Articles

The Many Faces of Growth Hormone

BY RONNY TOBER  2005

This is an article I wrote for a bodybuilding magazine in 2005.  The information is therefore dated. But it contains usefull information and newer information about this subject can be found in newer articles.

Human growth hormone (somatropin) is widely used outside of normal medical situations. For example, in bodybuilding it is taken to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat. Being so far removed from the hands of legitimate pharmaceutical distributors, doctors, and pharmacists, preparations of doubtful origin and low quality frequently find their way to the (black) market.

In the last few years,counterfeited, contaminated, and very poor quality somatropin have been located and analysed, both in the European Union and in the United States. There were many counterfeited preparations found, some of which instead of the expected recombinant growth hormone rhGH, contained the pregnancy hormone HCG. Other illegally prepared preparations contained growth hormone from human cadavers (pituitary glands), veterinary somatropin variants, vitamins, insulin,etc. Looking at the more than 50 proven cases of the transmission of the Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease by contaminated growth hormone preparations, mainly during the 1980’s [1-4],we feel people should be urgently warned before using questionable growth hormone preparations [5-9]. This article will take a close look at the various manufacturing techniques used to make growth hormone drugs, placing a strong emphasis on how to identify quality preparations from those of a more questionable nature.

I want it all – and – I want it now

 

As you could read in part 1  of this article, the bodybuilding culture is changing and it is changing fast. People want instant solution, instant results.

This raises concern among people that want to inform and warn, these mostly young and naïve newbies. There are many websites, forums and booklets that inform potential users that are interested in shortcuts to increase their muscle mass. On these forums certain members manifests themselves as experienced people, most of the time these guys, or groups of guys, sell the homebrews and or veterinary compounds  ( Kynoselen – ADE - Potenay) they are hyping.

BY RONNY TOBER 

Over the past 10 years, the two most well known and sought after Russian brands of methandrostenolone have been manufactured by the firms Akrihin and Bioreactor.The Akrihin product goes back a very long way, and is still in production today. It remains the principle agent of reference when someone is speaking about “Russian DBol”, or at least it should be. The product from Bioreactor is actually no longer being made, and was discontinued a few years ago. It was dropped simply because the firm’s license on the sale of the agent had expired.The availability of old batches, counterfeits, and outright fakes of the Bioreactor product makes this a topic to discuss, and has been included in our article on Russian methandrostenolone, even though it is no longer actively made there. So we know what they are, now what do we know about them?

After all,Russian D-bol has been the product of great speculation over the years. Let’s get to the facts and the fakes. Years ago, one of the most trusted U.S. steroid gurus (Dan Duchaine) wrote that he disliked Russian Dianabol because of manufacturing and quality control issues. In his opinion, it was a combination ofmethandienone and methyl-testosterone. He believed that the manufacturers used contaminated, expired tablets for their new batches, which would have made it impossible for the end-user to dose properly as the tablet dosage could not have been accurate.

Russian Dianabol has been dogged by this stigma ever since, so we were curious to get a Russian perspective.We sought the expertise of a highly respected bodybuilder and forum moderator known as Retabolil or just Ret Ret: “Bioreactor was illegally made and I never liked it. Akrihin® was top notch. Yes, it had more methyl-test then any other brand, but it also gave me increadible mass and strength gains. The most popular brand in Russia today is Naposim®. It’s very different from Russian Dianabol though, it doesn’t make you hold so much water.”

THE PIONEERS OF BODYBUILDING

We all have a heritage. Our nationalities, our occupations and even our hobbies  have their  history. Where we´ve come from is a part of who we are. Pride is a part of it as well.

Our differences often cause dissension. Nevertheless, it´s possible to cross ethnic and cultural lines via shared beliefs and interests which fuse our unanimity and camaraderie. The love of sports is such a catalyst. It brings people together with a common bond. Sports aficionados are known for their mutual devotion and  reverence to the all time greats of a game. At times, they can be passionate to the point of fanatical when exuding their thoughts of how "it used to be." So why is it so few bodybuilders are familiar with the history of their own sport?

 

Distended bellies also known as GH-gut or roid-gut

 

The GH gut is well known phenomenon among “modern” bodybuilders. It is widely discussed on bodybuilding-boards, magazines and in the gym. We’ll try to explain the reason why it happened and if there is a way back.

Let us start at the beginning.

During the Golden Age ( the 1940s and 50s) the champions like Steve Reeves, John Grimek and Reg Park (picture 1) wanted to sculpt their bodies like the statues of the ancient Greek and Roman gods. Their goal was to attain an athletic body with aesthetical size and symmetry. These  champions of the pre-steroid time were proud of their health and strength and looks.

Bodybuilders of the 1960s, had these men as their example, these where athletes such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Franco Columbo, Bob Paris and Frank Zane. These bodybuilders where the ones that started to use anabolic androgenic steroids, starting with Dianabol (methandrostenolone)  small blue pils they called “the breakfast of the champions”.

 


From the physical culture of young surfers from the sunny beaches of California emerged not to long ago a new phenomenon called “ bodybuilding”.  It was new, to only want to look strong and not compete for strength, like by example weightlifting. Bodybuilding received a major boost with the arrival of Arnold and Franco, who were contracted directly by Weider, the then wannabe rich and the wannabe famous.

It was for the first bodybuilders and competitive athletes, especially the weightlifters at that time, a whole gamble when they popped their first little, blue Dianabol tablet in their throat,   and later when they first started to inject muscle-enhancing substances, mainly testosterone derivatives, in the upper outer quarter of their buttock.

Since its first official competition in 1977, which featured contestants sporting high heels, female bodybuilding has been a hotbed of gender-related controversy. From the start the female input had a faithful audience. Female bodybuilding gained popularity in the early 1980’s, took a dark turn into the 1990’s with a rampant drug use breading masculine female physiques.

When we age, the available amount of the male sex hormone testosterone declines.

What are the consequences and is it reversible or avoidable?

On the path to the shopping mall, a small bent fragile man shuffles behind his rollator. His movements appear a little bit slowed down. His clothes fall a little to wide.  With his small somewhat pale and entered face, he sometimes looks on a small note as to remember why and where he is. With the feeling that he can be blown away if the wind will get a bit stronger, I carefully pass the fragile bent guy, fearfully not to disturb or hit him. I start to wonder will this be my future? Will I end looking like this? This man must have been much stronger and taller when he was younger. These by all of us recognizable fragility is a consequence of gradual changes of the body when you grow older. Gradually you loose your power and stamina. Your resilience declines just like the amount of workload you can cope. What causes this fragility? What makes the difference between growing old but staying vital and being able to perform well until high age, and becoming so “fragile”?