Is Messi benefitting from the use of the Steroids ?

Lionel Messi was administered the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) since the age of 9.

"The use of HGH in a normal bodied human being acts as an anabolic steroid, but for Lionel Messi, it merely enabled to him to overcome a condition known as growth hormone deficiency and reach his natural height. The spectacularly skilled Argentinean is no giant, standing just 5-foot-6, even in his cleats. Without treatment, though, doctors believe he would have reached only 4-7 as an adult."

Well and good but if we think about it the HGH is a powerful anabolic hormone more potent than even Testosterone (in fact it is a precursor of many androgens) and any athlete or bodybuilder can gain an unfair advantage from using it. HGH has the following known benefits in addition to increasing height in children and adolescents (the original reason why he was administered the treatment)

1) Increases anaerobic energy burst capacity (needed for acceleration/sharp burts of speed)
2) Increases lean muscle mass and fatigue recovery capacity
3) Increases calcium retention, and strengthens and increases the mineralization of bone (lessens the chance of injuries)

It is also known that you dont take steroids and stop using them one fine day abruptly. Messi has a deficiency which is a life long problem which means he has to be taking doses throughout his life. Normally HGH production level falls after the teenage years (growth phase) but it may be possible that Messi is being administered higher than normal levels of this powerful hormone under the guise of his therapy which gives him a clear advantage over his peers. Also, HGH is more difficult to detect than most other performance enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids which is why it is abused by many powerlifters and athletes even today.

In the case of Messi one can observe

1) He rarely gets seriously injured inspite of all the attention he gets from the defenders and the intense running he does on the pitch.
2) Has super human bursts of acceleration at times which defenders simply cannot handle.
Barca for all the magic of Xavi and Iniesta are not an extraordinary team if one removes Messi from the equation. Anyways this post is not to inflame the Barca fans (which will inevitably happen) but to create a discussion on whether Messi has knowingly/unknowingly benefitted from the use of the extemely potent HGH. What if other footballers were also administered the same hormone ? How would a Vidic or a Drogba or a Gerrard have played on steroids ?

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Growth_hormone
http://www.hghbenefits.net/
http://www.lahealthandrejuvenation.com/hgh-benefits.html