Research
Hormonal
Growth Hormone (GH) replacement in elderly individuals increases muscle mass and decreases fat mass but does not improve muscle strength or functional capacity unless combined with resistance exercise.
Growth Hormone therapy in the elderly improves body composition (more muscle, less fat) but does not make you stronger or more functional on its own. It should not be used as a standalone anti-aging treatment. Its potential benefits are only realized when combined with resistance exercise, and even then, it adds no benefit over exercise alone.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
GH administration for 3 to 6 months to healthy elderly individuals increased IGF-I levels... while muscle mass, skin thickness, and bone mineral content significantly increased and fat mass decreased... A disappointing aspect of the studies is that no positive effect of GH therapy was observed on muscle strength and maximal oxygen consumption... If GH was administered in combination with resistance exercise training, however, a significant positive effect on muscle mass and muscle strength was recorded
Why this rating
Cites studies showing body composition changes but lack of strength gains; notes safety uncertainties.
Source
The Endocrinology of Aging
Steven W. J. Lamberts et al. · Science · 1997
DOI 10.1126/science.278.5337.419
narrative_reviewCited 981×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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