Doping with Growth Hormones—Is It Really Unbeatable?—Part 1

I usually keep a low profile when it comes to the topic of doping in online posts, since I believe there’s generally a “negative” underlying tone.

Everyone knows that the misuse of certain substances to enhance performance and promote muscle growth is ubiquitous, and yet anyone who tries to “educate” rather than give advice is immediately pigeonholed into one of those categories you’d rather not end up in.

Yet education is more than necessary, especially when you look at today’s scene, which is partly tainted by dirty products and incorrect usage.

Everyone thinks they know better, and yet nothing grows except pimples on their back—and maybe some breast tissue. Enough of my introductory remarks.

Today we’ll be discussing the most expensive performance-enhancing drug, which athletes believe promises not only muscle hypertrophy but also improved fat burning and hyperplasia (the division of muscle cells).

I’m talking about growth hormones.

First, in Part 1, I’d like to present excerpts from the book *Anabolic Steroids*, which has been regarded for years as the “doping bible” par excellence.

Let the key points of this rather extensive chapter sink in before we move on to Part 2, which will provide an explanation based on scientific facts using a new study by Hermansen and colleagues that also examined the use of growth hormone for doping purposes in healthy young athletes.

Are the true effects of doping with growth hormone really that spectacular, or is the substance being grossly overestimated by the book’s authors?

Science will tell—stay tuned!

 

Growth Hormone / HGH / Somatropin in “The Black Book”

Insiders and longtime followers of the scene are familiar with “The Black Book,” which is currently available completely legally in a 2016 edition.

For many years now, the book has cataloged and presented all common and available doping substances for bodybuilders. Furthermore, the authors provide insight into the available forms of each substance, offer clear dosage recommendations, provide so-called “cycle plans,” and also inform readers about potential side effects to expect when using them.

Whatever one may think of a work like this, it seems more sensible to familiarize oneself with it than to handle banned substances completely haphazardly based on a dealer’s advice or after researching anonymous forums, once one has decided to pursue doping.

The following text is a quotation from the chapter “HGH, Somatropin” and contains what you need to know in terms of comparing the “Practical Bible” with the new study.

 

General

“Growth hormone is a natural polypeptide hormone consisting of 191 amino acids, which is produced in the anterior pituitary gland in response to certain stimuli, such as intense physical exertion, sleep, stress, and low blood sugar.”

“It is not without reason that it is called the ‘youth hormone’; after all, natural growth hormone production steadily declines starting around the age of twenty.”

“It is not uncommon for the majority of 60-year-olds to produce only about 25% of their natural levels, which is directly linked to physical and mental decline.”

“In principle, one can say that growth hormone is among the strongest and most effective anabolic and lipolytic hormones available to bodybuilders for building muscle and burning fat. No anabolic steroid comes close to the muscle-building potential of growth hormone. Whether you’re an advanced bodybuilder or a professional athlete, growth hormone will positively influence the body’s muscular appearance like almost no other hormone.”

“Those who know how to use growth hormone properly rave about the results. On the other hand, those who use growth hormone but don’t really know what they’re doing are often punished with disappointing results.”

“Most of the somatropin molecules in the blood travel directly to the liver, where they gain entry into the liver tissue via the abundant growth hormone receptors. There, growth hormone begins to produce somatomedin C, also known as “insulin-like growth factor 1” (IGF-1)—which is interesting, since this substance is ultimately primarily responsible for muscle growth and fat loss.”

“The problem the liver faces is that it cannot simply produce IGF-1 just because some growth hormone is present. In addition to growth hormone, liver cells require three other hormones to produce IGF-1: 1.) the male sex hormone testosterone; 2.) the polypeptide hormone insulin, produced in the pancreas; and 3.) the T3 thyroid hormone liothyronine. If he forgoes the supplemental intake of these important co-hormones—and thus the production of IGF-1—the results will be less than optimal.”

“In the blood, IGF-1 is immediately bound to carrier protein complexes known as IGF-binding proteins (IGBP)… IGFBP-3 is primarily responsible for our IGF-1, binding approximately 90% of all IGF-1 molecules in the blood… The half-life of unbound IGF-1 is only a few minutes, whereas that of bound IGF-1 is as long as 16 hours.”

“…A low insulin level leads to a reduced amount of IGFBP-3 in the blood, which means that more IGF-1 is present in an unbound state and cross-reacts with the insulin receptor, causing the muscle-building effect to be partially lost, since fewer IGF-1 molecules are available to the muscle cells… This is another point that underscores why exogenous insulin is so important for maximizing the effects of growth hormone.”

“It is now known, however, that muscle cells themselves also possess growth hormone receptors and produce IGF-1 locally. Of course, this requires that sufficient testosterone, insulin, and thyroid hormone be available to the muscle cells, just as they are to liver cells. What is truly remarkable—and phenomenal for bodybuilders—is that the IGF-1 produced within the muscle cell now acts as a factor for cell growth and, above all, cell division—both locally on neighboring cells (paracrine) and directly on the cell itself (autocrine).”

“Last but not least, growth hormone also has a direct effect—not mediated by IGF-1—on skeletal muscle and fat cells.”

“The most important rule an athlete should keep in mind when using growth hormone is that the duration of the treatment is more important than the dosage… In principle, one can say that the minimum duration of a growth hormone treatment, especially during the muscle-building phase, should not be less than three months. A period of 6–12 months using low to moderate doses of somatropin would be better.

The longer growth hormone is administered, the more dramatic its effect on physical appearance.”

“No matter how high the daily dose is set, growth hormone should be injected at least twice a day for the best possible results, since, as already described elsewhere, it has a relatively short half-life of just a few hours. Ideally, it should be administered in the morning, right before breakfast, and again after training, right before the post-workout meal…. It is important to consume sufficient carbohydrates and plenty of easily digestible protein with each of these two meals, while keeping fat intake low.”

 

Muscle Building

“According to the current state of scientific knowledge, the first step by which growth hormone begins to influence the muscles after an injection is an increase in intramuscular cell volume… which enlarges the muscle cells and thus creates the necessary space within the muscle cell for subsequent protein storage.”

“The so-called true muscle-building effect of growth hormone occurs after approximately 2–3 weeks of use, when elevated nitrogen levels can be measured in the body.”

“When growth hormone is administered, the level of amino acids in the blood drops rapidly, as they are now transported in greater quantities from the blood into the muscle cells. Within the muscle cell itself, growth hormone activates protein biosynthesis, meaning that the amino acids transported into the cell are incorporated into contractile muscle protein.”

“Bodybuilders aiming for maximum muscle growth with growth hormone would be well advised to increase their daily protein intake to at least 300–400 g. An ideal rule of thumb would be to consume 4 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.”

“The second mechanism—in addition to the anabolic effect described above, through which growth hormone increases the body’s nitrogen content and thereby builds muscle—consists of reduced proteolysis... which means that growth hormone hinders or completely prevents the breakdown of muscle protein. What’s interesting here is that this muscle-preserving effect of growth hormone occurs at the expense of fatty acids. Instead of obtaining the necessary energy by breaking down muscle protein during periods of stress—such as dieting or training that is too frequent or too intense—growth hormone instead triggers the burning of body fat. This leads to an increased release of free fatty acids into the bloodstream, which the body then uses to compensate for its energy deficit while protein stores remain intact.”

“When growth hormone is administered, a phenomenon can be observed—the muscle cell begins to divide. A portion of the muscle fiber that has become too thick is split off, resulting in what are essentially two new, thin muscle fibers. In this context, we speak of hyperplasia, i.e., the proliferation of muscle fibers…. The key point is that the two newly formed muscle cells can now, in turn, grow in width (hypertrophy).”

 

Fat Burning

“Since fat cells have abundant growth hormone receptors, they are one of the primary targets of somatropin. When growth hormone is injected, the growth hormone molecules circulating in the bloodstream bind to the growth hormone receptors on fat cells, forming a receptor-molecule complex. During this interaction between the receptor and the molecule, the growth hormone molecule signals the fat cell to break down triglycerides…. Incidentally, this effect occurs independently of IGF-1 production, as it is based on the direct effect of growth hormone.”

“Interestingly, following administration of growth hormone, a FFS/glycerol ratio of 14:1 is found in the blood. This fact allows us to conclude that the somatotropic hormone not only induces fat breakdown but simultaneously blocks fat synthesis—that is, the growth of fat cells.”

“Long-term use of growth hormone also results in increased insulin resistance in fat cells. This means that growth hormone reduces the ability of fat cells to respond to the hormone insulin… Growth hormone thus prevents fat accumulation caused by insulin.”

“Until just under a decade ago, it was mistakenly believed that the fat-burning effect of growth hormone was due exclusively to its direct action on fat cells. Today, however, we know that IGF-1, which is produced from growth hormone, contributes significantly to fat loss. Due to its insulin-like effect, IGF-1 can bind to the insulin receptors on fat cells, thereby preventing insulin from binding by blocking those receptors. Since IGF-1 has a biological effect in fat cells equivalent to just under 5% of that of insulin, this greatly accelerates fat loss.”

 

Anabolic Steroids

“Anyone who uses growth hormone for muscle building must also use anabolic steroids; there is absolutely no way around it… The higher the growth hormone dosage is set, the more testosterone must be administered.”

 

Thyroid Hormone

“It’s no secret in hardcore bodybuilding circles that a combination of growth hormone and thyroid hormone leads to better muscle-building rates and increased fat burning in the medium and long term than when somatropin is administered without thyroid hormone.”

“The problem is that high levels of growth hormone in the blood cause the hypothalamus to release increased amounts of the hormone somatostatin. This somatostatin then travels via the bloodstream to the pituitary gland and suppresses the body’s own release of growth hormone and, unfortunately, that of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as well… As a result, the thyroid gland secretes less T4 and T3, which is equivalent to classic hypothyroidism. At the same time, blood levels of T4 and T3 drop, and the athlete no longer has sufficient thyroid hormones in the blood to ensure maximum IGF-1 production by liver and muscle cells… The best, most direct, and uncompromising way to achieve a sufficiently high blood level of T3 is to take a T3 thyroid hormone supplement.”

 

Insulin

“Both the IGF-1-producing cells in the liver and in the muscles depend on insulin. Furthermore, insulin prolongs the lifespan of IGF-1 molecules in the bloodstream by improving the binding affinity of IGF-1 to its binding protein IGFBP-3, which in turn results in enhanced muscle-building and fat-burning effects.”

“Too low a level of insulin—that is, an insulin deficiency—leads to a breakdown of growth hormone receptors in the liver. If growth hormone is administered in a higher dose over an extended period, such an insulin deficiency can occur because the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas can no longer produce sufficient insulin. Growth hormone is known to place a heavy strain on the insulin-producing beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas, which initially results in increased insulin secretion but subsequently leads to damage to these cells and a consequent reduction in insulin secretion.”

“Continuous growth hormone administration usually results in hyperglycemia—that is, elevated blood sugar levels—which is caused by this very insulin deficiency as well as growth hormone-induced insulin resistance in various organs of the body…. This insulin resistance not only prevents optimal IGF-1 production but can also lead to health problems in the long term…. If, on the other hand, insulin is injected, the hyperglycemic (blood-sugar-raising) effect of growth hormone is counterbalanced by the hypoglycemic (blood-sugar-lowering) effect of insulin.”

 

Summary

The authors of the doping reference work “Anabolic Steroids—The Black Book” praise the use of growth hormone to the skies and claim that, when used correctly, it promotes not only muscle hypertrophy but also muscle hyperplasia and increased fat burning. To ensure that the anabolic IGF-1-dependent effects, in particular, take effect, the authors consider it essential to always plan for the concurrent administration of testosterone, insulin, and thyroid hormone alongside growth hormone.

When used correctly, growth hormone appears not only to build significant muscle without gaining fat but also to increase fat burning—despite the recommended concurrent administration of insulin, which is known as a strongly “fat-anabolic” hormone.

Part 2 now presents a brand-new counterargument regarding the use of growth hormone in young, healthy athletes, based on a data analysis that included 11 studies involving a total of 224 participants.

Will there be parallels, or will the researchers reach a completely different conclusion?

 

Stay tuned!

Best regards
, Holger Gugg

www.body-coaches.de

 

 

Sources

D. Sinner – Anabolic Steroids – The Black Book – BMS Verlag – ISBN 978-3-00-053655-7