The recent controversy over steroid and human growth hormone use in the sport of baseball has focused public attention on the potential benefits and risks of somatropin or HGH. Use of HGH injections as a treatment to stop aging or for athletic enhancement is illegal, yet the physical and cosmetic allure of a substance some hail as the "fountain of youth" causes many to ignore the law or to seek ways to boost their own body’s production of HGH naturally.

The human body produces HGH as a fuel for childhood growth and for the healthy maintenance of organs and tissues in adult life. Primarily, HGH works to build height in growing children while increasing bone strength and muscle mass. By the time humans reach the age of 40, however, the pituitary gland, which sits at the base of the brain and produces the HGH, begins to slowly reduce the amounts released into the system. An increasingly popular theory holds that this reduction causes the weakening and failure of the body during the aging process, leading to the seemingly logical conclusion that by supplementing HGH such deterioration can be forestalled.

Synthetic human growth hormone, available legally as a prescription only and administered through an intramuscular injection, has been approved to treat children and adults diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency or with diseases that cause short stature. (It is also used to offset the wasting of muscle experienced by patients with AIDS and HIV.) Used in these ways, HGH has been shown to increase bone density and muscle mass while decreasing body fat and enhancing the heart’s ability to contract. At the same time, HGH seems to give the recipient more motivation, a better mood, and a much higher capacity to exercise. It isn’t surprising that athletes and others for whom endurance, appearance, and physical fitness are high priorities would be tempted by the drug’s promise.

However, when HGH is used in the absence of a condition that calls for the treatment, numerous side effects can result including muscle and arthritis pain, headaches, and swelling in the extremities. Some people experience wrist pain that mimics carpal tunnel syndrome. High blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, and diabetes are all possibilities as is bloating and abnormal bone and organ growth. HGH can also stimulate the growth of cancers, cysts, and similar abnormalities. In addition to these frightening effects, people who subvert the ban on HGH and seek the injections are looking at expenses of about $75 a day or $2,000 a month. Needless to say, insurance isn’t going to cover those costs.

In light of these issues many people turn to HGH supplements in tablet form that purport to "release" or stimulate the body’s own HGH production. Because the pituitary gland experiences the greatest activity during the night, the pills are taken at bedtime. While this is obviously the safer route to enhancing the body’s supply of HGH with no known side effects, there is also no conclusive proof that these "releasers" work. (At the same time there are plenty of web sites in the "quack" genre hawking all manner of HGH delivery systems, like oral sprays, even though studies have shown that growth hormone cannot penetrate the oral membranes and stomach acids would break down the hormone before it could have any effect.)

Experts are in agreement that while HGH is a potent treatment in the presence of highly specific illnesses, the risks far outweigh any potential benefits in considering the drug for cosmetic use. Studies conducted on older test subjects showed that while HGH increased their muscle mass, it did not build their strength. Overall, a reasonable program of strength training paired with a good diet will do more to minimize the effects of aging without subjecting the individual to the painful and potentially life-threatening side effects found with off-label HGH use.