Novel serum protein biomarkers indicative of growth hormone doping in healthy human subjects.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over).

The detection of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) is difficult due to its short half-life; therefore, novel and robust biomarkers of rhGH abuse are needed.

In this study, serum samples derived from subjects treated with rhGH in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled crossover study were analyzed by 2-DE coupled with MS.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were young adults and adults, men only.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the participants nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over), so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

The comparison arm used a placebo, so changes seen with Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) could be set against what happens without it.

Each person switched between Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Blood Proteins, Doping in Sports, Human Growth Hormone, Proteomics, Recombinant Proteins and Substance Abuse Detection.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over).

The publication is from 2011 (Proteomics), a journal based in Germany.

More context: the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) compound page, all human trials.