It seems that the habit of turning to pharmaceuticals to gain a competitive edge will die hard, if at all. The response of some athletes to more-rigorous steroid testing has not been to give up performance-aiding drugs but to switch to another, less easily detected agent-synthetic growth hormone, which has many of the anabolic effects of anabolic steroids. As this recently developed agent has become increasingly available through legitimate channels to physicians treating such problems as growth-hormone deficiencies, it's also become increasingly available through the black market to athletes in search of greater strength and bulk.For synthetic growth hormone to be used safely, the manufacturer's instructions on administration and dosage must, of course, be followed to the letter. That condition is not likely to be met by self-medicating athletes, who-if their use of anabolic steroids is any indication-generally take a casual attitude toward medical directions and almost always err on the side of excess.
Close supervision by a physician is also critical, since complications from synthetic growth hormone tend to develop slowly and subtly. Chief among those side effects. says Dr. Lombardo, is acromegaly (an increase in the size of the hands, feet, & face) due to an overabundance of growth hormone. That effect is irreversible and is seen most often in the soft tissues and bones of the mandible, maxilla, forehead, and fingers. Growth hormone can also cause enlargement of the visceral organs and cardiomyopathy, which is often the ultimate cause of death in patients with acromegaly.