Human growth hormone (HGH) is an important hormone produced by the pituitary gland.
Also known as growth hormone (GH), it plays an important role in growth, body structure, cell repair and metabolism .
HGH also enhances muscle development, strength and movement, while supporting recovery from injury and disease .
Low HGH levels can negatively affect quality of life, increase the risk of disease and cause weight gain .
Obtaining optimal levels is especially important during weight loss, post-traumatic recovery and when trying to increase fitness .
Interestingly, our diet and lifestyle choices can have a big impact on HGH .
Here are 11 proven ways to naturally increase HGH levels in humans.
1. Reduce body fat
Your body fat is directly related to the production of HGH .
People who have higher or more body fat may lose HGH production and increase the risk of disease.
In one study, individuals had about three times the amount of belly fat that had HGH less than half of the lean ones .
As the chart below shows, a study monitored the release of HGH in 24 hours and found a large decrease in hormone levels in people with more abdominal fat.
Another study showed that obese people had lower IGF-1 and HGH. After reducing a significant amount of weight, their index returned to normal .
Abdominal fat is the most dangerous stored fat and is associated with many diseases. Reduce belly fat will help optimize HGH levels and other health aspects.
Crux : Remove excess body fat, especially from the abdomen. This will optimize the growth hormone levels and improve your health.
2. Fasting interruption
Fasting interruption (Intermittent fasting) is a diet that restricts eating in a short period of time.
It can be done according to many different ways . A common way is to make a diet within eight hours and wait for the next 16 hours. Another way involves eating 500-600 calories in 2 days per week .
Uninterrupted fasting can help optimize HGH levels in many ways. First, it may help reduce body fat, which directly affects HGH production .
Second, it will keep the body's insulin levels low for most of the day, because insulin is released when eaten. This can also bring many benefits, for example, research shows that sudden increase in insulin may disrupt the body's natural growth hormone production .
One study found that three days after starting an interrupted diet, HGH content increased by more than 300%. After a week of fasting, this number has increased to 1,250% .
Other studies have found similar effects, with hormone levels doubling or three times after fasting for 2-3 days .
As shown in the chart below, a study shows a large difference in HGH levels on the day of fasting compared to normal eating days .
Shorter meals from 12-16 hours can also help with dieting, although more research is needed to compare their effectiveness with dieting all day.
Crux : Fasting can significantly increase the level of human growth hormone, even though more fasting studies are needed.
3. Try Arginine supplement
Although most people tend to use amino acids like arginine during exercise, one study has shown that this is little or no benefit for HGH levels .
Two other studies have confirmed this when only the difference between exercise or arginine plus exercise is found. However, when arginine is taken apart from exercise, they have found a significant increase in HGH .
Studies on other non-exercise people also support the use of arginine.
Another study also looked at the effects of 45 or 114 mg of arginine per pound (100 or 250 mg / kg) of body weight, or about 6-10 or 15-20 grams per day.
They found no effect of arginine on lower doses, but participants taking larger doses increased about 60% of HGH during sleep .
Crux : Using arginine supplements at higher doses may improve growth hormone production, but this does not happen when exercising.
4. Reduce sugar
Refined carbohydrates and sugars increase insulin levels, so reducing food intake can help optimize growth hormone levels .
One study found that healthy non-diabetic individuals had 3-4 times higher levels of HGH than diabetics with reduced carb tolerance and insulin function .
Along with directly affecting the amount of insulin, excess sugar is the main factor weight gain and obesity, this also affects HGH levels.
It has also been mentioned that small sweets on special occasions will not affect your growth hormone levels in the long term.
The goal is to achieve a healthy and balanced diet. What you eat in 90% of the time will have the most profound effect on health, hormones and body structure.
Crux : Increased insulin may reduce HGH production. Therefore, limit the amount of sugar and the amount of refined carb that the body tolerates.
5. Do not eat much before going to bed
Since most meals increase insulin levels, some experts recommend avoiding eating before going to bed .
In particular, a meal is rich in carb or the protein can spike insulin and can prevent some HGH from being released at night .
While the theory is easy to understand, there is still a lack of direct research.
However, insulin levels usually decrease 2-3 hours after eating, so you can avoid eating carb or protein foods 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Crux : Need more research on the effects of nighttime eating on HGH. In the meantime, you can avoid eating for 2-3 hours before going to bed.
6. GABA supplement
is a non-protein amino acid (non-protein amino acid) that functions as a neurotransmitter, sends signals around the brain.
Known as a soothing agent for the brain and central nervous system, GABA is often used to support sleep. And interestingly, it can also increase HGH levels .
The most famous study of this substance shows a 400% increase in growth hormone in people who are resting and a 200% increase in post-exercise people .
GABA also helps to increase HGH levels by improving sleep, because the release of night growth hormone is related to the quality and depth of sleep .
However, most of these increases are short-lived and the long-term benefits of GABA for growth hormone levels are still unclear .
Crux : GABA supplements may help boost HGH production, although this increase seems to be short-lived.
7. High intensity exercise
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to significantly increase your HGH level.
This increase depends on the type of exercise, the intensity, the amount of food entering during exercise and the individual performing it .
As shown by the black bars in the chart below, huge amounts of HGH were shown in a bodybuilding exercise with limited rest time .
You can perform repeated sprints, high-intensity exercises, bodybuilding or fast-paced training methods that combine heavy exercise and high-intensity aerobic exercises (usually from 4- 10 exercises to increase HGH levels and minimize fat intake .
Like other functional foods, this increase is mainly a short-term surge.
However, in the long run, exercise can help you optimize your hormonal function in general and reduce body fat, both will benefit your HGH level.
Crux : Exercise makes HGH spike. High-intensity exercise is the best form of exercise to increase growth hormone levels.
8. Use Beta-Alanine and / or rehydration drinks during exercise
In one study, use 4.8 grams before exercise increases 22% of the results .
It also doubles the peak capacity and increases HGH levels, compared to the non-supplementary group .
During a workout, sweet drinks increase HGH levels at the end of the session. However, if you are trying to reduce fat, adding calories from drinks will result in loss of benefits from short-term HGH spike .
Studies show Protein smoothie , both yes and no carb can increase human growth hormone levels when exercising .
Crux: Beta-alanine, carb and protein can dramatically increase growth hormone during exercise or after exercise.
9. Optimize your sleep
Most HGH is released in "blood vessels" when you sleep. It is based on the biological clock or circadian rhythm.
As you can see in the graph below, the largest pulse pulse occurs before midnight with some smaller pulses in the early morning .
In fact, getting enough sleep is one of the best strategies to improve long-term HGH production .
Here are a few simple strategies to help optimize your sleep:
- Avoid blue light before going to bed.
- Read books at night.
- Make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature.
- Do not consume caffeine at the end of the day
Crux : Focus on optimizing sleep quality and aim for a good night's sleep of 7-10 hours each night.
10. Take melatonin supplements
Melatonin is a hormone that plays an important role in sleep and regulates blood pressure .
Melatonin has become a popular sleep aid that can increase sleep quality and time .
While that substance may be beneficial for HGH, further research has shown that melatonin supplementation can directly increase growth hormone production .
Melatonin is also quite safe and non-toxic. However, in some ways it can change the chemical components in the brain, so consult your doctor before taking .
To maximize the effectiveness of melatonin, take 1-5 mg about 30 minutes before bedtime. Start with a lower dose to see how the body reacts, then increase it if needed.
Crux : Melatonin functional foods can increase sleep quality and increase the body's production of natural hormones.
11. Try other natural supplements
- Glutamine: Single dose of 2 grams can increase short-term production up to 78% .
- Creatine: A dose of creatine 20g will significantly increase HGH levels in 2-6 hours .
- Ornithine: A study for participants taking ornithine 30 minutes after exercise and found levels of hormones increased to a level higher than normal .
- L-dopa: In patients with Parkinson's disease, 500 mg of L-dopa increases HGH levels by up to 2 hours .
- Glycine: Studies have found that glycine can improve fitness performance and provide short-term HGH mutations .
Although all these supplements may increase HGH levels, they are only proven to work for a short time.
Crux : Some natural supplements may increase short-term production of human growth hormone.
Having the optimal HGH is important
Like other important hormones, like testosterone and estrogen, it's important to have a good growth hormone.
By following these tips, you can increase your HGH level quite easily.
