Have you ever heard of the term HGH?

What is the first thought that comes to your mind after hearing HGH?

Well, most people say that HGH is some sort of ‘man-made monstrosity’ just like many other steroids.

But what they don’t know is that this is just one side of the picture. To truly realize its potency, you must know the actual meaning and purpose of Human Growth Hormone(HGH).

Don’t worry, we have got it all covered!

Be it the usage of HGH or its functions, its benefits, or its results; dive into this article to know all the details about HGH!

What is HGH?

HGH stands for Human growth hormone, the other name of which is somatotropin. Growth hormones are made by the pituitary gland in the human brain and then these hormones are released in different parts of the body to promote growth.

The growth hormones are most actively released in children. Human growth hormones help in the development of all parts of the body such as the development of bone. The bones continue to grow at an early age until the growth plates of bones are bonded. Once that happens, HGH does not support a further increase in height.

Not only this but HGH is also needed in later stages of life to maintain the metabolism and structure/posture of your body.

P.S. Do you know what hormones are? Hormones are the type of chemicals released from the brain that work together with organs to perform multiple functions in your body, such as sending messages to your muscles, organs, and other tissues through your blood about what to do and when to do it.

Also, did you know? Our body makes around 50 hormones at a time, all of which work on your body simultaneously! (Dope! Isn’t it?)

When and why was man-made HGH made?

Before the late 19th century, the treatment of humans for growth hormone deficiency was very difficult. Growth hormones were removed from the donated brain of a dead person and given to patients who needed them at an extremely high price. Due to this lengthy process, it was difficult to treat many people, especially those with Creutzfled-Jakob disease (CJD).

It was in 1985 when synthetic human growth hormones(HGH) were made and officially approved by the FDA.

The question here is why Human Growth Hormone(HGH) is needed.

As the name suggests, human growth hormones(HGH) are needed when the body is unable to produce them on its own.

Because of its critical need, anyone who does not have sufficient levels of HGH will suffer from growth problems such as short stature, abnormal bones, and much more. This is why synthetic HGH is vital for children who have severely low HGH levels for proper height and bone development. It is also needed to recover from chronic illnesses such as kidney diseases and Turner’s syndrome.

Other than children, adults also use the HGH for various purposes such as enhanced muscle growth, etc. However, HGH can be only officially used after a prescription from health practitioners.

So how does a lack of Growth hormone occur?

There are many reasons behind this issue. But the 2 prominent ones are

● Damage to the hypothalamus, a part of the brain associated with HGH production
● Mutation in genes

The phase where this issue occurs is right before birth. Fetal development is a vital period in children’s brain development. This is the period in which the hypothalamus develops. Once the growth is not achieved properly, the hypothalamus is not able to communicate effectively with the body, resulting in decreased production of hormones.

The genetic mutation also plays a role in the hormone’s development. We have many cases around us where a random gene mutation causes horrific abnormalities in your body function. These are usually inherited from your family. The same is the case with hormone development.

Note: The important point to discuss here is that children with HGH deficiency are born normal. The growth hindrance becomes evident within 2 years of their birth. This deficiency is identified by doing radiography of bone epiphyses, to find out whether bone growth can be related to the child’s age.

Is there any case when HGH becomes high?

Yes, there is.

And although you may think of it as not much of a big deal, it actually is…

To state it simply, you will suffer from ‘acromegaly’ if your body produces HGH higher than the needed amount. Blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease are the common symptoms of an excess of human growth hormones. The reason for such excess is due to acromegaly.

Acromegaly is the term used for a hormone disorder. Acromegaly happens due to malfunctioning of the pituitary gland which produces excess hormones. This issue generally seems in adults.

Acromegaly is not common, and its effects can be seen after many years. Avoiding treatment of acromegaly would be life-threatening.

Below can be lifetime diseases if high HGH is left untreated.

● Type 2 diabetes
● Loss of vision
● Risk of cancerous tumors
● High cholesterol
● Hypertension
● Hair loss

What is the normal range of HGH?

Human growth hormone levels vary based on health, gender, and age.

From the medical point of view, checking the HGH level does not lead to any disease diagnosis, yet, it is crucial to know as a part of the suppression test. The normal range of HGH is as follows

Children: 10 – 50 nanogram(ng)/ milliliter(ml), or 440 – 2200 picomoles per liter (pmol/L)

Male Adult:  0.4 – 10 ng/ml, 18 – 44 pmol/L

Female Adult: 1 – 14 ng/ml, 44 – 616 pmol/L

Note: You may see a variation in the ranges from lab to lab. You should refer to the lab report accordingly to know the right value.

Benefits of Human Growth Hormones (HGH)

Human Growth Hormones(HGH) are not only helpful in recovering from disease but also have benefits such as anti-aging, lean muscles, etc. The benefits of HGH depend on what purpose they are used for.

Officially HGH is used for only medicinal purposes by children and adults in case of its deficiency, however many also use it for weight loss, and to increase muscle size.

Let’s discuss each benefit in detail:

●    Increased muscle strength

As per the research published in the International Journal of Endocrinology, a group of 14 people aged 50-70 was selected randomly. Half were then governed by HGH therapy, and the remaining were placed on a placebo for 6 months.

The results of that study show that the group with HGH therapy had a significant improvement in leg press responsiveness muscles.

Intake of HGH has been proven to improve physical health by boosting collagen synthesis in the muscle and tendons. This means your muscles are stronger than usual and you have more strength for intensive workout reps.

●    Fracture Healing

As age increases, the healing mechanism of your body slows down because it loses the required set of energy or metabolism to combat the loss rapidly. Children or young people are more likely to heal faster than adults aged more than 40 years.

Research has cited the beneficial effects of human growth hormones(HGH) in healing injuries and wounds. IGF-1, one of the growth factors, can help accelerate bone and muscle regeneration to speed up the recovery process.

●    Weight loss

Obesity is a real crisis in today’s world. Our sedentary lifestyle, among other things such as an unhealthy diet, has seriously triggered obesity. People have gained so much weight that they have lost hope to lose it. Obese people become prone to other related diseases as well.

Human growth hormones(HGH) are also less active in obese individuals. There was research conducted on 24 obese people, who were put on a hypocaloric diet and were treated with recombinant HGH(synthetic HGH).

Its results were astounding, HGH caused a two-fold increase in weight loss, with visceral fat being the greatest loss. Whereas, in the placebo group, people lost their lean body mass(muscles) as well as fat!

It was concluded that human growth hormones(HGH) play a curative role and can help obese people to lose weight.

●    Reduction in cardiovascular-related disease

Cardiovascular diseases are undoubtedly life-threatening. An individual with a deficiency of HGH is more prone to this disease than others.

A research conducted in Sweden suggested that lipoprotein metabolism is distorted in an individual with low growth hormones(HGH) and their life expectancy is also decreased.

●    Improving erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction(the inability to properly erect your penis) can be commonly seen in men nowadays. The main reason for it is unhealthy eating habits. Surplus intake of junk food and a nearly non-existent healthy diet is the main cause of this dysfunction.

This irregularity is often improved by the intake of HGH(human growth hormones). It has been proved by studies that the male reproduction system and sexual desire are linked with HGH levels.

Growth hormones assist the ‘corpus cavernosum smooth muscle’ through which penile erection is induced.

●    Good mood and cognitive function

Adults and children often face issues with their cognitive skills and are thus labeled as short-tempered. You may hear the terms ‘bad parenting’ or ‘awful character’ more often for such individuals. But what people don’t understand is that this is more than a behavioral issue.

Several studies state that people with fewer growth hormones have trouble concentrating, have low IQ, weak cognitive skills, and have unpredictable moods.

A six-month Lithuanian study on 18 patients investigated a significant change in cognitive skills and an improvement in mood in people after their HGH levels increased. Thus, HGH administration can be a possible treatment to improve cognitive behavior and moods of hormone-deficient people.

●    A good sleep

Fact check: Once you are asleep, the HGH pulsatile secretion rises, and it increases further after the first hour of sleep.

However, today, we are living in a world where people are working tirelessly to make ends meet. A hybrid working style has changed sleeping habits. Working hours are increased and sleeping hours are decreased.

People, who are facing sleep deprivation, are badly affected. These are people who do night jobs or prefer to study late. This lack of sleep changes brain function, which further affects the HGH release time.

As per a study by the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine, your HGH is badly affected if you do not sleep at night.

• Anti-aging effect

It is not yet proven but many believe that HGH reverses aging mainly due to its properties.

HGH is said to have an anti-aging effect when taken via injection. As HGH decreases when you grow older, wrinkles start appearing on your skin. It is said that HGH intake could give a boost to their growth hormones, hence, resulting in firmer and plumped-up skin.

However, be aware that HGH use without a doctor’s advice can be dangerous to you.

Functions of HGH

Human Growth hormone(HGH) maintains the growth and metabolism functions of the body. Without proper growth and balanced metabolism, you can’t live a long, healthy life.

Let’s discuss it in more detail:

HGH and Growth

Growth is vital for anyone to survive and adapt to the changes occurring within the body. HGH is a primary component needed for growth. Physical growth happens through Chondrocytes (the cells in cartilage) and Osteoblasts (the cells in bones), which receive signals from human growth hormones(HGH) to increase replication and allow more growth.

Children who are deficient in HGH are also sometimes seen as less confident or ill-minded, this is because HGH affects not only physical growth but also mental development in kids. Even some adults with this deficiency are not as active as others.

HGH plays a special role in the adolescent year during puberty. It has a growth-promoting effect on cartilage and bone which is necessary for young adults. The role of HGH is so diversified that almost every tissue and organ in your body is dependent on it for development.

HGH plays a major role in child development throughout his life, even after growth plates in bones have bonded. The height at this stage stops increasing, and then HGH is used for maintaining the body structure in later years.

HGH and metabolism

We need the energy to perform everyday tasks and this is provided to us through the metabolism of food, which is a flawless yet complex mechanism of our body that helps us digest the food and subsequently store and use the energy.

So how does HGH impact metabolism?

Metabolism is affected by the production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) by HGH. IGF-1 is a type of hormone similar to insulin that controls the effect of HGH in the body.

You must know that the main source of energy in the body is sugar, which is normally taken by carbohydrates in your food. Blood sugar is found in the blood that provides nutrients to organs, the nervous system, and our muscles.

However, control of sugar levels in your body is very important. Insulin plays an essential role in our body as it regulates our blood sugar levels. HGH functions in maintaining the level of insulin in your body. That is why human growth hormones are indispensable.

HGH normally increases the level of blood glucose in the body.  This is why if there are excess human growth hormones, insulin made by the pancreas may not work effectively and cause a pre-eminent sugar level in your blood.

Usage of Human Growth Hormone

After discussing the functions of HGH in detail, the importance of the human growth hormone must have become obvious to you.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that HGH is needed in the functioning of every part of our body. If our body is not capable of producing the required amount of HGH, then we would need growth hormone injections.

The development of height, muscles, and bone are all linked with the production of HGH.

For those in which the HGH secretion is ineffective, the usage of synthetic human growth hormones is approved by FDA for the specified purpose to treat only such children and adults.

Let’s look at the uses of HGH for men, women, and children separately.

In children

As the pituitary gland is produced before birth, the normal secretion of HGH cannot be judged until 2 years of birth. Usually, normal children have a low level of growth hormones.

Even though there is improvement seen in the production of HGH with time, some children are unable to produce any. To identify whether the child needs synthetic HGH, the symptoms mentioned below should be monitored closely:

• Obesity
• Looks younger than another child of the same age
• Short stature
• Delayed puberty

The use of synthetic HGH can be vital in getting children their required growth, muscle, and bone development.

Obesity is yet another issue that can also be controlled with a healthy diet and HGH injections.

In men

The purpose of HGH use in men is different from that of a child. Though the deficiency could be one of the reasons for its use, majorly synthetic HGH is used to

• Increase exercise capacity
• Muscle mass

The usage of HGH is most common among sportsmen or bodybuilders. With the core purpose to gain lean muscle by reducing fat and improving the strength to do more exercise, athletes prefer to take HGH injections most of the time.

There are many natural ways to increase HGH levels, but since the human growth hormones begin to decrease in middle-aged men, the first sign of aging starts to appear at the age of 35 in them. The signs can be memory loss, baldness, or low libido.

As per feedback given by the men on multiple platforms, the use of synthetic HGH has yielded positive results such as

• Skin tightening
• Improvement in erectile dysfunction
• Healthy hair
• Fat reduction

Note: the above uses are not scientifically proven and approved by authorities.

The approved use of Human Growth Hormones is for:

• Muscle wasting disease caused by HIV
• Hormone deficiency due to a pituitary tumor (pituitary gland is a part of the brain that makes hormones)
• Short bowel syndrome (a condition in which nutrients are not absorbed due to intestinal disease)

In Women

In comparison to men, HGH in women starts to decline from the age of 20, showing subtle aging signs such as

• Dry skin
• Prominent belly fat
• Wrinkles
• Thin hair

Fun fact: Women produce more HGH than men.

The injection of HGH can benefit women in improving their body-fat ratio and the plumpness of the skin.  It is also observed that the risk of osteoporosis is reduced when the level of HGH in women gets balanced by growth hormone injection.

Other than that, like men, sleep patterns, fat loss, productive immune systems, and good sleep patterns are also observed when HGH injections are taken by women.

Unsafe use of Human Growth Hormones(HGH)

HGH injections are widely used for purposes not approved by authorities. Athletes and bodybuilders, for example, use it by stacking it with anabolic steroids to enhance their performance.

Although the outcome of such use is yet to be proved, many online sellers still pitch it to the market as an effective treatment.

As you are aware that HGH levels decrease after a certain age, and there have been many speculations that manufacturers and marketers take advantage of this fact. You know with decreasing HGH levels, its aftereffects become more prominent on the body. The marketers address these pain points and cash on them without any proof. They claim that taking HGH injections will promote an anti-aging effect and can help you live longer as it increases energy and improves metabolism.

As of now, such a claim is invalid and not proven scientifically as many studies have failed to support this evidence. You must take extra precautions before buying HGH for any of these causes.

Results of Human growth hormone

The outcome depends on how much quantity has been used and the supervision it has been taken under. As HGH is a sensitive issue, a doctor’s advice is mandatory before taking it.

Remember that if it is taken for a purpose that is not defined and not proven by research, the results can be devastating.

Make sure to read below to be aware of the results in both ways.

If taken under medical expert supervision:

The most effective results of HGH injection if the doctor’s prescription is followed are mentioned below

●       Improved bone density and prevents fractures

Because HGH bolsters up your tissues and muscles, your bones get stronger and healthier after getting the required amount of HGH.

Such strengthening results are seen both in adults and children.

●       Increased muscle mass

As per claims, the body aims of bodybuilders and athletes are mostly achieved when they take HGH. Growth hormones give strength to them to tackle intense workouts, which in turn, helps them increase their lean body mass.

●       Increased energy levels

HGH’s prime purpose is to convert our food into energy by boosting our metabolism. Human growth hormones are the best for giving the required energy to our body, hence promoting perfect overall health.

●       Increased capacity for exercise

As the required energy levels are met, your stamina gets boosted as a result and this gives you more power for physically demanding workouts.  This indirectly increases our capacity to fight disease on our own. 

●       Reduction in body fat

Everyone wants to be fit and lose fat in the safest way possible. Well, as per many, HGH helps you lose fat weight, which is a primary reason for many health disorders. HGH injection helps both adults and children fight obesity, which ultimately gives a boost to their system to make their own HGH.

●       Reduce the risk of heart disease

Blood pressure, vein blockage, and diabetes are the most common diseases nowadays. Our static lifestyle has raised a need for solid measures to combat such diseases. Many claims that the result of HGH injection use is promising and helps you get your metabolism in line to reduce sugar levels in your body, which in turn reduces the risk of heart failure.

Research linked to HGH effect on anti-aging, muscle growth, and weight loss

There has been a long debate on the internet and among experts on the role of synthetic human growth hormones in anti-aging, growing muscle, and weight loss.

In summary, there are very limited and contradictory studies done on human growth and HGH’s role related to the above topic.

 Though it is seen that an individual can gain mass and reduce the amount of fat in the body, it is not clear whether HGH is the only factor behind this because there are other physical and psychological factors as well.

Growth hormone and aging:

As I have stated earlier, there is no scientific proof supporting the link between growth hormones and aging.

Let’s talk about it by discussing research that was done in 1989.

The researcher studied around 447 adults, whose average age was 69. Out of 447, 220 were those who received growth hormone, and the remaining did not. All of them also did moderate exercise. Two third of all were men and were overweight but not obese.

The research was conducted for 52 weeks, and the results were, surprisingly, quite confusing. Those who were not given growth hormone injections were found to gain a lean body mass and also shed body fat. However, there was no significant change in cholesterol, blood sugar, bone density, and insulin levels.

On the other hand, HGH recipients faced side effects such as joint pain, fluid retention, and breast enlargement. The research also concluded the possibility of cancer risk if the HGH volume being administered was increased.

Growth hormone and muscle/weight loss:

Weight loss correlation has been somehow found in studies but the side effects of it are inevitable.

A study in California was done on 500 volunteers. All the participants were young, had lean bodies, and were physically fit. 303 participants received HGH injections and the remaining received placebo.

After receiving HGH injections for 20 days daily, it was found that the individuals who were given HGH had increased lean body mass. The study further elaborated that the gain did not help in improving performance as it was merely fluid retention in muscle mass. In fact, such individuals experienced fatigue and had reduced exercise capacity.

All of these findings contradict the suggested claims otherwise.