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Growth Hormone is a protein-based peptide hormone. It stimulates growth, cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. GH is a 191-amino acid, single chain polypeptide that is synthesized, stored and secreted by the Somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland. The term Somotropin refers to growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology (its made in a lab) and is abbreviated "HGH" in humans. GH is used as a prescription drug to treat children's growth disorders and adult growth hormone deficiency. It's also a fan favorite as we know in the bodybuilding world as muscle builder/fat burner with amazing results when stacked correctly with Testosterone and insulin. In the United States it is only available legally from a pharmacy provided you have a prescription from a doctor for it. In recent years some doctors in the US have started to prescibe GH to older men to help combat the onset of old age and to increase vitality. At this time HGH is still considered a very complex hormone and many of its exact functions remain unknown.
In its role as an anabolic agent HGH has been used by competitors in sports since the 1970s and it is banned by the IOC and the NCAA, MLB and the NFL and other sports (with the exception of Basketball that one doesn't need explaining). Traditional urine tests could not detect doping with HGH so the ban on the drug was unenforceable until early 2000 when blood tests that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH were starting to be developed. These new blood tests were implemented at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens Greece with moderate success and since then have been refined to become more accurate.
Secretion of HGH
HGH is synthesized and secreted from the anterior pituitary gland in a pulsatile manner throughout the day. Surges of secretion occur at 3 to 5 hour intervals. The plasma concentration of GH during these peaks may range from 5 to even 45ng/mL. The largest and most predictable of these GH peaks occurs about an hour after we go to bed. Otherwise there is a wide variation between days and individuals and how much they secrete. Nearly 50% of HGH secretions occur during the third and fourth REM sleep stages. Between the peaks, base GH levels are low usually less than 5 ng/mL for most of the day and night. A number of factors are known to affect HGH secretion, such as age, gender,diet,exercise, stress, and other hormones. Young adolescents secrete HGH at the rate of about 700 ug/day, while healthy adults secrete about 400ug/day and sometimes much less.
Not only does GH act as a muscle builder but it has many other effects on the body:
increases calcium retention, and strengthens and increases the mineralization of bone
increases muscle mass through sarcomere hyperplasia
increases protein synthesis
stimulates the growth of all internal organs excluding the brain
Reduces liver uptake of glucose
Stimulates the immune system
So you see HGH can have many beneficial effects on the human body above and beyond simply building muscle.
This article was written as an informational piece only please do not use any of the information in this as medical advice for any purpose.
In its role as an anabolic agent HGH has been used by competitors in sports since the 1970s and it is banned by the IOC and the NCAA, MLB and the NFL and other sports (with the exception of Basketball that one doesn't need explaining). Traditional urine tests could not detect doping with HGH so the ban on the drug was unenforceable until early 2000 when blood tests that could distinguish between natural and artificial HGH were starting to be developed. These new blood tests were implemented at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens Greece with moderate success and since then have been refined to become more accurate.
Secretion of HGH
HGH is synthesized and secreted from the anterior pituitary gland in a pulsatile manner throughout the day. Surges of secretion occur at 3 to 5 hour intervals. The plasma concentration of GH during these peaks may range from 5 to even 45ng/mL. The largest and most predictable of these GH peaks occurs about an hour after we go to bed. Otherwise there is a wide variation between days and individuals and how much they secrete. Nearly 50% of HGH secretions occur during the third and fourth REM sleep stages. Between the peaks, base GH levels are low usually less than 5 ng/mL for most of the day and night. A number of factors are known to affect HGH secretion, such as age, gender,diet,exercise, stress, and other hormones. Young adolescents secrete HGH at the rate of about 700 ug/day, while healthy adults secrete about 400ug/day and sometimes much less.
Not only does GH act as a muscle builder but it has many other effects on the body:
increases calcium retention, and strengthens and increases the mineralization of bone
increases muscle mass through sarcomere hyperplasia
increases protein synthesis
stimulates the growth of all internal organs excluding the brain
Reduces liver uptake of glucose
Stimulates the immune system
So you see HGH can have many beneficial effects on the human body above and beyond simply building muscle.
This article was written as an informational piece only please do not use any of the information in this as medical advice for any purpose.
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