HGH (Somatropin)

HGH (somatropin) is the synthetic version of the growth hormone your pituitary gland makes. It's FDA-approved for treating genuine growth hormone deficiency in children and adults — conditions like pituitary tumors, radiation damage, or genetic GH deficiency. In those populations, it's life-changing: it restores growth in kids, reverses metabolic dysfunction in adults, and improves quality of life. The approved therapeutic dose range is typically 0.2–0.6 mg per day (roughly 0.6–1.8 IU), titrated slowly under medical supervision.

It works indirectly. HGH binds to growth hormone receptors (primarily in the liver), triggering the production of IGF-1 — insulin-like growth factor 1 — which does most of the heavy lifting. IGF-1 drives protein synthesis, cell division, bone growth, and tissue repair throughout the body. This is why HGH has become popular in bodybuilding and anti-aging circles: the promise of more muscle, less fat, faster recovery. The reality is murkier. Multiple systematic reviews show that while HGH does increase lean body mass in athletes, it doesn't reliably improve strength or athletic performance — and in some studies, it actually worsened exercise capacity. Most of the 'mass' gained is fluid retention, not contractile muscle tissue.

The off-label / performance-enhancement doses are much higher — 2 to 10 IU per day, sometimes for months or years — and that's where serious risks pile up. At supraphysiological doses, you're looking at joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome (common enough that it's a hallmark of HGH overuse), insulin resistance that can tip into type 2 diabetes, and organ enlargement (heart, kidneys, intestines). Long-term safety is contested: some observational studies have linked childhood HGH use to higher rates of cancer and cerebrovascular events in young adults, though the data are conflicting and complicated by underlying diagnoses. HGH is banned by WADA and illegal to use without a prescription for performance purposes in most countries, including the US.