Human growth hormone (HGH) fuels the growth of our bodies during childhood and adolescence. Released from the pituitary gland when we sleep, the hormone has the chief function of lengthening bones and increasing the thickness of soft tissues such as skin. People who don't make enough HGH while they're young -- often because of genetic diseases or kidney failure -- can be extremely short as adults. Scientists discovered a way to mass produce HGH in the 1980's, however, and since then shots of the hormone have helped many children reach their growth potential. Researchers hope the drug may also help patients who are wasting away because of surgery, burns, or AIDS.

The ready availability of HGH -- and the fact that it can't be detected by most drug tests -- has also fueled a thriving black market. Athletes inject the hormone to boost strength and muscle mass, and modern-day Ponce de Leons seek in it a way to restore their youth. Many Americans receive injections of HGH at longevity "spas" outside of the United States, and pay as much as $4,000 for a three-month supply.

Shots of HGH undoubtedly help some children who lack the hormone, but its value for healthy adults is dubious. A 1993 study, conducted by the University of Vienna, found that a 6-week course of HGH, administered to 22 serious athletes, had no effect on body weight, body fat, or the strength of the biceps or quadriceps. The researchers concluded that while HGH may help people who lack the hormone, it apparently doesn't change the strength or body composition of highly trained athletes. A study of non-athletes that appeared in the American Journal of Physiology showed similar results. Subjects who took HGH and started lifting weights didn't get any stronger or bigger than those who simply lifted weights.

The use of the hormone as a youth restorer is controversial. One study of healthy men between the ages of 61 and 81, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1990, found that HGH injections increased muscle mass, decreased body fat, and thickened the skin. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) however, has not approved the use of the hormone as an anti-aging therapy.

Three years after the NEJM study, the Hormone Research journal published a similar study of 19 older women that showed no such benefits. What's more, the apparent side effects -- including carpal tunnel syndrome and joint pain -- were so severe that only four women finished the study. A more recent review of clinical studies finds that use of HGH may lead to small changes in body composition, but that this potential benefit is far outweighed by its risks.

There are very few studies on the long-term -- or even short-term -- side effects of taking human growth hormone for non-medical reasons. But there's reason to suspect trouble. People who naturally produce too much of the hormone or have received medical treatment for growth failure often develop abnormal hearts, bones, and nerves, and are particularly likely to suffer from osteoporosis, heart failure, and other diseases. Sports medicine researchers at the University of Massachusetts, among other experts, suspect that long-term use of supplemental HGH could have similar consequences.

Be especially wary of over-the-counter supplements that claim to either contain HGH or enhance the body's production of the hormone. ConsumerLab.com, a commercial testing company, reviewed the ingredients in about a dozen such products and found that none contained enough amino acids or HGH to have any effect. The company also points out that because HGH is a complex molecule that breaks down quickly, over-the-counter pills and sprays wouldn't deliver the ingredients to your system fast enough anyway.

-- Chris Woolston, M.S., is a health and medical writer with a master's degree in biology. He is a contributing editor at Consumer Health Interactive, and was the staff writer at Hippocrates, a magazine for physicians. He has also covered science issues for Time Inc. Health, WebMD, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His reporting on occupational health earned him an award from the northern California Society of Professional Journalists.

Further Resources

Varro E. Tyler, PhD. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals. Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.

Andrew Weil, M.D. Natural Health, Natural Medicine. Houghton Mifflin, 1995, 1998.

References

First published January 13, 2000
Last updated November 9, 2007
Copyright © 2000 Consumer Health Interactive

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