Human Growth Hormone Information

Growth hormone is a protein hormone and is essentially a tissue building hormone which is produced and secreted by the anterior portion of the pituitary gland.

Growth hormone is an extremely important piece of the body's endocrine system and is produced throughout our life, peaking through adolescence and progressively declining with age. It is secreted in six to twelve pulses each day with the largest pulse released around one hour after the onset of sleep. Levels of growth hormone in the blood are regulated by two hormones produced in the hypothalamus called growth hormone releasing hormone and growth hormone inhibiting hormone. The most powerful stimulus for the secretion of growth hormone is sleep.

Growth hormone (GH) has a variety of roles that it plays within the body, the most widely known role is its function in skeletal and muscle growth. In adolescents GH actively stimulates the growth plates in the long bones of the arms and legs. Although most cells in the body have GH receptors, most growth promoting effects are mediated indirectly by insulin-like growth factors produced in the liver and secreted in response to GH, because of this the liver is the main target organ of GH.

GH also plays an important role in metabolism as it stimulates stored fats to break down into free fatty acids, and also suppresses fatty tissues from accumulating more lipids. It also acts in the opposite function of insulin and decreases the rate of glucose uptake and metabolism, and in the liver it encourages glycogen breakdown and release of glucose to the blood.

GH also increases calcium retention and strengthens and increases the mineralization of bone.

Excess secretion has a very visible impact on the body; this impact is different according to the age of onset and is mainly caused by a tumour growing in the pituitary gland. In young children or adolescents this results in a very rare condition known as Gigantism.

A famous case of gigantism was Robert Wadlow who holds the world record for being the tallest man. Robert Wadlow was born in 1918 weighing a normal eight pounds but, by the time he was eight years old he was six feet, two inches tall, and by the time he died at the age of 22, he had reached eight feet, eleven inches in height.

In older people, an excess of growth hormone levels causes a condition known as Acromegaly, which causes thickening of the jaw, fingers and toes. Other problems that can accompany this condition include enlarged organs, joint problems, insulin resistance and reduced sexual functioning.

Under secretion (hyposecretion) also has a distinct impact on the body. In children this results in a condition known as pituitary dwarfism, which results in relatively normal body proportions, but a short height. In adults the effects are much less noticeable and can include deficiencies in strength, energy, and bone mass as well as an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Under secretion of growth hormone may be caused by mutations of specific genes, malformations in the hypothalamus and/or pituitary gland and also damage to the pituitary gland from injury, surgery or disease.

Physical exercise is the most powerful stimulus (apart from sleep) for secretion of GH.

The exercise-induced growth hormone response is well recognised, and although the exact mechanisms remain unclear, a number of implicating factors have been acknowledged by researchers, including stimulation by catecholamines, neural stimulation, and lactate and nitric oxide levels.

Several studies that I have looked at suggest that GH levels after exercise are largely determined by the length of time, intensity and type of exercise undertaken.

These studies have suggested that training above the lactate threshold for a minimum of 10 minutes appears to elicit the greatest stimulus to the secretion of GH.

Researchers acknowledge that more studies need to be undertaken in this area in order to develop a better understanding of growth hormone response to exercise and the need to be able to define the ideal method of provoking the maximum response as a way to curb the growing practice of growth hormone doping in the sports industry by giving potential abusers a safer alternative.

Ash - Rush Fitness NZ

NZ Sports Event Finder

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Male Hormone Restoration

Men's health is the focus of this article. What is men's health you may be wondering? It refers to health issues specific to human male anatomy. It is a fact that men need to restore their testosterone levels after their 40s because this very important hormone begins to decrease slowly as you advance in age. By the time you hit 80 years, your testosterone levels will be about half of what it was when you were a strapping 20 year old youth.

When your testosterone levels are low, you are unable to function optimally sexually and this results in anxiety and stress, especially, if you are married. Testosterone also plays an important role in maintaining youthful neurological structure, alleviation of depression, and inducing fat loss in those who can't reduce body weight regardless of diet and exercise. Low testosterone is also associated with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Male hormone replacement to youthful ranges in middle-aged and obese men may result in an increase in insulin sensitivity and a reduction in total cholesterol, fat mass, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. also plays a vital role in improving erectile function and sexual functional capacity in human males with heart weakness.

What are the Factors that Affect Testosterone Levels in Men?

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone produced from cholesterol. DHEA can yield either estrogens or testosterone via a two step enzymatic conversions. The level of DHEA does play a critical role in determining the levels of testosterone and estrogen in your blood. In aging men, DHEA alone can't sufficiently induce male hormone replacement.

• Aromatase is one of the most important factors that affect testosterone levels in men. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen thus developing the hormone levels.

• Obesity can reduce testosterone levels as well even in very young men below the age of 40.

• You liver removes excess estrogen and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) from the bloodstream. If your liver isn't functioning optimally then the result will be less testosterone and more estrogen leading to hormonal imbalance.

Male Hormone Replacement Therapy:

A growing number of men are taking testosterone to check the gradual decline of this important hormone. The hormone is not taken as a pill because it can affect your liver. Testosterone is known to be toxic to the liver.

For safety reasons you do need a physician's prescription before you can embark on an effective testosterone replacement therapy. An experienced physician will most likely prescribe bioidentical testosterone creams which you can buy from a local compounding pharmacy.

Other physicians may choose to prescribe prepackaged, hormonal patches and gels that have been approved by the FDA. Bioidentical testosterone increase free male hormone in the blood. Prepackaged testosterone gels are extremely expensive as compared to compounded versions.

The hormone is readily absorbed through the skin and all you have to do is rub it in. Spread it daily on the upper arms, shoulders and abdomen particularly after a sweet morning shower. For more information on male hormone replacement you may want to visit his website now.

Thanks for you visit.

Steve Wanjie is a blogger, Expert Internet Marketer and article writer.

Website: http://www.boost-your-low-testosterone.com/testosterone-booster.html

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