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Review
. 2018 Mar 15:464:65-74.
doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.06.010. Epub 2017 Jun 9.

Use of growth hormone, IGF-I, and insulin for anabolic purpose: Pharmacological basis, methods of detection, and adverse effects

Lindsey J Anderson  1 , Jamie M Tamayose  1 , Jose M Garcia  2
Affiliations
Review

Use of growth hormone, IGF-I, and insulin for anabolic purpose: Pharmacological basis, methods of detection, and adverse effects

Lindsey J Anderson et al. Mol Cell Endocrinol. .

Abstract

Hormones with anabolic properties such as growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), and insulin are commonly abused among professional and recreational athletes to enhance physical ability. Performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) such as these are also commonly used by recreational athletes to improve body aesthetics. The perception of increased muscle mass due to supraphysiologic hormone supplementation, or doping, is widespread among PED users despite a paucity of evidence-based data in humans. Even still, athletes will continue to abuse PEDs in hopes of replicating anecdotal results. It is important to educate the general public and potential treating physicians of the risks of PED use, including the dangers of polypharmacy and substance dependence. It will also be important for the research community to address the common challenges associated with studying PED use such as the ethical considerations of PED administration, the general reticence of the PED-using community to volunteer information, and the constant need to improve or create new detection methods as athletes continually attempt to circumvent current methods. This review highlights the anabolic mechanisms and suggestive data implicating GH, IGF-I, and insulin for use as PEDs, the specific detection methods with cutoff ranges that may be utilized to diagnose abuse of each substance, and their respective side effects.

Keywords: Doping; Drug abuse; Muscle; Performance enhancing drugs; Side effects; Sports.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interests: JMG receives research support from Pfizer, Inc. LJA receives research support from the Endocrine Society; Endocrine Scholars Award in Growth Hormone Research supported by Genentec.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mechanisms of action of GH, IGF-1, and insulin in skeletal muscle
AAT, amino acid transporter. Intramuscular anabolic mechanisms mediated by GH, IGF-1, and insulin providing the theoretical basis for use of these agents as PEDs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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