Growth hormone (GH) usage and abuse

Growth hormone is essential for body growth but it also modulates metabolic pathways as well as neural, reproductive, immune, cardiovascular, and pulmonary functions. Numerous beneficial effects of growth hormone have led to its expanded therapeutic use in both children and adults. There are several officially approved applications of human growth hormone and many more proposed applications that resulted from huge number of clinical studies on GH therapy. Growth hormone abuse includes improper or excessive use. Over the last decade GH has become one of the most commonly abused drugs in sport due to the fact that its administration is currently undetectable. Enormous doses that are injected and frequent simultaneous abuse of other substances such as other anabolic steroids (testosterone) lead to frequent side effects that may be fatal. In spite of numerous beneficial effects of growth hormone the true physiological impact of GH replacement therapy on various metabolic parameters may be confounded by the dose and route of administration of GH so accurate physicians’ monitoring during GH therapy is needed

Growth hormone (GH) usage and abuse

Growth hormone is essential for body growth but it also modulates metabolic pathways as well as neural, reproductive, immune, cardiovascular, and pulmonary functions. Numerous beneficial effects of growth hormone have led to its expanded therapeutic use in both children and adults. There are several officially approved applications of human growth hormone and many more proposed applications that resulted from huge number of clinical studies on GH therapy. Growth hormone abuse includes improper or excessive use. Over the last decade GH has become one of the most commonly abused drugs in sport due to the fact that its administration is currently undetectable. Enormous doses that are injected and frequent simultaneous abuse of other substances such as other anabolic steroids (testosterone) lead to frequent side effects that may be fatal. In spite of numerous beneficial effects of growth hormone the true physiological impact of GH replacement therapy on various metabolic parameters may be confounded by the dose and route of administration of GH so accurate physicians’ monitoring during GH therapy is needed

The level of physical activity and the growth hormone (GH) response to acute physical exercise

There is no clear evidence about the influence of programmed physical activity (training) on growth hormone (GH) response to acute physical exercise. The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship between the level of physical activity and the serum growth hormoneconcentration in response to acute physical exercise. The study was performed on 20, healthy male subjects. Based on the level of their physical activities they were divided in two groups of equal size: group 1, trained, and group 2, untrained subjects. All subjects performed one boot of exercise on cycle ergometer, lasting 30 minutes. Work intensity was approx. 65% of VO2 max, and the rate of cycling was 60/min. Serum GH concentrations were measured by IRMA (immunoradiometric assays) method in blood samples obtained in the period of rest, during exercise and in the recovery period. There were marked differences in the dynamics of changes in the serum GH concentrations during exercise period between the groups of various level of physical activity despite the lack of the significant differences in basal level and maximal level of serum GH concentration at the end of exercise. Untrained subjects showed faster increase in serum GH concentration than trained subjects, but in trained subjects the restoration of the basal values in the recovery period was faster. These results indicate that the level of physical activities in young, healthy male subjects has no influence on GH response to acute physical exercise

The level of physical activity and the growth hormone (GH) response to acute physical exercise

There is no clear evidence about the influence of programmed physical activity (training) on growth hormone (GH) response to acute physical exercise. The aim of this study was to estimate the relationship between the level of physical activity and the serum growth hormoneconcentration in response to acute physical exercise. The study was performed on 20, healthy male subjects. Based on the level of their physical activities they were divided in two groups of equal size: group 1, trained, and group 2, untrained subjects. All subjects performed one boot of exercise on cycle ergometer, lasting 30 minutes. Work intensity was approx. 65% of VO2 max, and the rate of cycling was 60/min. Serum GH concentrations were measured by IRMA (immunoradiometric assays) method in blood samples obtained in the period of rest, during exercise and in the recovery period. There were marked differences in the dynamics of changes in the serum GH concentrations during exercise period between the groups of various level of physical activity despite the lack of the significant differences in basal level and maximal level of serum GH concentration at the end of exercise. Untrained subjects showed faster increase in serum GH concentration than trained subjects, but in trained subjects the restoration of the basal values in the recovery period was faster. These results indicate that the level of physical activities in young, healthy male subjects has no influence on GH response to acute physical exercise