Bro, the following is an exerpt from an article on CEM. Nandi discredited much of the article, so I don't know how much credance to put behind it.
B. Amino Acid Secretagogues
A secretagogue (pronounced se-cre'-ta-gog) is a natural polyamino acid chain that is postulated to initiate the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. It is the precursor to hGH. While hGH causes the body to act as if the pituitary has released growth hormone, a secretagogue actually causes the release of it. Hence a secretagogue causes the bodies own natural processes to produce growth hormones. Secretagogues do not act as growth hormones at all as they stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone.
Interestingly, the inconvenience of hGH injections first led to the discovery of Secretagogues. For years, it was believed that the pituitary gland, which produces growth hormones, dries up as a natural effect of aging. Science has recently discovered that growth hormone resides in the pituitary gland, which stops the release due to aging. Scientists then discovered that certain combinations of amino acids could actually spur the pituitary gland to release the growth hormones. Experiments soon led to the right combinations.
Two different opinions however emerged in the approach of producing the most effective secretagogue. Some believed that secretagogues should be derived from natural substances and others believed that synthetic substances are just as effective. Synthetic secretagogues are currently unavailable for use since they are still undergoing clinical trials.
Since natural secretagogue is the most practical approach, there are no side effects. In comparison with hGH, their potency and efficacy are low. Since these are orally taken, they can be a first line approach for those who may not choose hGH injections.
This category of hGH products uses amino acids as "secretagogues," which stimulate the pituitary gland to produce hGH. Other proprietary agents are usually part of the powder/tablet mix, which provide each product with a presumed marketing advantage. Studies show that certain amino acid combinations such as L-lysine and L-arginine, L-ornithine and L-glutamine can stimulate pituitary hGH. While this is theoretically plausible and positive clinical results have been widely reported, published double blind controlled studies show evidence that these other proprietary factors provide additional pituitary hGH secretion is still incomplete at best.
Most studies reveal at least two grams of amino acids are needed to have any effect on pituitary hGH stimulation.
Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body and causes GH secretion. It is a conditional amino acid as the body may not be able to synthesize it under stressful conditions. Traditionally it has been used to strengthen the immune system. The standard anti-aging intake is 50 mg to 1 gm twice daily.
Glutamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain. It is essential for proper brain functions, immune functions, kidneys, pancreas, bladder, and liver functions.
Glutamine becomes one of our body's most powerful antioxidants in high quantities. Many people, especially those in weight training, add this amino acid due to its benefit in muscle metabolism. Supplementation of two to three gm/day is quite common. For those who plan to take extra doses, it is best to divide the doses throughout the day with up to four servings daily.
Two grams of glutamine was shown to cause a four fold increase in Growth Hormone levels.
Lysine
Lysine is an essential amino acid, which affects bone formation, height, and genital function. It also boosts the effects of arginine. The recommended dosage is one gram on an empty stomach one hour before bedtime and before exercise.
Ornithine
Ornithine is a non-essential amino acid. It is used to potentate the effect of Arginine. The suggested dosage is one gram at bedtime. Doses of more than two to five grams have been known to cause diarrhea.
C. Oral Peptide Secretagogues
hGH is a hormone made up of a long chain of amino acids. Only a portion of the long chain of amino acids makes up the active ingredient. Researchers have been able to identify and extract these active peptides, which are usually five to ten amino acids linked together in a chain. These are then stabilized and formulated into a power or tablet effervescent form. The oral tablets are dissolved in water to be taken before bedtime on an empty stomach. This is to stimulate the release of hGH from the anterior pituitary, which peaks during the early phase of sleep. The effervescent form is best to draw the peptide away from the gastric juice closer to the mucous for better absorption. Gastric juices are highly acidic. Peptides are proteins that are easily denatured when exposed to an acidic environment. Extraction of the peptide is a tedious process. Peptides are not stable enough to maintain its activity in an aqueous environment. Thus, the peptide is formulated in the oral tablet format. Secretagogues using peptides are abundant in the marketplace. They are sold as a natural nutritional supplement and no FDA approval is required. However some unscrupulous operators simply use ground bovine pituitary gland and pass them off as secretagogues. The consumer is often faced with the arduous task of identifying which is the real secretagogue.
An effective secretagogue could easily raise IGF-1 levels, although the result is not as significant as growth hormone injections. Clinically many users have reported better sleep, increased alertness during the day, and less joint pain.
IGF-1 levels may not be the best indicator of how effective a secretagogue for the GH receptor sites may be damaged. A low IGF-1 level does not mean that the body's growth hormone level has not increased. It simply means that that the level is not accurately measured.
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