Human growth hormone or simply referred as growth hormone plays a lot of important roles inside our bodies including rapid building of muscles, cutting of body fats and increasing the level of energy.
However, before we discuss these important roles, let us first get to know what this hormone is all about.
Human Growth Hormone – Brief overview
The human growth hormone is naturally produced in the pituitary gland. This pea-sized gland is located in a protected cove in the middle of our brain.
In order to be distributed to other parts of the body, the human growth hormone is secreted into the blood stream. In men, less than five nanograms per milliliter circulate in the blood. On the other hand, twice of this amount circulates throughout the bodies of women.
Once released, the hormone only stays active for a few minutes. During this short period of time, the liver is able to convert it into growth factors such as the insulin-like growth factor, which is also referred to as the IGF-1 or the somatomedin-C.
Functions of Growth Hormone
As its name suggests, the human growth hormone is responsible for growth as well as regeneration of cells. As such, the hormone is needed in order to increase muscle mass and bone density. Specifically, it increases muscle mass through sarcomere hypertrophy. Also, it increases calcium retention and the mineralization of the bone.
During puberty, the level of this hormone peaks in both male and female. However, it starts to sharply decline by the early 20s.
Like protein hormones, the human growth hormone interacts with specific receptors on the surface of cells. Aside from regulating muscle and bone growth, it also plays an important role in regulating body composition, body fluids, fat metabolism, sugar metabolism and even heart function.
Growth Hormone Deficiency
The deficiency of the human growth hormone can result in growth failure and short stature in young children. It can also delay sexual maturity. In adults, the deficiency can result in increased amount of body fats, and decreased muscle mass. This can result in decreased levels of energy and poorer quality of life.
Lesser known facts about Human Growth Hormone
People with medical disorders such as the rare Prader-Willi Syndrome, Turner’s Syndrome as well as other conditions that prevent normal growth can benefit from the human growth hormone.
In adults, the hormone can help people suffering from short bowel syndrome, in which nutrients are not adequately absorbed because of the surgical removal of huge sections of the intestine or because of other intestinal diseases that affect absorption. In addition, it can help people experiencing muscle-wasting diseases linked with HIV.
The hormone also has a significant use in muscle building. Bodybuilders & athletes resort to growth hormone supplements as they are far safer to use and give effective results compared to other supplements. You can easily become super mass gainer using growth hormone based supplements as they have no side effects and are easily absorbed by the body. Growth hormone also helps in reversal of the aging process. Other uses that are not yet proven include strengthening the immune system, restoring the normal hair growth, and improving the quality of sleep, sex, memory and vision.