KETO DIETS LOWER GH AND IGF-1

Growth hormone (GH) has been touted as the miracle sought by Ponce de León in his quest for the Fountain of Youth.

- Dan Gwartney, MD

Once a rare treatment obtained from pituitary glands (brain tissue) of cadavers, technology has advanced to allow laboratories to create a seemingly endless supply of the drug.' Bodybuilders have long been early adaptors of pharmaceutical, nutritional and physical training methods to maximize muscle growth, as well as reduce body fat to extremes well beyond innate physiological limits.

Initially, GH was used in bodybuilding and sports to promote muscle size and strength. As adults dosed themselves based on the clinical guidelines for GH-deficient dwarf children, it was learned that adverse effects accompanied the relatively high dosages. The adverse effects include glucose intolerance (pre-diabetes), edema, carpal tunnel syndrome, elongated hands and feet, and abnormal facial bone growth.² Unfortunately, as an anabolic, GH requires a fairly significant dosing schedule, and the increase in tissue mass is not necessarily commensurate with strength increases - which was especially absent with the use of insulin and/or anabolic steroids. Additionally, GH is much more expensive than anabolic steroids and needs to be injected daily or at least several times per week.