Why HGH Is Illegal in Sports

The recent Summer Olympics in Rio brings doping in sports and athletics back into the limelight. Numerous Russian athletes were not allowed to compete due to drug testing that showed doping. This brings up the subject of why HGH is illegal in sports.

First of all, HGH is a prescription medication. It is authorized for use by individuals with a verified growth hormone deficiency. The desire for physical or sports performance enhancement is not a reason for its use. When used in situations where no GH deficiency is present, HGH can lead to acromegaly, carpal tunnel syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, edema, joint pains, and other health concerns. Illegal use of HGH can also cause the pituitary gland to cease its direct production of growth hormone. This could result in the need for permanent HGH therapy for the rest of one’s life.

Why is HGH illegal in sports if it is used to treat a growth hormone deficiency? What if an athlete has that medical problem? This is where we run into a serious situation. There could be instances where a person does have a growth hormone deficiency. Children with short stature could be deficient in this hormone, but since HGH is viewed as having potential performance-enhancing abilities, its use would not be allowed.

One of the issues we look at today is that scientific research does not back up the claims that HGH can enhance a person’s physical performance the way some steroids might. The concern is that some athletes, coaches, and managers might not understand the severity of using HGH without a medical need. The only people who see a strength increase from HGH are the ones who were deficient in the first place, and human growth hormones only rebuild lost muscle, it will not increase bulk or speed in a person whose body is already producing enough of this vital chemical.

How to Prevent Illegal Use of HGH

The only way to prevent illegal use of HGH is to make it impossible to buy human growth hormones without a prescription. Unfortunately, the internet is ripe with companies in foreign countries ready to make a profit by promoting the illegal sale of hormones such as HGH to people who do not need it but want to buy it anyway.

Education is the best way to get the message across that HGH will not provide sports or athletic enhancements, but most of the people who want it will not heed the warnings or pay attention to scientific evidence. They prefer, instead, to listen to locker room conversations rather than medical proof and common sense.

Enforcing prosecution of those who use HGH illegally may be the best way to prevent others from buying human growth hormones for anything other than genuine medical need.

At Kingsberg Medical, we do not work with athletes or bodybuilders. Our clients are men and women over thirty who are experiencing changes in their bodies associated with hormone deficiency. For a free consultation, contact our hormone specialists today.