How it has been used by athletes for performance enhancement
|
As well as being used for medicinal purposes, human growth hormone is also used as a performance enhancing substance by many athletes as it is capable of speeding up the recovery of muscles and increasing total muscle mass. These properties have made it particularly desirable amongst athletes in the bodybuilding industry. Human growth hormone is administered via injection where it is slowly absorbed into the bloodstream and carried across the entire body. In sports, the use of human growth hormone is referred to as ‘doping’ and is considered cheating by most sporting leagues as it can improve performance and it ultimately undermines the spirit of competition. In most countries, including Australia, human growth hormone requires a prescription to obtain. This has helped to prevent misuse and abuse by athletes which can result in many side effects and other complications from arising. serious health risks associated with the misuse of human growth hormone include:
|
|
Final thoughts from the Author
Human growth hormone is a controversial substance with both critically important uses for medicine as well as negative uses which undermine the integrity of sports and can lead to health complications. From a critical standpoint, I believe the benefits it provides to those suffering from conditions far outweighs the negatives associated with it. In the future, human growth hormone should continue to be regulated to prevent misuse while also allowing it to be prescribed to those in need of it.
