HGH and Injury Recovery: Can HGH Help You Heal Faster?

HGH and Injury Recovery: Can HGH Help You Heal Faster?

There is clinical evidence to support that HGH can help you heal faster and aid in injury recovery, particularly sports-related trauma such as injuries to bones and joints. 

Since HGH plays a vital role in growth and protein synthesis to build muscle, in recent years, there has been growing interest in the potential benefits of HGH for injury recovery.

When the body experiences an injury, such as a broken bone or torn muscle, it initiates a healing process that involves inflammation, cell proliferation, and tissue regeneration. This process requires a significant amount of energy and resources from the body, including nutrients and hormones.

One of the key hormones involved in the injury recovery process is HGH.

Understanding HGH and the Healing Process

HGH injections have long been known to have the ability to improve flexibility and joint health and, therefore, has been used therapeutically by orthopedic surgeons to treat joint disease such as arthritis. HGH is also being used to speed the recovery of ligament tears and other common sports-related injuries to bones and joints.

There is also a growing body of scientific evidence that suggests a connection between your levels of human growth hormone and a healthy immune system and your ability to combat disease and heal from injuries.

The relationship of HGH to immune function starts with the thymus gland. The thymus is a key player in your body’s ability to fight off disease and infections. The thymus gland is your body’s main source of T cells. T cells are the “foot soldiers” of your immune system that rally to fight off disease and invading germs. Human growth hormone, or HGH, is essential for the healthy development of the thymus as you grow and for maintaining its function once you are an adult. 

While HGH has been shown to have potential therapeutic benefits in the treatment of certain injuries, the most recent medical research on the link between HGH and healing injuries is somewhat mixed.

Studies Linking HGH to Injury Recovery

Studies have found that growth hormone can boost your immune system by encouraging T cell production. A recent study conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that HGH does boost your immune system by promoting positive thymus function, which in turn helps to restore a healthy immune system. In this study, 24 adults with adult-onset GHD were treated with growth hormone therapy for a period of one year. All individuals in the study on HGH therapy saw a marked increase in T cell production.

Since T cells are destroyed in diseases such as HIV-AIDS that attack the immune system, growth hormone injections have been shown to successfully raise T cell counts in HIV patients. 

Specific to healing, a study found that HGH could help patients recover better and quicker after serious surgeries. The study published in the journal Hormone Research found that when compared to the control group, the patients who were given HGH after surgery preserved more of their lean body mass. In addition, those receiving HGH post-operatively had more energy and less fatigue and also had a lower risk of postoperative infection due to improved immune defenses.

In recent years there has been increased interest and several studies looking into using HGH to speed the recovery of sports-related injuries. Billionaire and sports team owner Marc Cuban put $800,000 of his own money into this research. As a basketball team owner, he recognized the value of anything that could safely help return players to the game who have been sidelined by common injuries to the knees, shoulders, and elbow.

The study sponsored by Cuban was one of several studies that showed that HGH could speed recovery and minimize post-surgical pain in patients that have undergone ACL tendon repair in the knee.

HGH is now being used therapeutically this way to treat both pro athletes as well as ordinary patients who have succumbed to this and similar sports injuries.

Studies Challenging the HGH-Injury Recovery Link

However, other studies have found that HGH may not significantly promote the healing of injuries. For example, a study published in the Journal of Burns and Wounds stated HGH has been shown to increase wound collagen content, granulation tissue and wound tensile strength, and the local production of IGF-1 by fibroblasts. These data are mainly derived from animal studies, and the evidence among humans is somewhat more limited. The authors concluded, “There is some data that HGH can directly improve wound healing. However, the impact of HGH to accelerate healing remains undefined.”

A 2019 review of the literature published in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology concluded that while HGH has potential benefits in certain types of injuries, such as fractures and muscle strains, more research is needed to fully understand its effects and potential applications in injury recovery.

Both of these studies and indeed all of the studies that appear to challenge the link between HGH and healing, do not say that there is no evidence that the link exists but rather that more research is needed to understand the link before HGH can be considered standard treatment for the recovery of all types of injuries.

The Bottom Line: Should You Use HGH to Recover After an Injury?

Several studies have investigated the use of HGH as a treatment for various types of injuries, including fractures, muscle strains, and ligament tears. In many cases, these studies have found that HGH can accelerate the healing process and improve outcomes for patients.

Yet there are other studies that have found the ability of HGH to promote the healing of all types of injuries may be somewhat limited, and more research is needed.

While HGH could be beneficial in helping you to recover faster from an injury, there are simpler, proven ways to promote healing after an injury, particularly injuries that are not so severe as to require hospitalization or surgery.  

For example, the following are all recommended ways to help promote the healing of injuries.  

• Rest
• Proper nutrition
• Staying hydrated
• Physical therapy
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Compression
• Heat and cold therapy
• Massage therapy 

Regardless of the extent of your injuries and if HGH injections may or may not help your particular case, it is important to work with your doctor or a medical professional to develop a personalized treatment plan that’s best for your specific injury and needs.