Growth hormone secretagogues: out of competition.

Growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) constitute a new GH deficiency treatment increasing exponentially in number and improved potency and bioavailability over the last decade. The growth hormone releasing activity makes these compounds attractive for the artificial improvement of the human sports skills, now that recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) administration is effectively detected. The GHS family is extremely diverse both in number and chemical heterogeneity and keeps growing continuously.

Growth hormone in sport: beyond Beijing 2008.

Human growth hormone (hGH) is a protein endogenously produced predominantly by the anterior pituitary gland. Native hGH and, especially, its recombinant analogue (rhGH), used to treat patients with hormone deficiency, are supposed to be abused by athletes searching its anabolic and lipolytic effects. Hence, hGH use has been prohibited for a long time by the sport authorities, but until recently, hGH abuse could not be detected.