The growth hormone somatropin controls the growth of internal organs and muscle tissue in the human body. It is a component of the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, increases the concentration of glucose in the blood.
The growth hormone somatropin is produced by the anterior part of the pituitary gland, but it happens that the body needs additional portions of this substance. Then the person starts taking its synthetic counterpart. Drugs in general serve their purpose, but have a number of side effects that cannot be ignored.
Production of somatropin
The production of growth hormone somatropin in the body is not constant. The synthesis of a substance has a wave-like schedule throughout the day. One of the largest releases of the hormone into the blood occurs during a night's sleep. Scientists' claims that children grow up in their sleep have a scientific basis.
The amount of hormone produced depends heavily on the age of the person. A large amount of the substance in the blood is fixed even before the birth of a person - at 6-8 months of pregnancy. Until the age of 2, the level of the hormone is very high, but by the age of 20, its production decreases significantly.
The production and, conversely, inhibition of the synthesis of somatropin is affected by two peptide substances - somatoliberin and somatostatin.
Somatoliberin and somatostatin
Somatoliberin activates the hypothalamus to produce somatropin. It, in turn, develops under the influence of the following factors:
- Deep night sleep, and a person should sleep in the dark.
- Regular physical activity.
- Low body sugar.
- Significant amounts of estrogen.
- High activity of the endocrine system, especially the thyroid gland.
- Increased levels of glutamine in the human diet.
- The activity of the pituitary gland increases under the action of the hormone ghrelin, which causes a feeling of hunger.
In turn, somatostatin, which inhibits the production of somatropin, increases as a result of the following conditions of the body:
- High glucose.
- Significant amount of fat cells.
- The presence of the synthetic hormone growth hormone in human blood.
Lack of growth hormone in the body
Growth hormone somatropin in varying degrees is necessary for a person throughout life. It is clear that by old age its content in the blood decreases, but if this happens at some period of existenceorganism, which leads to the appearance of a variety of pathologies. So, in childhood, the lack of somatropin leads to the development of dwarfism. In this case, human growth stops. And with an excess of the hormone in the blood, the so-called gigantism develops. This is a condition when a person grows not only the spine, but also the head of the hands and feet, fingers.
If a failure in the production of the hormone occurred after 20 years, then this leads the patient to obesity. The amount of lipids in the blood increases, and, as a result, apathy, impotence, and destruction of the bone structure develop.
A sedentary lifestyle caused by obesity leads to the development of cardiovascular diseases, many of which are deadly.
Where to get growth hormone
You can buy synthetic growth hormone somatropin in a pharmacy at any time. After all, the drug is used not only for its intended purpose (to normalize its level in the blood, which improves the growth of the child), but also for sports purposes. This element breaks down fats and accelerates the growth of muscle tissue, which is exactly what is necessary to increase the strength and endurance of a person. Also, a course for girls of growth hormone (somatropin) is used for weight loss.
The main thing is to observe the correct dosage and regimen, because the drug is synthetic and can act on the body almost unpredictably. That is why funds containing the hormone are prescribed by a doctor. If the substance is going to be taken by an athlete, then he must first passexamination by a specialist.
The hormone in pharmacies is presented in certain preparations - Omnitrop, Genotropin, Norditropin, Norditropin NordiLet and others. Each has its own norm of the content of the active substance in the composition. Prices and schemes of admission differ depending on the state of human he alth. For example, the course of somatropin - growth hormone "Testonat Deca" is 30 days.
Somatropin preparations are mostly injectable, so the person undergoing treatment needs a medical professional who can give the injection correctly.
In which case the doctor prescribes the hormone
A course of growth hormone somatropin is prescribed for serious pathologies:
- Endogenous growth hormone deficiency or dwarfism.
- Shereshevsky-Turner syndrome.
- GH deficiency in adults.
- Destruction of bone structure - osteoporosis.
- Strengthening therapy for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
- The drug is used for cachexia.
How much is needed for a course of growth hormone somatropin in these diseases - the doctor decides based on the results of the tests and the individual characteristics of the human body. That is, the dosage and regimen is assigned to each individual patient, taking into account many factors.
Contraindications for taking drugs
Not all people can take growth hormone somatropin as a medical drug. There is a category of patients for whom this serious therapy is strictly contraindicated.
- First of all, these are those who are allergic to the components of the drug.
- Secondly, the hormone is forbidden to be taken by patients with neoplasms in the brain.
- Third, if a person has a malignant tumor in any organ, then he should not take this drug, as it can begin to grow rapidly.
- Fourthly, drugs with somatropin are contraindicated in patients who have had a heart attack, as well as heart or abdominal surgery.
- Fifth, the medicinal substance should not be taken for pulmonary diseases.
You should take the drug with the hormone very carefully in case of diabetes, pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
Side effects of growth hormone
The side effects of growth hormone (somatropin) have been studied quite well and are presented almost in full. Therefore, before using the medicine, you must familiarize yourself with the list of these negative effects on the body:
- Pain in the back of the head and in the temporal lobe of the head.
- Fatigue.
- The appearance of pain in the hip joint, leading to lameness. Your knees may also start to bother you.
- Occurrence of edema on the hands and feet, especially in the first days of taking the drug.
- A person may begin to feel sick up to severe vomiting.
- The patient often has impaired vision.
- Inflammation of the pancreas develops.
- Hearing impaired, accompanied by inflammation of the ear.
- On the skin canmoles or freckles appear.
- If the child's growth accelerated due to the drug, then scoliosis is possible - a curvature of the spine.
Some patients develop antibodies to the hormone, which leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of therapy. In this case, the doctor reviews the dose of the administered substance.
Overdose
If you allow a one-time overdose, then in the body there is a sharp shortage of glucose. After that, compensatory hyperglycemia sets in, which is also not very good for a person.
If the overdose was prolonged, then the child may develop gigantism with concomitant suppression of the thyroid gland. Treatment in this case involves a complete rejection of the drug.
Additional recommendations
Before deciding how much is needed for a course of somatropin growth hormone, the doctor must deal with the cause of its shortage in the body. After that, treatment is carried out aimed at normalizing the functioning of the pituitary gland and the endocrine system as a whole. Sometimes surgery is needed to correct the cause, such as removing a pituitary tumor that is interfering with normal functioning.
But it is not always the neoplasm that is to blame for the lack of the hormone - the pituitary gland can be damaged as a result of a head injury. In this case, the patient must undergo a full course of treatment specifically for brain contusion.
During therapy, it is recommended to inject the substance under the skin in different parts of the body to prevent thinning of the fat layer.
Synthetic TSH hormone is often included in the course of treatment, this is done to reduce the likelihood of hypothyroidism.
With diabetes, patients should be especially careful to monitor their blood glucose levels and note its sharp jumps, which helps to adjust the dose of the hormonal drug.
If side effects occur, such as impaired vision, hearing, nausea, vomiting, then it is recommended to stop taking the medicine immediately.
Increase growth hormone in the body through sports
Reviews of somatropin - growth hormone are generally positive. But we must not forget that when taking a synthetic drug, the pituitary gland sharply reduces the production of a natural substance, which negatively affects the future. Therefore, it is possible to raise the level of somatropin in the blood without using medications containing it.
First of all, these are regular training loads. And it doesn’t matter what kind of activity a person is engaged in, the main thing is the observance of a sports regimen. That is, the body must get used to, for example, daily two-hour workouts.
If the patient is a small child, it can be given to swimming, gymnastics or martial arts. These activities include both strength training and acrobatics.
For a person of middle and older age, light running or walking, that is, aerobic sports, is suitable. You need to understand that regular training can not only increase the level of the hormone, but also lose excesskilograms, if any.
Increase growth hormone in the body through diet
In addition to sports, to increase the level of the hormone in the blood, you need to adjust your diet. If the child is still small, then this responsibility falls on his parents.
The diet of children and adults must include products such as cottage cheese, chicken, veal, beans, peas, milk - everything that contains protein. It will be especially useful to include walnuts, eggs, buckwheat and other types of cereals in the diet.
Fat is very important for the body, just like other substances, but you need to replenish its shortage wisely. For example, lard is very useful, but visceral fat or fatty meat should be categorically excluded.
Sweet carbonated drinks should be removed from the diet forever, because one bottle of "pop" contains up to 200 g of sugar. This is a lot - for the daily norm, 15-20 g of sugar is enough, about 1 teaspoon. Everything else will definitely be deposited as fat under the skin.
You can not give your child rich pastries, spicy seasonings, foods with preservatives and dyes. To make it clearer, be sure to ban the use of fast food products.
You need to eat at least 6 times a day, while servings should not exceed 200 g, that is, they should be small. This will allow not to burden the stomach, then it will be able to digest and assimilate nutrients by an order of magnitude more.
Somatropin in sports
Agitation of the somatropin (growth hormone) drug is being actively pursued inamong professional athletes, in particular among bodybuilders. These athletes are focused on increasing muscle mass in the shortest possible time, and the drug gives them an advantage in this. After all, this substance successfully dissolves fats and builds muscle tissue. But at the same time, a he althy person puts himself at risk, since his pituitary gland ceases to function fully. In addition, the pancreas may fail in an athlete, since the level of insulin varies greatly due to all the same synthetic drugs.
After such a course of "pumping up" muscle mass, an athlete can lose his he alth for many years, or even forever. That is why the Olympic Committee banned the use of drugs containing somatropin and other hormones. And those who still use them do so at their own peril and risk.
Conclusion
Against the background of all that has been said, we can draw the following conclusions. Preparations with somatropin should be taken by those who have a damaged pituitary or thyroid gland. And athletes should focus on their training regimen, nutrition, sleep, and quitting bad habits. Using hormonal drugs to build muscle or lose weight is dangerous to he alth. Many powerful drugs are banned in professional sports.
