Human growth hormone: the key to prolonging your youth?

The growth-stimulating hormone in the brain signals the pituitary gland to release human growth hormone (HGH) into the bloodstream to act on tissues, muscles, cartilage, bones, adipose tissue in order to repair, stimulate their functions and metabolism, but also their energy levels, sexual function and heart health.

Today we will not be discussing the extremes of producing too much (acromegaly) or too little growth hormone, but rather the reasons why you would want to produce HGH for health purposes and as an anti-aging tool.

The pituitary gland produces large amounts of HGH during the growth stage, especially during puberty, of course, in order for the body to develop in all physical aspects of what will be its adult structure. However, from the age of 25-30, the production of HGH begins to decrease since the body has apparently reached its growth goal.

The characteristics of the decrease in HGH production are observed in a slower recovery from injuries, a less active metabolism and an increased ability to accumulate adipose tissue. For these reasons, among others, replacement therapy with synthetic HGH injections has been popular for at least 20 years.

Personally, I do not recommend synthetic HGH replacement injections because aside from increasing muscle, losing fat and activating your metabolism, excess HGH promotes an enlargement of organs such as lungs, heart, liver, bladder, etc.

Instead, and wherever my articles and channels focus, I offer you proven tools to boost your HGH levels naturally and keep you youthful and vibrant for years to come.

First of all, it is important to understand that once the growth stage is over, adults continue to need to produce HGH to keep our metabolism active, repair tissues, prevent hair loss and much more.

Human growth hormone (HGH) is secreted in a pulsatile fashion, usually, but not always, following a circadian rhythm. Growth hormone release is not continuous; it is released in a series of "bursts" or impulses every three to five hours. This release is controlled by two other hormones released from the hypothalamus (a part of the brain): growth hormone-releasing hormone, which stimulates the pituitary gland to release growth hormone, and somatostatin, which inhibits that release.

The decline in HCH is caused by a change in pulse amplitude rather than frequency. On average, daily HCH production in the prepubertal state is 200–600 µg/day, increasing to 1000–1800 µg/day at the peak of puberty. In adulthood, production rates range from approximately 200–600 µg/day, being higher in women than in men. Adiposity accounts for a significant component of the decline in HCH production with increasing age.

 

How to produce HGH naturally through certain habits, activities and supplements

Unless you have an overproduction of HGH or are following some treatment that may be affected by the following indications, almost all adult humans can benefit from the following indications.

Several physiological stimuli can initiate HCH secretion, of which the most potent and non-pharmacological are undoubtedly sleep and exercise.

 

HGH production during sleep

The main production of HGH occurs during sleeping hours, namely the third hour of deep sleep and during slow wave sleep, that is, the first part of the night and if you have already seen my video on binaural beats, it is the Delta waves that are activated and during this time you can take advantage of it so that your pituitary gland releases HGH freely.

 

HCH production during exercise

Exercise and physical stress, including trauma with hypovolemic shock ( severe loss of blood or other fluid causes the heart to be unable to pump enough blood to the body ) and sepsis (the body's extreme response to infection), increase HGH levels.

You, of course, don't have to reach those levels to stimulate HGH, there are healthier alternatives such as exercise, but not just any type of exercise. Exercises that have been shown to effectively stimulate HGH production are weight training sessions (no more than one hour), as well as cardiorespiratory endurance training because prolonged workouts release cortisol, interfering with the function of testosterone and estrogen.

In this sense, the types of training that the body has available for HCH stimulation are those performed by high intensity intervals with weights and at a cardiovascular level doing speed sprints.

A relatively new alternative for us Westerners is training with slight blood flow restriction, known as KAATSU , which lasts approximately one hour if you do the training in cycles indicated by Dr. Yoshiaki Sato, creator of this system.

Even minimal intensity and low perceived exertion leads to the production of HGH, IGF-1, or insulin-like growth factor, VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor), NO (Nitric Oxide), Ceramides, β endorphins, BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), and much more.

In fact, many of the effects of HGH are done through the liver; the pituitary releases HGH that heads to the liver, which converts it to IGF-1, which stands for insulin-like growth factor. It turns out that insulin-like growth factor triggers improvements in learning and memory after exercise. Interestingly, intense, interval exercise stimulates more growth hormone.

 

Other situations that can stimulate or inhibit the release of HCH

• Emotional deprivation and endogenous depression, on the other hand, suppress HCH secretion.

According to an article in the medical journal www.sciencedirect.com , the ultradian rhythm of GH secretion is generated by the coordinated interaction of many factors. Jet lag transiently increases the amplitude of the GH peak, resulting in a transient increase in GH secretion over the 24 hours. Exercise and physical stress, including trauma with hypovolemic shock and sepsis, increase GH levels, while emotional deprivation and endogenous depression suppress GH secretion.

 

• Short periods of “healthy” stress caused by hyperthermia stimulate the release of GH directly; while exposure to cold acts indirectly .

Hyperthermic stress causes the release of growth hormone, which signals another hormone known as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to increase muscle protein synthesis, which occurs through the mTOR pathway. IGF-1 also inhibits a pathway known as FOXO, resulting in less muscle protein breakdown. A natural release of HGH occurs during sleep and after exercise, therefore the best time to use sauna therapy or other form of heat exposure such as temazcal or inipi for 20-minute lapses to induce or elevate HGH levels is after an exercise session or in the morning in a fasted state.

Cold shower therapy can influence HGH production in two ways. First, getting a good night's sleep is crucial for natural HGH production. There is evidence that an ice-cold bath or shower helps you get quality sleep. This has to do with the effects of cold therapy on the parasympathetic nervous system that help train the body to enter a state of relaxation.

Second, exposure to a cold stimulus activates what is known as brown adipose tissue. The function of brown fat is to help break down glucose and fat molecules to produce heat, thereby increasing metabolism, creating the right atmosphere for HGH production.

 

• Fast

Nutrition plays an important role in the regulation of HGH. Malnutrition increases HGH secretion, whereas obesity decreases it. These nutritional effects occur acutely, as exemplified by fasting, which amplifies HGH secretion within 12 hours, and glucose ingestion, which suppresses HGH secretion. Central glucoreceptors appear to sense glucose fluctuations, rather than absolute levels. Intravenous (IV) administration of individual amino acids, such as arginine and leucine, stimulate HGH secretion. Free fatty acids mitigate the effects of arginine infusion, sleep, l-dopa, exercise, and GHRH (Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone) on HGH release.

Leptin plays a key role in regulating food intake and energy expenditure and may act as a metabolic signal in the stimulation of HGH secretion through interactions with somatostatin, GHRH (GHRH-1), and the neuropeptide Y (NPY) system.

The body needs to be hypoglycemic to produce HGH, meaning that both insulin and blood sugar levels are low. This means that eating close to bedtime will completely inhibit HGH production. I would go so far as to add that eating food, especially carbohydrates, before exercise could also inhibit HGH production.

Although some people may have difficulty falling asleep if they are hungry, I suggest that you have your last meal about 3-4 hours before bedtime, but that it contains enough protein and even some dairy (if you tolerate it) as these nutrients can help you sleep better.

  

Supplements that increase growth hormone production

Personally, I prefer to get the nutrients I need through food, but of course, you may be one of those people who doesn't have the time to study the compositions or spend time on food preparations and must use supplements that allow you to put together a complete nutrition system. In that sense, some supplements that can help you in the production of HCH are,

Arginine. Studies indicate that this amino acid can increase your HGH production by 300 to 400 times. Arginine can be taken in capsules or intravenously; some people prefer to take it before going to sleep, while others prefer to take it before starting their exercise session.

The way arginine works is by dilating the arteries which increases blood flow.

Ornithine. Another amino acid that can help increase HGH is associated with increased muscle tissue synthesis. Through its conversion to arginine, ornithine can enhance nitrogen transport and storage in muscle tissue. Ornithine is a precursor amino acid to citrulline and is synthesized from arginine and released in the urea cycle. This cycle is used by the body to rid the body of harmful, performance-impairing compounds such as ammonia, thus promoting athletic performance.

L-citrulline . This is the most up-to-date supplement of the three and perhaps the most effective, as apart from helping to stimulate HGH production, there is evidence that L-citrulline may work better as an ergogenic aid than L-arginine on physical performance, as L-citrulline showed a positive effect on the subjective perception of effort and muscle soreness, in addition to a decrease in lactate concentrations and a decrease in time in maximal tests. ( article )

By applying the strategies involving nutrition and exercise aspects mentioned here, you are setting your body up for the release of HGH. To the extent you can, practice occasional fasting, as well as hypoglycemic protocols. Explore high-intensity interval exercise or venture into short periods of healthy stress such as sauna and/or cold showers. Finally, by striving for restful sleep, you are already on the way to reducing your risk of many chronic diseases, maintaining your vigor and quality of life, and certainly slowing down the ticking clock.