Survey: Teen HGH use on the rise

Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA

Michael Guerreri wanted to try human growth hormones so he could look like a pro wrestler. Joe Badalanato hoped HGH would help him become a better football player. James O’Brien figured the drug would improve his fastball.

The three 18-year-olds from suburban Philadelphia told The Associated Press this week that they bought bottles of HGH online in the past year. Turns out, what they bought was fake.

Their experiences are part of a growing trend.

Experimentation with human growth hormones by America’s teens more than doubled in the past year, according to a national survey released Wednesday by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids.

“I would say at least 20-25 percent use anabolic steroids,” said Frank Trumbetti, owner of Rock Bottom Nutrition and Fitness Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. “As for HGH, there is such an overuse of everything when it comes to looking for real stuff.”

Many products claiming to be human growth hormones are widely available on the internet. But getting authentic HGH — which can cost up to $1,000 per kit for a monthly supply — isn’t that simple.

“It’s a lot easier for high school athletes to get over-the-counter pro-hormones than legitimate HGH,” said Steve Saunders, CEO of Power Train Sports Institute.

Saunders trains thousands of high school and college athletes and hundreds of professional athletes at his 15 locations across six states, including Hawaii. James Harrison, Hines Ward, LeSean McCoy and even actor Liam Hemsworth are just a few of his previous clients.

“We tell all our guys you can’t substitute hard work and a proper nutrition plan,” Saunders said. “Using HGH and steroids is pure laziness.”

But many athletes are looking for a quick fix and turning to performance-enhancing drugs.

In a confidential 2013 survey of 3,705 high school students, 11 percent reported using synthetic HGH at least once — up from about 5 percent in the four preceding annual surveys. Teen use of steroids increased from 5 percent to 7 percent over the same period, the survey found.

However, like the teenagers from suburban Philadelphia, many teens might not know what they’re taking.

Dr. John Kolonich, a chiropractor in Franklinville, N.J., said authentic HGH is only injectable and also noted it is very expensive.

“It has to be refrigerated once it’s constituted and it’s not a testosterone where in two weeks you start noticing results,” Kolonich said. “HGH is not the drug of choice for a high school kid who wants to play better.

That doesn’t stop teens from looking for it.

Trumbetti said teens — and parents — ask him about it every day. He said he threatened to call child services on a dad who wanted to put his 14-year-old son on human growth hormones. The boy was only 5-foot-2 and 108 pounds.