HGH

[The Saint]

Any thoughts on this stuff?

 

I see USN has realesed an HGH suppliment called HGH 550 stimulator. There is not too much info about HG on the net and its effects.

 

I know a few of the pros have been banned for having abnormal HG levels so would the USN stuff also put you over the limit were you to be tested at a race?

[The Saint]

Ok so seeing that nobody posted anything on this subject I found an article which makes for some interesting reading - not sure weather to continue with my bottle of USN stuff now??

 

Have a look at the suppliments you take and you may just find that a few of them contain HGH which once again raises the point of weather this stuff is legal in cycling or not. Supplimentary doses may not be adequate enough to alter you HGH level to raise the alarm in a drug test but I am sure that injecting the stuff would do so.

 

Please also bear in mind that this article is written by a bodybuilder but in the same breath HGH is rife in cyclists.

Human Growth Hormones

With thousands of supplements to rave about, an entire cloaked market of potent steroids and the debate about their legalization, why on earth would anyone want to discuss Human Growth Hormone (HGH)? Hasn't it been proven totally useless as a muscle builder?

Well, if that were true then why is every pro on the circuit injecting massive amounts of the stuff into his already crowded veins? It should be obvious that HGH is one of the most active hormones in the world today. The miracles of testosterone have amazed the world of bodybuilding with its regular turnout of 300-pound behemoths and she-men, but GH is another story altogether.

When you take into account that hormones may hold the secret to stopping aging in its tracks and that GH is the hormone produced on the largest scale in the human body, it may be our own fountain of youth. I'm not saying that if you start injecting large amounts of an illegal substance you'll live to be 200, there is also the matter of tissue resistance, but again: every little bit helps.

GH starts to decline in the body as we grow older. After the age of 30 it declines by 25 percent every decade, so by the time you hit 60 you are operating at 25 percent of original capacity. If HGH was present in the same amount throughout our lives we'd easily live to 140, be several inches taller and a lot more muscular.

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The Benefits of HGH
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Growth hormone was discovered in the 1920's and was isolated in the form of somatotropin in 1956. The benefits of HGH are immense, even today new research pops up regularly that reveals new uses for it. HGH is present in the body at a rate of 500 micrograms at any time in the blood of males between the ages of 20 and 30.

It's produced by the anterior pituitary gland under the stimulation of the Hypothalamus (like LH, the testosterone precursor). The effects on our system are tremendous:

HGH promotes and increases the synthesis of new protein tissues, such as in muscle recovery or repair. This is the way new muscle is built.

Recent research suggests its involvement in the metabolism of body-fat and its conversion to energy sources. Tests were conducted in obese people and medical use in treating obesity was proven beyond a doubt. Pro's have used GH as a way of maintaining and increasing lean mass while dieting for years.

It improves the sleeping pattern, makes for less unintended awakenings and betters REM-stage sleep.

HGH produces more energy

It may improve sexual performance

It builds stronger bones

Improves the quality and duration of heart and kidneys

So you can tell the benefits are not few. What's an even bigger card in the weighing of HGH against testosterone and its derivatives is that it is not androgenic, causes no aromatization and shows no side effects in limited doses. It just makes you bigger, huge even in combination with testosterone.

It is believed that we may benefit from doses up to 1 to 1.5 mg in the bloodstream. That is somewhere in the optimal range for natural GH.

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How do I up my GH?
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Well that's the point everyone was hoping I'd get to. The ways to improving GH concentration is by utilizing the 4 areas of bodybuilding: Training, rest, nutrition and supplementation.

" src="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ar.jpg"> Training:

The first way of stimulating GH release naturally is training. Working out, putting the body under extreme stress, I'm sure it's something none of you are unfamiliar with. Intense workouts, energy-consuming events and long periods of physical exhaustion are keys in releasing more Growth Hormone because these catabolic states require extra protein synthesis and in case of lack of energy, fat metabolization to make up for glycogen depletion.

This is no doubt the most potent kind of GH release as it's targeted to meet the demands of the bodybuilder. Of course I'm not telling you anything new when I'm saying you have to work out to gain muscle mass. I hope. Moreover the production of this GH is a direct reaction to a catabolic state that is not wishful to those looking for gains.

The only interesting I can tell you is this: I learned this in my first year of physiology. GH can be manipulated. The general rule of thumb when working out is never to train longer than 45 minutes because that's when GH tapers off and cortisol production sets in. But the half-life of HGH can be influenced.

If you train 40 minutes for a month and increase it by 2 minutes every month, after 10 months, you could train for an hour without inducing a catabolic state. No one has ever tested how far you can push the envelope, but is a proven fact. At this point I see no use for working out longer than an hour. Anyone using moderate to heavy intensity should be able to finish 25 sets in that time.

The highest I use at this time, being a competitor myself, is 22 sets for back. Since I'm still growing I assume that's enough. And since you have to match recovery to training intensity and vice versa, 25 or more sets would nescessitate at least 4500 to 5000 calories, maybe more. My stomach just isn't that big.

" src="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ar.jpg"> Rest:

75 percent of your total daily HGH output is produced while sleeping, and most of that in REM sleep. This again stresses the need for a good night's sleep, in case that hadn't quite dawned on you. Though cat naps may further your case a bit, it's unlikely that you can induce a deep enough sleep to start producing GH.

This GH, in any case, is not near as potent as the other kinds because it is produced as a response to a need for sleep protection and a need for energy repletion for the next day, not so much in response to a need for EXTRA energy. But I think everyone understands that without this amount of GH other sources of GH will not be used as efficiently. Getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep is a sacrifice everyone should consider making if you want to get big in a hurry.

Also the regularity of your sleeping pattern could promote more REM cycles and result in more hormonal output. So keeping steady hours of rest is beneficial. If you are one to stay out late on weekends it may be best to still wake up at the same time instead of sleeping in. Otherwise you may disturb your sleeping pattern.

If you are used to sleeping from 10 to 8 and in the weekend you get home at 1, sleep until 8 and add a 1-hour nap every afternoon for the next 3-days to make up for the lack of sleep. But if at all possible maintain steady hours.

" src="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ar.jpg"> Nutrition:

Most likely the most important section of the article, and that of the most interest to the natural bodybuilder looking to make the most of his GH. Naturally I have to ask you to take the past two paragraphs into regard before continuing here. You can't expect gains from nutrition or supplementation if your recovery is not adequately adapted.

The search for natural GH secretagogues (secrete and agogue (to teach), so literally to teach to secrete or induce the production of) begins with the most basic of nutrients. Yup you guessed it (or you read it in the previous article): amino acids. But for aminos to have a good effect you need to make sure that 15-20 percent of your diet consists of clean fats. These induce cholesterol, the storage of the base-hormone in the body that leads to the manufacture of most steroidogenic hormones.

The ultimate goal of this paragraph is to give you a complete stack, with amounts, of amino acids that can synergistically produce more GH, but any of them should further the case. I'll list them in order of importance (in this instance, this is not the importance of the amino in the diet).

The doses I'm about to give you are the best range for maximizing GH in a pre-workout stack. If you have anti-aging properties in mind, smaller doses will work as well.

Arginine (5-8 g) or arginine Pyroglutamate,I hinted at this in my last article, are prime movers in the production of natural GH.

Ornithine (4-7 g) works synergistically with arginine, from which it is derived. Together they have the best impact.

Glutamine (5 g) or Glutamine Peptides preserve the use of arginine in depleted circumstances.

Glycine (3-10 g)

OKG (3 g) is very expensive, but useful

BCAA's (3-6 g) for musclebuilding properties, enhanced by GH.

GABA and Lysine in trace amounts, but since they may inhibit the other amino's, it would be best to take these at different times.

Other dietary sources of GH promoting nutrients are Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), Vitamin B3 and most anti-oxidants. Take your stack, which ever amino's it ends up consisting of, 45 minutes prior to your workout for maximal levels of Growth Hormone. On non-workout days, take your stack either before bed or in the morning, both on an empty stomach.

If you wish to learn more about specific amino acids in this stack, or others that may be of benefit to your training regimen, I refer you to the previous article about amino acids. This stack is more than adequate to boost HGH gains by 50 percent. If I hadn't convinced you of the use of protein to gain muscle, the potential amount of GH you get from maintaining protein levels should make you change your mind.

Whey protein especially, and dessicated liver are high in arginine levels. Gearing protein intake to specific goals could be a motivation to keep up the work on the nutritional end of things.

" src="http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ar.jpg"> Supplementation:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/aly/original.jpgNo I'm not telling you to inject GH. Until it becomes legal and then still under a doctor's supervision, I don't suggest you use it. GH supplementation has many benefits though. It increases the protein synthesizing effect of testosterone and causes growth in muscle tissue. Unlike most steroidogenic substances it is currently undetectable in drug tests.

What's more, in small doses it exerts no side effects. In large doses it may be very harmful however.

Too much natural GH causes a condition called acromegaly. A person's muscles grow, but so do his bones, his face, his intestines. Not funny, huh? Plus the muscle you gain on GH is not functional. GH causes no gains in strength. Larger muscles naturally increases strength a little, but without training of the tendons and attachments, no strength increase is noticeable.

The enlarged intestines are what cause the bloated guts on stage in Mr. Olympia contests. Only two substances cause this bloating: IGF-1 (insulin-like Growth factor 1) and HGH. Pros swear by the stuff. It's relatively new to the market as well. For a long time the only source of GH was from cadavers.

This held a great risk of infection with BSE (Kreutzfeld-Jakob disease) a debilitating disease that leads to death in weeks and is currently a hot topic because of recent cases in the European bovine stock as a result of processing animal waste in animal food. Now it's available as somatotropin, synthethized outside the body.

So why did I bring up supplementation if it's illegal? Well how do you suppose you make an illegal drug a legal supplement? In the States there is a law that says that you can sell certain substances over the counter if they are below a certain concentration. So GH is currently being sold as a supplement, though suspended in alcohol. It is supposed to be absorbed sublingually (under the tongue) or through the nasal glands (in the nose).

It's small enough to do this and yields high rates. It can't survive the digestive process and find a way into the blood through ingestion and the only other way is to inject it, which makes it illegal again. The law is the same one that allows ephedrine in fat-loss supps and pseudo-ephedrine in cold-medicine.

The GH we are talking about here is not very effective, nor very cheap, but it pays off as a recovery supplement. I tried it once taking a few drops sublingually after every workout. I didn't gain much extra muscle, none to speak of, but I found that my muscles recovered faster, noticed a decrease in lactic acid buildup and slept better overall.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/money.jpgSo it has its merits. The downside: a pricetag of 70 or 80 bucks for a months worth. I wouldn't regard this last paragraph as key to your supplementation regimen and take the three paragraphs prior to it, if you learn anything, but for those who had questions about legal GH, I hereby answered them.

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Conclusion
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HGH is a necessary factor in your training and recuperation, and knowing how to manipulate its release may be one of the most important steps you could make towards optimizing gains in muscle mass. Growth Hormone may not have revealed all its secrets yet, but to pass up on the benefits would be a bad deal and unacceptable for the hard-working hardgainer such as yourself.

I could digress and deliver endless dissertations about the remarkable Growth Hormone, but I think you have the core elements. Many believe that making growth hormone legal, and authorizing hormone replacement therapy for the elderly would be a great advantage to the health care system, but the fact remains that GH is a dangerous substance to fool around with.

I'm all for it, but with the nescessary restrictions naturally. Whatever will be decided about the furure of HGH, I'll be following the evolution closely (not that there will be much movement in that department as long as there is a Bush in office).

I understand that this is a complex and complicated matter and should you have direct questions pertaining to this article, as always you can mail me.

Growth is measured in inches, hard work is measured in sweat, but getting smart is only a result of little effort. I can tell you which yields the greatest gains.

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Source bodybuilding.com

 

[Willehond]

Maxman, just get on your bike and ride.  Leave the cheating to the pro's and stop feeding USN's profits.  I am sure they catch enough gullible people with their VO2Max and Phedracut products.  Just work harder!

[The Saint]

Well I have the bottle so I will continue to use it untill it is finished. From all accounts in my research into HGH it takes some time before it starts to work - I will report back when the bottle is finished as to weather there have been any benifits or not.

 

So far all I can say is it is the quickest way to get warm on a cold winters night. About 5 minutes after taking the stuff you are as hot as all hell with this strange tingling feeling all over your body.

 

As for VO2Max - it is the worst thing on the market and should not even be given away never mind sold.

[ewep]

VO2Max SUCKS!!!  Maar vir vetties soos ek is Phedra Cuts the BOMB!!!!

[bob_the_builder]

Chunky!!! Another call for Chunky!

[Poison Ivy]

 

As for VO2Max - it is the worst thing on the market and should not even be given away never mind sold.

 

 

Willehond is right, you just help companies like USN to improve their profit margin for the life of me I cannot imagine how you can improve your VO2 max with a pill  

[Evan Andreou]

I'm 194cm and 100 odd kg. I've grown enough thanks

[Pantani]

I tried Muscle Science's HGH activator and threw it away after 3 days. The sides were terrible. For about an hour after taking it I battled to breath and would itch to the point where I would scratch till I bled...  My wife got hold of the bottle and read the warning on the side, "Some individuals may moemntarily experience minor tingling of the skin and/or slight shortness of breath when taking GABA". Yes, I didn't even bother to read the warning...

[Wonder Woman]

VO2Max SUCKS!!!  Maar vir vetties soos ek is Phedra Cuts the BOMB!!!!

 

Ha ha ha...like your signature!!!

[Dr. Seuss]

 

 

my 2c --

 

how can you take something that warms you up and gives you a "tingly feeling" over your body and then still think it it safe?

 

remember this stuff is going into your kidneys and liver as well...

 

you cant buy HGH over the counter in any case - these supplements (GABA in particular) claim to stimulate HGH production in the body - seems to me there is only one very dodgy study done in milan to support the fact.

 

seems to me a lot of these supplements claim to do wonderful things and manufacturers generally just bottle a promise. 

 

snake-oil salesman?

 

was it Nivea that had to stop claiming that one of their creams acts as the skins natural fat burner because it contains l-carnitine?  how can a cream containing an amino acid applied to the skin ever be absorbed to promote fat loss?  again there is no substantial evidence that backs this up.

 

 

Dr. Seuss2008-05-14 01:09:45

[GFishy]

Ho?rskool Generaal Hertzog?

[javadude]

Dr Seuss is correct, HGH is a banned substance and is only prescribed by dodgy medical doctors at "Longevity Clinics". There was an article written by some journalist who volunteered to try the stuff out and document its effects. I will try to find it.

 

The stuff in USN is not HGH, and whether it increases your bodies natural HGH i'm not so sure.

 

[Cranky]

Here is the abstract of a new paper from Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, one of the leading international sports journals. Note that although GABA (what's in USN HGH) may increase growth hormone, particularly when combined with resistance training (pumping iron in the gym), there is no data to indicate that it will cause skeletal muscle hypertrophy. So I agree with the previous posts - don't waste your money on supplements, especially here where much research is still needed on the actions and adverse side-effects of oral GABA.

Growth hormone isoform responses to GABA ingestion at rest and after exercise.

Powers ME, Yarrow JF, McCoy SC, Borst SE.

Division of Athletic Training, Shenendoah University, Winchester, VA 22601, USA. mpowers@su.edu

Oral administration of the amino acid/inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) reportedly elevates resting serum growth hormone (GH) concentrations. PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that GABA ingestion stimulates immunoreactive GH (irGH) and immunofunctional GH (ifGH) release at rest and that GABA augments the resistance exercise-induced irGH/ifGH responses. METHODS: Eleven resistance-trained men (18-30 yr) participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. During each experimental bout, participants ingested either 3 g of GABA or sucrose placebo (P), followed either by resting or resistance exercise sessions. Fasting venous blood samples were acquired immediately before and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min after GABA or P ingestion and were assayed for irGH and ifGH. RESULTS: At rest, GABA ingestion elevated both irGH and ifGH compared with placebo. Specifically, peak concentrations of both hormones were elevated by about 400%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was elevated by about 375% (P < 0.05). Resistance exercise (EX-P) elevated time-point (15-60 min) irGH and ifGH concentrations compared with rest (P < 0.05). The combination of GABA and resistance exercise (EX-GABA) also elevated the peak, AUC, and the 15- to 60-min time-point irGH and ifGH responses compared with resting conditions (P < 0.05). Additionally, 200% greater irGH (P < 0.01) and 175% greater ifGH (P < 0.05) concentrations were observed in the EX-GABA than in the EX-P condition, 30 min after ingestion. GABA ingestion did not alter the irGH to ifGH ratio, and, under all conditions, ifGH represented approximately 50% of irGH. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that ingested GABA elevates resting and postexercise irGH and ifGH concentrations. The extent to which irGH/ifGH secretion contributes to skeletal muscle hypertrophy is unknown, although augmenting the postexercise irGH/ifGH response may improve resistance training-induced muscular adaptations.

[GreyOwl3.0]

Muxman...just steer clear of s#!t like this. And remember the old adage, "pills are cool...but injectables are better"...as its been pointed out, your buying snake oils.