What Every Fitness Fanatic Should Know About the Benefits of HGH for Building Muscle

A growing number of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) products are becoming available in the marketplace. They are frequently used by athletes, including a high percentage of body builders, to accelerate the process of increasing lean muscle mass. Various concoctions are available in capsules, sprays and injectable form, so it is quite convenient to use HGH – but is it safe and effective?
HGH has been a hot topic for discussion among bodybuilders for several years now. Many people who have experimented with HGH to build muscle have reported responding well to the formula, and this anecdotal evidence from early users made it the most sought-after supplement for bodybuilding in the current market.
The use of HGH to build muscle is still quite controversial, with contradictory studies presently causing some confusion, while ongoing research attempts to sort it all out. There are many different opinions on the issue, from a variety of reputable sources. So the first thing you should know is this: The jury is still out.
A personal choice
It is always advisable to consult your primary physician before you start using any hormone product to augment your bodybuilding regimen (or any other reason, of course). All of the variables will come into consideration at this time, including age, general health, rationale for using HGH, the workout plan and so forth. Because of the range of effects, and the incomplete state of the science, it is a very personal decision whether or not to use HGH, and it is important to continue learning about the substance even (or, especially) after you have decided to take it.
One of the better established findings, however, is that HGH can be effective in older men who try to build body muscle mass. Teenagers and pubescent boys who are involved in bodybuilding probably not require this type of supplement, unless they are diagnosed with an HGH hormone shortage in their growing period.
HGH is in all humans, and is more prevalent during childhood. Its role is to support tissue growth, including the rapid growth during puberty and early adulthood, in the human body. As we age, the production decreases, and overall levels trend downwards following their peak in the teen years. Therefore, a bodybuilder in his 30s, or older, may in fact require hormone supplements to improve the muscle mass gain from the exercise regimen.
The marketing and the facts
HGH is now used quite widely to build muscle mass. For the convenience of the users, manufacturers are making such different forms as injections, capsules and sprays, delivering a variety of products in different form and with various brand names. Companies of diverse types – from Big Pharma and the health and wellness sector to the herbal industry – have entered the market, with all kinds of different approaches. They also make all kinds of different claims.
Some firms are producing supplements that are all natural, and asserting that they are safer than chemical-based hormones. Some other companies even suggest that doing specific exercises while taking their supplements will increase the level of HGH, without resorting to “dangerous drugs.” However, synthetic compounds are not the only ones that have drawbacks – “all natural” ones do, too.
Unlike most hormones used by bodybuilders, HGH is not a steroid, but a “proteinaceous hormone” comprising a chain of 191 amino acids. It was first isolated in the late 1970s in a biological form, extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers. Like everything extracted from dead bodies, it imposed a serious disease risk (Kreutzfeld-Jacob disease, etc.), so there was little demand for it, either legally or on the black market. Scientists succeeded in manufacturing a genetic form of HGH in the 1990s, however, which made it usable, if not immediately affordable.
Due to the availability of this safer form, a number of top-level athletes began showing an interest. With drug tests making the most effective anabolic steroids forbidden territory for pro athletes, some began using HGH. There are many anecdotal reports of it working, although the clinical trials are still being conducted and there is no consensus as yet.
Bottom line
HGH is a very mythical, mysterious and even mystical compound, and it is not well understood even by its biggest backers. Professional athletes will use it in high doses as part of an overall exercise regimen, and make obvious improvements, while most “recreational” users (who are not professional athletes) will settle for lower doses and get less dramatic results, at least in terms of lean muscle mass increase.
So the research continues. There are some human studies that appear to show positive effects, while others conclude that HGH supplementation offers little or no benefit in building muscle mass. It can be terribly expensive, for injections at any rate, while extremely effective steroids can be bought at low cost with a mouse click or a trip to the mall. Considering the downside of steroids, of course, even the mere hope of HGH working will keep professional athletes and bodybuilders interested.
Whether or not you will benefit from HGH may depend on many variables, not all of which will be clear or well defined. The best you can do is stay on top of the research, continue to ask the hard questions and keep “harm reduction” at the top of your to-do list when it comes to chemical supplements, natural or otherwise. There is exciting new research being done on natural ways to stimulate your own HGH production, so there will be plenty to read on the subject of HGH for some time to come.

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