I’d like to give you my opinion on the general category of supplements known as “hgh (human growth hormone) boosters.”
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, pharmacist, or medical professional. What you are about to read is my own opinion based on the research I know of.
A little background first:
Growth hormone (GH) is secreted by the pituitary gland. Athletes and bodybuilders have been injecting GH for decades, but research on the actual benefits hasn’t been very conclusive (I’m not saying it doesn’t help build muscle—just saying it’s controversial from a research perspective). Excessive GH use is thought to cause the swollen bellies you see in many modern-day bodybuilders.
Let me tell you what I think of the current “hgh booster” supplements I see.
First and foremost, I believe the wrong people are often looking to “boost” their GH levels (much like with "testosterone boosters'). I don’t see any reason for a healthy man in his 20’s to try “boosting” any anabolic hormones—he’s already at his natural peak!
As far as the actual supplements go, I remain very skeptical. Most of them seem to be a combination of amino acids, herbal formulas, and other exotic-sounding compounds I’ve never heard of. You should already be getting plenty of amino acids through a protein-rich diet, and I'm not aware of any independent research linking these before-mentioned compounds to actual increases in GH.
The labels will say things like “supports growth hormone production,” but the fine print will tell you the “statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.”
I’ll include a little supplement history for your entertainment:
GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid):
This was one of the first supplements I encountered early in my weight training days. I was about 19 or 20 at the time, so it was the last thing I needed. But I was also pretty naïve about the supplement world, so I tried it. I don’t remember it making any difference.
It seems the biggest problem with GABA is the difficulty of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Taking it right before training does seem to help with this:
Oral administration of the amino acid/inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) reportedly elevates resting serum growth hormone (GH) concentrations.
PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that GABA ingestion stimulates immunoreactive GH (irGH) and immunofunctional GH (ifGH) release at rest and that GABA augments the resistance exercise-induced irGH/ifGH responses.
METHODS: Eleven resistance-trained men (18-30 yr) participated in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. During each experimental bout, participants ingested either 3 g of GABA or sucrose placebo (P), followed either by resting or resistance exercise sessions. Fasting venous blood samples were acquired immediately before and at 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 min after GABA or P ingestion and were assayed for irGH and ifGH.
RESULTS: At rest, GABA ingestion elevated both irGH and ifGH compared with placebo. Specifically, peak concentrations of both hormones were elevated by about 400%, and the area under the curve (AUC) was elevated by about 375% (P < 0.05). Resistance exercise (EX-P) elevated time-point (15-60 min) irGH and ifGH concentrations compared with rest (P < 0.05). The combination of GABA and resistance exercise (EX-GABA) also elevated the peak, AUC, and the 15- to 60-min time-point irGH and ifGH responses compared with resting conditions (P < 0.05). Additionally, 200% greater irGH (P < 0.01) and 175% greater ifGH (P < 0.05) concentrations were observed in the EX-GABA than in the EX-P condition, 30 min after ingestion. GABA ingestion did not alter the irGH to ifGH ratio, and, under all conditions, ifGH represented approximately 50% of irGH.
CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that ingested GABA elevates resting and postexercise irGH and ifGH concentrations. The extent to which irGH/ifGH secretion contributes to skeletal muscle hypertrophy is unknown, although augmenting the postexercise irGH/ifGH response may improve resistance training-induced muscular adaptations.
Quoted from
Growth hormone isoform reponses to GABA ingestion at rest after exercise (emphasis mine).
Why not go out and buy some GABA? Here’s the problem:
the research did not measure gains in strength or size. It only measured an acute spike in certain hormonal levels if taken before training.
In other words, we don’t know if taking this supplement actually makes you bigger or stronger over the long term. The increased GH levels may or may not do anything. The human body may produce less of it’s own hormones or make other adaptations after continued supplementation (just speculating, but the point is we don’t know). I would be interested to see some long-term studies on this.
GHB/GBL:
Yes, I’m talking about the infamous “date rape” drug. Believe it or not, the first I ever heard of it was back in the mid-90’s when it was touted as a bodybuilding supplement. I’d do anything to find some photos of the labels from back then.
The idea was to induce deep sleep, thereby causing more GH production. As you can imagine, it didn’t take too long for the government to intervene due to (very real) safety concerns.
Final Thoughts:
We do tend to produce less growth hormone as we age. With that in mind, I think GH therapy has great potential as an anti-aging protocol (I’m referring to actual GH injections, not “booster” supplements).
But I would not recommend “hgh booster" supplements. I doubt any of them actually produce measurable gains in strength or size. I think you’d be much better off sticking with the proven supplements (creatine monohydrate, protein powder and fish oil) and save your money.
Note:
If you are a hardgainer trying to put on muscle I'd recommend
No-Nonsense Muscle Building by Vince Delmonte.
If you've been training for a few years and are looking to kick-start some new growth I'd recommend
MI40 (Mass Inentions) by Ben Pakulski.
, but there may be less expensive brands out there that are also good (I'm not much of an expert on juicers).
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