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Myth Meets Science
Nor is it possible to take the findings from studies done on the elderly and the sick and apply them to elite athletes. The research that showed an increase in muscle mass and reduction of body fat in older men, for example, failed to show a corresponding increase in strength, endurance or exercise capability. In other words, bigger does not always mean stronger or faster. That has not dissuaded professional athletes from injecting the drug, however. By some estimates, more than 7 percent of major-league baseball players have used HGH. Its popularity is no doubt fueled in part by the fact that there are currently no effective tests for the substance.
Even if there were, some wonder whether it makes sense to forbid the use of HGH by professional athletes in the first place. Since there is no scientific evidence that it enhances performance (there's no evidence that it aids recovery, either), they ask, what's the point of banning it? "Elite athletes know their own bodies," says Charles Yesalis, a sports-doping expert at Penn State. "Maybe we should let them do what they want." Perhaps. Or at least until the science catches up with the myths.
© 2008
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Member Comments
Posted By: hormoneharry @ 04/04/2008 3:47:38 PM
Comment: To brymarbuch.
Ahh winge winge winge. Your so self centered. All you did there was complain about your daughters griping on having to inject the drug and snipe at illegal users. And so what if illegal users do affect the price (not that you have a clue either way) your insurance paid for it all that time anyway!
Posted By: hormoneharry @ 04/04/2008 1:12:34 PM
Comment: I get my Crack from WonderRX.com. Their research showed it was beneficial to my being a bit introverted and they were right, now im real-outgoing. I was wasting a lot of money on street grade cocaine but now i get medicinal quality Crack from WonderRX.com and feel great. Theres a lot of bad press out there regarding Crack, but WonderRX.com are legitimate .com dealers with a picture of a Dr and everything.
Posted By: brymarbuch @ 03/06/2008 12:51:23 PM
Comment: My daughter gave herself daily human growth hormone shots for about seven years. She is one of the legitimate users of the hormone, a brain cancer survivor whose pituitary gland was damaged by the radiation treatments that saved her life. Human growth hormone is medically necessary for those that don't produce it naturally on their own. Those who don't use HGH for a medical reason are drug abusers. The problem with HGH abusers is that they make it more difficult for legitimate users to get the drug paid for through their insurance companies. My daughter didn't grow for two years after finishing her cancer treatment at age eight, but she still had to go through several blood tests and growth hormone stimulation tests to convince the insurance company that she really needed it. When we changed insurance, we held our breath until we found out whether it was still covered, since we'd never be able to afford to pay for it ourselves.
It made me laugh to read that so many drug abusers believe that HGH works so well since my daughter never believed it worked at all and complained bitterly about doing the injections when she didn't seem to be getting any taller. It did work but not dramatically; she grew about a foot after seven years and tens of thousands of dollars. I wonder what effect illegal use has on the cost of the drug? I'm sure that illegally produced HGH doesn't make it cheaper for those of us that have to get it through proper channels.
My daughter stopped doing HGH shots last year at age 17 after reaching her adult height of about 5 feet, taller than she started out, but shorter than she should be since her mom is 5 feet 6 inches and her dad is 5 feet 11 inches tall. We realize this was a "small" price to pay for beating cancer and saving her life. Her doctor says she should continue the shots at a smaller adult dose to maintain her metabolism. Some studies have shown that adults with pituitary damage have a higher risk of heart attacks and obesity, but the information isn't complete yet. We don't know if our new insurance company will cover this use or what testing she''ll have to undergo to prove it's necessary.
I'd prefer that scientists research the effectiveness and necessity of growth hormone for those that actually need it, not those who only think they need it. Researchers should study how growth hormone can better help my daughter and others like her before they determine if it helps athletes perform better and movie stars feel younger and more toned.