Overview of Human Growth Hormone
The study aims to discuss the structural and biological details of the human growth hormone. Human growth hormone is a biosynthetic hormone that works inside the body, and people use it for various biological functions such as muscle strength, body toning, weight loss, and anti-aging. The physiological effects on the body, the benefits of the hormone, and its cons will also be discussed in the paper. Moreover, the use of GH in sport by athletes and the purpose of sports doping are also discussed to explain growth hormone function inside the body from the perspective of abuse.
Molecular Structure of Growth Hormone
The growth hormone is a polypeptide chain made up of 191 amino acids. The hormone is responsible for growth, cell regeneration, and reproduction as well. The weight of the growth hormone is 20,500 kDa.
Genetic and Evolutionary Background
The evolutionary perspective of the growth or somatotropin hormone dates back 10 million years in the form of a cluster of genes; the study revealed that the human growth hormone is present on the same locus where there are four HCS A and B genes present for the synthesis of chorionic somatotropin hormone. The location of the human growth hormone is on the long arm of chromosome 17. The loci of chromosome 17 containing somatotropin hormone are 122-24. [1]
Physiological Expression and Biological Role
The role of the human growth hormone is that it increases the amount of glucose and fatty acids and also stimulates the synthesis of somatomedin IGF-I. The role of the hormone occurs through expression. The human growth hormone is spliced into messenger RNA, which leads to the formation of a 20kDa variant. The human hormone is released through the anterior part of the pituitary gland. The variant then performs oxidation in the adipose tissue of the body. This is a post-translational modification through which the gene is expressed and the growth hormone performs its function. [2]
Hormone Receptor Binding
The structure of the human growth hormone, as investigated by X-ray crystallography, revealed that a single growth hormone binds to the two conjugate receptors bound to membranes. The joining of the membrane-bound receptors happens in a way that site 1 of the receptor binds to helix 4 of the hormone, and site 2 binds to helices 1 and 3 of the hormone. This binding of the hormone is necessary for the biological performance and activity of the hormone. The binding follows the dimerization process, which results in the formation of the tyrosine kinase Jak-2 enzyme that adds the phosphate group to the receptor site through phosphorylation. [2]
Regulation of Growth Hormone Secretion
The secretion of growth hormones is managed through the regulation of different factors such as somatostatin, GHRH, ghrelin, and IGF-1. The regulatory role of the factor GHRH lies in the proliferation of the somatotrophic hormone. [3] The level of secretion of the growth hormone varies in pulses and frequency with age and the biological system. Children have low amplitude and frequency of the growth hormone, and with the arrival of puberty, the physiology becomes complex, and so do the amplitude and frequency of the hormone. There is a shift that happens with the gradual decline at the mid-age of humans, which happens due to the reduction in insulin growth factor 1. [2]
Direct and Indirect Physiological Effects
There are two ways in which growth hormones affect the body. One is a direct way, and the other is indirect. The direct effect happens when growth hormones affect the desired area, such as fat cells, and break down triglycerides present in fat cells. The targeting of fat cells also inhibits the fat cells to reduce the accumulation of fat. The second way is the indirect effect that involves the contribution of insulin growth factor (IGF-1). The secretion of IGF-1 happens through the liver. The IGF-1 affects the desired area. [4]
Clinical Uses in Growth Disorders
The human growth hormone is used to control body fat and regulate metabolism. It is also used to treat growth deficiency in children. Children who have syndromes such as Turner’s syndrome and kidney disease mostly have short stature. This is treated with growth hormone. In adults, GH is responsible for cutting down fat. Adults usually want to cut down fat and increase their muscles. GH is sometimes used illegally in order to build strength and boost endurance along with muscle strength. [5]
Athletic Use and Regulatory Restrictions
Although the International Olympic Committee has banned the use of GH for muscle building, it is illegal for sportsmen to use it to build endurance. A study conducted on the impact of GH tested endurance and performance among 44 athletes in California. The persons under study were 27 years of age, had a body mass index of 24, and were all males. Three hundred thirty-seven athletes were given injections of growth hormone, and the rest of the 137 were given placebos. The result showed that persons with GH injections gained 4.6 pounds in body mass but did not end up with improved strength for exercise sessions. [5]
Somatotropin mediates the production of protein content in young children and utilizes fat through insulin changes while also controlling the insulin growth factor, according to one study. The use of GH increases fluid retention in the body of the user, muscular and joint pain, and hand numbness. [6]
HGH helps maintain body shape and raise the height of short-statured children to a normal level. They are short in height and can increase their height with the administration of human growth hormone therapy over three years. Most people use hormonal therapy to get a quality life and feel good about themselves. The hormonal injection should be administered carefully, as too high a concentration can affect the body, causing joint pain, swelling, headaches, and muscular weakness.
Postoperative and Metabolic Applications
The postoperative condition of the human body involves the breakdown of protein inside the body due to excess release of calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. This condition leads to systemic injury after an operation. The administration of human growth hormone proved helpful in the accumulation of protein after surgery. According to a study, the use of biosynthetic human hormone proved beneficial in combating the breakdown of protein through the anabolic effect of human growth hormone. The postoperative condition comes with lower nutrient uptake and nitrogen imbalance; it is managed by the BSHGH, which results in increased blood glucose and increased fat oxidation in gastrointestinal operative patients. [7]
Treatment of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency
The administration of growth hormone in adult patients with growth hormone deficiency is one way to treat patients with beneficial effects on the deficiency. Bengtson et al. (1993) examined adults with hormonal deficiency. They used HGH replacement therapy for the desired effect on body composition and metabolism. 0.2-0.5 U/Kg was given to the patients with onset deficiency for three weeks. Body composition analysis was done through impedance, computational, and potassium concentration methods. The psychiatric effects were also determined in the study. The findings of the analysis suggested that HGH recombinant therapy is helpful in increasing muscular volume and reducing fat composition. The bone and mineral composition also showed desired changes. Moreover, HGH also reduces psychiatric symptoms in adults. [8]
Lipid and Protein Metabolism
The level of lipid molecules in adipose tissue in the bodies of older adults is regulated by human growth hormone metabolism. HGH first performs lipogenesis by breaking down lipid content through decreasing enzymatic activity. The effect of HGH was checked in another study through chronic administration of the hormone. It induced the inhibition of glyceride production and reduced fat composition. Furthermore, the fatty acid oxidation that happens through the administration of HGH is accompanied by a decreased level of respiratory quotient and a rise in the ketogenesis process.
Human growth hormone also helps in protein metabolism. HGH helps in the transfer of amino acids from the extracellular region to the intracellular region of the cell by the C-alpha amino so butyric acid. HGH, along with the increased level of C-AIB, also mediates the uptake of various amino acids, such as alanine, threonine, serine, glycine, tryptophan, arginine, and asparagine. It also helps the adherence of H=leucine amino acid into the protein itself. [2]
Therapeutic Benefits of HGH
HGH, once it enters the bloodstream, remains inactive for a few minutes, and then the liver converts it into usable growth factors responsible for the biological functions of the hormone. There are several benefits of human growth hormone. The first benefit is increased or improved muscular strength in adults. Humans take it to increase their strength capacity, and HGH promotes it through the synthesis of collagen in tendons and muscles, which leads to improved exercise potential as well. To test the effect, a study was conducted by the International Journal of Endocrine, which administered HGH therapy to seven subjects. The subjects were tested for hormone responsiveness, and the results disclosed that HGH is helpful in maintaining good muscular strength in the abdominal portion of the body. Notable thermoregulation also occurred in response to the hormone. [9]
The second benefit is the regulation of bone and mineral metabolism, leading to the healing of fractures. The IGF1 factor is the key to the degeneration of bone structure, which mediates growth. According to the journal BONE, the investigation of the effect of HGH on the bone was done systematically through subcutaneous injections of the hormone. The result turned out positive for the healing of fractures with the applied injection therapy.
The third benefit of human growth hormone is in a weight-loss regimen. The key to weight loss by the hormone is the breakdown of lipid material in the fat tissues of the body. The hormone performs the breakdown of triglyceride content into glycerol content by the method of hydrolysis and free fatty acids. These free fatty acids are suppressed for their lipid effect by the effect of HGH. Research was conducted on obese patients for the activity in a study published in the hormone research family. The patients were prescribed a strict calorie diet along with the administration of HGH. The results confirmed weight loss in patients following a strict diet and using hormonal administration methods.
HGH’s fourth benefit is reduced heart disease risk. A study was conducted on 24 patients with a deficiency of HGH in Sweden. HGH reduced the fat composition in patients, thus cutting down the risk of cardiovascular disease onset.
HGH has also confirmed its effectiveness in the improvement of erectile dysfunction in men. Humans who have a deficiency of HGH are prone to impaired sexual desire and erectile dysfunction. HGH is the hormone that helps in the maturation of the sexual cycle and improves sexual desire.
To check the efficacy of the hormone, 35 healthy men and 45 men with erectile dysfunction participated in the research. Both sets of men were exposed to visual stimuli to check penile erection. The result of the study showed that the patients with HGH injections had around a 90 percent increase in erections compared with the persons with no HGH.
The last and long-term effect of HGH is the improvement in quality of life. People use it for a normal, psychologically balanced quality of life. The effect was examined through the analysis of cognitive functions in a Lithuanian study. A growth hormone dose of 12 IU per week was given to patients with a deficiency of hormones and examined for a six-month time period. The result displayed improved cognitive function and a good mood. [9]
Adverse Effects and Long-Term Risks
There is another side to the use of human growth hormones, which is obviously the downside. The use of HGH for long periods can impact the body negatively. The cons that come with it are high blood pressure problems, liver, heart, and spleen enlargement, carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep disturbances, swelling of tissues, and a high risk of polyp formation in the colon. One of the main dangers is that it reduces the lifespan of the individual by ten years. [10]
Adolescent Abuse and Anabolic Use
HGH is reported as an abused drug among adolescents. Young people use it as an anabolic steroid to get the desired body. The study was conducted for the purpose of HGH abuse in 224 males and 208 females. The purpose of the abuse was analyzed through a questionnaire, and the results showed that 30 percent of young adolescents knew someone who was using HGH to get muscular strength and enhanced stamina. The abusers were aged 14-15. They were using it because they just wanted to get the desired effects without being aware of the side effects that come along with the use of HGH. [11]
Sports Doping and Illegal Use
The human growth hormone has been banned and labelled an illegal substance since 1990. Growth hormone is helpful to sportspersons because of the anabolic function of the hormone and its metabolic properties involving fat and carbohydrates.
The injection of growth hormone into the bloodstream increases its level by ten times for the desired intensity of work. When a person intends to do a workout activity, the deposition of lactate in the muscles gets to 70 percent for 10-15 minutes. HGH will increase it by 5-10 times, leading to a maximum-intensity workout span for the sportsman. The other thing that human growth hormone does is its release into the bloodstream, which leads to an increase in the amplitude of the individual’s pulses.
The preference for the drug among sportsmen is due to its effectiveness in achieving the desired endurance and muscular strength. The sportsmen take around 10-25IU/day 3-4 times a week. Sportspersons use it with other doping chemicals called steroids or EPO. They do it because they want a lean body composition. [12]
Sports doping has been the most controversial issue worldwide. Many athletes from baseball, football, and cycling confirmed the use of illegal growth hormones. One study recognized human growth hormone for its effectiveness on the muscles and labelled it a “wonder substance” because it stimulates anabolism in muscles and makes the muscles ripped, resulting in improved stamina in sportspersons. The study examined the hormone’s effect on exercise, strength, and metabolism in 440 individuals.
Evidence on Strength and Athletic Performance
The physiological effect of human growth hormone on strength showed that it did not improve bicep or quadriceps strength in individuals. The analysis of basal metabolism showed increased heart metabolism at rest. It was 3.8 beats/min in persons with HGH injections. Similarly, exercise ability was high in patients with HGH because of increased fatty acid oxidation activity and increased metabolism. The free fatty acid and glycerol content was also high in patients and thus triggered the respiratory quotient. [13]
HGH increased athletic performance. According to the published ESPN article, research was done by giving injections of hormones to 103 male athletes and 40 female recreational athletes for a time period of 2 months. The scientific evidence that came out of the result accepted that human growth hormone increased sprinting capacity by 4 percent with HGH in females and 8 percent in male athletes. The researchers also observed that there had been a boost in galloping and that with HGH, one can reduce half of a second in a 10-second sprint.
Sportspersons use the hormone to improve sprint activities like swimming and running. This kind of activity requires a lot of energy, and reducing the sprint time by a second can make anyone a winner on the go. [14]
Conclusion on Benefits and Risks
The paper discussed in detail the human growth hormone structure, physiological route, regulation and the effects on the body. Human growth hormones have therapeutic benefits, such as a reduction in heart disease risk, recovery from postoperative injury, bone regeneration, and weight loss. But things go wrong when someone abuses the hormone and takes it to improve muscular strength, reverse the aging process, and for various other purposes to make the biological system run ahead of its natural time. It has been labeled as illicit by all countries, but still, it is being used as an off-label drug by sportsmen and fitness freaks. There should be proper awareness regarding the medication or chemical that you put into the body system. Growth hormones might work effectively and give you good results in a short time, but the side effects cannot be reversed, and they pose harm to your life. One should find another natural way to boost metabolism and improve performance rather than using hormones.
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