1. What is Growth Hormone?
2. Regulation & Regulators of Growth Hormone
3. Effects of Growth Hormone
4. Growth Hormone Disorders
5. Growth Hormone Therapy

What is Growth Hormone?

Consciously, or not, what most athletes are striving for by training is to elevate their anabolic (growth-promoting) hormone levels. Growth hormone, also known as somatotropin, is our most important anabolic hormone possessing both developmental and metabolic properties.

Developmental: During our initial decades of life growth hormone is principally responsible for the growth of bones and muscles. Beyond 30 years of age, however, our growth hormone levels begin to decline and is associated with a steadily loss of muscle mass and bone reabsorption.

Metabolic: Another major role of growth hormone is to regulate which substrates are used for energy production. Growth hormone mobilizes lipids (fats) for energy usage. Amino acids (proteins), on the other hand, are spared from being used as energy substrates under the influence of growth hormone. Growth hormone thus keeps our fat reserves at a healthy minimum and our muscle content high. In other words, growth hormone effectively promotes the development of lean (fat free) muscle. In fact, the “pot-belly” that appears in most males during their 30’s is a function of this age-related reduction in growth hormone.

Anti-Aging: There is currently a lot of excitment about the possibility of growth hormone replacement as an anti-aging therapy. Athletes are also looking for ways to increase their growth hormones levels in order to build more muscle and reduce body fat.