Growth Hormone 101...

[Nathan]

I'm still bored and can't go to the gym as I feel like shit (I think I got heat stroke and am dehydrated - this heat is fucking unbelievable). So, I'm going to type stuff about GH and see if anyone reads it...

Growth hormone, also called somatotropin, is a protein hormone consisting of roughly 190 amino acids (I think) and is produced in the anterior pituitary by cells called, conveniently enough, somatotrophs. Obviously, it is an important hormone in regulating growth and metabolism.
GH has both direct and indirect effects on growth and metabolism.

Direct effetcs: It binds to receptors on the surface of adipocytes (or fat cells) and causes the break down of their triglycerides and prevents those bastards from uptaking lipids floating in the blood stream.

Indirect effects: It stimulates the release of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) from the liver (and other tissues) which then has a positive impact on growth.
IGF-1 stimulates bone growth as well as amino acid uptake and protein synthesis.

GH also moderates blood glucose levels. It interferes with insulin's ability to uptake glucose in tissues. Supplementing GH causes secretion of insulin and can cause hyperinsulinemia.

GH secretion is stimulated by Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH which is produced by the hypothalamus) and is inhibited by somatostatin (SS) which is produced by the hypothalamus as well and by other tissues.
IGF-1 also acts ina negative feedback loop to inhibit production of GHRH, and GH itself, but stimulates the release of SS. Oh, and GH also inhibits the release of GHRH.
It's due to these feedback loops that the body has surges of GH throughout the day. The most noteable surge occurs within the first 2-3 hours that one enters into a deep sleep. I'm done. Please bump this if it was helpful or anything. Bump the other post I put up as well about steroids if you liked it.

 

[Big Moose]

Good info. Let me ask you, if one were to wake up every hour on the hour throughout the night and never hit that REM sleep, would they also miss out on that surge of GH?

 

[Nathan]

Well, I'll say this. The release starts shortly after you enter deep slumber. So, let's say you get in 30 min. of deep slumber each time then over the course of the night you should be adding it up. HOWEVER, if you're only getting up for a minute or two to take a piss or something then you fall right back into deep sleep probably without missing a beat. I'm not really sure but it seems to me that if you're waking up all through out the night then you're not in a deep sleep anyway and so wouldn't be hitting that peak of GH release like you normally would. Basically, I'm not usre how you'd manage to break out of a deep sleep steadily throughout the night unless someone is constantly waking you up in which case you should kill them and get on with it.

 

[Big Moose]

Nobody is waking me up, my body just will not allow me to fall into that deep sleep, and if I do, I awake alert as ever many times throughout the night. Hopefully as you stated, I "am adding it up"

 

[Nathan]

It sounds like you never enter a deep sleep and barely really sleep at all in which case I would suspect that your GH release would be effected. Have you tried supplementing with Glutamine? Taking about 10g right before bed really helped me get a deeper sleep and Glutamine is known to increase GH secretion. Hope that helps dude.

 

[Big Moose]

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll give it a try.

 

[M.O.D]

from ironmaster



http://209.11.101.244/forum/showthread.php?postid=385827#post385827

 

[Nathan]

I remember that graph - thanks MOD. I'm really not too sure how it would be affected though in big moose's case. Anyone else?

 

[Big Moose]

I am taking my growth throughout the day at the best times according to the graph, I just don't think I am getting the natural spike as I should be because of my horrible sleeping patterns.

 

[BigAndy69]

bump

 

[Junior21]

There was a 192 amino acid chain that was used for a short time but the 191 amino acid chain is far superior to the former.
junior21

 

[StrictlyBolics]

GH

How bout if one throws in some IGF-1 with his GH cycle?
The sleep pattern can definitely be a problem. I am not an advocate of GHB but here is where G is needed. Puts you into a deep sleep within 30 mintues. Any other G promoters?

 

[ironmaster]

Moose raises an interesting point. That is one of the reasons that people with insomia feel so shitty....that release of GH is essential to you phsycologically and physically. Depression is treated with GH therapy for those with deficient pituitary glands.....and I know I feel great mentally and physically during a cycle.
Remember, though, moose....we only produce .5 to 1.5 iu ourselves, so if you are using, say, 4.5iu....you should still be ok.
Strictly may have an answer for you there if you are truely sleep deprived. (how ya been, Strictly.....mail me - lost you when hush went down.) Sleeping pills interrupt sleep patterns in a different way, and folks still feel crappy, so that isn't a good answer.

 

[hard]

Good info Nathan - can you recommend any OTCs that will help boost natural GH production?

H.

 

[Nathan]

Like I said glutamine is a good one, especially when you use 10g right before bed (if you do this then don't drink a protein shake right before bed as the amino acids compete for absorption). Another one that works for some to help with deep sleep is ZMA (I've used ZMassPM) and didn't notice anything in the way of weight gain but kind of noticed a deeper sleep. Take that on a n empty stomach before bed too. If you're not at all zinc deficient (most males are) then you probably won't get much of an effect but ya never know. Hope that helps.

 

[hard]

Thanks bro - now do I get glutamine from "nat glutes" ??

Ciao

hard