History 

  A class of performance enhancing anabolic hormones that were first developed in the 1930’s to treat diseases of the male reproductive system, as well as to combat the ravages of various wasting diseases. They were also employed in the months after World War II to help the emaciated victims of German and Japanese concentration camps.

 Use to gain a competitive advantage has existed for at least 2000 years.  The sports competitors of ancient Greece supposedly used stimulants to gain an edge on their fellow competitors. As early as the third century B.C., asses hooves and roses were ground and boiled in oil, and given to athletes in the belief that it would improve their athletic performance. While the name anabolic steroids has captured the attention of the public, many do not realize that steroids have only been used in sports for the past 60 years. 
 
 Synthetic testosterone is a byproduct of over a century’s research into hormones. Early researchers were not attempting to find substances that could improve athletic performance; rather they were searching for the fountain of youth. In 1889 Dr. Brown-Sequard, upon injecting himself with an extract derived from dog testicles, claimed a rejuvenating effect (he was 72 at the time), especially when it came to satisfying his new young wife. But he was not taken seriously by his colleagues, his wife walked out, and he died five years later.
 
 Dr. Laqueur, a German pharmacologist, succeeded in isolating crystals from bull testicles in 1935. The chemistry of the crystals was determined by Dutch chemists and given the name testosterone. In the same year, Swiss chemists succeeded in synthesizing | testosterone from cholesterol. Researchers discovered that some of these newly synthesized drugs, which chemically belonged to a class of compounds called performance enhancing Hormones, could cause muscle building (anabolic) effects. Therefore they were called. It wasn't long before and athletes of all kinds were in the market to buy Steroids.

 
 These drugs (together with other hormone preparations) were so successful clinically, that they became very profitable to market. German scientists held most of the patents for industrial synthesis of hormone preparations and formed a cartel to control production, and drove up prices, in a manner similar to modern day OPEC.  The cartel was broken in 1938 when a British group of scientists developed a cheaper method of synthesis of androgenic hormones.
 

First it was anabolic steroids and now we have HGH (Growth Hormone)

For over 40 years anabolic steroids have been the dominant drugs in bodybuilding. But since the early 1990’s, another performance enhancing drug has burst on the scene – Human growth hormone!

Growth hormone, also known as HGH, is a protein hormone made up of about 190 amino acids that is synthesized and released by the anterior pituitary gland. It plays numerous roles in the body including regulating growth and metabolism.

Physiologic Effects
HGH works by binding to what are called receptors on target cells. For example fat cells have HGH receptors, and once stimulated cause the breakdown of triglycerides. HGH also decreases fat cells ability to take up and store circulating lipids.

Besides its direct effects, HGH stimulates the production of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) by the liver and other tissues. In fact much of HGH’s growth promoting effects are actually due to IGF-I stimulating target cells.

Growth effects
Unlike anabolic steroids, which primarily stimulate muscle growth, HGH seems to play a role in the growth of numerous tissues including bone, muscles, and organs. The major bone stimulating function of human growth hormone is to increase the liver’s other tissues’ output of IGF-I. IGF-I in-turn stimulates the production of cartilage cells (chondrocytes), resulting in bone growth. Boosting IGF-1 levels also appears to be the key player in muscle growth. It does this by stimulating both the differentiation and numbers of myoblasts (muscle cells). It also plays a role increasing amino acid uptake and protein synthesis in muscles and other tissues.
It’s not fully understood how HGH increases organ growth, but one look at a pro bodybuilding lineup is proof that it is occurring. The 30-inch waists of the 1970’s and 1980’s have in many cases been replaced by 40-inches of protruding bellies. Although not proven, it is believed that the pregnancy look is caused by excessive growth hormone use.

Control by feedback
HGH production is regulated by numerous factors, including exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress. Its primary controllers, however, are two hormones secreted by the hypothalamus gland one hormone secreted by the stomach.

The first hypothalamic hormone is called growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). It is a peptide hormone that stimulates both the synthesis and release of HGH.

The second hormone is called Somatostatin. It’s also a peptide hormone produced by the hypothalamus; although other tissues in the body can produce it. Unlike GHRH, Somatostatin shuts down HGH production in response to high levels of HGH and/or low blood glucose levels.

The stomach plays a role in HGH secretion by releasing the peptide hormone, Ghrelin. Ghrelin binds to receptors on the anterior pituitary called somatotrophs, causing them to secrete growth hormone.

HGH diseases
Most of what we know about HGH comes from work done with HGH deficient individuals. When HGH levels are insufficient during the growing years, the condition known as dwarfism occurs. Such individuals usually measure less than four feet in height. Conversely too much HGH and the individuals become giants. The tallest man on record was Robert Waldow who stood 8”11’.
To combat the effects of HGH deficiency, scientists started producing it in the lab. Initially the only sources were from cadavers (dead people) but in some cases such preparations contained lethal viruses. The process was also very expensive which limited treatment to the very wealthy. But modern recombinant DNA technology has eliminated the virus risks and dropped the prices considerably.

Use in sports
As with anabolic steroids decades before, bodybuilders quickly started adding Human Growth Hormone to their stacks and cycles when they heard about its muscle-building and fat burning properties. Since the early 1990’s the average weight of a pro bodybuilder has gone up by an average of 30 pounds. In fact many pros who weighed 230-240 pounds for years, suddenly turned up on stage six months later weighing 260 pounds!
Many consider HGH a plateau-busting drug. This means that individuals who have obtained all they can from steroids can break through to new levels by taking HGH.
Of course there are risks. Earlier we mentioned the increased gut size of many bodybuilders. There is also a condition called acromeglia to consider. As growth hormone stimulates bone growth, sometimes there will be a build up of bone material around the joints. The two areas most noticeable on bodybuilders are the elbows and forehead.