Human growth hormone has become extremely popular in recent years. Until recently, it was very loosely monitored and dispensed freely by “anti-aging clinics”. Once it was discovered that men and women of all ages and walks of life – from young Olympia athlete, to professional football player, to active grandmother – were partaking in the HGH fountain of youth, its use was quickly regulated.
Why is HGH so popular?
Aside from its ability to boost lean muscle mass, increase energy levels, and reduce body fat, growth hormone is also highly effective at improving sports performance. In the last year, we’ve seen dozens of reports of professional football, baseball, hockey, and mixed martial arts athletes being caught for growth hormone usage. Why is it so popular with athletes?
Growth hormone promotes faster recovery. In a sports world where athletes are training harder to be faster and stronger, the man who can heal faster from a tough workout will be the man signing the bigger contract.
Growth hormone is an incredibly synergistic drug. When coupled with any other compound, the effects of both the HGH, and the other compound, are multiplied. This means stacking growth hormone with a simple oral steroid will make the steroid more effective, and will make the HGH more effective. For this multiplier effect, growth hormone is extremely popular in off-season regimens when athletes will often stack up the compounds.
Growth hormone helps to heal connective tissue injuries. In many contact sports, it is connective tissue injuries, which can be the most detrimental. They aren’t muscle injuries, which you can train to prepare for – they are joint failures from outside contact. Growth hormone makes them heal faster, which gets athletes back on the field faster.
Increased oxygen uptake is another side effect of growth hormone. Any athlete running 99 yards carrying a football, being chased by 11 angry men in pads, knows the importance of every bit of oxygen he can pull into the lungs.
There is not yet a great deal of studies that have been conducted on athletes using growth hormones. Most world-class athletes participate in sports, which ban the use of this compound, so use is secretive. Additionally, the media stigma of “steroids = cheating” means any athlete remotely linked to growth hormone use will lose endorsement opportunities. As time passes and more athletes retire and come forward with their details, the pieces of the puzzle of HGH and athletic performance will begin to come together.
