There have been individuals on small doses for over 10 years that seem to have suffered little in the way of side effects. If you are training very hard and eating plenty of protein, it will speed your recovery. Large doses, such as Pro bodybuilders take, can lead to side effects. Some pros are starting to show forehead and jaw growth. Dennis Newman, national champion bodybuider, felt that growth hormone helped accelerate his Leukemia, which he has been sucessfully treated for. Basically, the long term effects of large doses over a prolonged period of time are unknown. Also, prolonged usage of even moderate doses will inhibit one's own production to some degree, but can be stimulated by injecting Semorelin Acetate, which is the chemical term for Growth Hormone Releasing hormone. A fairly safe protocol would be to inject 2 to 4 ius of Growth hormone for about 3 months and then do 2 to 4 weeks of Semorelin Acetate. Then you could repeat the cycle. That way you give yourself the synthetic for a while, the bring back your own levels with the GH releasing hormone. This won't get you a Pro level physique, but you'll probably make much better gains and lower your bodyfat than being natural. When I get into my 50's I will probably start some sort of GH regimen, but for now I feel I get pretty good results using Gh releasing Peptides. (Hexarelin, Gh Peptide #6). Most of the "Bro's" will say this is bullshit, but you will have to figure out what your goals are and what your risk tolerance is. I am one of those rare bodybuilders who plans on staying healthy as long as possible. And if you have any pre-existing cancers, it is possible for large doses of GH to accelerate it's formation. If you're just looking for mild gains, lower bodyfat and some anti-aging benefits, stick to small doses.