Your pituitary gland produces the important hormone human growth hormone (HGH).
It is also known as growth hormone (GH) and plays a critical role in body composition, growth, cell repair, metabolism, and growth (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).
HGH can also increase muscle strength and muscle growth and help you recover from injuries and diseases (4, 7, 8, 8).
Low levels of HGH can lead to a decrease in quality of life, increased risk of developing diseases, and weight gain (9).
It is especially important to maintain optimal levels of fitness during weight loss, injury recovery and athletic training (10/11/12-13).
It is interesting to note that your lifestyle and diet can have a significant impact on your HGH levels (6-14).
These are 11 proven ways to naturally increase your levels of human growth hormone (HGH).
Your HGH production directly affects how much belly fat you have (3).
Higher levels of belly fat are likely to cause impaired HGH production, which can lead to an increase in the risk of developing diseases.
One study found that people with more belly fat than the control had half the amount of HGH (15).
Another study looked at the 24-hour release HGH levels and found that those who had more abdominal fat experienced a significant decrease in HGH.
Research suggests that men are more affected by excess body fat than women. Both genders can still lower body fat (15, 16).
A study showed that obese people had lower levels IGF-1 and HGH — growth-related proteins. Their levels returned to normal after losing significant weight (17).
The most dangerous type stored fat, belly fat, is linked to many diseases. Your HGH levels will be optimized and you’ll have better health in general.
> Summary Lose excess body fat, especially around the belly area, to increase your HGH levels and improve health.
Studies have shown that fasting can lead to an increase in HGH levels.
A study showed that HGH levels rose by more than 300% after just three days of fasting. They had increased by 1,250% after a week of fasting (18).
Similar results have been found in other studies (19, 20, 21, 21).
But, it is not possible to sustain a continuous fast for the long-term. Intermittent fasting, which limits the amount of food you eat for short periods of time, is more popular.
There are many options for intermittent fasting. A common method is to eat 8 hours a day with a 16-hour fast. Another option is to eat 500-600 calories two days per week (22 and 23).
HGH levels can be optimized by intermittent fasting in two ways. It can help you lose body fat which directly affects HGH production (24-25, 26, 27, 27).
It will also keep insulin levels low throughout the day because insulin is released during meals. Research has shown that insulin spikes can cause disruptions in your natural growth hormone production (28 and 29).
One study found that HGH levels were significantly higher on fasting days than they were on eating days (30).
Although shorter 12–16-hour fasts are likely to be beneficial, more research is required to compare them with full-day fasts.
Summary Fasting can increase HGH levels in a significant way, but more research is needed to determine if shorter fasts are possible.
Argonine can boost HGH when taken by itself.
Although most people use amino acids such as arginine in conjunction with exercise, there have been several studies that show little to no increase in HGH levels (31-32, 33).
Studies have shown that arginine taken by itself, without exercise, significantly increases its levels (32, 33).
There are also studies that support the use arginine for HGH boosts in other areas than exercise.
One study looked at the effects of either 45 or 114mg of arginine per kilogram (100 or 250mg per kg), or approximately 6-10 or 15-20g per day.
The lower dose had no effect, while participants who took the higher dose saw a roughly 60% increase in HGH during sleep (34).
> Summary Higher levels of arginine might increase growth hormone production but not when used in conjunction with exercise.
A higher insulin level is associated with lower levels of HGH.
Sugar and refined carbs raise insulin the most. Therefore, reducing your intake of sugar and carbs may optimize growth hormone levels (24-25).
A study showed that healthy individuals had 3-4 times more HGH than people with diabetes (35).
Excess sugar intake can directly affect insulin levels. It also plays a major role in obesity and weight gain, which both have an impact on HGH levels.
However, even if you indulge in sweet treats occasionally, it won’t affect your HGH levels long-term.
Balanced eating is important as it has a significant impact on your health, hormones and body composition.
Summary: High insulin levels can reduce HGH production. Limit your intake of refined carbs and sugary foods.
You naturally release significant amounts of HGH in your body, particularly at night (36, 37).
Experts recommend that you avoid eating before you go to bed (25).
A high-carbohydrate or high-protein diet can spike insulin levels and block HGH release at night (38).
This theory is still in need of sufficient research.
However, insulin levels usually drop 2-3 hours after eating so it is a good idea to avoid carb- and protein-based meals 2 hours before bed.
> Summary Additional research is required to determine the impact of nighttime eating on HGH. It is best to avoid eating 2-3 hours before going to bed.
Gamma aminobutyric acids (GABA), a non-protein amino acid, acts as a neurotransmitter and sends signals around your brain.
It is well-known for its ability to calm your brain and central nervous systems, so it is often used to aid in sleep. It may also increase your HGH levels (39).
One study showed that a GABA supplement could increase HGH levels by 400% at rest, and 200% after exercise (40).
GABA can also boost HGH levels through improving your sleep quality. This is because your nighttime growth hormone release has been linked to your sleep quality (41, 42).
These increases were however short-lived, and GABA’s long term benefits for growth hormone levels are still unknown (39, 40).
> Summary GABA supplements might increase HGH production but this effect seems to be temporary.
The best way to increase your HGH levels is through exercise.
This depends on how intense you exercise, what food you eat, and your own body traits (43-44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49).
HGH is most effective when exercise is intense, but all types of exercise are good (43, 44).
To increase your HGH levels to maximize fat loss, you can do repeated sprints, interval training and weight training (46, 50/51).
Exercise, like supplements, causes short-term increases in HGH levels.
However, long-term exercise can optimize hormone function and reduce body fat. This will help your HGH levels.
Exercise can increase HGH levels. High intensity training is the best way to increase growth hormone levels.
Some supplements for athletes can enhance performance and temporarily increase your HGH levels.
One study found that taking 4.8g of beta-alanine prior to a workout increased the number and repetitions by 22% (52).
It also doubled peak strength and increased HGH levels in comparison to the non-supplement group (52).
Another study found that sugary sports drinks increased HGH levels at the end of a workout. The extra calories from the sports drink can negate any benefits for those trying to lose weight (53).
Research has shown that protein shakes, with or without carbs, can increase HGH levels during workouts (48).
But, if you take a casein/whey protein supplement right before doing strength training, it could have the opposite effect.
A study showed that a drink containing 25g (0.9 ounces), of casein (or whey protein) 30 minutes before strength exercise resulted in lower levels of testosterone and human growth hormone (49).
> Summary Beta-alanine and carbs may cause short-term spikes in growth hormones after or during a workout.
When you sleep, the majority of HGH is released as pulses. These pulses are determined by your body’s circadian rhythm or internal clock.
The strongest pulses are before midnight. There are smaller pulses in early morning (36, 37).
Research has shown that poor sleep can decrease the amount of HGH your body makes (42).
Deep sleep is a great way to increase your long-term HGH production (37 and 42).
These are some simple ways to optimize your sleep.
* Avoid exposure to blue light before going to bed.
* In the evening, read a book.
* Be sure to maintain a comfortable temperature in your bedroom.
* Avoid caffeine consumption late at night.
> Summary Focus on improving sleep quality. Aim for 7-10 hours of quality sleep each night.
The hormone melatonin plays an important part in blood pressure regulation and sleep (54).
The popularity of melatonin supplements has made them a very popular sleep aid. They can improve the quality and length of your sleep (55-56, 56, 57.58, 59.60, 61).
Research has confirmed that good sleep can increase HGH levels. However, additional research has also shown that a melatonin-based supplement can boost HGH production (58 62 63 64).
Melatonin is non-toxic and relatively safe. It can alter brain chemistry in certain ways so it is a good idea to consult your healthcare provider (65).
Take 1-5mg 30 minutes before you go to bed. This will maximize the effects. To test your tolerance, start with a lower dose and then increase as needed.
Summary: Taking melatonin supplements can improve sleep quality and boost your body’s natural production of HGH.
Other supplements that may increase human growth hormone production include:
* Glutamine. Temporarily, a 2-gram dose of glutamine can temporarily raise levels by 78% (66).
* Creatine. Creatine 20g significantly increases HGH levels for 2-6hrs (67).
* Ornithine. Participants were given ornithine for 30 minutes after exercising. This led to a higher peak in HGH (68).
* L-dopa. Patients with Parkinson’s disease experienced a significant increase in HGH levels after taking 500mg of L-dopa (69).
* Glycine. Glycine has been shown to improve performance in the gym and give short-term increases in HGH (70).
Although these supplements can increase your HGH levels in some cases, studies show that they are temporary.
> Summary: Natural supplements may temporarily increase HGH production.
Healthy levels of growth hormone are important, just like other key hormones such as estrogen and testosterone.
HGH aids in metabolism, cell repair, as well as other vital functions.
You can easily increase your HGH levels by following these tips.
