When experiencing an increase in waist size, a decrease in libido, and feelings of anxiety and depression, I found an imbalance in my growth hormone levels in my younger years.

This story does not include health advice. It is for information, inspiration, and awareness purposes. It reflects my research and personal experience.

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I was putting in the effort, eating multiple meals as advised, running a lot, and hitting the gym with dedication. Despite my best intentions and actions, my waistline grew, and I was diagnosed with abdominal obesity and prediabetes. It was as if the healthy habits had become puzzle pieces in my younger years. One piece of knowledge helped me solve the puzzle partially.

I learned that growth hormone (GH) critically impacts metabolism and body composition. GH plays a critical role in our physical and mental health, especially in lowering visceral fat, improving lean muscles, and boosting mood. I initially believed that I might have needed an injection. But my belief was wrong.

Contrary to popular belief, injecting GH for longevity purposes was unnecessary unless we have specific health conditions requiring it. Based on my experience and reviews, it is possible to naturally increase GH levels through healthy lifestyle habits, which I will introduce and explain in this post with examples.

Using exogenous GH supplements carries significant risks and should be approached with caution and support from qualified healthcare professionals when needed.

In many countries, GH injection is heavily regulated due to known health concerns. Additionally, exogenous GH supplements can be expensive, making them a potentially less feasible option for low-income people.

I wrote this story to share my experience and valuable life lessons to give you an idea of the natural production of the growth hormone with healthy lifestyle choices and with support from qualified healthcare professionals. My routine might not work for everyone, but customizing the principles with relevant information and more options can be valuable for many.

A Brief Background to Growth Hormone

Growth hormone is “a pleiotropic hormone with biological activity for carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism.” The human growth hormone (GH) is produced by the pituitary gland, often called the “master gland” in the brain, because it produces and regulates several hormones.

After being produced by the pituitary gland, GH is released into the bloodstream in pulses, with the highest levels occurring during deep sleep. The secretion of GH is affected by various factors, like age, sex, body mass index, and the amount of adipose tissue.

In addition to children, adults also need an adequate amount of GH for various bodily functions. The deficiency can adversely affect both children and adults at any age.

Typical deficiency symptoms for adults include increased visceral fat, decreased muscle mass, diminished bone density, reduced libido, mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, and a weaker immune system.

Correcting deficiency may bring numerous health and fitness benefits. Healthcare professionals can diagnose deficiency through blood tests, such as the GH serum test, GH stimulation test, GH suppression test, and test for insulin-like growth factor-1.

Like other hormones, the production of GH decreases as we age. Low levels of GH have been linked to various health issues in adults. The link between GH and body composition is well established.

An Overview of the Evidence from Scientific Paper for Natural Increase of the Growth Hormone

There is significant evidence for increased growth hormone during restful and restorative sleep. For example, this paper states that “the nocturnal growth hormone surge is largely sleep-dependent.”

This study confirmed that “altered hypothalamic activity associated with the initiation of sleep resulted in a major peak of growth hormone secretion unrelated to hypoglycemia or cortisol and insulin secretion changes.”

An experimental study investigating young men indicated that “the magnitude of GH release rose linearly with increasing exercise intensity.”

In 1988, a scientific paper published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation caught my attention due to its findings on the effects of fasting on increasing growth hormone levels.

The paper informed that “acute nutritional status plays a significant role in the spontaneous pulsatile secretion of GH in humans. Fasting enhances GH release through changes in both frequencies and amplitude. These alterations in somatotropic hormone release may help maintain substrate homeostasis during calorie restriction.”

This paper states, “There is evidence of the impact of overeating and being overweight on the secretion of growth hormone. It is known that both of these conditions are associated with hyperinsulinemia, which determines the possibility of its predominant role in suppressing the secretion of growth hormones.”

The literature has mixed views about fats and carbohydrates. According to this paper, “Growth hormone suppression by glucose occurs in about a third of patients with acromegaly, as well as in other disorders.”

I also investigated the effects of drugs related to GH. Evidence suggests that

“opioids such as methadone may be associated with cognitive impairment. Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is suggested to be neuroprotective and procognitive in the brain and may therefore counteract these effects.”

6 Healthy Lifestyle Choices That Helped Me to Optimized My Growth Hormone Levels

Fortunately, I learned that, as adults, we could optimize our GH levels through healthy lifestyle choices. In this section, I provide an overview of my strategies to give you an idea.

1 —I understood the role of sleep and solved my sleep issues.

Understanding the role of circadian rhythm in releasing growth hormones was an eye-opener for me. Like many people, sleep was my first choice to optimize my growth hormone. It is much easier than the other options that I cover in the following sections.

When I increased my sleep from six to eight hours, I noticed a significant improvement in GH, which increased my muscle mass and decreased visceral fat. In addition, my mood significantly increased, and I felt much younger than before.

I wrote numerous articles about the importance of sleep for metabolic and mental health. For example, a friend lost 44 pounds and maintained lean muscles after fixing his sleep issue.

2 — I started more intense workouts.

Enhancing athletic performance with optimal growth hormone levels has long been studied. Strenuous exercise, particularly high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can increase GH production by around 12 hours.

As mentioned in this review, most investigators report that acute bouts of exercise increase the plasma concentration of GH. HIIT involves short bursts of intense activity followed by rest periods. Examples of HIIT exercises include sprinting, cycling, and weightlifting.

I learned that resistance training in the form of weightlifting and calisthenics can also increase GH production. Later, my findings were confirmed in a 2022 study published on Experimental Physiology.

For me, the critical point was to recover after HIIT and resistance training before starting the next session, as oxidative stress and inflammation can lower GH production and secretion.

I keep in mind that the primary function of growth hormone is to support the growth and maintenance of healthy tissues and repair damaged tissues. This point is especially important following intense physical activity leading to microinjury in muscle fibers.

3 — Perform time-restricted eating and occasional long-term fasting.

Upon further reviews of multiple studies in the field, I was intrigued by the idea of fasting, not only because of its potential to increase GH levels but also due to its other benefits, like autophagy and mitophagy, a process by which the body naturally clears out harmful bacteria, damaged cells, and old mitochondria.

I began time-restricted eating, consuming my food within an eight-hour window, and fasting for the remaining 16 hours. After several months, my body became fat-adapted, and in combination with a ketogenic diet and a fast-mimicking diet, my GH levels significantly increased.

I then intensified my experimentation with one meal a day and more extended periods of fasting, ranging from two to ten days. My GH levels increased significantly. My family doctor teased me if I was taking steroids.

I have continued to follow this routine for many years, and as a result, my GH levels are now multiple times higher than they were three decades ago.

4 — I consume only whole and healthy foods.

Lack of nutrition by eating empty calories affects all hormones, including growth hormone. Therefore, balanced nutrition from whole foods can improve hormonal balance and optimization.

Literature on proteins indicates that some amino acids can stimulate the production of GH by the pituitary gland and might also increase the sensitivity of tissues to GH. Therefore, consuming bioavailable proteins from whole food can help optimize GH.

I customized my diet by paying special attention to consuming sufficient bioavailable proteins and healthy fats and removing refined carbs. I only consume whole foods. I also investigated supplements.

There are numerous herbal and other supplements available on the market that claim to support growth hormone production and function. I have reviewed several of these products and tried some of them decades ago. They did not work for me, but they did for some people, so it is worth mentioning.

While I tried arginine and found it helpful, I ultimately discontinued its use due to side effects like cold sores after implementing a customized diet that provided ample amounts of arginine. However, I continued to use citrulline malate, which has been shown to increase both GH and nitric oxide levels.

5 —I reduce oxidative stress and chronic inflammation.

I learned that chronic stress can negatively impact GH production and might lead to decreased levels of GH in the body. Oxidative stress can damage the pituitary gland, which is responsible for producing GH. This damage may impair GH production and secretion.

Oxidative stress may disrupt signaling pathways that are necessary for GH production. These pathways activate various hormones and enzymes that can stimulate producing GH.

I also discovered that oxidative stress may increase inflammation, further disrupting GH production. Chronic inflammation can suppress GH production by inflammatory cytokines, like interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Thus, chronic inflammation can disrupt the HPA axis and increase oxidative stress. It is a complex system regulating the body’s response to stress. It comprises the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands that affect GH.

Therefore, I found practical ways to lower oxidative stress and excessive inflammation. I provided nine steps to reduce chronic inflammation with healthy lifestyle choices.

Eating nutritious food, getting restful sleep, engaging in regular physical activity, taking time for breaks and relaxation, practicing mindfulness and meditation, and finding joy in life lowered my stress and inflammation.

6 — I avoided toxins, alcohol, tobacco, and drug use.

I learned that toxins, excessive alcohol, tobacco smoking, drugs, and some medications can disrupt GH production and lead to decreased levels of GH in the body.

Exposure to environmental toxins can disrupt GH production and lead to decreased levels of GH in the body. These toxins can damage the pituitary gland and impair signaling pathways that are necessary for GH production. They can also increase oxidative stress and inflammation.

Excessive alcohol consumption can impair the function of the pituitary gland, disrupt the HPA axis, and increase inflammation. Alcohol can also disrupt sleep, which is critical for GH production.

Tobacco smoke contains toxins that can damage the pituitary gland, disrupt the HPA axis, and increase inflammation. Like alcohol, nicotine can cause sleep disturbances and adversely impact GH production.

Drugs can disrupt GH production and lead to decreased levels of GH. In addition, some medications, like opioids, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, chemotherapy, and HIV prescriptions, might interrupt GH.

While certain medications may be necessary for managing specific health conditions, it is vital to be aware of their potential effects on GH production and to seek support from a qualified healthcare professional.

In addition, it is essential to refrain from self-medicating and avoid consuming unnecessary medications. More importantly, refraining from illegal drugs is crucial to optimizing GH production and overall health.

Conclusions and Takeaways

Growth hormone (GH) plays a crucial role in metabolism, including reducing visceral fat and improving lean muscle mass. GH is critical for children’s growth and essential for adult health. Exogenous GH supplementation carries significant risks and is regulated in many countries.

Nevertheless, it is possible to increase natural GH production through healthy lifestyle habits, as documented in this article.

You must consult healthcare consultants before making significant changes to your eating regimen and exercise routine, as fasting and intense exercises can create significant stress in the body and might not be suitable for your health conditions.

While medications can be vital in treating various health conditions, it is also necessary to consider and address lifestyle factors to balance hormones and neurotransmitters.

The following lifestyle factors can enhance the production and release of GH and improve physical and mental health. You can customize them based on your goals and needs.

1 — Get nightly restorative sleep and recover timely with adequate rest.

2 — Move your body regularly and intensify your workouts gradually.

3 — Perform time-restricted eating or long-term fasting if you are healthy.

4 — Refrain from junk food and get your nutrition from whole foods.

5 — Reduce oxidative stress and chronic inflammation with healthy lifestyle choices and professional support.

6 — Avoid toxins, excessive alcohol, tobacco smoke, and drugs.

7 — Obtain a timely diagnosis and professional support if underlying health conditions impact your growth hormone balance.

Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.

One of my writing goals is to raise awareness about the causes and risk factors of prevalent diseases that can lead to suffering and death for a large portion of the population. I aim to educate, create awareness, and empower my readers to take control of their health and well-being.

To raise awareness about health issues, I have written several articles that present my holistic health findings from research, personal observations, and unique experiences.

If you found this story helpful, you may also check out my other articles on NewsBreak. As a postdoctoral researcher and executive consultant, I write about important life lessons based on my decades of research and experience in cognitive, metabolic, and mental health.

To inform my new readers, I wrote multiple articles that might inform and inspire you. My topics include brain and cognitive function, significant health conditions, longevity, nutrition/food, valuable nutrients, ketogenic lifestyle, self-healing, weight management, science, technology, business, and humor.

I compile my health and wellness stories on my blog, EUPHORIA. My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.