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Human Growth Hormone-Somatropin
Human Growth Hormone-Somatropin 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 Protropin than with
Humatrope. growth hormones are on the doping list but they are
not yet detectable during doping tests.
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