Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

Human Growth hormone (HGH), also known as somatotropin, is a protein hormone of about 190 amino acids, is produced in the anterior pituitary gland deep inside the brain.  It influences the growth of cells, bones, muscles and organs throughout the body. HGH is one of many endocrine hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, melatonin and DHEA, that all decline in production with age.

When there is HGH deficiency, the symptoms include loss of muscle mass and strength, osteoporosis, decreased energy, fatigue, fragility, senility, increase in body fat or obesity, diminished sexual drive, greater risk of cardiovascular disease and lower life expectancy. In other words, the symptoms of aging. HGH is of considerable interest, due to its anti-aging effects. HGH is referred to as the master hormone.

HGH is indicated ONLY in documented growth hormone deficiency (GHD). It is illegal for recreational use, for athletic performance, body building etc.

Production of HGH peaks at adolescence when accelerated growth occurs. If growing children have too little they remain short or even dwarfs, while if they have too much they become very tall or giants. The levels of HGH start to drop by mid forties, and fall almost 80% from age 21 to 61. Daily HGH secretion diminishes with age to the extent that a 60 year old may secrete only 25% of the HGH secreted by a 20 year old.

TEST FOR GH DEFICIENCY:

Human growth hormone is rapidly converted to IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor - 1 or Somatomedin-C).and cannot be easily measured directly.  The test for HGH is the measurement of IGF-1 levels.  The ideal range of IGF-1 is 200 to 300. GHD is defined when IGF-1 is below 160 ug/ml.   

REPORTED BENEFITS OF HGH

HGH is replaced only by injection in small amounts daily. Benefits of HGH replacement are gradually achieved over four to six months by restoring growth hormone levels in deficient patients to normal levels. Benefits may continue to increase for up to 18 months or more after beginning therapy.

Benefits reported in published studies include:

  • 15% average decrease in fat.

  • 8% average increase in muscle and lean body structures.

  • Improved skin texture resulting in a more youthful appearance.

  • Fewer skin wrinkles.

  • Increased bone density, reversal of osteoporosis.

  • Faster healing of any type of injury, fracture, or wound.

  • Greatly enhanced immunity and resistance to infection.

  • Enhanced brain function, retention of intellect with aging.

  • Improvement in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s syndromes.

  • Improved sex drive.

  • Improved fertility, sperm production, and ovulation.

  • Improvement in overall physical and mental well being.

  • Improvement in sleep disorders, better quality of sleep.

  • Improved exercise tolerance.

  • Improved mineral balance.

  • Improved mood, with less depression and fatigue.

  • Improved heart and kidney function.

Many hormones including DHEA and melatonin can slow some of the effects of aging, but clinical studies show that HGH reaches far beyond any of these.

Burning Fat

HGH revs up the metabolism to former highs, selectively reducing the abdomen, hips, waist and thighs while at the same increasing muscle mass. In many cases, people "look like they've shed years away along with the fat they've loss."

Skin, Hair and Nails

Antioxidants and even other hormone treatments can be a great help in maintaining a youthful appearance, but only HGH can take a decade or so off your face. The skin regains thickness, becomes more elastic and hydrated and people start looking visibly younger, usually within a few weeks. Not only do the fine lines vanish and deeper wrinkles recede, the face can actually undergo a change of contour. HGH appears to have a tonic effect on hair. In clinical tests 38% reported new hair growth, coming in faster and thicker, and even in its natural color. Nails are also strengthened and cellulite removed.

HGH and Sex

As a powerful aphrodisiac, HGH restores sexual potency and sexuality in men.  Many of the women who use it also report increased libido, heightened pleasure and the equivalent of greater potency in men, which for the female is multiple orgasms. It also helps to alleviate menstrual and post-menopausal symptoms, and eliminate vaginal dryness. According to many of the physicians who use Growth Hormone in their practice, the sexual changes are striking, effecting both men and women.

Exercise and Body Building

Medical studies have proven that positive gains occur only while Growth Hormone is being secreted.  HGH significantly increases the effects of exercise and muscle building, including energy, muscle strength, stamina and endurance.

Energy, Mood and Creativity

HGH can not only reinvigorate the mind, it can also reverse the attitudes, outlook and expectations associated with aging. It increases concentration and thinking power, has an anti-depressive action on the brain, and can have a profound effect in increasing energy and a sense of well-being.

Brain Function

The brain and nervous system are made up of cells called neurons. And though they are permanent and never re-grow, HGH can stimulate their repair and rejuvenation. It also affects the proteins produced in the brain for storing our memories. Therefore, learning, memory and intelligence all depend on adequate supplies of Growth Hormone.

Cell Protection

Antioxidants such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, etc., can remove oxygen free radicals and keep the protease's (destructive enzymes that cause cell damage) from becoming active. But Growth Hormone can act on the protease's directly. It activates a cellular defense force called protease inhibitors, which prevent free radicals from doing their deadly work. The latest European research shows that Growth Hormone can not only further what antioxidants do, but it can also do what anti-oxidants cannot.   Symptoms include loss of muscle and an increase of fat, decreased physical mobility, socialization and energy levels, diminished healing ability, a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and lower life expectancy. In other-words, the symptoms of the disease called aging.

Physiologic Effects of Growth Hormone

Direct effects are the results of growth hormone binding its receptor on target cells. Fat cells (adipocytes), for example, have growth hormone receptors, and growth hormone stimulates them to break down triglyceride and suppresses their ability to take up and accumulate circulating fats or lipids.

Indirect effects are mediated primarily by an insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a hormone that is secreted from the liver and other tissues in response to growth hormone. A majority of the growth promoting effects of growth hormone is actually due to IGF-I acting on its target cells.

Effects on Growth
Growth is a very complex process, and requires the coordinated action of several hormones. The major role of growth hormone in stimulating body growth is to stimulate the liver and other tissues to secrete IGF-I. IGF-I stimulates proliferation of chondrocytes (cartilage cells), resulting in bone growth. Growth hormone does seem to have a direct effect on bone growth in stimulating differentiation of chondrocytes.

IGF-I also appears to be the key player in muscle growth. It stimulates both the differentiation and proliferation of myoblasts (muscle cells). It also stimulates amino acid uptake and protein synthesis in muscle and other tissues.

Metabolic Effects
Growth hormone has important effects on protein, fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

Protein metabolism: In general, growth hormone stimulates protein anabolism (protein building) in many tissues. This effect reflects increased amino acid uptake, increased protein synthesis and decreased oxidation of proteins.

Fat metabolism: Growth hormone enhances the utilization of fat by stimulating triglyceride breakdown and oxidation in fat cells.

Carbohydrate metabolism: Growth hormone is one of a battery of hormones that serves to maintain blood glucose within a normal range. Growth hormone is often said to have anti-insulin activity, because it suppresses the abilities of insulin to stimulate uptake of glucose in peripheral tissues and enhance glucose synthesis in the liver. Somewhat paradoxically, administration of growth hormone stimulates insulin secretion, leading to hyperinsulinemia.

Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) is a hypothalamic peptide that stimulates both the synthesis and secretion of growth hormone.

Somatostatin (SS) is a peptide produced by several tissues in the body, including the hypothalamus. Somatostatin inhibits growth hormone release in response to GHRH and to other stimulatory factors such as low blood glucose concentration.

Ghrelin is a peptide hormone secreted from the stomach. Ghrelin binds to receptors in anterior pituitary gland and potently stimulates secretion of growth hormone. Basal concentrations of growth hormone in blood are very low. In children and young adults, the most intense period of growth hormone release is shortly after the onset of deep sleep.

What is Sermorelin?

Sermorelin is a biological active analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) that is produced by the human brain to stimulate production and release of growth hormone by the pituitary gland.

Sermorelin stimulates production of the body's own HGH. It is a truncated analog of growth hormone releasing factor (GRF 1-44) that is naturally produced by the brain to stimulate pituitary production and secretion of HGH.

During youth, ample amounts of GHRH are produced so that the pituitary is able to provide the body with sufficient growth hormone to sustain health, vitality and otherwise normal aspects of form and function. GHRH declines with age causing reduced production and secretion of pituitary HGH and thereby increasing the sequelae of growth hormone insufficiency.

Unlike HGH, Sermorelin affects a more primary source of failure in the GH neuroendocrine axis, has more physiological activity, has a better safety profile, and its use for adult hormone deficiency is not restricted.

Sermorelin benefits:

  • Increases natural production of Growth Hormone
  • Improves Physical Performance
  • Improves Immune Function
  • Increases IGF-1
  • Improves sleep quality

While Sermorelin produces the same effects on body composition and provides the other benefits of HGH, it also has some additional and important benefits.

The effects of Sermorelin are regulated at the level of the pituitary gland by negative feedback and by release of somatostatin so that safety concerns associated the HGH overdosing are minimized or completely avoided.

Tissue exposure to HGH released by the pituitary under the influence of Sermorelin is episodic not “square wave”, and therfore, prevents tachphylaxis by mimicking normal physiology. By stimulating the pituitary it preserves more of the growth hormone neuroendocrine axis that is the first to fail during aging.

A critical concept in understanding growth hormone activity is that it has two distinct types of effects: direct and indirect

HGH 1

Control of Growth Hormone Secretion

Production of growth hormone is modulated by many factors, including stress, exercise, nutrition, sleep and growth hormone itself. Its primary controllers are 2 hypothalamic hormones & 1 hormone from the stomach:

HGH 2

 

 

 

 

NEJM, July 5, 1990 Dr. Daniel Rudman.

Abstract Background. The declining activity of the growth hormone insulin like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis with advancing age may contribute to the decrease in lean body mass and the increase in mass of adipose tissue that occur with aging.

Methods. To test this hypothesis, we studied 21 healthy men from 61 to 81 years old who had plasma IGF-I concentrations of less than 350 U per liter during a six-month base-line period and a six-month treatment period that followed. During the treatment period, 12 men (group 1) received approximately 0.03 mg of biosynthetic human growth hormone per kilogram of body weight sub-cutaneously three times a week, and 9 men (group 2) re­ceived no treatment. Plasma IGF-I levels were measured monthly. At the end of each period we measured lean body mass, the mass of adipose tissue, skin thickness (epidermis plus dermis), and bone density at nine skeletal sites.

Results: In group 1, the mean plasma IGF-1 level rose into the youthful range of 500 to 1500 U per liter during treatment, whereas in group 2 it remained below 350 U per liter. The administration of human growth hormone for six months in group 1 was accompanied by an 8.8 percent increase in lean body mass, a 14.4 percent decrease in adipose-tissue mass, and a 1.6 percent increase in aver-age lumbar vertebral bone density (P<0.05 in each in-stance). Skin thickness increased 7.1 percent (P = 0.07). There was no significant change in the bone density of the radius or proximal femur. In group 2 there was no signifi­cant change in lean body mass, the mass of adipose tis­sue, skin thickness, or bone density during treatment.
Conclusions. Diminished secretion of growth hor­mone is responsible in part for the decrease of lean body mass, the expansion of adipose-tissue mass, and the thin­ning of the skin that occur in old age. (N Engl J Med 1990; 323:1-6.)

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