Do you mean Human Growth Hormone?Originally posted by legs gone
what are the pros and cons of using HGH.
Originally posted by apolack1
While strong leg muscles help, HGH can lead to the production of lots of mass on your body.
Originally posted by apolack1
i never said it was a steroid, just that it can lead to overproduction of muscle mass, and because climbers want to be so skinny, its not that popular with them, more with the sprinters, or classics riders. Just as you said, bodybuilders love it, and if they love it, i doubt a person trying to be as light as possible (that includes having little fat or muscle) would want to take it.
Former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano on Thursday said that professional cycling is awash with growth hormones, the banned blood booster EPO and host of other products often not intended for human use.
Manzano's interviews are appearing in the Spanish newspaper AS in a bid to avenge his sacking by the Kelme team last year, said for many riders the practice was openly available.
"It's like an open bar when it comes to growth hormones, and you get injected with EPO (Erythropoietin) almost every day," said the 25-year-old Spaniard in the second part of his interview with AS.
Manzano backed up his shocking claims by naming several brands of human growth hormone - Humatrope, Norditropin, Genotonorm, as well as IGF1, which he describes as HGH mixed with insulin.
"There are piles of the stuff because each laboratory has its brands," he said.
The first part of Manzano's revelations claimed that he was injected with an unknown substance on last year's Tour de France which left him "on the verge of death" after he collapsed during the seventh stage.
Manzano also said he had to contribute 3000 euros to a team fund before the three-week race for the stocking of blood, which was used for transfusions during the race.
During his interviews Manzano showed reporters how he extracted blood from a vein to test his own hematocrit (ratio of red blood cells to whole blood).
In Thursday's edition of AS he showed how he used to inject EPO. He said it is used "to fight fatigue and oxygenate the blood - you use it over long periods and it has long-lasting effects."
Manzano also said blood was taken out of his body when his red blood cell count was high - his maximum reading was 56 - and transfused back into him if needed.
"If it wasn't for EPO I don't think the average speed at major tours would be 41kph," he said, adding that blood testers - whom riders call 'vampires' - can be fooled when they turn up at team hotels.
"You get around half an hour after the testers turn up because they (team) send down the riders with low levels first. The team doctors are prepared," he explained.
"The rest of the cyclists who have higher levels are given blood plasma and glucose products and then do the controls - these can lower your hematocrit level by four points."
Manzano decided to lift the lid on what he alleges goes on in the peloton because he claims to be living in poverty since Kelme did not renew his contract for this season.
He was effectively sacked at the end of last season by Kelme for having sex with a woman in his bedroom during the Vuelta a España in September - which he denied.
Both the Kelme team and the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC) have disputed Manzano's claims and have promised to take legal action.
However Manzano is set to make further allegations, which could further harm his ex-team's chances of winning a Tour de France wildcard invitation this year.
"There are also Cortisone, Nandrolone, synthetic hemoglobin, Actovegin," Manzano said, "There are a lot of things to explain, but I'll talk about them in the coming days."
If you don't think the guys in the pro peleton are using it, do some research about the Rumsas affair. Raimodas Rumsas's (Lampre Pro) wife was caught with flasks of Norditropin (HGH) in the trunk of her car after the Tour in 2002 along with everything else imaginable.
i agree.
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