Human growth hormone, or HGH, is a naturally secreted hormone that causes most of our body's growth through puberty and beyond. HGH production drops off after puberty, reducing the impact that physical activity has on the body. HGH is popular in both the weight training and therapeutic rehabilitation worlds for its ability to increase muscle size. HGH injections contain actual HGH, whereas pills and powders contain nutrient precursors to help your body produce HGH. HGH cycles are required to minimize negative side effects while you acquire the full benefits of treatment.
Talk to Your Doctor
Schedule an appointment with your doctor to discuss how HGH treatment can benefit you. Discuss your goals for a cycle of HGH treatment. Obtain a prescription from your doctor for injectable HGH. Your doctor will prescribe a proper dosage amount to follow. HGH for rehabilitative purposes is often prescribed at 0.5 IU to 4 IU per day; those seeking the performance-enhancing effects of HGH are prescribed daily dosages of 4 IU to 6 IU. Common HGH cycles are 50 days of treatment followed by 20 to 40 days off of treatment.
Talk with your doctor about the side effects of HGH use. Too much HGH supplementation, or improper use, can result in breast enlargement, liver damage, fluid retention and joint pain.
Dosage Schedule
Follow the dosage schedule laid out by your doctor. Daily dosages of HGH will often be broken up into multiple injections. Normal dosage times are in the morning and a half hour after a workout. HGH has a half-life of 20 minutes, and peak blood levels are reached between two and six hours after injection. Administering HGH after a workout or physical therapy increases the physical gains from both types of exercise.
Resisting Dependency
Allow your pituitary gland to function without HGH injections for a period of time. The length of this wait period will be determined as part of your cycle. Although long-term HGH supplementation of safe dosage levels isn't extremely harmful, it may negatively impact the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland is responsible for most of the body's natural HGH production. HGH injections require the pituitary gland to do no work, weakening that organ's functioning. Abstain from HGH injections for the entire wait period to promote proper pituitary functioning. Prolonged consistent HGH treatment also increases the risk of side effects.
Price
Set aside the requisite amount of money needed to pay for an entire HGH cycle before beginning your cycle. Daily dosages of intravenous HGH can cost from $75 to $150 dollars. Monthly, this cost can be in excess of $2,000. You can only get the full benefits from a course of HGH injections if you can commit to a full dosage cycle.