Impact of GH administration on athletic performance in healthy young adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of placebo-controlled trials

Growth Hormone & IGF Research : Official Journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society
Kasper HermansenJens Otto Lunde Jørgensen

Abstract

Illicit use of growth hormone (GH) as a performance-enhancing drug among athletes is prevalent, although the evidence of such effects in healthy, young subjects is sparse. We therefore performed a meta-analysis of published studies on the effect of GH administration on body composition, substrate metabolism, and athletic performance in healthy, young subjects. The English-language based databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched, and eligible articles were reviewed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Fifty-four potentially relevant articles were retrieved of which 11 were included in this analysis comprising 254 subjects. Administration of GH significantly increased lean body mass (p<0.01) and decreased fat mass (p<0.01). In addition, GH increased the exercising levels of glycerol (p=0.01) and free fatty acids (p<0.01), but did not alter the respiratory quotient during exercise (p=0.30). GH significantly increased anaerobic exercise capacity (p<0.01) in the only study which investigated this, but did not over weeks to months improve muscle strength (p=0.36) or maximum oxygen uptake (p=0.89). GH administration elicits significant changes in body composition, but does not incr...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 11, 2019·Endocrine Reviews·Richard I G Holt, Ken K Y Ho
Feb 23, 2018·Pediatric Exercise Science·Alon Eliakim
Mar 13, 2020·Endocrine Practice : Official Journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists·Michael S IrwigIrina Bancos
Nov 28, 2017·The Physician and Sportsmedicine·Julius FinkKoichi Nakazato
Jan 16, 2020·Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism·Ken K Y Ho
Nov 26, 2019·Endocrine Practice : Official Journal of the American College of Endocrinology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists·Kevin C J YuenAndrew R Hoffman
Nov 18, 2017·Drug Testing and Analysis·Mario ThevisHans Geyer
Jan 15, 2019·Pituitary·Aysa HaciogluFatih Tanriverdi
Jun 27, 2019·The New England Journal of Medicine·Shlomo Melmed
Nov 3, 2021·The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism·Tristan EqueyReid Aikin

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