Testosterone is the father of all anabolic steroids, it is very known for its great effect on both strength and muscle gain, its also known for its average price and side effects.
While Growth Hormone GH is considered by many the best drug there; it has a good reputation in lean muscle building, promoting fat loss, and sculpting body effect. It’s also known for being a very expensive drug with very low side effects.

In this article, we will take a look on how do these drugs live up to their names, and have a comparison between their effectiveness.

Weight loss

Both growth hormone and Testosterone are beneficial in fat loss. Most people already aware of the positive effect of GH on bodyfat, GH helps reduce the fat in many ways (Increase metabolism and energy, Using fat as main source of energy, switch excess calories to cell building) as we mentioned in (In depth with Growth Hormone), however, not many know that Testosterone also have a good effect in lowering bodyfat percent, since Testosterone have a great effect on building muscles, its logic that it increases the metabolic rate from the increased muscles, but it seem that testosterone have even more  mechanisms for fat loss, not all clear now with recent tests, but it’s also well known for switching the body excess calories to building more mass than saving fat, which is an optimal use of calories.

Study 1:
This Study was done on 3 groups of  individuals aged (65-88 years), one group was given Growth hormone, one was given Testosterone and last one combined both Growth hormones and testosterone. Although the period and dosages weren’t mentioned, as this was taken from an abstract form, the result was as following:
The group on GH lost an average of 13% of their bodyfat compared to 5.8% in the Testosterone group; however the best result shows in the group who took both with an amazing 21% drop in the bodyfat.
Now based on this study it hard to really compare, since dosage aren’t known and it was done on old people who already had very low GH and Testosterone effect, however it will still gives us some info:
Both GH and Testosterone have a positive effect on bodyfat percentage, while GH having a slightly higher one, and the synergistic effect of them taken together have a more significant effect on decreasing bodyfat than each on its own.

Study 2:
The study was done on young (22-33 years) highly trained athletes, they were put on a dosage of 2.67mg of GH (8 unitsday) for a period of 6 weeks.
The result showed an impressive 12% decrease in bodyfat. This shows that GH has a positive effect even on young individuals, who won’t be having very low GH levels.

Study 3:
The study was done on normal healthy men (18-45 years), men were given only 100mg of testosterone enanthate a week, for 8 weeks, result showed an average of 6% loss in the bodyfat.
The result shows that even in small amount of testosterone, as low as 100mg showed a good decrease in bodyfat in healthy men.

As these studies show, both testosterone and Growth Hormone have a good positive effect on bodyfat percentage, Growth hormone effect however seems to be more than testosterone by itself, of course the synergistic effect of using them both is the best.
but since Growth is better than testosterone in fat loss, the score now:

Testosterone 0: Growth Hormone 1

Muscle Gain

it is acknowledged that Testosterone is more anabolic than growth hormone, with it the muscles growth and strength are much more than Growth Hormone, very few studies showed that GH is anabolic by itself, however it is very well known for its anti catabolic and fat loss properties, but for muscle growth, it’s still not that great as one would imagine.

Several studies shows how growth hormone increase lean body mass, however it didn’t explain exactly what type of lean body mass it increased, since it can include many things such as: muscle mass, bone mass, connective tissue growth, organ tissue growth, water in cells. Almost anything that is not fat is called lean mass. So we aren’t sure if the increase in lean mass was actually an increase in muscle lean mass.
Anyway let’s take a look at several studies about effect of GH and lean body mass:

Study 1:
The study was done on HIV positive subjects, they were given 6 mg of growth hormone (18 units) for a period of 12 weeks, and the study showed no significant change in skeletal muscle mass.
This study shows that in significant change in muscle mass is hard  from taking GH alone even in doses as high as 18 IU. Although subjects were HIV positive, it still gives us an idea, since a muscle wasting condition such as Aids, suppose to response good to anabolic effect of any drug.

Study 2:
The study was done on highly trained young athletes (22-33 years), subject were give 2.67 mg of GH (8 units) per day for 6 weeks, the subjects showed a significant increase in lean mass equal to 4% of their weight, however it was checked that none of this gain was actually lean muscle mass.

This study shows that GH by itself will increase lean body mass; however it barely had any positive effect on lean muscle mass, which again can tell us that GH by itself is not a great anabolic.

Studies that show the positive effect of testosterone on strength and muscle mass growth as many, to mention one.

Study 3:
Nine healthy male subjects were give testosterone enanthate with the dosage of (3 mg.kg-1.wk-1 for 12 wk). Muscles mass change was measured and the result was an increase of the lean body mass in the entire nine subjects (20% mean increase).
This result shows how big effect testosterone has on lean body mass for dosages as low as 200-300mg a week.
 After reading this, it’s obvious that testosterone is a much better anabolic and muscle builder than Growth hormone.

Testosterone 1: Growth Hormone 1

Side Effects

Both Growth hormone and Testosterone have exaggerated opinions regarding their side effect, while testosterone is known to work but at the price of acne, puffiness, prostate enlargement, and Gyno. Growth Hormones also known to work with heart problems risk, extended belly, elevated pancreatic enzymes, or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Of course occurrence of the side effect require mostly large amount and for extended periods, most side effect for suggested bodybuilding uses will be minimal temporary side effects, with some exception in prone individuals.

Let’s take a look at some new studies helping to take off the old bad thoughts about these drugs:

Study 1:
Testosterone is said that to cause prostate problems and even prostate Cancer, this was never been proved.
A study done on young men, the subjects were given testosterone for a period of time and actually result shown a slight negative correlation between testosterone levels and prostate cancer, prostate specific antigen PSA (prostate cancer risk indicator) was used to measure the prostate cancer risk and shown no change.

Study 2:
Many Anabolic steroids show to lower HDL cholesterol levels, so testosterone have a bad reputation of its effect on blood lipids and risk of heart diseases.
A study proved that wrong, 21 hypogonadal men (36-57 years) were given testosterone replacement, and the result gave positive effect, as in reduction in blood clotting, with a small drop of HDL levels, blood coagulability however is believed to be the more important marker of heart disease risk.

Study 3:
Growth hormone also said to cause cancer, prostate and breast mostly, since a study showed positive correlation with prostate cancer and IFG-1 levels, GH stimulate IGF-1 synthesis in the liver, this linked growth hormone to prostate and breast cancer, however, an informal consensus at the Endocrine society meeting 1999, was said that Growth hormone didn’t increase the risk of breast or prostate cancer among their patients, this was voted by endocrinologists who treats hundreds of patients with GH, and showed no increased risk of cancer.
Many other studies proved there is no link of GH and as a cancer cause, still it might affect an already existing cancer but not cause it.

Study 4:
Growth hormone and heart risk:
A study done on elderly men and women (65-88 years) showed mixed results about GH effect on the heart health, since the results showed that GH lo
wered LDL levels, but raised triglyceride levels, low LDL is good for the heart while high triglyceride is not. So the result is not clear if it’s good or bad for the heart, further studies needed.

Study 5:
HIV patients are treated with both anabolic steroids and testosterone, with the treatment of testosterone no documented significant health problem where associated with proper use of anabolic steroids, however one of the doctors Dr.Gabe Torres, with his treatment of HIV patients with standard 5-6 mg doses, disclosed that 80% of his patients experienced significant side effect, which included elevated glucose levels, elevated pancreatic Enzymes or carpal tunnel syndrome.

Summary:
Both GH and testosterone can have side effect on our bodies in large amount and prolonged time, however the side effect is exaggerated, it’s hard to tell which one is safer than the other, with Anabolic steroids many small side effect such as acne, hair loss, water retention ...etc, I focused here on serious side effect, and none showed to be that dangerous, even with liver health, no studies have shown the injectable testosterone have serious effect on the liver.
It’s hard to judge which one is safer in the long run and for bodybuilder use, so in this point we will consider it a draw.

 Testosterone 2: Growth Hormone 2

Cost

Well cost wise it’s very obvious that testosterone of best thing you can spend your money on, with a 2 months cycle of GH, you probably can get a whole year supply of testosterone cycles.

Testosterone 3: Growth Hormone 2

 Availability

Another thing that testosterone have the benefit in is the availability. Testosterone availability is much better than GH, even though it’s easier to get GH nowadays than in the past, however many fake or not stored properly ones that are just a waste of your money, while with testosterone its rarely fake, as it’s a cheap substance by itself, so not much counterfeit around.

Testosterone 4: Growth Hormone 2

Conclusion:
without being biased to any of the two drugs, while I’m known to be in love with testosterone, and so should any male, but don’t let my opinion affect you, by reading this comparison, its obvious that testosterone haS the better overall benefitcost ratio for improving the body.
However if one can afford and have no problem cost wise, the proper synergic use of them both will produce a more significant results than each on its own. But if it’s an election, my vote goes to testosterone without any doubt.

Shady Eid is a certified Personal Trainer, writer and competitive bodybuilder based in UAE, for questions and comments you can contact him at: Shady@arabianmuscles.com