The pituitary gland releases the human growth hormone also known as HGH into the bloodstream. This release takes place in short pulses during the day. The growth hormone also reacts to changes in the cycle of sleep, exercise and nutrition. HGH can be synthesized so that patients can take it when they are deficient in it via injection. Athletes use HGH to improve their abilities and speed up their recovery after heavy exercise. But the risks associated with using HGH may not be worth these benefits, especially for women.
Increases strength and endurance
Professional and recreational athletes use growth hormones as a doping agent to improve their performance. The scientific data supporting this effort is still insufficient, but some results suggest that HGH can improve athletic performance. A study conducted in 2003 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism assessed HGH intake in older women with HGH deficiency. Growth hormone improved leg and hand strength in most people. It also increases lean body mass and reduced overall body fat. More importantly, women reported only a few side effects of HGH.
Growth hormone can also affect other sports performance measures. A 2010 study, published in Annals of Medicine, analyzed HGH training for younger women. People who took the hormone walked faster on a bike but did not jump higher or had more aerobic capacity. These growth hormone effects disappeared a few weeks after the discontinuation of HGH injections and women did not have consistent side effects during the study.
HGH lowers cholesterol levels
Aging reduces HGH levels and increases the development of atherosclerotic plaques. These factors are generally the same, suggesting that the use of HGH in older people can prevent cardiovascular disease. A study conducted in 2004 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism tested this hypothesis on young and older women with HGH deficiency. The main goal of this study was to measure cholesterol levels, which predicts cardiovascular risk. The results showed that HGH injections reduced total and LDL cholesterol levels. The intake of growth hormone was well tolerated.
May Increase Sex Drive In some Women
The data on the effects of HGH on sex drive in women is very scarce. Still many women are swearing by its effect on their sexual life’s. Women mostly in their forties claim that with HGH they experience more vaginal lubrication which makes sexual intercourse more pleasurable. The jury however remains undecided on this until more studies are done as such it would be unwise to use HGH just for this purpose as some of the side effects of HGH could be quite serious.
HGH causes fluid retention.
The positive effects of HGH generally are accompanied by some side effects. The use of growth hormone, for example, usually increases fluid retention or bloating. In 2005, a clinical endocrinology study evaluated the body composition of younger women receiving HGH injections. Many people experienced increased water retention and complained of bloating. Detailed analysis showed that the majority of water retention was extracellular and not intracellular. These results probably explain why HGH in this study also decreased lean body mass.
