Growth hormone is a naturally occurring hormone that is present in every person’s body. The growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland and is most often produced at its highest rate during the teenage years. The growth hormone causes fat to be broken down so that it can be used for energy. The amount of growth hormone found in the body naturally decreases with age.

History

The growth hormone can have positive effects for athletes who are looking to sculpt their bodies. Because of this, there has become a market for products that allow individuals to increase the amount of growth hormone present in their bodies. The first attempts at this procedure were conducted by taking growth hormone from the pituitary gland of deceased individuals. The extracted growth hormone became available on the market for use by athletes and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, these substances were taken off the market, as well as the FDA’s list of approved drugs once it was discovered that a fatal virus called Creutzveldt Jacob Disease was affecting the brains of some individuals. As a result, researchers were able to produce a synthetic growth hormone that would be safe for use by those formerly using the natural hormone.

Synthetic Growth Hormone

The first research company to provide a synthetic version of the growth hormone was Genetech Labs which produced a synthetic growth hormone called Protropin. This industry leading drug was later replaced by Humatrope which was developed by Eli Lilly Laboratories. The reason that Humatrope supplanted Protropin as the industry leader lay in the fact that the number of amino acids found in Humatrope proved to be a more effective formula for the growth hormone. The price of growth hormone is very high. Most athletes pay approximately $4,000 per month for the use of the drug.

Side Effects

Growth hormone is a banned substance for most sports. However, it is very difficult to catch an athlete who chooses to use the growth hormone as its detection is easier said than done. Common side effects include enlarging of the hands, feet, or forehead and toughening of the skin.