Description
Growth hormone (growth hormone, STH, HGH, somatotropin, somatropin) is the peptide hormone of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, which is used in sports for the formation of muscle relief. Growth hormone or somatotropin (from the Latin soma – body) got its name because in young people it causes a pronounced acceleration of linear (long) growth, mainly due to the growth of long tubular bones of the extremities. The basal concentration of growth hormone in the blood is 1-5 ng / ml, during the peaks can rise to 10-20 and even 45 ng / ml.
Pharmacological properties
Anabolic action – causes muscle growth
Anti-catabolic action – inhibits the destruction of muscles
Reduces the fatty layer
Improves energy use
Accelerates wound healing
Has a rejuvenating effect
Stimulates the repeated growth of internal organs (atrophy with age)
It causes bone growth and increases growth in young people to 26 years (before the closure of growth zones), strengthens the bones
Increases blood glucose levels
Strengthens immunity
Age-related changes in the secretion of growth hormone
The secretion of growth hormone declines steadily with age. It is minimal in the elderly, in whom both the basal level and the frequency and amplitude of the secretion peaks decrease. The basal level of somatotropin is maximal in early childhood, the amplitude of the peak secretion is highest in adolescents during the period of intensive linear growth and puberty.
Daily rhythms of the secretion of growth hormone
Secretion of somatotropin, like many other hormones, occurs periodically and has several peaks during the day (usually the secretion peak occurs every 3-5 hours). The highest peak is observed at night, about an hour after falling asleep.
Growth Hormone in Bodybuilding
Initially, growth hormone drugs began to be used for medical purposes, but almost simultaneously this hormone was widely used in sports, which is associated with its ability to increase muscle mass and reduce fat. The first preparations of growth hormone were an extract of the pituitary gland of corpses and only in 1981 a recombinant drug of somatotropin was made.
In 1989, somatotropin was banned by the Olympic Committee. Despite the fact that the use of somatotropin for athletic purposes is prohibited, in the last decade the sales of the drug have increased several times. Mainly, growth hormone is used in sports, especially in bodybuilding, where it is combined with other anabolic drugs.
