Somatropin (HGH) will make you taller and increase bone growth
even if you don't have a GHD.
(as long as your growth plates are open)
If they are not, HGH will still increase BMD/BMC.
I will explain how it works in a simple manner, and later provide studies in correlation to this.
How Somatropin (HGH) causes Bone Growth simplified:
GH → Increased IGF-1
IGF-1 → stimulates epiphyseal chondrocyte proliferation
More chondrocyte proliferation → more cartilage scaffold
Osteoblasts replace cartilage with mineralized bone.
How this influences Height i.e bone growth
So height increases through a process by the name of endochondral ossification,
which happens at the growth plates. When IGF-1 increases chondrocyte proliferation,
the growth plates produce more cartilage and that cartilage moves the ends of the bones further apart.
When this cartilage expands, osteoblasts follow behind it and replaces it with mineralized bone,
more chondrocytes → more cartilage → more bone formation → more bone growth/height
now this is only when growth plates are open, so when they are closed HGH doesn't increase length,
it increases bone mineral density (BMD) and bone strength overall.
STUDIES
HGH increasing BMD/BMC
"Conclusion: Growth hormone administered to men withadult-onset growth hormone deficiency at a dose adjusted according
to serum IGF-1 levels increases bone density and stimulates bone turnover,
decreases body fat and increases lean mass, and is associated with a low incidence of side effects."
"In conclusion, treatment of GH-deficient adults with rhGH increases bone turnover for at least 12 months.
BMD in the lumbar spine and the proximal femur increases continuously in this time."
"Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests a beneficial effect of rhGH replacement on BMD in adults with GH deficiency."
HGH increasing height in ISS patients
Bone age advanced similarly in both groups, but predicted adult height improved in the treated group.
Recombinant human growth hormone treatment can significantly improve the height of patients with ISS and GHD.
Short-acting GH supplementation can significantly improve the growth rate of children with idiopathic short stature, but has little effect on bone age.
So contrary to popular belief, HGH actually does
increase height/bone growth even if you don't have a GHD.
