Physical growth is a relatively simple process for most people: the body produces a hormone through the pituitary gland that is involved in almost all aspects of our development. It is about the so-called growth hormone .
When growth hormone is at critical levels, our body shows deficiencies in many areas: weight gain, poor recovery from muscle injuries, increased risk of disease, and of course, height deficits.
The good news is that there are ways to stimulate growth hormone naturally . Simple tricks like taking care of the way we sleep or eating a healthy diet are not only easy to apply, but they are highly decisive in our health. In addition, thanks to its increase, it will be easier for you to gain muscle volume .
10 ways to increase growth hormone
1. Lose body fat
The body fat we have not only plays a role of visual perception in terms of our height. Studies have shown that a high amount of body fat has a negative impact on our growth hormone levels .
One study compared two groups of people, one of them had a lot of belly fat and the other group had relatively little fat. When analyzing how the levels of both groups of growth hormone were, those who had up to 3 times more fat turned out to have twice less presence of growth hormone in their system.
It is also a fact that, when you begin to lose fat, the body stimulates the appearance of this hormone again, so it would be a good idea to start regulating your diet for this purpose.
2. Do intermittent fasting
There are different ways to fast intermittently: while some do it by setting a daily time limit to eat all their meals and then another period of time not to eat at all, others set a period of two days a week to eat very few calories .
However fasts of this type are performed, science seems to indicate that they are good for increasing levels of growth hormone in the body.
How this works has several explanations. One is that fasting stimulates fat loss, which is beneficial for this hormone. In addition, the reduction in insulin resulting from fasting also helps growth, some studies show.
In general, fasting between 12 and 16 hours a day is considered healthy .
3. Supplement with Arginine
Arginine is an amino acid in protein with benefits for the immune system and for the control of sugar levels.
As a supplement, arginine is widely used in sports and bodybuilding. However, a study showed that using arginine for non-sporting purposes allows a significant increase in growth hormone .
However, all the studies that have demonstrated the efficiency of this supplement required the intake of large doses by the volunteers, for which reason we cannot speak of definitive results, but rather of a recommendation with a good probability of bearing fruit.
4. Reduce sugar consumption
Increased insulin in the blood has been shown to reduce growth hormone production. If we consider that carbohydrates and regular sugar are the ones that make our insulin levels rise the most, it is clear that reducing their intake is a good first step to normalize our growth .
5. Eat shortly before going to sleep
Night is the time of day when we are most likely to produce growth hormone . Consequently, it is not recommended to eat too much at this time, especially if we are going to eat foods that increase our insulin levels.
In general, it is best to eat 2 or 3 hours before bedtime.
6. Do high intensity exercise
It is not by pure chance that most athletes develop their stature and muscles well: exercise, together with good sleep and a healthy diet, is one of the factors that we can control that most affect our growth.
While it is true that all this depends on how much exercise we do, what type and with what intensity it is done, the ideal is that we maintain a constant exercise activity if we want to grow normally.
7. Take beta alanine when training
Supplements like beta alanine not only serve to improve physical performance, as some studies have also linked it to an increase in growth hormone .
A study showed in this regard that taking about 4.8 grams of beta alanine before training not only helps to increase performance by up to 22%, but in the medium term it interferes in the creation of more growth hormone. Similar supplements have shown similar results.
8. Create good sleep habits
Growth hormone is normally released through small "pulses" when we sleep. This occurs naturally and optimally as long as there are no external factors that spoil our sleep.
Here are some tips to create good sleep habits to improve our physical growth :
- Avoid exposure to artificial light, especially blue light, before going to sleep.
- Read a book in the afternoon.
- Make sure that the room where we sleep has a comfortable temperature always.
- Don't drink caffeine when it's too late.
In addition to these tips, remember to keep a sleep range of 7-10 hours according to your age, but never less than that.
9. Take melatonin supplements
Melatonin is a hormone with beneficial effects on sleep and the rhythm of blood circulation.
As a supplement, melatonin can improve the duration of sleep for those suffering from disorders such as drowsiness. In addition, some studies have shown that its consumption directly affects the release of growth hormone .
The recommended intake of melatonin is between 1 and 5 milligrams, a half hour before going to sleep.
10. Use other natural supplements
There are several supplements on the market that, in moderate doses, can develop human growth, such as the following:
- Glutamine
- Creatine
- Ornithine.
- Wisteria
However, these benefits only have effects while they are consumed, and in no case can they replace a healthy diet and a good sleep habit.
Reference
- Rudy Mawer. 11 Ways to Boost Human Growth Hormone (HGH) Naturally. For Authority Nutrition. [Revised August 2016]
