HGH, or human growth hormone, is a protein hormone manufactured by the pituitary gland. Also referred to as somatotropin, it has a vital function in the regulation of body growth and composition, metabolism, and cellular repair.
HGH also increases strength, stamina, and muscle growth, in addition to speeding up the recovery time from injuries. Deficient HGH production can lead to a diminished quality of life, weight gain, and an increased risk of health complications in general. (1)
Having adequate levels is particularly important for those trying to lose weight, recover from injury, or engaging in athletic training. The good news is that you can dramatically impact HGH levels by making a few nutritional and lifestyle changes.
Here Are 10 of the Best Ways to Naturally Increase HGH
1. Lose Weight
Research has shown that belly fat has a direct impact on HGH production. Individuals with greater amounts of abdominal fat are more likely to have lower HGH production, as well as an increased risk of developing health conditions.
Not only that, studies also indicate that excess body fat has a greater impact in growth hormone levels of men. Even so, reducing overall body fat remains vitally important for both men and women.
Additionally, further research showed that obese participants had deficient amounts of HGH. However, their growth hormone levels returned to normal after losing a substantial amount of weight.
Abdominal fat is considered to be the most unhealthy form of body fat and is tied to many health conditions. Greatly reducing abdominal fat will help to not only improve your production of HGH, but other areas of your overall health as well.
2. Intermittent Fasting
Research indicates that fasting can create a major boost in HGH production. According to one study, HGH levels rose by over 300% in participants who fasted for 3 days. And after a week of fasting, their levels increased by a whopping 1,250%! (2)
Further research has demonstrated similar findings, showing 200%-300% increases in HGH levels after only two or three days of fasting.
Obviously, fasting continuously is not going to be feasible over the long term. Intermittent fasting, which is a more popular method that restricts eating to short windows of time, has been shown to have several health benefits.
There are a variety of options for practicing intermittent fasting. For example, you can fast for 16 hours per day and eat during an 8-hour time period. Or, you can restrict caloric intake to 500-600 calories (or even skip eating altogether) every other day.
There are two primary reasons why intermittent fasting can help stimulate HGH production:
- Fasting will help you to lose weight, which has a direct impact on growth hormone levels.
- Since insulin is released when eating, fasting helps to keep insulin levels reduced for most of the day - and spikes in insulin can interfere in HGH production.
3. High Intensity Exercise
Physical exercise is without a doubt one of the best ways to substantially boost production of HGH. How much of a boost you may get depends on three factors:
- Intensity and type of workout.
- Nutritional intake before, during, and after exercise.
- The individual characteristics of your own physiology.
High intensity workouts raise growth hormone production more than other forms of exercise, but all types of exercise are helpful. (3) Some good examples include sprinting, interval training, weight lifting, and circuit training - all of which have been shown to increase HGH and fuel the fat burning process.
Similar to HGH supplements, exercise primarily produces brief peaks in growth hormone production. In the long run, however, exercise can increase overall hormone function and reduce body fat, resulting in healthy levels of HGH.
4. L-arginine
Although l-arginine and other amino acids are often associated with working out, research indicates that taking l-arginine supplements outside of exercise can dramatically increase growth hormone levels. (4)
For example, one study looked at the results of taking 114 mg of l-arginine per pound of body weight, or approximately 15–20 grams daily. The participants showed a 60% increase in HGH production during sleep.
15-20 grams is a lot of l-arginine, but studies conducted using lesser amounts did not show any improvement in HGH levels.
5. Get Better Sleep
Most of the HGH produced in the body occurs during sleep. The hormone is secreted in pulses that coincide with the body's internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm.
The biggest of these pulses happen before midnight, with a few smaller pulses occurring during the early morning hours.
Research indicates that low-quality or inadequate sleep can decrease the production of HGH in the body. (5) As a matter of fact, ensuring that you're getting enough deep sleep is a sure-fire way to increase your HGH levels over the long-term.
Here are a few steps you can take in order to secure a good night's sleep:
- Avoid screen time with TV, cell phones, PC, tablets, etc., for at least an hour before bedtime.
- Refrain from consuming caffeine late in the day
- Read printed materials, such as books, magazines, etc., before going to bed.
- Ensure that your bedroom is as dark as possible and at a comfortable temperature.
6. Melatonin
Melatonin is an important hormone that is tied to sleep and regulating blood pressure. Supplements containing melatonin are commonly used to improve the quality and duration of sleep.
Even though getting high-quality sleep can help maintain healthy HGH levels by itself, studies indicate that taking a melatonin supplement may positively impact HGH production. (6)
Melatonin is known to be safe and is considered non-toxic. That said, you might want to talk with your doctor before taking it since it could change brain patterns in some ways. For best results, take 1–3 mg approximately 30 minutes before going to bed. Start off with a lower dose in order to assess your tolerance, after that you can increase if necessary.
7. GABA
GABA, or Gamma aminobutyric acid, is an amino acid and neurotransmitter, which means it carries signals within the brain. It's popularly known for having a calming effect on the brain and nervous system, and is frequently used as a sleep aid.
However, research also shows that GABA may help boost HGH levels. One study observed that using a GABA supplement led to a 400% increase in HGH following a workout, and even a 200% increase while just at rest. (7)
GABA can also raise HGH levels by optimizing sleep quality, since a deeper and more restful sleep is tied to HGH production. That said, the increases observed were only short-term, and it's not clear what the long-term effects GABA could have on HGH levels might be.
8. Sports Drinks and Beta-Alanine
Many workout supplements can both enhance exercise performance and give a short-term increase to HGH levels.
Research has shown that consuming 4.8 grams of beta-alanine prior to working out can increase the number of reps by over 20%. It was also shown to raise HGH levels and deliver a 200% increase to peak power compared to those not taking the supplement. (8)
Other research showed that consuming sugary sports drinks increased growth hormone levels near the finish of a workout. That said, if fat loss is one of your goals, those added calories in these type of drinks will probably cancel out any benefits from a temporary gain in HGH.
Also, drinking protein shakes has been shown to raise growth hormone levels during the time during and after workout, whether or not the drink contains carbohydrates.
Even so, when using a whey- or casein-based protein supplement just prior to strength training, it could actually produce the opposite effect. Research shows that consuming a supplement containing 25 grams of whey or casein 30 minutes prior to strength training exercise decreased both testosterone and HGH levels, compared to a zero-calorie placebo.
9. Cut Back On The Sugar
Increases in insulin have been tied to reduced HGH levels. Since sugar and refined carbohydrates elevate insulin levels the most, cutting back on your consumption can help improve growth hormone production. (9)
Research shows that healthy individuals have levels of HGH 3–4 times higher than those with diabetes, and poor insulin function as well. Besides directly impacting insulin levels, consuming too much sugar is a main contributor to increased body fat and obesity, which negatively affect growth hormone production.
Even so, enjoying an occasional desert won't diminish your levels of HGH long-term. Make it your goal to follow a healthy diet, since the foods you consume can have a major influence on your hormones and overall health.
10. Natural HGH Supplements
There are several over-the-counter supplements that research has shown may increase HGH production, such as:
- Glutamine - Taking doses of 2 grams may provide a temporary boost of nearly 80%.
- Creatine - 20 grams of creatine can substantially increase HGH production for 2–6 hours.
- Ornithine - Individuals taking ornithine 30 minutes post-workout saw a larger spike in HGH production in one study.
- L-dopa - 500 mg of L-dopa administered to Parkinson's disease patients showed an increase of HGH levels for as much as 2 hours.
- Glycine - Research has shown that taking glycine can improve exercise performance and produce brief bursts in HGH.
There are also a number of specialty supplements containing proprietary blends of ingredients shown to naturally raise production of HGH. Some examples of these products include GenF20 Plus and HyperGH 14x.
While these supplements have been shown to raise human growth hormone levels, research indicates that the benefits are not permanent.
In Closing
As is the case with other vital hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, maintaining optimal levels of human growth hormone is essential to overall health. HGH is necessary for the regulation of cellular repair, metabolism, and other crucial bodily functions.
If you adhere to the suggestions given above, you should easily be able to increase your body's production of HGH.
References:
1. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9467546
2. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6758355
3. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1619005
4. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16741262
5. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4302913
6. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10594526
7. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18091016
8. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18548362
9. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC292717/