Also known as somatotropin, human growth hormone (HGH) is a substance produced by the pituitary gland. This hormone plays a vital role in one’s childhood and adolescence, which is facilitating growth in height. As such, the production of HGH peaks during teenage, a period that’s generally associated with extensive growth.
What Happens During Adulthood?
On average, HGH levels first begin to decline when one hits the age of 30, and continue to do so at an annual rate of 2% thereafter. When your growth hormone levels fall below a certain level, you may experience a significant rise in belly fat, sagging skin, as well as a corresponding decline in lean muscle mass. Because the pituitary gland relies on different physiological stimuli to secrete HGH, factors like diet, exercise and emotional excitement all affect the rate of production. Optimizing your output of the growth hormone is key in ensuring you stay strong as you age, besides retaining your youthfulness as late into your life as possible.
Get More Sleep
Besides helping your body repair itself, sleep also is also crucial as far as HGH production is concerned. During the slow wave sleep cycle, the rate at which HGH is secreted by the pituitary gland peaks. Your body cycles through this stage several times when you get a good nights sleep. So when you skimp on slumber, you effectively reduce the amount of growth hormone produced by your body. Getting more high-quality sleep will help you optimize your HGH levels.
Exercise More
According to research, intense physical activity that pushes your heart rate bursts above the anaerobic threshold can stimulate more HGH secretion in the body. When you consistently perform workouts that target many muscles simultaneously, your levels of growth hormone can increase by as much as 450%. But what about your training options? Well, running, swimming, cycling and rowing are just but a few of the exercises you could choose from, which means you’re spoilt for choice here. Whatever you choose, the intensity should always be at a level where you feel uncomfortable, but not going absolutely flat out.
Diet
Nutrition plays a crucial role in releasing growth hormone into your body. Eating a diet rich in whole grains, lean meats, veggies and fruits (while avoiding processed meals) can enhance your body’s ability to produce HGH. To ensure you fully reap the benefits of natural growth hormone production, you also need to ensure you eat at the right time.
As with any other key hormone, having healthy HGH levels is important. Besides reducing your risk of falling ill, it also keeps your fat levels in check, besides enhancing your quality of life. By using the best natural growth hormone boosting tips, you can avoid the temptation of looking for quick fixes, such as illegal supplements.