Normally, your body produces human growth hormone (HGH) in your pituitary gland. Your body needs this hormone to maintain metabolism and repair cells. It also helps increase your muscle growth, performance and strength. When your growth hormone levels are too low, it can increase your likelihood of gaining fat or getting sick. Whether you want to improve your athletic performance or accelerate weight loss, you need the right ways to increase HGH naturally.
Ways to boost human growth hormone naturally
If you are looking for the right human growth hormone therapy, we have got you covered. The following tips are some of the best ways to increase growth hormone naturally.
1. Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is reducing food intake for a short period of time. For an easy intermittent fasting approach, try setting an 8-hour window during the day in which you can eat. Follow this with a 16-hour fast. You can also try limiting your caloric intake to just 500 to 600 calories on two days of the week.
Intermittent fasting boosts your growth hormone levels by helping you lower body fat. This directly improves growth hormone production. It also helps lower insulin levels. Since insulin spikes can disrupt hormone production, this helps ensure that your growth hormone levels are at their best. In one study, fasting for three days led to a 300 percent increase in growth hormone levels.
2. Try a GABA or Arginine supplement
GABA is a type of amino acid that acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It helps calm the central nervous system and the brain, which is why it is used for insomnia. In research studies, GABA supplementation has been found to increase growth hormone levels by 400 percent at rest and 200 percent after exercise. Additionally, GABA supplements can boost growth hormone by improving the quality of your sleep. You create more growth hormone when you have deeper, better quality sleep.
Arginine is another amino acid. It can increase growth hormone when your body is at rest. It is not as effective when taken around workout sessions, so take it at other times of the day.
3. You lose fat
Body fat is directly related to growth hormone production. Excess fat prevents your body from making growth hormone. In research studies, people with more belly fat produced three times half the amount of growth hormone of lean individuals. While this effect was stronger in men, it can affect both sexes. When obese individuals lose weight, their growth hormone levels return to normal.
4. Take melatonin
Melatonin is known to improve the quality of your sleep. It also helps regulate blood pressure. While people have used this supplement for insomnia for years, it can also help with growth hormone levels. Your body produces a lot of growth hormone while you sleep, so good sleep means you can increase growth hormone naturally.
5. Skip the sugar
When your insulin levels go up, it directly affects growth hormone production. Higher insulin levels mean that less growth hormone is produced. The main reason for insulin spikes is sugar and refined carbohydrates. In research studies, people without diabetes had three to four times more growth hormone than diabetics, who had poor insulin function. While consuming sugar occasionally is a good thing, you should reduce your sugar intake as much as possible.
6. Focus on high-intensity exercises
Exercise is one of the easiest and most effective ways to increase growth hormone naturally. High-intensity exercise causes significant increases in growth hormone production. This type of exercise boosts lactic acid and your metabolism, so it has a great effect on your growth hormone. Try doing exercises like weight training, sprints or interval training to maximize your workout.
7. Try Beta-Alanine and Recovery Shakes
What you eat before and after your workout can help increase your growth hormone levels. Researchers conducted a study where participants were given a beta-alanine supplement before a workout. They were able to increase their frequency by 22 percent, twice their peak strength. In addition, their growth hormone levels increased. Studies also show that consuming a post-workout protein shake can help increase growth hormone levels post-workout.
8. Avoid eating right before bed
During the night, your body naturally produces more human growth hormone. Meals and snacks in general will increase insulin levels, which can reduce growth hormone production. Since nighttime is the prime time for growth hormone production, you can increase this effect by avoiding meals right before bed. A meal high in protein or carbohydrates is especially likely to lock in some growth hormone production at night. Try to avoid eating anything within two to three hours before bed.
You can also increase your growth hormone levels at night by improving the quality of your sleep. When you sleep, growth hormone is released in pulses according to your internal clock. The biggest pulse occurs just before midnight. From that point on, there are smaller pulses until the early morning. If you want ways to naturally increase growth hormone in the long term, quality sleep is key. High-quality sleep is the best way to increase growth hormone production in the long term. Avoid caffeine late in the day and exposure to blue light before bed. Make sure your bedroom is a comfortable temperature before bed. Ideally, you should sleep 7 to 10 hours each night to ensure maximum growth hormone production.