The study showing no HGH effects is a joke...
Hmmm. The article mentioned is a review of 44 other articles, not original research, so it is a little unfair to label it a joke unless they missed many important studies (do you know any? You should bring them to the attention of the authors). They also mention the same limitation that you do.
Below is a summary of the review. Assuming they did a decent job of surveying the available studies, the fault seems to lie in the dearth of such studies at dosages that are typically used. They also mention that athletic performance itself is not often measured in the studies.
The Outside magazine article linked by Anna is fascinating reading in a morbid way, and pretty spooky. I felt like it was an alternative universe version of "Supersize Me." Yech, who would want to do that stuff.
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Purpose: To evaluate evidence about the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance in physically fit, young individuals.
Data Sources: We reviewed the MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Collaboration databases for English-language studies published between January 1966 and October 2007.
Study Selection: Randomized, controlled trials that compared growth hormone treatment with no growth hormone treatment in community-dwelling healthy participants between 13 and 45 years of age.
Data Extraction: 2 authors independently reviewed articles and abstracted data.
Data Synthesis: 44 articles describing 27 study samples met inclusion criteria. 303 participants received growth hormone, representing 13.3 person-years of treatment. Participants were young (mean age, 27 years ), lean (mean body mass index, 24 kg/m2 ), and physically fit (maximum oxygen uptake, 51 mL/kg of body weight per minute ). Growth hormone dosage (mean, 36 µg/kg per day ) and treatment duration (mean, 20 days for studies giving growth hormone for >1 day) varied. Lean body mass increased in growth hormone recipients compared with participants who did not receive growth hormone (increase, 2.1 kg ), but strength and exercise capacity did not appear to improve. Lactate levels during exercise were statistically significantly higher in 2 of 3 studies that evaluated this outcome. Growth hormone–treated participants more frequently experienced soft tissue edema and fatigue than did those not treated with growth hormone.
Limitations: Few studies evaluated athletic performance. Growth hormone protocols in the studies may not reflect real-world doses and regimens.
Conclusion: Claims that growth hormone enhances physical performance are not supported by the scientific literature. Although the limited available evidence suggests that growth hormone increases lean body mass, it may not improve strength; in addition, it may worsen exercise capacity and increase adverse events. More research is needed to conclusively determine the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance.
The study showing no HGH effects is a joke...
Hmmm. The article mentioned is a review of 44 other articles, not original research, so it is a little unfair to label it a joke unless they missed many important studies (do you know any? You should bring them to the attention of the authors). They also mention the same limitation that you do.
Below is a summary of the review. Assuming they did a decent job of surveying the available studies, the fault seems to lie in the dearth of such studies at dosages that are typically used. They also mention that athletic performance itself is not often measured in the studies.
The Outside magazine article linked by Anna is fascinating reading in a morbid way, and pretty spooky. I felt like it was an alternative universe version of "Supersize Me." Yech, who would want to do that stuff.
**********Snip*************
Purpose: To evaluate evidence about the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance in physically fit, young individuals.
Data Sources: We reviewed the MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, and Cochrane Collaboration databases for English-language studies published between January 1966 and October 2007.
Study Selection: Randomized, controlled trials that compared growth hormone treatment with no growth hormone treatment in community-dwelling healthy participants between 13 and 45 years of age.
Data Extraction: 2 authors independently reviewed articles and abstracted data.
Data Synthesis: 44 articles describing 27 study samples met inclusion criteria. 303 participants received growth hormone, representing 13.3 person-years of treatment. Participants were young (mean age, 27 years ), lean (mean body mass index, 24 kg/m2 ), and physically fit (maximum oxygen uptake, 51 mL/kg of body weight per minute ). Growth hormone dosage (mean, 36 µg/kg per day ) and treatment duration (mean, 20 days for studies giving growth hormone for >1 day) varied. Lean body mass increased in growth hormone recipients compared with participants who did not receive growth hormone (increase, 2.1 kg ), but strength and exercise capacity did not appear to improve. Lactate levels during exercise were statistically significantly higher in 2 of 3 studies that evaluated this outcome. Growth hormone–treated participants more frequently experienced soft tissue edema and fatigue than did those not treated with growth hormone.
Limitations: Few studies evaluated athletic performance. Growth hormone protocols in the studies may not reflect real-world doses and regimens.
Conclusion: Claims that growth hormone enhances physical performance are not supported by the scientific literature. Although the limited available evidence suggests that growth hormone increases lean body mass, it may not improve strength; in addition, it may worsen exercise capacity and increase adverse events. More research is needed to conclusively determine the effects of growth hormone on athletic performance.
