HGH is an important hormone produced in the pituitary gland. It’s a good predictor of overall health. Low HGH levels point to an increased risk of disease and unhealthy weight gain. Optimal Growth Hormone levels are vital during recovery, training, and weight loss. This is because HGH regulates cell repair and other recovery-relevant metabolic functions. Growth hormone is also involved in children growing into adults, boosting and maximizing potential height, even into adulthood. I’m going to list 10 great was to boost your growth hormone.
Because this Growth Hormone is naturally synthesized in the body, it’s possible to influence its production. Let’s look at a few strategies for boosting HGH naturally and the science behind why they work. Human growth hormone (HGH) is an important hormone produced by your pituitary gland.
Also known as growth hormone (GH), it plays a key role in growth, body composition, cell repair, and metabolism. HGH also boosts muscle growth, strength, and exercise performance, while helping you recover from injury and disease. Low HGH levels may decrease your quality of life, increase your risk of disease, and make you gain fat. Optimal levels are especially important during weight loss, injury recovery, and athletic training. Interestingly, your diet and lifestyle choices can significantly affect your HGH levels.
10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone
1. Intermittent Fast
HGH levels increase by about 300 percent when you fast for 3 days. After fasting for a week, HGH secretion is at 1,250 percent. These results have been replicated, with researchers observing a doubling or tripling of HGH levels just 2-3 days into a fast. The trick is to find the right balance between when to eat and when to fast. Intermittent fasting impacts HGH secretion both in the short-term and in the long-term. In the short-term, fasting keeps your insulin low. Since this hormone is associated with low GH levels, keeping it low boosts HGH production. In the long-term, it lowers your body fat, resulting in a long-term boost in growth hormone production.
Studies show that fasting leads to a major increase in HGH levels. One study found that 3 days into a fast, HGH levels increased by over 300%. After 1 week of fasting, they had increased by a massive 1,250%. Other studies have found similar effects, with double or triple HGH levels after just 2–3 days of fasting.
However, continuous fasting is not sustainable in the long term. Intermittent fasting is a more popular dietary approach that limits eating to brief time periods. Multiple methods of intermittent fasting are available. One common approach is a daily 8-hour eating window with a 16-hour fast. Another involves eating only 500–600 calories 2 days per week. Intermittent fasting can help optimize HGH levels in two main ways.
The (OMAD) “one meal a day” diet is the best daily fasting routine.
First, it can help you drop body fat, which directly affects HGH production. Second, it’ll keep your insulin levels low for most of the day, as insulin is released when you eat. Research suggests that insulin spikes can disrupt your natural growth hormone production. One study observed large differences in HGH levels on the fasting day compared with the eating day. Shorter 12-16 hour fasts likely help as well, though more research is needed to compare their effects with full-day fasts.
2. Lose Fat (10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone)
Excessive fat is strongly linked to low HGH production. This is another reason why you should avoid sugary meals, especially before going to sleep. The consumption of high-sugar meals at night is closely associated with weight gain. Avoiding sweet treats at night regulates your insulin, and also keeps your weight in check. One study found that losing fat around the abdominal area leads to a significant boost in growth hormone levels.
In another study, participants who had 3x the amount of body fat as the control group were found to have half their growth hormones. It’s well-documented that obese people return to normal HGH levels after losing weight.
Interestingly, the impact of body fat on HGH production is strongest in men. Both sexes experience an increase in growth hormone levels after shedding off some weight, though. This is probably because fat distribution in men favors the belly, where it’s most harmful. The amount of belly fat you carry is directly related to your HGH production.Those with higher levels of belly fat will likely have impaired HGH production and an increased risk of disease.
One study observed that those with three times the amount of belly fat as the control group had less than half their amount of HGH. Another study monitored the 24-hour release of HGH and found a large decline in those with more abdominal fat.Interestingly, research suggests that excess body fat affects HGH levels more in men. However, lowering body fat is still key for both genders.
What’s more, a study found that people with obesity had lower levels of HGH and IGF-1 — a growth-related protein. After losing a significant amount of weight, their levels returned to normal. Belly fat is the most dangerous type of stored fat and linked to many diseases. Losing belly fat will help optimize your HGH levels and other aspects of your health.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Growth hormone production isn’t linear. HGH levels are highest when you sleep, and even then, they are greatly influenced by your sleep cycles. Production typically peaks before midnight, followed by a few weak pulses before the crack of dawn. To get the best out of these cycles, you need to be sound asleep before midnight. Go to bed about two hours, no less than an hour, before midnight. Research has shown that your growth hormone levels begin to increase after about an hour of sleep. This is, arguably, when you’re most likely to be in deep slumber.
Structure your sleeping habits to make the most of SWS. Research shows that poor sleeping habits negatively affect your Human Growth Hormone levels. Ensuring you get adequate sleep is a proven strategy for continued high HGH production.
- NREM (Non-REM) Sleep: This is the stage that’s associated with high hormone levels. It is characterized by four main phases: stage 1, stage 2, stage 3, and stage 4. Stage 3 and 4 are deep sleep stages, also known as Slow Wave Sleep (SWS). HGH production peaks during these two cycles.
- REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement): You typically enter the REM stage an hour and a half after you sleep. This stage may last for as long as an hour. It’s characterized by vivid dreams and a lot of brain activity.
NREM precedes REM. The interesting bit is that NREM cycles shorten as the night progresses. This is why it’s so important to sleep a few hours before midnight. You want to have as many long NREM cycles as possible.
- Stage 1: Immediately you sleep, your brain starts to slow down. It lasts for about 5–10 minutes.
- Stage 2: Your heart rate slows, and body temperature drops, as the brain prepares to enter into SWS. You spend about 50 percent of your sleep in this cycle.
- Stage 3 and 4: These stages are longest in the first half of the night and shorten with each consequent cycle. Typically, this stage lasts anywhere between 45–90 minutes.
The majority of HGH is released in pulses when you sleep. These pulses are based on your body’s internal clock or circadian rhythm.The largest pulses occur before midnight, with some smaller pulses in the early morning.Studies have shown that poor sleep can reduce the amount of HGH your body produces.In fact, getting an adequate amount of deep sleep is one of the best strategies to enhance your long-term HGH production.
- Keep your bedroom comfortable and well-ventilated.
- Try and read a book before going to bed.
- No caffeine in the evening.
- Keep away from your phone and computer for a few hours before hitting the sack.
- Avoid blue light exposure before bedtime.
- Read a book in the evening.
- Make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature.
- Don’t consume caffeine late in the day.
4. Take GABA Supplements (10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone)
Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter, sending signals around your brain. As a well-known calming agent for your brain and central nervous system, it’s often used to aid sleep. Interestingly, it may also help increase your HGH levels. Several other supplements may enhance human growth hormone production. While these supplements may increase your HGH levels, studies indicate that their effects are only temporary.
- Glutamine. A 2-gram dose may temporarily increase levels up to 78% .
- Creatine. A 20-gram dose of creatine significantly increased HGH levels for 2–6 hours .
- Ornithine. One study gave participants ornithine 30 minutes after exercise and found a greater peak in HGH levels.
- L-dopa. In patients with Parkinson’s disease, 500 mg of L-dopa increased HGH levels for up to 2 hours.
- Glycine. Studies have found glycine can improve gym performance and provide short-term spikes in HGH .
One study found that taking a GABA supplement led to a 400% increase in HGH at rest and a 200% increase following exercise. GABA may also increase HGH levels by improving your sleep, since your nighttime growth hormone release is linked to sleep quality and depth. However, most of these increases were short-lived and GABA’s long-term benefits for growth hormone levels remain unclear.
5. High Intensity Exercise
All forms of exercise will increase your levels of Human Growth Hormone, but high-intensity activity produces the most significant boosts. There’s no universal session duration, but workouts typically last about an hour. Weight training, sprinting, and interval training have shown a lot of promise increasing HGH levels. The benefits of exercise extend beyond short-term spurts in Human Growth Hormone. In the long-term, it will help you cut down your body fat, increasing GH production.
High-intensity interval training, or HIIT cardio, is the best kind of cardio exercise, or exercise period, that can increase growth hormone.
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to significantly raise your HGH levels. The increase depends on the type of exercise, intensity, food intake around the workout, and your body’s own traits. High-intensity exercise increases HGH the most, but all forms of exercise are beneficial. You can perform repeated sprints, interval training, weight training, or circuit training to spike your HGH levels and maximize fat loss. As with supplements, exercise mainly causes short-term spikes in HGH levels. Nevertheless, over the long term, exercise may optimize your hormone function and decrease body fat, both of which will benefit your HGH levels.
6. Reduce Your Sugar and Insulin
Sugar and refined carbs — like white bread, white rice, and pasta — are documented to spike your insulin levels. Reduced intake of refined carbohydrates and sugar has shown great potential in optimizing HGH production.
A study compared HGH levels between healthy people, and four other groups with insulin problems (diabetes, impaired carbohydrate tolerance, impaired insulin function). Growth hormone production was 3–4 times higher in healthy people . Clearly showing the link between insulin and HGH.
Insulin levels spike immediately after a meal and stabilize after 2-3 hours. Eat all your meals at least 2 hours before bedtime. Some research suggests that a high-protein meal before bed could potentially inhibit HGH activity. Even though the research on that isn’t conclusive, we know for sure that all late-night snacks will trigger insulin production. An increase in insulin is associated with lower HGH levels. Refined carbs and sugar raise insulin levels the most, so reducing your intake may help optimize growth hormone levels.
Sugary beverages are especially harmful. Interestingly, the body doesn’t respond to sweet drinks in the manner it responds to solid food. These beverages aren’t as satiating as solid foods. You end up taking more liquids than in solids form because you don’t feel as full-independent of caloric intake. Avoid sweet drinks like sodas and sweetened yogurt before bedtime.
One study found that healthy people had 3-4 times higher HGH levels than those with diabetes, as well as impaired carb tolerance and insulin function. Along with directly affecting insulin levels, excess sugar intake is a key factor in weight gain and obesity, which also affect HGH levels. That said, the occasional sweet treat will not impact your HGH levels in the long term. Aim to achieve a balanced diet, as what you eat has a profound effect on your health, hormones, and body composition.
7. Eat the Right Foods (10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone)
Healthy eating is beneficial to your overall well-being. Every balanced diet optimizes HGH production by keeping your insulin and body fat levels in check. That said, some special foods are directly linked to enhanced Growth Hormone secretion. Food that can help with growth include: beans, leafy greens, yogurt, chicken, nuts, and many more.
Eat the proper foods, and you shall grow. Foods high in fats keep you satiated. Eating foods low in carbs can decrease your insulin, allowing you to lose weight and maintain a healthy, and even high, HGH level.
Even diets, at least in adults, can increase growth hormone. Diets like the ketogenic diet involve most of what you need to maintain good growth, at least in adulthood. It’s not recommended that children follow a strict keto plan though, as this can negatively affect them. You’re always affecting yourself and these hormones, regardless of what you are doing, obviously.
10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone
8. Consume Melatonin
This hormone is released as you sleep. It regulates your sleep cycles and helps you get longer and deeper sleep associated with enhanced HGH production. A melatonin-rich breakfast increases melatonin secretion in the night. Melatonin-rich foods include: eggs, fish, mustard seeds, tomatoes, nuts, grapes, raspberries, pomegranate, and so on.
Another study found that a tryptophan-rich breakfast coupled with exposure to bright light in the day significantly boosted HGH levels. Tryptophan-dense foods include eggs, milk, grains, beans, and meat. Work these foods into your breakfast and take a short stroll in the bright of day for a good night’s sleep.
Melatonin supplements happen to be very popular sleeping aids in the US. It’s one of the most commonly used supplements. Research shows that a little melatonin supplementation directly boosts the production of Human Growth Hormones. Being a naturally-occurring hormone, it’s non-toxic. However, these supplements have been shown to affect brain chemistry, so you should only take them under medical supervision. You should also contact a medical professional before taking these supplements if you are pregnant. One animal study found that melatonin lowers birth weight and increases baby mortality.
Melatonin is a hormone that also plays an important role in sleep and blood pressure regulation. Melatonin supplements have become a popular sleep aid that can increase the quality and duration of your sleep.
While good sleep alone may benefit HGH levels, further research has shown that a melatonin supplement can directly enhance HGH production. Melatonin is also fairly safe and non-toxic. However, it may alter your brain chemistry in some ways, so you may want to check with your healthcare provider before using it. To maximize its effects, take 1-5 mg about 30 minutes before bed. Start with a lower dose to assess your tolerance, then increase if needed.
10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone
9. Avoid Food Right Before Bed and Laugh
Your body naturally releases significant amounts of HGH, especially at night. Given that most meals cause a rise in insulin levels, some experts suggest avoiding food before bedtime. In particular, a high-carb or high-protein meal may spike your insulin and potentially block some of the HGH released at night. Keep in mind that insufficient research exists on this theory, but it is well documented and seriously considered. Nevertheless, insulin levels normally decrease 2-3 hours after eating, so you may wish to avoid carb or protein-based meals 2-3 hours before bedtime.
Spiking insulin before bedtime can keep you hungry and awake, keeping you up and preventing from healthy sleep.
Laughing and being in a positive mood also helps you avoid suppressing these hormones. Try to maintain a positive moods as much as possible to avoid giving your hormones an unhealthy template. Figure out this problem, meditate, get enough sleep, eat healthy, and you should be well on your way.
10 Great Ways to Boost Your Growth Hormone
10. Try Arginine, Pre-Workout, and Ornithine
Arginine is one of the amino acids that boost the synthesis of the Human Growth Hormone. Arginine-rich foods include: red meat, seeds, nuts, chicken, brown rice, soybeans, and many more. Many people take arginine supplements to complement their exercises. That’s a mistake. When taken alongside exercise, there’s no significant increase in HGH production. You are better off taking the supplement alone.
Research claims that higher doses of 15-20 grams of Arginine per day boosts nighttime HGH production by up by about 60 percent. That’s the equivalent of taking 114 mg per pound of body weight. Lower doses, 6-10 grams per day, about 45 mg for every pound in body-weight, didn’t show any significant impact on growth hormone production.
If you are looking for something to boost your HGH levels alongside exercise, take sport drinks. They are rich in beta-alanine, which boosts growth hormone levels, and it’s been documented to double your peak workout power. Protein shakes are also an option if you want an HGH-friendly supplement to complement exercise.
Protein-sparing effects from a pre-workout and post-workout shakes or supplements help with muscle hypertrophy. This helps you go into your workout with the best possible benefit, including helping growth hormone increase.
These shakes boost the secretion of Growth Hormones around workouts. Glutamine is a potent amino acid that has been shown to increase HGH production even at small doses, significantly. A 2 mg dose has been documented to boost GH secretion by up to 78 percent. Glutamine-rich foods include: spinach, fish, meat, eggs, yogurts (avoid sweetened variants, they have a lot of processed sugar)
Muscle-sparing and building habits help you lose weight, and prevent you from losing muscle when losing weight. Fasting helps with this because it increases growth-hormone and has a way of keeping muscle, if not building it. Growth hormone is one the body’s answers to muscle retention.
Ornithine is one of the amino acids responsible for protein synthesis and muscle mass. Research has shown that people who take ornithine about half an hour after working out experience increased HGH synthesis. Foods rich in ornithine include: beef, chicken, soya beans, fish, and eggs.
Some sports supplements can optimize performance and temporarily boost your HGH levels.In one study, taking 4.8 grams of beta-alanine before a workout increased the number of repetitions performed by 22%.It also doubled peak power and boosted HGH levels compared with the non-supplement group.
Studies have shown that protein shakes — both with and without carbs — can boost HGH levels around workouts.However, if a casein or whey protein supplement is taken immediately before strength exercise, it may have the opposite effect.One study found that drinking a beverage containing 25 grams (0.9 ounces) of casein or whey protein 30 minutes before strength exercise reduced levels of human growth hormone and testosterone, compared with a non-caloric placebo.
Another study demonstrated that a sugary sports drink increased HGH levels toward the end of a workout. However, if you’re trying to lose fat, the drink’s extra calories will negate any benefit from the short-term HGH spike.
As with other key hormones, such as testosterone and estrogen, having healthy levels of growth hormone is important. HGH helps your body with metabolism, cell repair, and other vital functions. By following the tips above, you can increase your HGH levels fairly easily. HGH is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, is vital for cell repair and other essential metabolic functions. It’s production typically peaks when we are deep asleep (SWS). Like other hormones, it’s greatly influenced by body fat. Mind your lifestyle and diet. By following the outlined tips, you can increase GH production to optimal levels with very little effort. The endocrine system — the system that regulates growth hormones — performs at its peak when you eat and live healthily.
