengthened
Negative side effects of growth hormone noted during use:
1 Numbness in fingers on both hands
“Numbness in fingers on both hands, which worsened each day. In the morning I couldn’t make a fist, and it seriously affected my strength in the gym and made it impossible to ride a motorcycle. This was one of the most unpleasant side effects that made me reduce the dosage. The tingling was so pronounced that it interfered with my sleep.”
2 Increased heart rate
“My heart was beating at a rate of 90 beats per minute at rest. Before starting growth hormone, my normal heart rate was 60.”
3 Increased blood pressure
“I have always had good blood pressure, but when I started taking growth hormone, it became higher than normal.”
4 Increased fasting blood sugar levels
“Blood sugar was 10 mg/dL higher at a dose of 4iu per day, but returned to normal when I lowered the dose to 2iu per day.”
5 Excessive sweating
6 Unpleasant swelling of the legs, ankles, and shins
“They started to resemble tree trunks. The side effect disappeared when I lowered the dose to 2iu.”
7 Exhausting pulling pain in the lower back
“Standing and walking became quite a challenge, not to mention squatting in the gym. Symptoms somewhat decreased when I reduced the dose to 2 mcg per day, but still cause a lot of concern.”
8 Colossal weakness
“Initially, at a dose of 4iu, I experienced extreme weakness … a constant feeling of fatigue. It took a lot of effort to force myself to go to the gym. I tried to combat this by using thyroid hormones T3 & T4 (experimented with both). Initially, it helped until …”
9 Terrible Insomnia
“I started suffering from terrible insomnia. Sometimes I managed to sleep for 1.5 hours before the first awakening. After that, it took several more hours to fall asleep again and sleep for a few more hours, and this happened even when I was very tired. I stopped taking thyroid hormones T3 & T4 to combat the problem.”
10 Shortness of Breath Upon Waking
“This insomnia was accompanied by shortness of breath upon waking. I would wake up feeling like I was suffocating, which caused a panic attack. So I would get up and immediately turn on the TV to distract my mind from it. This went on night after night, and I began to fear going to sleep. I always slept wonderfully, and insomnia was never my problem.”
11 Knee Problems
“I already had knee problems (poor mobility) from several motorcycle accidents, but when I started taking growth hormone, they noticeably worsened. When I reduced my dose from 4iu to 2iu, the problem improved a bit, but not completely.”
12 Decreased Sexual Function (Libido)
13 Muscle Tone Feeling Throughout the Day
“I would wake up feeling toned in my muscles, especially in the groups I had recently worked on in the gym. This is not a bad side effect, but I mentioned it for the sake of completeness.”
“I made the decision to stop using growth hormone, as the negative side effects significantly outweighed the positives.”
