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HGH

Recombinant growth hormone. HGH is FDA approved (prescription only); research-chemical versions are not the approved drug.

Also called:GHgrowth hormonegeneric HGHIU
Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated Strongest evidence: Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4
StatusFDA approved (prescription only)Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.3)Full legal history

Key facts

How we verify
Class
Recombinant growth hormone
Also called
GH, growth hormone
Half-life
0.4 hours IV; 3.0 hours subcutaneous
intravenous (normal adults); subcutaneous (GHD adults), Genotropin, in people · FDA label (Genotropin)
FDA status
Approved (prescription only)
Approved
WADA
Prohibited (S2.2.3)
In and out of competition
Everything on HGH

HGH guides

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.How to injectSites, syringe types and hygiene, step by step.Half-lifeWhat is measured, by route, and what is not.StoragePowder and mixed vials: temperature and shelf life.For muscle growthWhat research says about HGH for muscle growth.For weight lossWhat research says about HGH for weight loss.For hairWhat research says about HGH for hair.
Researched for
injury recoverysleep

Evidence at a glance

Human and animal counts are PubMed records from our evidence ledger (search counts, not studies we reviewed). The grade is the strongest design among the studies we summarised for that goal: a human randomized trial outweighs any number of animal studies.

HGH: studies by condition
ConditionHuman studiesAnimal studiesStudies we summarisedEvidence grade
Muscle growth767809Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Journal of applied physiology 2014, PMID 24235105
Weight lossNot in our ledgerNot in our ledger0No graded study for this goal
Hair320No graded study for this goal
Injury recovery81414Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Journal of applied physiology 2014, PMID 24235105
Sleep15363Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4European journal of endocrinology 2013, PMID 23447518

Grades follow our evidence scale. Summarised studies come from our evidence file, each quote checked against the abstract or label.

Compared with

HGHvsSermorelinRecombinant growth hormone next to ghrh analog: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.Compounded by prescriptionRead the comparison →HGHvshCGRecombinant growth hormone next to gonadotropin: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.FDA approved (prescription only)Read the comparison →HGHvsTesamorelinRecombinant growth hormone next to ghrh analog: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.FDA approved (Egrifta)Read the comparison →HGHvsIGF-1 LR3Recombinant growth hormone next to igf-1 analog: evidence, dosing and legal status side by side.Not FDA approved · research chemicalRead the comparison →

Common stacks

HGH is often sold pre-mixed or combined with other peptides. A few of these pairs appear together in published studies; each stack page lists what was tested, and the pages below cover the math and what each part has been studied for.

HGH + SermorelinHGH + hCGHGH + TesamorelinHGH + IGF-1 LR3

Common questions

Is HGH FDA approved?

HGH is FDA approved (prescription only). Products sold as research chemicals are not the approved drug and are not checked by the FDA.

Is HGH banned in sport?

Yes. Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.3), so it is prohibited at all times for tested athletes.

Sources

  1. 1US search volume and year-over-year trend, Google Keyword Planner export (Jun–Aug 2026 vs 2025)Peptigraph research · 2026peptigraph.com/methodology/Accessed 1 Oct 2026
  2. 2World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3United States: Approved by FDA as multiple somatropin (recombinant human growth hormone) products, e.g. Genotropin (Pfizer, 1995), Humatrope (Lilly, 1986) and Norditropin (Novo Nordisk), for growth failure and adult growth hormone deficiency (label quotes).U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026api.fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Effect of growth hormone on aging connective tissue in muscle and tendon: gene expression, morphology, and function following immobilization and rehabilitation.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2014PMID 24235105Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Impact of GH replacement therapy on sleep in adult patients with GH deficiency of pituitary origin.European journal of endocrinology · 2013PMID 23447518Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6GENOTROPIN (SOMATROPIN) KIT [PFIZER LABORATORIES DIV PFIZER INC]FDA label (Genotropin), DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND adult*[tiab] AND (meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) (68 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND ("growth hormone deficiency"[tiab]) AND adult*[tiab] AND randomized controlled trial[pt] (66 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND (elderly[tiab] OR "older adults"[tiab] OR healthy[tiab]) AND (systematic review[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt]) (8 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND (athlet*[tiab] OR "physical performance"[tiab] OR "recreational"[tiab]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) (20 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND sleep[tiab] AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt]) (12 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND (tendon[tiab] OR collagen[tiab] OR "wound healing"[tiab] OR fracture[tiab]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt]) (55 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND (cardiovascular[tiab] OR cardiac[tiab] OR "blood pressure"[tiab] OR cholesterol[tiab] OR lipid*[tiab]) AND adult*[tiab] AND (meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt] OR randomized controlled trial[pt]) (77 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  14. 14PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND (diabetes[tiab] OR "insulin resistance"[tiab] OR glucose[tiab]) AND adult*[tiab] AND (meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt] OR randomized controlled trial[pt]) (52 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  15. 15PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND (skin[tiab] OR hair[tiab] OR aging[tiab]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt]) (30 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  16. 16PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab]) AND ("sexual function"[tiab] OR libido[tiab] OR "erectile"[tiab] OR "quality of life"[tiab]) AND adult*[tiab] AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt]) (29 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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