How to stimulate the production of growth hormone?

Human growth hormone is responsible for growth hormone( or growth hormone), which is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. Under the influence of somatotropin, an insulin-like growth factor is formed in the body, responsible for the development of cells and tissues of almost all organs in the human body.In addition, growth hormone affects protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism: it has an anabolic effect( accelerates the formation of muscle structures), promotes fat burning and increases the concentration of glucose in the blood.

The anabolic and fat burning properties of growth hormone have caused growth hormone-based drugs to be widely used in sports( especially in bodybuilding to increase muscle mass and improve muscle relief). However, the artificial introduction of somatotropin into the body has a lot of side effects that are not always commensurate with the resultant effect: hyperglycemia, hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, tumor processes and much more.In addition, most of these drugs have a very high cost.Therefore, for professional athletes, and for people who want to improve their physical shape, doctors recommend using alternative ways to increase the concentration of growth hormone in the body.About them and will be discussed in the article.

Table of contents: Features of the secretion of growth hormone How does the lack of growth hormone manifest itself?How is the secretion of growth hormone regulated?Methods for increasing somatotropin concentration in the body Physical activity and growth hormone Nutrition and growth hormone Sleep and growth hormone

Features of the secretion of growth hormone

Generation of somatotropin is not permanent, but undulating.During the day, as a rule, there are several peaks, during which the concentration of growth hormone in the blood increases significantly. Moreover, the peaks of the greatest amplitude are noted at night, a couple of hours after the evening falling asleep( that's why they say that children grow in a dream), and also during physical activity.

In addition, the age of a person affects the concentration of somatotropin.The maximum level of growth hormone is still on the intrauterine period of the child's development.After birth, a significant increase in the concentration of somatotropin in the blood occurs when the children are actively growing( the first year of life, adolescence). After 20 years the rate of synthesis of somatotropin gradually decreases, which affects the general physical state of a person.

How does the lack of growth hormone manifest itself?

The decrease in the activity of the synthesis of somatotropin with age is a completely normal physiological process.When the concentration of growth hormone in the blood goes beyond the limits of age norms - this is a pathological condition.

The causes of disturbances in the synthesis of somatotropin in children are, as a rule, various congenital and genetically conditioned conditions, less often acquired( hypoxia, head trauma, CNS tumors, etc.).In adults, however, growth hormone problems occur with pituitary adenoma, due to irradiation and operations performed on the brain.

Hyperproduction of somatotropin in childhood leads to the development of gigantism , in adults - acromegaly .Insufficient pituitary growth hormone release in children is the cause of pituitary nanism of ( dwarfism of varying severity).

In adults, somatotropin deficiency can be manifested by the following symptoms:

• Obesity( fat accumulates mainly in the abdomen).
• Early atherosclerosis.Increased concentration of fats in the blood.
• .
• Low level of physical activity.Disorders of sexual function.
• Osteoporosis.

In addition, it has been proven that the lack of growth hormone in the body increases the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases.

How is the secretion of growth hormone regulated?

The main regulators of production of growth hormone are peptidic substances produced by the hypothalamus, somatostatin and somatoliberin.The balance of these substances in the body is largely influenced by various physiological factors. Stimulate the production of growth hormone( increase the synthesis of somatoliberin hypothalamus):

• Sleep;
• physical exercise;
• reduced blood glucose;
• increase in the concentration of estrogens;
• hyperthyroidism;
• use of some amino acids( ornithine, lysine, arginine, glutamine, etc.);
• feeling of hunger and increased production in the stomach of ghrelin - the so-called hormone of hunger.

Suppress the formation of growth hormone( i.e., stimulate the release of somatostatin) of the following factors:

• elevated blood glucose concentration;
• hyperlipidemia;
• is an overabundance of growth hormone in the body( for example, if it is administered to humans artificially).

Methods for increasing somatotropin concentration in the body

To increase growth hormone in several ways:

• by taking somatotropin medications( this is expensive and unsafe, these drugs are used primarily for therapeutic purposes with clinical signs of growth hormone deficiency in the body);
• peptidic growth hormone secretagogue( these drugs are cheaper, have different mechanisms of action, so athletes can choose what they need more - creating peak hormone concentrations, increasing baseline somatotropin concentration, fat burning, etc.);
• acting naturally on the physiological mechanisms of the regulation of growth hormone production - eating properly, regularly doing sports and sleeping well at night.

Physical activity and growth hormone

Any motor activity is already a stimulation of growth hormone production. However, some types of physical activity particularly affect the process of synthesis of somatotropin.To such loads carry aerobic training - this is fast walking, running, skiing, etc. That is, for an ordinary person( not an athlete) to maintain his body in a tonus, it will be enough to run daily or walk an hour at an active pace in the park.

For those who want to get rid of fat deposits and build muscle mass, the approach to stimulating the synthesis of growth hormone must be somewhat different.In such cases it is ideal to combine power and aerobic loads( for example, exercises with a barbell and dumbbells followed by running on a treadmill).Such combined trainings should last 45-60 minutes, pass at an active pace and be repeated 3-4 times a week.

Nutrition and growth hormone

In the human diet, which seeks to increase growth hormone in the body, protein food should predominate because it contains amino acids that stimulate the production of growth hormone. But the "fast" carbohydrates( sugar, confectionery) is better to exclude from your menu altogether, as a sharp increase in the concentration of glucose in the blood suppresses the synthesis of growth hormone.Preference should be given to "slow" carbohydrates - vegetables, fruits, cereals, wholemeal bread, etc.

Fats in nutrition are also better restricted, but they should not be completely abandoned, because the body needs them and can not make up for the deficit of a number of fatty acids due to something else.

If we talk about specific products that can affect the concentration of growth hormone in the body, then they can include:

• Milk.
• Curd.
• Eggs.
• Chicken meat.
• Beef.
• Tresku.
• Oatmeal.
• Fig.
• Nuts.
• Cabbage.
• Beans.

You need to eat small portions 5-6 times a day.

To provide an organism useful for the synthesis of growth hormone amino acids can and with the help of dietary supplements.In addition, gamma-aminobutyric acid( GABA or GABA) has good efficacy in stimulating the production of somatotropin.

Sleep and growth hormone

Neither exercise nor proper nutrition will help increase the concentration of growth hormone without a full night's sleep.Only combining these three methods can achieve a good result of .

Therefore, you should train yourself to go to bed between 10 and 11 o'clock in the evening, so that by 6-7 o'clock in the morning( sleep should last at least 8 hours) the body has fully rested and has developed a sufficient amount of growth hormone.In addition, experts recommend every morning to take a contrast shower, which also has a very positive effect on the regulation of the synthesis of growth hormone.Summing up, I would like to note once again that the human body responds best to the natural stimulation of physiological processes, and any influence on these processes by artificial routes( growth hormone injections, peptides, etc.) can not take place without any complicationsAnd side effects. Therefore, everything that is done to improve health and improve their physical shape, should be as natural as possible, the other simply does not make sense.

Zubkova Olga Sergeevna, medical reviewer, epidemiologist doctor