In the quest for youth, many look to human growth hormone (hGH) as a miracle elixir.

What is it about human growth hormone (hGH) that makes people want to know more? Perhaps it's the various claims about its capacity to arrest the signs of ageing, both internally and externally. Human Growth Hormone, a natural hormone produced by the pituitary gland, has many positive effects throughout the body. Growth hormone prompts the liver to make a substance called insulin-like growth factor, or IGF-1. This and other similar compounds are involved in bone growth and maintaining optimum cellular performance. Human Growth Hormone is the major hormone of repair and acts on many different tissues to promote a healthy metabolism. As its production declines with age so does the body's ability to repair the damage caused by everyday stress. The result - growing old.

Recently, numerous books have argued that boosting levels of hGH in the body will slow and even reverse the ageing process. A casual Internet search brings up dozens of sites pointing to its efficacy at staving off age-related changes in the body. However, in 1990 hGH attracted mainstream media attention when The New England Journal of Medicine published a study involving 12 men aged between 61 and 81 who experienced a decrease in fatty tissue and an increase in lean muscle mass when they were given growth hormone injections.

Thousands of medical practitioners and companies responded to the study, all claiming to be able to reverse the ageing process and the American Academy for Anti-Ageing Medicine was formed. But anti-ageing medicine has attracted many critics, including academics who claim it is ineffective and can cause serious side effects, such as diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions, cardiovascular disease and increased risk of cancer.

In various countries around the world, hGH is sold on the black market as both an anti-ageing and body-building drug (it was hGH that Hollywood actor Sylvester Stallone was arrested for possessing on his recent trip to Australia to promote his latest Rocky movie). One of the great advantages about growth hormone compared to other anabolic agents is that it creates a very lean look. It builds a lot of muscle and it actually makes fat melt away, giving tremendous shape in terms of muscle definition.

However, while the use of hGH for these purposes is illegal in Australia, it has proved a useful treatment in adults and children suffering from Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD). Children suffering from GHD typically exhibit a short stature, low growth velocity, increased fat around the waist, delayed tooth development and onset of puberty and appear young for their age. Growth Hormone Deficiency in adulthood (GHDA) is a condition that often develops as a result of childhood GHD. It is also possible to be hGH isufficient. Human Growth Hormone insufficiency has many characteristics, which include an increase of the intra-abdominal fat as part of obesity, the loss of muscle mass and the gaining of fat mass, decreased bone mineral density, a loss of emotional stability and a decreased exercise capacity. There is a deterioration of skin including thinning and drying, a decrease in tissue elasticity and reduced skin healing ability. The skin is also more prone to the effects of gravity, increased sagging and increased lines.

It has been known for over 40 years that children suffering from GHD can benefit from hGH replacement. However, it was not until biosynthetic hGH was intrduced 20 years ago that its use was no longer restricted to severe growth retardation in hypopituitary children.

Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adulthood treatment using hGH has been shown to be safe and with minimal side effects when practised according to a replacement therapy protocol and can offer patients enhanced physical and emotional wellbeing by correcting the reduction of growth hormones responsible for many of the GHDA symptoms. Since hGH works in sync with other hormones, it is advisable for levels of testosterone, DHEA and oestrogen to be assessed, so they can be replaced at the same time, creating a synergy of hormone replacement, resulting in comprehensive improvement.

The only published measured benefits recorded from hGH therapy are via injection and this may only be administered by a licensed doctor or through a medical clinic. There are a number of companies that promote various pills, elixirs, sprays and creams claimed to have useful amounts of hGH. However, the effectiveness of such treatment methods should be viewed with skepticism, as molecules as large as hGH cannot be absorbed into the body across skin or mucous membranes and, being a very fragile molecule, hGH is digested or broken down into simpler compounds if it is ingested and not injected.

There are also ways to increase levels of hGH in the body without the need for injection. That is, to stimulate the body to increase the amount of hormone it produces itself, or enhance the function of the hormone that has already been produced. These methods include secretagogues, hGH precursors and anti-somatostatin therapy.

Human Growth Hormones secretagogues work by directly stimulating the pituitary to release hGH and by affecting contiguous endocrine organs, like the hypothalamus. Human Growth Hormone precursors work on the concept that if the body is supplied with the constituent parts of hGH, then it may be more apt to decide to use that fotuitous blend of amino acids to more easily make hGH. Anti-somatostatin therapy tries to identify compounds or hormones that counteract the effect of human growth hormone, and tries to foil them.

Unfortunately, in the case of the first two, substantive effectiveness is notable predominatntly in young (under 25 years of age) and highly athletic people, whilst the third typically only achieves a one percent rise in IGF-1 levels.

Human Growth Hormone is one of many endocrine hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin and DHEA. When testing hGH levels, it is important to assess the levels of the other hormones, which can, if necessary, be treated simultaneously, creating a symphony of hormone replacement resulting in comprehensive improvement. Human Growth Hormone treatment can be safe with minimal side effects when practiced according to a replacement therapy protocol. It can offer patients enhanced physical and emotional wellbeing by correcting the reduction of growth hormones responsible for man of the GHDA symptoms.

Functions of Human Growth Hormone

- General body growth
- Skeletal growth
- Increases protein synthesis and blood glucose levels
- Decreases fat content
- Aids in metablism of minerals including calcium
- Improves immunity
- Helps in milk secretion

Human Growth Hormone and anti-ageing

As age advances, there is a decrease in the secretion of hGH. This results in:
- Decrease in the lean body mass
- Increase in the body fat content
- Thinning f the skin
- Decreased bone density
- Decreased immunity

Potential side effects from high doses of Human Growth Hormone supplements

- Coarse faces
- Enlargement of hands and feet
- Forward protrusion of lower jaw
- Hunch back
- Diabetes mellitus
- Increased blood pressure
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - the nerves in the wrist are compressed resulting in numbness of the hand

ACSM #38