I interviewed Nick Nolte, one of my favorite actors, nearly a decade ago, and he told me about his regimen of taking human growth hormone as a way of trying to repair the damage he did to his body with a variety of excesses. It seemed an unusual anecdote at the time, but no more.

PEDs have, of course, never been just for athletes. Among numerous others, students, classical musicians and Hollywood actors all indulge to enhance their performance. In the latter community, you can add to botox and collagen a heavy usage of HGH and steroids. The opening of an article on the topic from Tatiana Siegel in the Hollywood Reporter:

“In 2005, a 30-something actor on the precipice of superstardom began prepping for a lead feature role that required ample spotlight on his abs. The actor met with the film’s trainer and outlined the performance-enhancing drugs, including human growth hormone (HGH), he already had been taking. The trainer, a firm believer that a chiseled physique should be achieved naturally, recused himself from working with the actor.

‘He told me that HGH made him feel like nothing else ever made him feel,’ recalls the trainer, who declined to be identified out of respect for trainer/trainee confidentiality. ‘He was basically addicted. I told him to find another trainer. He did.’

That actor, now an A-lister who continues to cash in on his impressive torso, is just one of Hollywood’s growing list of stars who turn to injectable HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) amid the ever-competitive world of looking great at any age.

With its fountain-of-youth promise, HGH quietly has become the substance of choice for Tinseltown denizens looking to quickly burn fat, boost energy and even improve complexion.”