RESULTS Body cell mass was correlated with all measures of performance at baseline .
Growth hormone significantly reduced fat mass , increased lean body mass through an increase in extracellular water , and increased body cell mass in men when coadministered with testosterone .
Growth hormone supplementation influenced body composition and increased sprint capacity when administered alone and in combination with testosterone .
BACKGROUND Growth hormone is widely abused by athletes , frequently with and rogenic steroids .
Its effects on performance are unclear .
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of growth hormone alone or with testosterone on body composition and measures of performance .
Growth hormone and sex steroid administration in healthy aged women and men: a randomized controlled trial.
CONTEXT Hormone administration to elderly individuals can increase lean body mass ( LBM ) and decrease fat , but interactive effects of growth hormone ( GH ) and sex steroids and their influence on strength and endurance are unknown . OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of recombinant human GH and /or sex steroids on body composition , strength , endurance , and adverse outcomes in aged persons . DESIGN , SETTING , AND PARTICIPANTS A 26-week r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled parallel-group trial in healthy , ambulatory , community-dwelling US women ( n = 57 ) and men ( n = 74 ) aged 65 to 88 years recruited between June 1992 and July 1998 . INTERVENTIONS Participants were r and omized to receive GH ( starting dose , 30 micro g/kg , reduced to 20 micro g/kg , subcutaneously 3 times/wk ) + sex steroids ( women : transdermal estradiol , 100 micro g/d , plus oral medroxyprogesterone acetate , 10 mg/d , during the last 10 days of each 28-day cycle [ HRT ] ; men : testosterone enanthate , biweekly intramuscular injections of 100 mg ) ( n = 35 ) ; GH + placebo sex steroid ( n = 30 ) ; sex steroid + placebo GH ( n = 35 ) ; or placebo GH + placebo sex steroid ( n = 31 ) in a 2 x 2 factorial design . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Lean body mass , fat mass , muscle strength , maximum oxygen uptake ( VO(2)max ) during treadmill test , and adverse effects . RESULTS In women , LBM increased by 0.4 kg with placebo , 1.2 kg with HRT ( P = .09 ) , 1.0 kg with GH ( P = .001 ) , and 2.1 kg with GH + HRT ( P<.001 ) . Fat mass decreased significantly in the GH and GH + HRT groups . In men , LBM increased by 0.1 kg with placebo , 1.4 kg with testosterone ( P = .06 ) , 3.1 kg with GH ( P<.001 ) , and 4.3 kg with GH + testosterone ( P<.001 ) . Fat mass decreased significantly with GH and GH + testosterone . Women 's strength decreased in the placebo group and increased nonsignificantly with HRT ( P = .09 ) , GH ( P = .29 ) , and GH + HRT ( P = .14 ) . Men 's strength also did not increase significantly except for a marginally significant increase of 13.5 kg with GH + testosterone ( P = .05 ) . Women 's VO(2)max declined by 0.4 mL/min/kg in the placebo and HRT groups but increased with GH ( P = .07 ) and GH + HRT ( P = .06 ) . Men 's VO(2)max declined by 1.2 mL/min/kg with placebo and by 0.4 mL/min/kg with testosterone ( P = .49 ) but increased with GH ( P = .11 ) and with GH + testosterone ( P<.001 ) . Changes in strength ( r = 0.355 ; P<.001 ) and in VO(2)max ( r = 0.320 ; P = .002 ) were directly related to changes in LBM . Edema was significantly more common in women taking GH ( 39 % vs 0 % ) and GH + HRT ( 38 % vs 0 % ) . Carpal tunnel symptoms were more common in men taking GH + testosterone ( 32 % vs 0 % ) and arthralgias were more common in men taking GH ( 41 % vs 0 % ) . Diabetes or glucose intolerance occurred in 18 GH-treated men vs 7 not receiving GH ( P = .006 ) . CONCLUSIONS In this study , GH with or without sex steroids in healthy , aged women and men increased LBM and decreased fat mass .  Sex steroid + GH increased muscle strength marginally and VO ( 2)max in men , but women had no significant change in strength or cardiovascular endurance . Because adverse effects were frequent ( importantly , diabetes and glucose intolerance ) , GH interventions in the elderly should be confined to controlled studies
RESULTS Body cell mass was correlated with all measures of performance at baseline .
Growth hormone significantly reduced fat mass , increased lean body mass through an increase in extracellular water , and increased body cell mass in men when coadministered with testosterone .
Growth hormone supplementation influenced body composition and increased sprint capacity when administered alone and in combination with testosterone .
BACKGROUND Growth hormone is widely abused by athletes , frequently with and rogenic steroids .
Its effects on performance are unclear .
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of growth hormone alone or with testosterone on body composition and measures of performance .