HGH (Somatropin)

HGH, human growth hormone, is a 191-amino-acid protein hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary. Its recombinant form, somatropin (also rhGH or recombinant human growth hormone), is identical in sequence and is a licensed, prescription-only medicine in the UK. This page lists what Free Muscle stocks under the HGH heading, compared on pack size, form and batch testing, and sets out plainly what UK law says about somatropin and what the published research on growth hormone in healthy adults actually found. Research use only, 18+.

What is HGH (somatropin)?

Growth hormone is released from the pituitary in pulses, mainly at night, under the control of growth hormone releasing hormone, somatostatin and ghrelin. It acts at the growth hormone receptor on liver, muscle, bone and fat, and much of its effect is carried by insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which the liver produces in response. Somatropin is growth hormone made by recombinant DNA technology in bacteria or mammalian cells. It replaced cadaver-derived pituitary growth hormone in the mid-1980s and is one of the most extensively studied biologic medicines in existence.

The licence context matters. Somatropin is authorised by the MHRA for defined conditions: growth hormone deficiency in children and adults, Turner syndrome, chronic kidney disease in children, Prader-Willi syndrome, children born small for gestational age and a small number of others, always by injection and under specialist supervision. Every somatropin product in the UK is a prescription-only medicine (POM). Supplying a prescription-only medicine without a prescription is an offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012, and growth hormone (somatropin, somatrem and somatotropin) is additionally listed as a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, so unlawful supply is an offence under that Act as well. Nothing sold on this page is a licensed somatropin medicine, and anyone who thinks they may have a growth hormone deficiency needs a doctor, not a research supplier.

Growth hormone is also a protein of 191 amino acids. Proteins taken by mouth are digested, which is why the licensed medicine is injected. A capsule product cannot be assumed to behave like injected somatropin, and we do not claim that it does.

What the published research reports

Rudman and colleagues (1990) gave biosynthetic growth hormone by injection over six months to 12 men aged 61 to 81 with low IGF-1, with nine untreated men as controls. Lean body mass rose by 8.8 per cent, adipose tissue fell by 14.4 per cent and lumbar spine bone density rose by 1.6 per cent. The study was small, unblinded and did not measure strength, function or adverse events, which later work went on to do.

Liu and colleagues (2007) systematically reviewed 18 randomised trials of growth hormone in 220 healthy older adults. Fat mass fell by about 2.1 kg and lean mass rose by about 2.1 kg, with no change in weight or bone density. Treated participants were significantly more likely to develop soft-tissue oedema, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and gynaecomastia, and somewhat more likely to develop diabetes or impaired fasting glucose. The authors concluded that growth hormone could not be recommended as an anti-ageing therapy.

The same group (Liu et al., 2008) reviewed 27 studies in 303 young, fit participants. Lean mass rose by about 2.1 kg, again largely fluid, but strength and exercise capacity did not improve, lactate during exercise was higher, and oedema and fatigue were more frequent. Meinhardt and colleagues (2010), in a WADA-funded randomised trial of 96 recreational athletes over eight weeks, found that growth hormone reduced fat mass and increased lean mass through extracellular water, improved sprint capacity by about 3.9 per cent with no change in strength, power or endurance, and that the sprint effect had disappeared six weeks after the drug was stopped.

None of these findings is a claim about the product listed below. They describe injected, pharmaceutical-grade somatropin in supervised trials, and the consistent picture is modest body-composition change, no strength benefit, and a recognisable burden of adverse effects.

Brands of HGH we stock

• Free Muscle HGH, Somatropin, Human Growth Hormone: Free Muscle brand, capsule form, 60 capsules per bottle. Every batch is assayed by Janoshik Analytical, with the certificate sent on request. The listing does not carry a declared quantity per capsule, so no total per bottle is stated here. The batch certificate is the document that states what was identified in the batch; request it before relying on the title.

This is the only listing in the collection. We do not stock pharmaceutical somatropin products, because they are prescription-only medicines that cannot lawfully be supplied without a prescription. Related growth-axis compounds are on the MK-677, ipamorelin and IGF-1 LR3 pages.

How to compare them

Where a listing declares a quantity per capsule, multiply it by the capsule count for the total per bottle and divide the listed price by that figure. Growth hormone is conventionally quantified in international units and milligrams (roughly 3 IU per mg for somatropin), so check the unit before comparing. Where no quantity is declared, no cost per unit can be worked out and the batch certificate becomes the only meaningful basis for comparison. See price per milligram for the method.

Batch testing and certificates of analysis

A Certificate of Analysis for a protein product should report identity, typically by HPLC and mass spectrometry against the expected mass, and purity as a percentage, with the batch number, the test date and the laboratory. Every Free Muscle batch is assayed by Janoshik Analytical, an independent laboratory; email us the batch number printed on your label with the product name and we send the certificate for that batch. For other brands, a certificate is shown only where the manufacturer supplies one for the batch we hold. A generic PDF without a batch number is not a batch certificate. See how we test and how to read a COA.

Legal status in the UK

Somatropin is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. It may only be supplied against a prescription from an appropriate prescriber, and supply without one is an offence under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Growth hormone is also a Class C controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, which makes unlawful supply a criminal offence under that Act. The Free Muscle listing on this page is not a licensed medicine, has no MHRA marketing authorisation, is not an authorised food supplement and cannot be sold for human consumption. It is supplied for laboratory research only, to adults aged 18 or over. Growth hormone, its analogues and its releasing factors are prohibited at all times under section S2 of the WADA Prohibited List. Our guide to growth hormone research uses covers the laboratory context.

Storage and handling

Protein products are sensitive to heat and moisture. Keep the sealed bottle in a cool, dry place away from light, follow any storage instruction on the label, and reseal promptly after opening. Do not decant capsules into unlabelled containers. Record the batch number and receipt date. Keep out of reach of children and pets and apply normal laboratory good practice.

Delivery and returns

Free Muscle is a UK company, FreeMuscle LTD of Scunthorpe. Orders ship with free tracked UK delivery in plain packaging, and orders placed before 2pm Monday to Friday are processed the same working day. EU delivery takes 3 to 7 working days. Unopened items can be returned within 30 days. See delivery and our 30-day guarantee.

Related reading

• Human Growth Hormone Research Uses: A Complete Guide for Lab Studies
• Do Oral Peptides Actually Work? The Honest Answer
• MK-677 (Ibutamoren): What the Research Says
• How to Read a Certificate of Analysis (COA)

• MK-677 (Ibutamoren)
• IGF-1 LR3
• Ipamorelin
• Research Peptides

The product on this page is sold for laboratory research use only. It is not a licensed medicine, has not been evaluated by the MHRA, EMA or FDA, is not a food supplement and is not for human consumption. Customers must be 18 or over. Somatropin is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. Nothing on this page is medical advice or dosing guidance, and the published findings summarised above describe injected pharmaceutical growth hormone in supervised trials, not the product listed.

Research guides

• MK-677 vs ipamorelin vs HGH: three routes to the GH axis compared
• Is HGH legal in the UK? Somatropin, prescriptions and the law