Login or Register

Human Growth Hormone for Lean Body Mass

Jul 22, 2011 | By Tomas Linnaeus
Human Growth Hormone for Lean Body Mass
Photo Credit Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images

The pituitary gland -- located deep in your brain -- synthesizes and releases many types of hormones. These substances include chemicals known to regulate development. The natural growth hormone somatotropin plays an important role in recovery from injury. A synthetic form, somatropin, increases lean body mass in healthy adults, according to May 2010 report in the "Annals of Internal Medicine." Somatropin also benefits patients with a broad range of medical conditions. Consult a doctor before taking human growth hormone -- also known as HGH.

Older Adults

Aging makes it difficult for you to maintain your body composition. Older adults usually gain body fat and lose muscle mass, according to a May 2011 review in the "Medical Clinics of North America." Taking growth hormone might help reverse these trends. An experiment described in the February 2006 issue of the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" looked at the effect of HGH on healthy, older adults. Participants self-administered growth hormone injections each night for six months. Relative to placebo, this treatment increased lean body mass without causing allergic reactions. It did, however, increase subjective ratings of discomfort, as a few subjects reported joint pain.

Hemodialysis Patients

Patients with kidney problems often require hemodialysis to remove waste products from their bodies. This process sometimes removes too much fluid, causing vitamin deficiencies, according to a June 2011 report in "Acta Physiologica Hungarica." These losses make it difficult for hemodialysis patients to control their body weight. An investigation presented in the July 2007 edition of the "Journal of the American Society of Nephrology" evaluated HGH as a potential treatment for hemodialysis-related weight loss. Adults currently receiving hemodialysis were given either the growth hormone or an inert treatment for six months. Taking HGH increased muscle mass and decreased body fat. It also improved quality of life without producing side effects.

Prader-Willi Patients

Children with Prader-Willi syndrome suffer the consequences of a variety of birth defects. These children often have phases of insatiable appetite, causing them to become obese, according to a May 2011 review in the "American Journal of Medical Genetics." Prader-Willi patients are short in stature, so doctors typically give them HGH to increase their height. A clinical trial offered in the February 2011 issue of "Hormone Research in Pediatrics" evaluated this treatment's impact on body composition. Children received regular HGH injections for three years. Relative to controls, the Prader-Willi patients showed an above-average rate of growth. The children became taller and they also gained lean body mass. Some children displayed back curvature -- a finding that raises safety concerns about taking growth hormone.

Short Bowel Syndrome

Having your small intestine removed can lead to difficulty processing food. Patients with this condition -- short bowel syndrome -- often experience a diarrhea that prevents them from maintaining their weight, according to an October 2010 article in "Surgeon." Taking growth hormone might help these patients gain weight by improving nutrient absorption. An analysis published in the June 2010 edition of the "Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews" evaluated five reports addressing this question. These studies consistently show HGH-related improvements in body composition and energy absorption. Patients with short bowel syndrome taking HGH have greater lean body mass than those taking placebo. Yet, the effects of growth hormone disappear once patients stop supplementation.

References

Article reviewed by GlennK Last updated on: Jul 22, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments