How to Increase Growth Hormone Naturally
In our quest to get bigger, stronger and healthier, many of us can’t resist the allure of taking shortcuts to get the results we want in half the time.
Enter Human Growth Hormone (hGH), prized for its vast range of benefits including muscle building & recovery, fat burning, improved exercise capacity and slowing the effects of aging.
Produced naturally in the human body, its production peaks during adolescence and decreases over time as we grow into adulthood and beyond. This has sparked a rising demand in hormone supplements in the form of injections, pills and ointments.
Instead, I’m going stick to proven, safe and effective body ‘hacks’ to strategically produce more hGH in your system naturally.
Sleep
Growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland, a pea-sized structure at the base of your brain.
Like an illegal gambling den in China, business hours peak at night, with the biggest spikes happening within the first few hours of sleep.
After that, smaller spikes are released every 4 hours. The more you sleep, the more growth hormone gets secreted into your body.
On the other hand, sleep deprivation will increase the production of cortisol, which lowers testosterone and shrinks your muscles! Definitely something you want to avoid at all costs.
So, we’ve established the importance of getting enough sleep. But what’s equally important is your sleeping pattern, which can promote more REM cycles, which leads to more growth hormone production.
Let’s say that 10PM-8AM are your regular sleeping hours, but real life commitments screw up your routine.
Continue waking up at 8, but take an afternoon nap over the next few days to make up for lost sleep. The key here is to maintain consistency in your sleeping rituals to regulate and keep growth hormone production at optimal capacity.
Exercise
Exercise is a potent stimulus to increase human growth hormone secretion with significant increases from both resistance and aerobic workouts.
Here are the 2 main things to consider to increase hGH production:
First, I’m gonna talk about the duration of your workouts. Generally each session should last no longer than 45 minutes as Human Growth Hormone production slows down after this period.
For workout warriors who can afford to spend more time at the gym, you’ll be relieved to know that this ‘time cap’ can be manipulated.
For example, if your usual workout takes half an hour, you can increase your workout sessions gradually, in increments of 5 minutes every month.
After 6 months, you could theoretically train for an hour and enjoy peak levels of hGH production. No conclusive tests have been carried out to see how far you can push the limits, but I don’t see any benefits of going past the 1 hour mark, especially if you train smart and hard, with minimal rests in between sets.
Which brings us to the next part –
Workout Intensity
Put simply, the harder and tougher your workout, the more HGH is released. In this department, nothing beats compound movements like good ol’ squats and deadlifts.
Followed through with enough intensity and consistency, this will allow more Growth Hormone to flow through your body many hours after your workout.
Endurance athletes that have longer workouts can program a little high intensity interval work (HIIT) into their training to stimulate more GH. The key here is to maximize your heart rate with short intense bursts of exercise which leads to a significant boost in GH levels.
Nutrition
Here are a few tips to accelerate hGH secretion naturally and effectively through simple but effective eating habits.
Counterproductive as it sounds, numerous studies have shown that extended periods of fasting can lead to increased GH levels. In a recent study by the University of Virginia, that research suggests – a 2000% increase in levels of hGH after a 24 hour fast. That’s right. TWO THOUSAND percent.
Today, intermittent fasting has evolved into one of the most legitimate dieting plans in the fitness world. Typical fasts last anytime between 14-20 hours a day, with incredible success stories from fitness professionals and casual practitioners alike.
Another way to increase GH production naturally is to avoid eating sugar.
Besides the obvious health issues associated with sugar consumption (diabetes, weight gain etc), eating sugar results in insulin spikes, which lead to suppressed levels of testosterone and growth hormone, both essential components for building muscle.
If losing weight is your top priority, minimizing sugar intake will take you one step closer towards your goal. Overweight people tend to have high levels of insulin which equates to lower levels of GH. Therefore, the closer you get to your ideal weight, the more GH is produced – a win win situation. I guess it’s time to consider getting rid of that beer belly!
FAQS
What foods increase growth hormone?
Here are several foods that can help increase the secretion of growth hormone in the body:
Protein-rich foods
For an increase in growth hormones, a diet that emphasizes protein is proven to be beneficial. Incorporate lean meats, poultry and fish into your meals, as well as eggs and dairy products for additional sources of protein. If plant-based proteins are preferred – opt for beans, lentils or nuts – all surefire ways to boost those growth hormone levels!
Foods rich in arginine
Arginine, a beneficial amino acid that promotes the release of growth hormone, can be found in an array of nutritious foods such as nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and fish.
Foods rich in glutamine
Glutamine is an incredibly potent amino acid–its ability to stimulate growth hormone production has been verified. Eating beef, chicken, fish, dairy and vegetables like spinach and cabbage can significantly boost the release of growth hormone due to their abundance in glutamine.
Healthy fats
Incorporating a variety of foods rich in beneficial fats into your diet is can boost human growth hormone secretion. These options include avocados, nuts, seeds and fatty fish.
What increases growth hormone the most?
Here are some things you can do to increase growth hormone levels:
Sleep
Deep sleep, particularly during the first half of your slumbering hours, is when most hGH secretion takes place. To elevate these levels naturally, ensure that you get a restful and sufficient evening of quality sleep.
Exercise
High-intensity exercise, specifically weight training, can trigger the secretion of hGH. When large muscles groups are used in exercises executed with vigor and determination, it produces a greater surge of hGH release than any other type of workout.
Fasting
Evidence suggests that short-term fasting can augment secretion of human growth hormone (hGH). This is likely due to a decline in insulin levels, which may prevent the release of hGH.
Can testosterone increase HGH?
Testosterone has a major influence on muscle protein synthesis, which is how new muscles are built. Testosterone also helps to control the size and strength of your muscles.
By expanding muscle mass and bettering exercise performance, testosterone can indirectly affect GH (Growth Hormone) secretion.
However, it’s essential to understand that testosterone and GH levels in the body are controlled independently from each other – supplementing with testosterone won’t directly alter growth hormone output.
What supplements can increase growth hormone?
Ornithine and Arginine Supplements
Combining arginine and ornithine can lead to increased GH secretion. This is speculated to be due to the production of nitric oxide, which opens up blood vessels for improved circulation towards the pituitary gland – where GH synthesis takes place.
GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)
By supplementing with GABA, a neurotransmitter, GH secretion has been demonstrated to increase. This is thought to be due to the inhibition of neuronal activity by GABA leading to an increased production of GH.
Glutamine
Some people take it as a supplement because it might help the body to make more growth hormone. This happens because glutamine could help to stimulate the production of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) in the hypothalamus.
Glycine
Glycine is one of the amino acids that may increase GH secretion when taken as a supplement. It is thought to work by stimulating the release of GHRH and inhibiting the release of somatostatin, a hormone that inhibits GH secretion.
Melatonin Supplements
Melatonin is a hormone that may increase GH secretion when taken as a supplement. It is thought to work by increasing GHRH production and inhibiting somatostatin release.
Can you grow taller with growth hormone?
GH therapy may increase height in children and adolescents with GH deficiency or other conditions that affect growth.
However, for individuals with normal GH levels and growth potential, GH therapy is not likely to lead to a significant increase in height beyond their genetically predetermined potential.
At what time does growth hormone release?
Growth hormone is released by the pituitary gland in pulses throughout the day and night, but the majority of hGH production occurs during sleep, particularly during the first few hours of deep sleep. This is why it’s recommended to get a good night’s sleep to promote GH secretion.
Wrap Up: How to Boost hGH Naturally
I hope you this article revealed some simple and straightforward strategies to boost human growth hormone levels without turning to synthetic variations or growth hormone treatment that are unnecessarily expensive, somewhat illegal(in some countries) and potentially harmful to your health.
Optimize growth hormone levels by taking control by taking control of your diet, sleep and exercise today!
