With the recent home run increase in baseball and Barry Bonds passing the all-time home run record, steroids have cast a shadow over the game of baseball. And rightfully so, as steroids increase strength, subsequently allowing a player to hit a baseball farther. A few years ago, MLB implemented steroid testing. Many people remained skeptical, however, due to the prevalence of a non-steroid Performance Enhancing Drug: Human Growth Hormone. A test for HGH was not part of the steroid testing, as a reliable test does not exist. However, should fans be worried about HGH, the PED Bonds is accused of taking, skewing statistics? Evidence and experts, who apparently have not been asked to comment on HGH by the media, seem to conclude that we should not be worried by HGH.

First, there is this article by Daniel Engber entitled “The Growth Hormone Myth,” which states "Human Growth Hormone (HGH or GH) has little to no performance enhancing-benefits."

What’s the difference between steroids and HGH? For starters, we know that a baseball player can beef up on steroids and improve his athletic performance. But most clinical studies suggest that HGH won’t help an athlete at all….So far, no one has been able to connect the increase in lean body tissue caused by HGH with enhancement of athletic performance. Unlike steroids, growth hormone hasn’t been shown to increase weight-lifting ability; in the lab, it has a greater effect on muscle definition than muscle strength. And it doesn’t seem to help much with cardiovascular fitness, either.

J.C. Bradbury of Sabernomics.com, an Associate Professor of HPS, Kennesaw State University, interviewed an exercise physiologist, John McLester to determine if these shocking statements were true.

JC: What do you think of this argument?

John: Oh yeah, I agree with him. This isn’t even controversial in exercise physiology.

JC: Why haven’t I heard about this in the media?

John: I guess no one has asked anyone in the profession to comment. People think andro works, and that is laughable.

JC: How does HGH work?

John: Unlike anabolic steroids, growth hormone doesn’t target muscle, everything grows. You will get bigger muscles, but you’ll also do things like enlarge your organs. In an adult who has finished growing, it’s going to result in acromegaly. Remember Andre the Giant’s gut? That wasn’t fat. That’s where his organs had to go because there wasn’t room in his chest cavity.

JC: But, doesn’t the subject benefit from bigger muscles.

John: There is no evidence of this. It seems that the muscle that is developed is abnormal and not mature. I’ll point you to some studies (see below).

JC: Wow. So you think there are no performance-enhancing benefits to using HGH?

John: Little to none, especially in baseball. An offensive lineman in football might benefit just from gaining mass, but there are probably easier and cheaper ways to gain mass—HGH is very expensive. If I were to use PEDs, I’d take steroids and there is no way I’d even touch HGH. If benefits to taking HGH exist they are tiny, and the health consequences are not pretty.

Original Post. If you follow the preceding link, there are two studies that support HGH not having strength-enhancing properties.

Far too many fans and media members were quick to throw Barry Bonds under the bus when suspicion of HGH use cropped up. While HGH likely gave Bonds a nice body, if he did in fact use this substance, it more than likely did not add any home runs to his season totals. Is he a jerk? Maybe, but I have not met the man, yet, so I cannot really be the judge of that. The man is the greatest hitter of our time, possibly of all-time, and it is time he gets his due.