Does HGH Treatment Really Enhance Performance?

Since 1990s, Human Growth Hormone is popularly known to be a performance booster by the way it impacted on the athletes’ ability, both in a good and bad way.

HGH is among the drugs prescribed by Anthony Galea, a popular American sports medicine physician, who is accused guilty to have prescribed HGH to a number of athletes, including Tiger Woods, the sprinter Donovan Bailey and the swimmer Dara Torres to increase their performance. Although not quite sure, the matter is still being investigated by the American authorities.

Galea, using HGH since the past one decade himself is a firm believer of the restorative powers held in HGH. But according to many physicians and medical researchers state that the athletes who cheat by using HGH may end up being cheated themselves.

In the past, HGH had a vast athlete following considering it to be the ultimate performance-enhancer. But in recent times, the use of this boosting hormone and any related HGH Therapy has been banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Although banned in The US, in Canada HGH is however approved to be used in children with severe growth problems, H.I.V. patients facing muscle wasting, and people who have lost weight due to surgical removal of small intestine.

Apart from reviving performance levels, HGH may hold potential side effects s well including cardiovascular problems, diabetes, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, glucose intolerance, colon polyps, skin growths, excessive sweating and serious headaches. Moreover, constant and consistent use of HGH can lead to abnormal bone growth in the face, head, hands and feet.

Among the benefits, HGH is acknowledged to reduce body fat, increases lean muscle mass, increases energy and strength, increases bone density – all leading towards enhanced performance levels. According to the supporters, HGH does not act directly. Rather it encourages the body to produce insulin-like growth factor I.G.F.-1 in the liver, which is then delivered to the blood stream triggering growth and amplifying performance among the users.