|
"Wow, is this great stuff. It is the best
drug for permanent muscle gains. This is the
only drug that can remedy bad genetics, as it
will make anybody grow. GH use is the biggest
gamble that an athlete can take, as the side
effects are irreversible. Even with all that, we
LOVE the stuff." (Daniel Duchaine,
Underground Steroid Handbook, 1982.)
HUMAN
GROWTH HORMONE Substance: 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 con-sider it completely useless in
improving sports performance and ar-gue that it
only promotes the growth process in children
with an early stunting of growth. Some are of
the opinion that growth hor-mones in adults
cause severe bone deformities in the form of
over-growth of the lower jaw and extremities.
And, generally speaking, which growth hormones
should one take -the human form, the
synthetically manufactured version, recombined
or genetically pro-duced 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 hor-mone 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 hormone) itself has no direct
effect but only stimulates the liver to produce
and release insulin-like growth factors and so-matomedins.
These growth factors are then the ones that
cause vari-ous 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.
During the mid 1980's only the human,
biologically-active form was available as
exogenous sour-cc of intake. It was obtained
from the hypophysis of dead corpses, an
expensive and costly procedure. In 1985 the
intake of human growth hormones was linked with
the very rare Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, an
invariably fatal brain disease characterized by
progressive dementia. In response, manufacturers
removed this version from the market. Today,
human growth hor-mones are no longer available
for injection. Fortunately, science has not been
asleep and has developed the synthetic growth
hormone which is genetically produced either
from Escherichia coli (E coli) or from the
transformed mouse cell line. It has been
available in nu-merous countries for years (see
list with Trade Names:).
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 pro-tein synthesis which manifests
itself in a muscular hypertrophy (enlargement of
muscle cells) and in a muscular hyperplasia
(in-crease of muscle cells.) The latter is very
interesting since this in-crease 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 reduc-tion 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
increasing 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, thyroid hormones, and insulin, in
particular. But we must point out in this case
that STH has a predominately 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? It is "Polypharmacy
at its finest," as W Nathaniel Phillips
described to the point in his bookAnabolic
Reference Guide (5th Issue, 1990). But coming
back once more to the "anabolic
formula": STH, insulin, and L-T3. 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 ad-ministration 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 infor-mation 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 increases during treatment with
growth hormones. "
3. Since most athletes who 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 com-pound. 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." (Der Spiegel, no. 11, 1993.)
One can only say, "Poor Ben." Even
Deutsche Apothekerzeitung is aware of this
problem. The magazine wrote in its issue no. 26
of 07/01/93 in the article "Wachstumshormon--Praparate:
Arzneimittelf5lschungen in Bodybuilder-Szene":
"The currently-known cases are traded with
Dutch or Russian labels... in addition to a
display of labels in the Dutch or Russian
lan-guage 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.
Before discussing the extremely difficult matter
of dosage and intake the following question
suggests itself: Generally speaking who is
taking growth hormones? A whole lot of athletes
as the following quotation suggests:
"Charlie Francis, the Canadian athletic
trainer of Ben Johnson tells how he improved the
performance of Ben and numerous other Olympic
athletes by the use of growth hormones in 1983.
Francis also had conclusive evidence that the
U.S.-American field and track athletes were
using growth hormones. In a 1989 interview with
a pro bodybuilder, an interview not meant for
publication, this massive athlete made clear
that he was convinced that almost all
professional top athletes were using Protropin.
He also said that it did not bother him if the
IFBB were to introduce doping tests for men in
1990 as long as there would be no testing for
growth hormones (Anabolic Reference Update, June
1989, no. 11). "it is highly suspected that
the top Ms. 0 competitors use this product to
help them attain their incredibly rippled
muscles while still looking like women."
(Anabolic Reference Guide, 5th Issue, 1990, W N.
Phillips.) Most top bodybuilders using Growth
Hormone (GH) feel that insulin activates it. One
top pro was rumored to have been using 12 I. U.
of GH per day in preparation for his last WBF
contest. He swears that GH only works with
insulin." (Muscle Media 2000 ' October/
November 1993, no. 34.)" And shortly before
the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, U.S.
researchers succeeded in synthetically
manufacturing the hormone. This hormone which
cannot be detected with current testing methods
immediately prepared American athletes
throughout the country for the games in
California. After reports of success the drug
became the secret runner on the doping market.
The football pro Lyle Alzado, who died of brain
tumor, shortly before his death confessed that
he had taken HGH for 16 weeks - and he claimed
that 80% of all American football pros do so,
too. Ben Johnson, who in 1988 in Seoul was
caught with anabolics, admitted to the
investigating committee of the Canadian
government that he had tried the Growth Hormone.
He had paid $ 10,000 for ten bottles of HGH.
According to Johnson, his physician, George
Astaphan, had also designed programs for his
colleagues Mark McKoy, Angella Issajenko, and
Desai Williams. Hurdle sprinter Juli Rochelean
who toddy runs records for Switzerland under the
name Baumann procured HGH on the black market of
the bodybuilder scene in Montreal... Among women
Gail Devers won the 100 meters (1992 Olympic
Games in Barcelona, the auth.) after havingjust
overcome a severe thyroid condition, a
well-known side effect of taking HGH. Such
suspicions are reinforced by current market
data. The two U.S. companies Genentech and Eli
Lilly produced about 800 million dollars of HGH
in 1992. Genentech alone reported an eleven
percent production increase compared to last
year. Chemists incessantly emphasize that the
drug should only be manufactured for use by
persons with stunted growth. The U.S.Food and
Drug Administration, however, sees it
differently: the U.S. government currently
includes HGH on the list of forbidden drugs and
'threatens up to five years of,prison for
illegal possession of the drug." (Der
Spiegel, no. I I of 03/15/93). "Many of the
top strength athletes use HGH and the cost of
its use ran as high as $30,000/year for one
particular pro bodybuilder. Short term users (8
week duration) will spend up to $150 per daily
dosage. And because the top athletes are rumored
to use it, HGH lust in the lower ranks has
become more rampant." (Daniel Duchaine,
Underground Steroid Handbook 2.)
The question of the right dosage, as well as the
type and duration of application, Is very
difficult to answer. Since there is no
scientific research 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 insufficient release of growth
hormones by the hypophysis, a weekly average
dose of 0.3 I.U./week per pound of body weight
should be taken. An athlete weighing 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 daily dose into three or
four subcutaueous 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 side 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 built-up strength and, in
particular, the newlygained muscle system were
essentially maintained after discontinuance of
the product. The American physician, Dr. William
N. Taylor, confirms this statement in his book
Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete, where on page
75 he writes: "Evidence for increased
muscle number (hyperplasia) in athletes stems
from their statements that the increased
muscular size and strength remain after the HGH
therapy has been discontinued. In fact, there
may be further muscular size and strength gains
as the training-induced hypertrophy continues in
the month beyond."
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, result ing in 6-7 meals
daily. 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
ana bolic/androgenic steroids and/or Clenbuterol
is usually appropri ate. During the preparation
for a competition the use of thyroid hormones
steadily increases. 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 dur ing 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 in sulin
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 Wood
(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
hypersecretion 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. Heart muscle
and kidneys can also gain in weight and size. In
the beginning all of this goes hand in hand with
increased body strength and muscular hardness;
it ends, however, in fatigue, weakness,
diabetes, heart conditions, and early death.
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, clawlike
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 open-minded. Acromegaly,
diabetes, thyroid insufficiency, heart muscle
hypertrophy, high blood pressure, 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. Tests have
shown no causal relation between treatment with
somatropin and a possible higher risk of
leukemia. 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. We know two competing German
bodybuilders who, because of improper insulin
injections, fell into comas lasting several
weeks.
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 Saizcn the biological
activity of growth hormones is usually not
impaired when storing the dry substance at 15-25ºC
(room temperature); however, a cooler place (2-8º
C is preferable. On the black market the price
for 4 I.U. each of the compounds Genotropin,
Humatrope, Norditropin, and Saizen, in Europe 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 hormone compounds, the
substance con tent is not given in 1-U.
(International Units) but in mg (milligrams).
Since I mg corresponds to exactly 2.7 I.U. the 5
mg solution of the compound Humatrope by Lilly
contains exactly 13.5 I.U. of Somatropin. The 10
mg solution of the Protropin compound by
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 hormone.
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.
| Substance:
Somatropin |
| Trade
Names: |
| Corpormon |
4
I.U.; |
Nikken
Japan |
| Crescormon
(o.c.) |
4
I.U.; |
Globopharm
CH; Kabi GR, YU; Kabi Vitrurn U.S. |
| Crescormonn
(o.c.) |
4
I.U. |
Kabi-Fides
ES |
| Genotr |
2,
3, 4 I.U. |
Kabi
pharmacia NO 16, 32 I.U. |
| Genotonorm |
4
I.U. |
Kabi
B; Kabipfrimmer ES |
| Genotropin |
2
I.U. |
Kabi
pharmacia S, BG, A, GR, NL |
| Genotropin |
3
I.U. |
Kabi
pharmacia 5, BG, A, GR, NL |
| Genotropin |
3
I.U.; |
Kabi
pharmacia G, DG, 5; BG, A, HU, PL, CZ GR,
NL, |
| Genotropin |
12
I.U.; |
Kabi
pharmacia S, DK, PT CZ, NO, CH |
| Genotropin |
16
I.U; |
Kabi
pharmacia G, DK, Fl, S, A, PT HU, GR,NL,
CH |
| Geno,
Kabi Quick |
2,
3 1.U. |
Kabi
Pharmacia G |
| Grorm
(o.c.) |
4
I.U. |
Serono
G, CH, ES, I |
| Grorm |
2,
4 I.U. |
Institutio
farmacologio serono CZ |
| Humatrope |
4
I.U. |
Lilly
G, DK, ES, 5, GB, Fl, B, HU, GR, CZ, NO,
NL, |
| Humatrope |
5mg
sol.; |
Lilly
U.S. |
| Humatrope |
16
I.U.; |
Lilly
G, DK, Fl, GB, ES, GR, NO, NL, CH |
| Norditropin |
4
I.U.; |
Nordisk
PL; Nordisk Gentofte DK; Novo-Nordisk A,
E |
| Norditropin |
12
I.U.; |
Novo-Nordisk
G, Fl; CH, NO, NL, ES Novo GB; FI, HU |
| Norditropin |
24
I.U.; |
Novo
Industri CZ, Novo HU, Fl, Santa GR Novo
Nordi |
| Norditrop.
Pen Set |
24
I.U. |
Novo-Nordisk
G |
| Nutropin |
10
mg sol.; |
Genentech
U.S. |
| Protropin |
10
nig sol.: |
Genentech
U.S. |
| Saizen |
2
I.U. |
Serono
G, CH, ES |
| Saizen |
4
I.U. |
Serono
G, A, CH, ES, 1, GB, GR, Fl, HU, FR, S,
CZ |
| Saizen
ES |
10
LU. |
Serono
S, Fl, GB, CH, CZ, HU, FR, |
| Somatohorm |
4
I.U. |
Biomed
PL |
| Somatohorm |
4
I.U. |
Kabi-vitrum
CZ, Kabi pharmacia ES, FR |
| Somat.
Sero (o.c.) |
4
LU. |
Serotherapeutisches
Institut A |
| Zomacton |
4,12
I.U. |
Ferring
G |
|
