Growth hormone has fundamentally altered competitive bodybuilding, and according to veteran coach Justin Harris, the changes haven’t all been positive. Harris talked about this in a recent podcast interview with Nyle Nayga.
With decades of experience coaching top IFBB pros and Olympians, Harris has witnessed firsthand how the accessibility of growth hormone has transformed both physiques and the sport itself. The most significant shift occurred when GH became affordable enough for competitors to run high doses year-round.
“I think when GH was expensive and guys could either not run high doses or could really only run high doses for a short period in prep, I think it was a great addition,” Harris explains. “I think once it became cheap enough where guys could run high doses year round, you’re just getting the case we have now.”
Harris suggests keeping growth hormone use below 10 IU per day for long-term health. “Above 10 IU a day, I don’t really know that it’s beneficial long term,” he notes. “Short term, you’re going to feel great, look great, be fuller, hold a lot of size and water. But long term, some of the guys get structural issues.”
The structural changes Harris references mirror acromegaly, a condition caused by excessive growth hormone production.
“If you look up acromegaly and see the structural changes that occur with acromegaly, which is excessive growth hormone production from pituitary hormone, that’s what it looks like. It looks like the structural changes we get as bodybuilders.”
These changes manifest in several concerning ways. Harris points to thin skin, structural changes, flat feet, and loss of muscle fullness in specific areas.
“Guys will start losing their brachioradialis, triceps, outer quad sweep, and I think that’s all due to nerve compression and reduced neural innervation of those muscles,” he explains. The mechanism appears similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, where tissue swelling compresses nerves.
Paradoxically, while growth hormone creates fullness in the short term, it can lead to a flatter appearance over time. “Growth hormone also reduces glycogen storage, so they’ll have an overall flatter look to the physique at some point way in the future,” Harris says. “And that’s counterintuitive because it gives a full look today.”
The impact on competitive standards has been dramatic. Harris notes that achieving the same visual appearance now requires significantly more body weight than in previous eras.
“A Flex Wheeler in ’93 at 216 pounds (98 kg) can look like Flex Wheeler at ’93. Arnold looked at 213 pounds (97 kg) wherever he weighed. Whereas now that same look with high-dose GH takes like 245, 250 (111-113 kg), to get that same kind of look.”
This occurs because growth hormone adds intramuscular space and soft tissue thickness without building actual muscle.
“You can take up more space with the GH, but it starts having those effects where it reduces kind of the pop,” Harris explains. The additional tissue fills in the separations between muscle groups that create the aesthetic bodybuilding physique.
The challenge for coaches and competitors lies in the immediate benefits versus long-term consequences. “If I said you’re going to be worse in eight years, absolutely worse as a bodybuilder, and that should be your peak as a competitor, it might not be. But you absolutely will be better the next 18 months and two years, three years,” Harris says. “That’s a hard pill. Guys are like, I’ll turn pro now. I’ll deal with the other stuff after.”
Harris compares the situation to synthol use, where the immediate gratification makes it difficult to stop.
“If you always had weak biceps, for the last 10 years all you’re thinking every workout is I want to grow these biceps… And now you’re putting something in them and they’re growing every week. When do you decide they grew too much?”
For younger competitors, Harris urges caution. “If you’re under 30, just be careful with the GH. Use it. Don’t go crazy. If you’re over 30, probably doesn’t matter because by the time those effects hit, you’ll be retired anyways.”
Harris believes that the sport was better when economic constraints naturally limited growth hormone use. The current accessibility has created a situation where competitors feel compelled to push doses higher to remain competitive, despite the long-term consequences.
