During puberty growth velocity increases within 3 years from a prepubertal nadir to a maximum, in male to 9-10 cm/year, in female to 7-9 cm/year. This spurt is triggered by the androgenic steroids, in male mainly by testicular testosterone. In patients with anorchia the pubertal growth spurt is missing. The androgens have a dual effect. 1. As comes forth from observations in hypopituitary dwarfs being treated with constant replacement doses of hGH, these steroids potentiate the growth-stimulatory effect of hGH. In order to continue growing at all, these dwarfs need the additional medication of androgenic or anabolic steroids if they are hypogonadotrophic. 2. As demonstrated by our measurements of the nocturnal hGH secretion, androgenic steroids enhance the spontaneous production of hGH by a factor of 2-3. Biologically active androgens appear to be a conditio sine qua non for longitudinal growth after age 11-12. This is in concordance with the statement that adult male castrates are no giants as has often been claimed. The rather tall eunuchs in Istanbul were no Turks but as a rule Sudanese negroes who are racially much taller than Turks.
在青春期，生长速度在3年内从青春期前的最低点增加到最大值，男性为每年9 - 10厘米，女性为每年7 - 9厘米。这种生长突增是由雄激素类固醇引发的，在男性中主要是由睾丸睾酮引起。在无睾症患者中，青春期生长突增缺失。雄激素有双重作用。1. 从用恒定替代剂量的生长激素治疗垂体功能减退侏儒症的观察结果来看，这些类固醇增强了生长激素的促生长作用。如果这些侏儒症患者性腺功能减退，为了能够持续生长，他们需要额外使用雄激素或合成代谢类固醇药物。2. 正如我们对夜间生长激素分泌的测量所表明的，雄激素类固醇使生长激素的自发分泌增加2 - 3倍。具有生物活性的雄激素似乎是11 - 12岁后纵向生长的必要条件。这与成年男性去势者并非如人们常说的那样是巨人这一说法相一致。伊斯坦布尔那些相当高的太监不是土耳其人，通常是苏丹黑人，他们在种族上比土耳其人高得多。
