Is There a Test to Detect HGH Use?

Human growth hormone (HGH) has found use as a performance-enhancing drug for athletes, often used in tandem with anabolic steroids. As a result, a need has arisen for a test to detect HGH use.

Background

• Human growth hormone causes the liver to produce insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which promotes growth of the bones, organs and muscles.

Blood Test

• In 2004, one of the first major HGH tests debuted at the Athens, Greece Summer Olympic Games in the form of a blood test.

Effectiveness of Blood Test

• Positive tests have not surfaced because athletes often take the drug during the off-season and the blood test can only detect HGH between 24 and 48 hours after use. Furthermore, many organizations, like Major League Baseball, do not allow blood testing for their players.

Urine Test

• In 2008, USA Today reported that a collaboration between American and Italian scientists produced a test that detects HGH use via urine samples.

Effectiveness of Urine Test

• According to USA Today, the urine test can detect HGH two weeks after use. This is because the test involves a particle that traps HGH molecules and amplifies their presence so the hormone can be identified.