help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM JCEM Call for Nominations for EIC
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, doi:10.1210/jc.2004-1209
This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
90/6/3268    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Berggren, A.
Right arrow Articles by Caidahl, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Berggren, A.
Right arrow Articles by Caidahl, K.
Related Collections
Right arrow Calcium and Bone Metabolism
Right arrow Neuroendocrinology and Pituitary
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 90, No. 6 3268-3273
Copyright © 2005 by The Endocrine Society

Short-Term Administration of Supraphysiological Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (GH) Does Not Increase Maximum Endurance Exercise Capacity in Healthy, Active Young Men and Women with Normal GH-Insulin-Like Growth Factor I Axes

Annika Berggren, Christer Ehrnborg, Thord Rosén, Lars Ellegård, Bengt-Åke Bengtsson and Kenneth Caidahl

Departments of Clinical Physiology (A.B., K.C.), Endocrinology (C.E., T.R., B.-Å.B.), and Clinical Nutrition (L.E.), Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-41345 Göteborg, Sweden; and Karolinska Institute (K.C.), SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Kenneth Caidahl, Karolinska University Hospital, N2:01, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. E-mail: kencai{at}ki.se.


    Abstract
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Context: Despite the fact that the use of GH as a doping agent in sports is widespread, little is known about its short-term effects.

Objective: The objective was to study the effects of GH on exercise capacity.

Design: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study was used, with a treatment period of 28 d.

Setting: Subjects from general community studied ambulatory at a university hospital.

Participants: Thirty healthy active young normal volunteers (15 women and 15 men) were recruited by local announcement, and all completed the study.

Intervention: All subjects were randomized to receive a low GH dose (0.033 mg/kg·d or 0.1 IU/kg·d), a high GH dose (0.067 mg/kg·d or 0.2 IU/kg·d), or placebo.

Main outcome measures: Power output and oxygen uptake on bicycle exercise were the main outcome measures.

Results: We found no effect of the low or high dosages of GH on maximum oxygen uptake during exercise (mean ± SE for placebo, 45.2 ± 1.6 to 45.2 ± 2.1 ml/kg·min; GH low dose, 42.8 ± 1.6 to 42.8 ± 1.6 ml/kg·min; GH high dose, 44.8 ± 3.4 to 44.8 ± 2.2 ml/kg·min; not significant by two-way ANOVA). Neither was there any effect on maximum achieved power output during exercise or on blood pressure, heart rate, or the electrocardiographic ST level at rest or during exercise. GH significantly increased total body weight (P = 0.028), an effect predominantly ascribed to fluid retention (increased extracellular water volume), whereas muscle mass (as indicated by intracellular water volume) did not change. However, changes in the latter correlated to changes in physical performance, possibly due to different training efforts.

Conclusion: Administration of supraphysiological recombinant human GH during a period of 4 wk does not improve power output or oxygen uptake.


    Introduction
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
GH HAS BEEN used extensively as a doping agent, because it is believed to shorten the time required to obtain a sturdy biceps by bodybuilders or to enhance the performance of cyclists or swimmers. In GH-deficient adults, it has been demonstrated that GH increases protein synthesis and improves muscle performance, including exercise capacity (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6). Physical training has been shown to change circulating levels of GH and, more inconsistently, IGF-I in normal subjects in relation to improvement in oxygen uptake and muscle strength (7, 8, 9, 10). To date, no study has demonstrated a beneficial effect of exogenous GH on exercise capacity in normal active subjects. We therefore investigated the effect of high dosages of GH in this type of individual to determine the usefulness of GH as a short-term doping agent. We have evaluated the cardiovascular short-term (28-d) effects of doping doses of recombinant human GH (rhGH) in normal fit subjects as part of the GH-2000 Project, which was aimed at detecting GH abuse in sports (11).


    Subjects and Methods
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
Subjects

Thirty healthy active subjects, who were not professional athletes, were selected. We chose 15 women (mean age, 25 yr; range, 21–30 yr) and 15 men (mean age, 27 yr; range, 18–35 yr). None of the subjects was receiving medical treatment or had a previous history of cardiopulmonary, autonomic, or neuromuscular diseases. All subjects were normotensive (blood pressure, <150/90 mm Hg), and physical examination revealed no abnormalities at the time of the study. The exclusion criteria consisted of any disease state. Females underwent a pregnancy test. All subjects were fit, meaning that they had taken part in a minimum of two training sessions a week for at least 1 yr. Informed consent was obtained, and the study was approved by the ethics committee at Goteborg University.

Exercise electrocardiogram

Computerized bicycle exercise electrocardiograms were performed using previously described technology developed at our hospital (12, 13). This includes the consecutive averaging of 10-sec intervals of the electrocardiographic signal. The ST level is measured automatically 60 msec after the end of the QRS complex. The computer program was developed locally and run on a standard personal computer. A bicycle ergometer (RE 820/830, Rodby Innovation AB, Södertälje, Sweden), with automatic load increase was used.

Oxygen uptake

An ergospirometer Vmax 29c (Sensor Medics Corp., Yorba Linda, CA) was used for gas exchange measurements. This measures tidal volume breath by breath using a flow sensor, i.e. an anemomter based on cooling a heated wire by the gas flow. The stated accuracy is ±3%. The mass flow sensor was calibrated with a calibration syringe.

Oxygen tension in inspired and mixed expired gas was analyzed using a paramagnetic oxygen sensor. Carbon dioxide tension in inspired and mixed expired gas was analyzed using an infrared absorption sensor; both had a response time less than 130 msec and an accuracy of ±0.02% (14, 15).

The gas analyzers were calibrated with two calibrated gases containing 16% O2 and 4.0% CO2, and 26.0% O2 and 0.0% CO2. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and minute ventilation were calculated breath by breath, and we used the mean value for the last 30 sec (16).

The VO2 at peak exercise (VO2 max) was determined using a bicycle with increasing load. The test was terminated at the point of subjective exhaustion. The minute ventilation, VO2, O2 pulse (oxygen pulse = VO2 per heart beat), carbon dioxide production, anaerobic threshold [by V slope method (17)], and respiratory quotient were determined.

VO2 max (peak) was regarded as being achieved if the test met two of the following criteria: 1) respiratory quotient greater than 1.0, 2) heart rate ±10 beats/min of age-predicted maximum, and 3) plateau in oxygen uptake with increasing workload. The volunteers were asked to breathe through a mouthpiece connected to a Sensor Medics Vmax 29c metabolic computer. All volunteers breathed room air.

IGF-I

Serum was stored at –80 C until analysis. Serum IGF-I was measured by RIA with a monoclonal antibody after acid-ethanol extraction, using authentic IGF-I for labeling (Nicholas Institute Diagnostics, San Juan Capistrano, CA) with intraassay coefficients of variation of 10.1%, 6.3%, and 5.7% at serum concentrations of 61.5, 340.8, and 776.9 µg/liter, respectively. The analyses were performed by Per-Arne Lundberg at Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Göteborg, Sweden).

Intracellular (ICW) and extracellular (ECW) water volumes

ICW and ECW were also determined using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis spectroscopy (18). In short, reactance and resistance were determined with a 4000B Bio-Impedance Spectrum Analyzer (Xitron Technologies, San Diego, CA). The extracellular resistance and the total body water resistance were predicted and combined with body weight, height, and resistivity of ECW and ICW to calculate the total body water volume (TBW) and ECW. ICW was calculated as the ECW subtracted from the TBW (ICW = TBW – ECW).

Protocol

After a baseline evaluation, a complete history was obtained, and a physical examination was performed in all subjects. Female subjects underwent a pregnancy test. The subjects were randomized, with an even gender distribution in groups, to placebo (n = 10), 0.033 mg/kg·d or 0.1 IU/kg·d GH (n = 10), or 0.067 mg/kg·d or 0.2 IU/kg·d GH (n = 10). The treatment was administered for 28 d, and evaluations were performed before and at the end of the treatment period. Evaluations were made in terms of computerized electrocardiography recordings during bicycle exercise test starting at 70 watts with an increase in load of 20 watts each minute. Concomitant sampling and analysis of breathing gases were performed. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured at rest in the supine position and sitting on the bicycle before and after the test. Systolic pressure was measured each minute throughout the test. Blood for analysis of IGF-I was collected at baseline and on d 28 of treatment.

Statistical evaluations

The data are presented as the mean ± SD for background variables and the mean ± SE for the study measures. The significance of differences between treatment groups was evaluated by ANOVA for changes from baseline to 28 d treatment values. Post hoc test (Bonferroni) was applied in the case of significant group differences. Due to low numbers, possible gender differences were not statistically tested, but are graphically illustrated in Figs. 3Go and 4Go. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed to evaluate relationships between changes in IGF-I, ICW, or ECW and changes in measures of exercise capacity.



View larger version (34K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIG. 3. Average maximum power output (±SE) in the same three study groups as those described in Fig. 1Go. F, Female; M, male.

 


View larger version (36K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIG. 4. Average oxygen consumption (±SE) in the same three study groups as those described in Fig. 1Go. F, Female; M, male.

 

    Results
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
The demographic, metabolic, and cardiorespiratory findings are listed in Tables 1Go and 2Go. There were no drop-outs from the study. The 30 subjects completed 1 month of treatment. Transient fluid retention and increased sweating were reported side effects (Table 3Go). We reduced the dose for two of the subjects. There was no change in height, but the body weight was significantly altered; GH treatment caused an increase in weight (Table 1Go). This increase in weight could be explained by an increase in ECW, and neither correlated to VO2 max or power output. In contrast, individual changes in ICW correlated to VO2 max (r = 0.41; P < 0.05) and power output (r = 0.45; P = 0.02), but changes in ICW were not attributable to GH treatment. Thus, ICW did not differ significantly between treatment groups (Table 1Go), and there was no significant relation to changes in IGF-I, whereas changes in ECW were strongly related to changes in IGF-I (r = 0.66; P < 0.0001). No significant alteration was found in heart rate or blood pressure at rest, although there was a tendency toward differences in diastolic blood pressure between groups, with lower values in the high GH group compared with placebo and low GH groups (Table 1Go). In the placebo group, IGF-I did not change during treatment. IGF-I rose by 67% in the low dose group and more markedly (135%) in the high dose GH group (Table 1Go).


View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
TABLE 1. Background variables

 

View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
TABLE 2. Measures of exercise reaction

 

View this table:
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
TABLE 3. Side effects in the three treatment groups

 
We found no relationship between changes in IGF-I and changes in oxygen uptake or maximum achieved power output. Neither at rest nor during exercise was there a significant difference in the electrocardiographic ST level between treatment groups (Table 2Go). There was no significant difference between the groups in maximum heart rate response to treatment. We saw no effect of treatment on systolic blood pressure at maximum exercise, nor was there any difference between groups in O2 pulse, carbon dioxide production, anaerobic threshold, or maximum expired volume. Importantly, we found no effect by low or high dosages of GH on maximum achieved power output during exercise. Some individuals in each group displayed a slight increase in achieved power output (Fig. 1Go). There was no effect on maximum oxygen uptake (Table 2Go); the individual response of weight-adjusted VO2 is shown in Fig. 2Go. The individual gender response is illustrated in Figs. 1Go and 2Go. No systematic difference in gender response was noted, and the lack of such is also illustrated by the average values in Figs. 3Go and 4Go.



View larger version (16K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIG. 1. Maximum power output at baseline (B) and after 28 d of treatment (1 mth) in the placebo group and in the low dose GH group (0.033 mg/kg·d or 0.1 IU/kg·d) and the high dose GH group (0.067 mg/kg·d or 0.2 IU/kg·d). {circ}, Males; •, females.

 


View larger version (16K):
[in this window]
[in a new window]
 
FIG. 2. VO2 max at baseline (B) and after 28 d of treatment (1 mth) in the same three study groups as those described in Fig. 1Go (for symbols, see Fig. 1Go).

 

    Discussion
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 
In the present study, short-term GH administration did not cause any increase in maximum power output or maximum oxygen uptake despite the administration of supraphysiological doses of GH and an increase in circulating IGF-I. Thus, high doses of GH do not appear to improve aerobic exercise capacity or oxygen uptake in active normal subjects.

There is no published evidence that GH leads to an improvement in aerobic exercise capacity in non-GH-deficient subjects (19). On the contrary, Lange et al. (20) suggested that a single relevant GH dose in combination with bicycling exaggerate plasma lactate and may be associated with a reduction in aerobic exercise capacity. A recent study of acute GH administration before exercise demonstrated no effect on total work, caloric expenditure, blood lactate, or perceived exertion, but a lower exercise oxygen consumption (21). Animals treated with GH do not appear to improve their muscle strength, and acromegalic patients may have functionally weak muscles even though they are outwardly hypertrophied (22). The use of anabolic steroids in an effort to improve athletic performance has been well documented (23). Among body builders and athletes, there is also a belief that supraphysiological doses of GH will enhance their physical appearance and performance (Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senate: Drug Misuse: Anabolic Steroids and Human Growth Hormone). The same document states that anecdotal reports suggest that GH may actually be preferred to anabolic steroids, because it is not easily detectable with current drug-testing protocols.

In the current study, as expected, we found increased levels of IGF-I in our treated groups, but we found no correlation between IGF-I and VO2 or maximum achieved power output. This accords with the lack of correlation between peak weight corrected VO2 and endogenous IGF-I or IGFBP-3 demonstrated by Eliakim et al. (10) in normal male subjects. Although plasma IGF-I levels not invariably reflect IGF-I bioactivity, they are in some studies related to peak VO2 (8, 9). However, these studies did not evaluate the effect of supraphysiological levels of GH and IGF-I on VO2 and the way they affect maximum power. Instead, VO2 was more of a correlate for fitness, and because GH increases during exertion, it is likely to be related to VO2 (24). A correlation between endogenous GH and VO2 in healthy young adults has been ascribed to degree of fitness (25), but age seems to be a concomitant factor for relationships to the GH-IGF-I axis (25, 26). The achieved peak VO2 has been found to be more closely related to the 24-h integrated serum GH concentration in male than in female subjects (25), whereas no gender difference was found in its age-dependent relation to a single measure of IGF-I (26). During exercise, the stimulation of GH secretion seems to be greater in women than in men (24). In contrast, we previously demonstrated in the current study population that, in terms of IGFBP-3, male subjects are more responsive than females to exogenous GH (11). Although the study lacks statistical power to test gender differences, we did not note any tendency to such with regard to maximum aerobic exercise capacity in response to supraphysiological GH treatment.

In the current study we did not evaluate all aspects of physical performance, e.g. maximum voluntary muscle strength and flexibility. However, it has been shown that in healthy subjects, even in highly trained power athletes, muscle strength does not improve after GH administration (27, 28, 29). Supraphysiological doses of rhGH may also suppress the exercise-stimulated endogenous circulating levels of GH (30) and evoke equivocal effects on the already enhanced muscle protein synthesis induced by the training itself (29, 31). In contrast, replacement therapy in GH deficiency improves reduced ventilatory function and oxygen uptake (32, 33). Furthermore, a beneficial effect of GH replacement has been noted on exercise capacity and perceived maximum power output (1, 6, 33), changes normally related to an increase in muscle mass and lean body mass (1, 2, 6). However, an increase in muscle protein synthesis may not necessarily cause an increase in muscle strength (34). Moreover, it has been demonstrated that GH-deficient adults benefit from resistance training even without replacement therapy (35, 36). Effects other than muscular, from administered GH as well as from training, may be important for work performance. In addition to its direct effects on cardiac and pulmonary muscles in GH deficiency, GH replacement is known to have profound effects on fuel metabolism (37), erythropoiesis, and total blood volume (38), but studies of such effects in healthy trained subjects are lacking. Previous findings by Deyssig et al. (27) do not suggest a muscle strength performance-enhancing effect by low dose GH administration in already trained adults. Probably due to the comparatively low dose, they achieved no total body weight gain after GH treatment, in contrast to our results. However, the weight gain after GH administration in our study was at least partly caused by an increase in ECW and not muscle mass. This could explain why we found no evidence of a positive effect on maximum aerobic exercise capacity in the present study despite the use of a high GH dosage. Small changes in ICW, independent of GH treatment, might be due to different physical exercise habits; some individuals in the various groups may have made an effort to improve their test results. An indication of this is the approximately 10-watt higher power output in each group on the second occasion.

Thus, we saw no beneficial effects of rhGH administration on aerobic exercise capacity in active healthy subjects, only water retention. This indicates that only untoward effects can be anticipated from GH abuse (39, 40). Rather, we suggest that a normal level of GH is required for maximum muscle performance to be achieved. The improvement produced by GH substitution in GH deficiency (1) and the comparatively poor exercise performance in acromegalics (22) support this theory.


    Acknowledgments
 
This study was performed in connection with the GH-2000 antidoping project, a research program performed within the competitive EU BioMed2 Research Program, initiated by the International Olympic Committee and the European Union. We are grateful to Elisabeth Aspenlid, Ann-Christin Karlsson, Ingrid Hansson, Sigrid Lindstrand, and Lena Wirén for technical assistance.


    Footnotes
 
This work was supported by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation, the Swedish Medical Research Council (14231), Göteborg University, the Göteborg Medical Society, and the Sahlgrenska Foundation.

First Published Online March 22, 2005

Abbreviations: ECW, Extracellular water volume; ICW, intracellular water volume; rhGH, recombinant human GH; TBW, total body water volume; VO2, oxygen uptake; VO2 max, VO2 at peak exercise.

Received June 24, 2004.

Accepted March 15, 2005.


    References
 Top
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Subjects and Methods
 Results
 Discussion
 References
 

  1. Cuneo RC, Salomon F, Wiles CM, Hesp R, Sonksen PH 1991 Growth hormone treatment in growth hormone-deficient adults. II. Effects on exercise performance. J Appl Physiol 70:695–700[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  2. Cuneo RC, Salomon F, Wiles CM, Hesp R, Sonksen PH 1991 Growth hormone treatment in growth hormone-deficient adults. I. Effects on muscle mass and strength. J Appl Physiol 70:688–694[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  3. Johannsson G, Grimby G, Sunnerhagen KS, Bengtsson BA 1997 Two years of growth hormone (GH) treatment increase isometric and isokinetic muscle strength in GH-deficient adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82:2877–2884[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  4. Jorgensen JO, Pedersen SA, Thuesen L, Jorgensen J, Ingemann-Hansen T, Skakkebaek NE, Christiansen JS 1989 Beneficial effects of growth hormone treatment in GH-deficient adults. Lancet 1:1221–1225[Medline]
  5. Christiansen JS, Jorgensen JO, Pedersen SA, Muller J, Jorgensen J, Moller J, Heickendorf L, Skakkebaek NE 1991 GH-replacement therapy in adults. Horm Res 36(Suppl 1):66–72
  6. Johannsson G, Bengtsson BA, Andersson B, Isgaard J, Caidahl K 1996 Long-term cardiovascular effects of growth hormone treatment in GH-deficient adults. Preliminary data in a small group of patients. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 45:305–314[CrossRef][Medline]
  7. Eliakim A, Brasel JA, Mohan S, Barstow TJ, Berman N, Cooper DM 1996 Physical fitness, endurance training, and the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I system in adolescent females. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 81:3986–3992[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  8. Kelly PJ, Eisman JA, Stuart MC, Pocock NA, Sambrook PN, Gwinn TH 1990 Somatomedin-C, physical fitness, and bone density. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 70:718–723[Abstract]
  9. Poehlman ET, Copeland KC 1990 Influence of physical activity on insulin-like growth factor-I in healthy younger and older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 71:1468–1473[Abstract]
  10. Eliakim A, Brasel JA, Barstow TJ, Mohan S, Cooper DM 1998 Peak oxygen uptake, muscle volume, and the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I axis in adolescent males. Med Sci Sports Exerc 30:512–517[Medline]
  11. Dall R, Longobardi S, Ehrnborg C, Keay N, Rosen T, Jorgensen JO, Cuneo RC, Boroujerdi MA, Cittadini A, Napoli R, Christiansen JS, Bengtsson BA, Sacca L, Baxter RC, Basset RE, Sonksen PH 2000 The effect of four weeks of supraphysiological growth hormone administration on the insulin-like growth factor axis in women and men. GH-2000 Study Group. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85:4193–4200[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  12. Falk KJ, Angelhed JE, Bjuro TI 1982 Real-time processing of multiple-lead exercise electrocardiograms. Med Prog Technol 8:159–174[Medline]
  13. Falk KJ, Angelhed JE, Bjuro TI 1982 A program for processing of multiple-lead exercise ECGs in real time. Comput Programs Biomed 14:133–144[Medline]
  14. Merilainen PT 1989 Sensors for oxygen analysis: paramagnetic, electrochemical, polarographic, and zirconium oxide technologies. Biomed Instrum Technol 23:462–466[Medline]
  15. Merilainen PT 1990 A differential paramagnetic sensor for breath-by-breath oximetry. J Clin Monit 6:65–73[Medline]
  16. Bengtsson J, Bake B, Johansson A, Bengtson JP 2001 End-tidal to arterial oxygen tension difference as an oxygenation index. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 45:357–363[Medline]
  17. Beaver WL, Wasserman K, Whipp BJ 1986 A new method for detecting anaerobic threshold by gas exchange. J Appl Physiol 60:2020–2027[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  18. Gudivaka R, Schoeller DA, Kushner RF, Bolt MJ 1999 Single- and multifrequency models for bioelectrical impedance analysis of body water compartments. J Appl Physiol 87:1087–1096[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  19. Bidlingmaier M, Wu Z, Strasburger CJ 2001 Doping with growth hormone. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 14:1077–1083[Medline]
  20. Lange KH, Larsson B, Flyvbjerg A, Dall R, Bennedou M, Rasmussen MH, Orskov H, Kjaer M 2002 Acute growth hormone administration causes exaggerated increases in plasma lactate and glycerol during moderate to high intensity bicycling in trained young men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87:4966–4975[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  21. Irving BA, Patrie JT, Anderson SM, Watson-Winfield DD, Frick KI, Evans WS, Veldhuis JD, Weltman A 2004 The effects of time following acute growth hormone administration on metabolic and power output measures during acute exercise. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 89:4298–4305[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  22. Macintyre JG 1987 Growth hormone and athletes. Sports Med 4:129–142[Medline]
  23. Clarkson PM, Thompson HS 1997 Drugs and sport. Research findings and limitations. Sports Med 24:366–384[Medline]
  24. Pritzlaff-Roy CJ, Widemen L, Weltman JY, Abbott R, Gutgesell M, Hartman ML, Veldhuis JD, Weltman A 2002 Gender governs the relationship between exercise intensity and growth hormone release in young adults. J Appl Physiol 92:2053–2060[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  25. Weltman A, Weltman JY, Hartman ML, Abbott RD, Rogol AD, Evans WS, Veldhuis JD 1994 Relationship between age, percentage body fat, fitness, and 24-hour growth hormone release in healthy young adults: effects of gender. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 78:543–548[Abstract]
  26. Haydar ZR, Blackman MR, Tobin JD, Wright JG, Fleg JL 2000 The relationship between aerobic exercise capacity and circulating IGF-I levels in healthy men and women. J Am Geriatr Soc 48:139–145[Medline]
  27. Deyssig R, Frisch H, Blum WF, Waldhor T 1993 Effect of growth hormone treatment on hormonal parameters, body composition and strength in athletes. Acta Endocrinol (Copenh) 128:313–318[Medline]
  28. Yarasheski KE, Campbell JA, Smith K, Rennie MJ, Holloszy JO, Bier DM 1992 Effect of growth hormone and resistance exercise on muscle growth in young men. Am J Physiol 262:E261–E267
  29. Yarasheski KE, Zachweija JJ, Angelopoulos TJ, Bier DM 1993 Short-term growth hormone treatment does not increase muscle protein synthesis in experienced weight lifters. J Appl Physiol 74:3073–3076[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  30. Wallace JD, Cuneo RC, Bidlingmaier M, Lundberg PA, Carlsson L, Boguszewski CL, Hay J, Healy ML, Napoli R, Dall R, Rosen T, Strasburger CJ 2001 The response of molecular isoforms of growth hormone to acute exercise in trained adult males. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86:200–206[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  31. Healy ML, Gibney J, Russell-Jones DL, Pentecost C, Croos P, Sonksen PH, Umpleby AM 2003 High dose growth hormone exerts an anabolic effect at rest and during exercise in endurance-trained athletes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88:5221–5226[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  32. Merola B, Longobardi S, Sofia M, Pivonello R, Micco A, Di Rella F, Esposito V, Colao A, Lombardi G 1996 Lung volumes and respiratory muscle strength in adult patients with childhood- or adult-onset growth hormone deficiency: effect of 12 months’ growth hormone replacement therapy. Eur J Endocrinol 135:553–558[Abstract]
  33. Nass R, Huber RM, Klauss V, Muller OA, Schopohl J, Strasburger CJ 1995 Effect of growth hormone (hGH) replacement therapy on physical work capacity and cardiac and pulmonary function in patients with hGH deficiency acquired in adulthood. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 80:552–557[Abstract]
  34. Woodhouse LJ, Asa SL, Thomas SG, Ezzat S 1999 Measures of submaximal aerobic performance evaluate and predict functional response to growth hormone (GH) treatment in GH-deficient adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 84:4570–4577[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  35. Thomas SG, Esposito JG, Ezzat S 2003 Exercise training benefits growth hormone (GH)-deficient adults in the absence or presence of GH treatment. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88:5734–5378[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  36. Werlang Coelho C, Rebello Velloso C, Resende de Lima Oliveira Brasil R, Vaisman M, Gil Soares de Araujo C 2002 Muscle power increases after resistance training in growth-hormone-deficient adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34:1577–1581[Medline]
  37. Jorgensen JO, Moller J, Alberti KG, Schmitz O, Christiansen JS, Orskov H, Moller N 1993 Marked effects of sustained low growth hormone (GH) levels on day-to-day fuel metabolism: studies in GH-deficient patients and healthy untreated subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 77:1589–1596[Abstract]
  38. Christ ER, Cummings MH, Westwood NB, Sawyer BM, Pearson TC, Sonksen PH, Russell-Jones DL 1997 The importance of growth hormone in the regulation of erythropoiesis, red cell mass, and plasma volume in adults with growth hormone deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 82:2985–2990[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  39. Karila TA, Karjalainen JE, Mantysaari MJ, Viitasalo MT, Seppala TA 2003 Anabolic androgenic steroids produce dose-dependant increase in left ventricular mass in power atheletes, and this effect is potentiated by concomitant use of growth hormone. Int J Sports Med 24:337–343[CrossRef][Medline]
  40. Moor JW, Khan MI 2 March 2005 Growth hormone abuse and bodybuilding as aetiological factors in the development of bilateral internal laryngocoeles. A case report. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 10.1007/500y05.004-0861-6



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
ANN INTERN MEDHome page
H. Liu, D. M. Bravata, I. Olkin, A. Friedlander, V. Liu, B. Roberts, E. Bendavid, O. Saynina, S. R. Salpeter, A. M. Garber, et al.
Systematic Review: The Effects of Growth Hormone on Athletic Performance
Ann Intern Med, May 20, 2008; 148(10): 747 - 758.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Endocr. Rev.Home page
J. Gibney, M.-L. Healy, and P. H. Sonksen
The Growth Hormone/Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Axis in Exercise and Sport
Endocr. Rev., October 1, 2007; 28(6): 603 - 624.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Br. J. Sports. Med.Home page
J. Young, A. Anwar, and C. Milne
Strong diabetes * COMMENTARY
Br. J. Sports Med., May 1, 2007; 41(5): 335 - 336.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.Home page
M. L. Healy, J. Gibney, C. Pentecost, P. Croos, D. L. Russell-Jones, P. H. Sonksen, and A. M. Umpleby
Effects of High-Dose Growth Hormone on Glucose and Glycerol Metabolism at Rest and during Exercise in Endurance-Trained Athletes
J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2006; 91(1): 320 - 327.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


This Article
Right arrow Abstract Freely available
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
90/6/3268    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Berggren, A.
Right arrow Articles by Caidahl, K.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Berggren, A.
Right arrow Articles by Caidahl, K.
Related Collections
Right arrow Calcium and Bone Metabolism
Right arrow Neuroendocrinology and Pituitary


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals