Growth Hormone (GH) (somatotropin) is a Peptide Hormone produced by the pea-sized pituitary gland located at the base of the brain. It acts on many tissues throughout the body, where it stimulates growth, cell reproduction & regeneration. It is responsible for the growth we experience as children & adolescents, & also provides many benefits throughout our life. It is particularly important for those engaged in exercise. This is because it promotes muscle growth & directly stimulates the mobilisation of fat & its use as an energy source while decreasing the rate of carbohydrate use. It also increases our levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone similar to insulin which has a powerful Anabolic Effect, & plays a role in the regulation of body fluids. In short, GH boosts muscle growth, strength & exercise performance, while helping us to get leaner.
Once we enter middle age, the pituitary gland reduces its production of Growth Hormone, which is associated with a loss of muscle mass, reduced exercise capacity, & an increase in body fat. However, there are a number of things we can do to increase our levels of GH naturally. These include exercising at a high intensity, reducing sugar intake, avoiding the accumulation of excessive amounts of body fat, particularly on the abdomen, taking certain supplements, such as the amino acids arginine, orthinine and glycine, which have all been shown to increase growth hormone levels, & ensuring that we get sufficient sleep.
