In weight training, thegrowth hormone is often associated with doping. Indeed, some athletes use injections to build muscle mass and lose fat. This is extremely dangerous. But did you know that it was also possible to stimulate naturally How can you use your growth hormone to gain muscle? Discover some tips to boost its secretion.
What is natural growth hormone?
Growth hormone is a substance produced naturally by the body. human body. It is also known under different names:
- somatotropin,
- somatotropin,
- somatropin,
- human growth hormone (hGH) or growth hormone (GH).
Growth hormone is a polypeptide hormone. This means that it is composed of several amino acids. Indeed, this protein molecule contains 191 of them.
It is produced by the pituitary gland, a very small gland located in the brain and part of the endocrine system.
The role of growth hormone is simple: to allow humans to grow by developing their muscles and bones. It is at the origin of the growth during childhood and adolescence.
Some children may not produce enough growth hormone. In the case of such a deficiency, a health professional may prescribe a hormone treatment to help the child reach a "normal" adult size.
The most famous example is undoubtedly that of the Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi, who received growth hormones when he joined FC Barcelona as a teenager. According to some specialists, this allowed him to grow 30 centimeters.
At theadulthoodThe secretion of growth hormone decreases significantly. But it continues to play an important role, especially in athletes and bodybuilders.
The role of this growth hormone for bodybuilding
What are the effects of growth hormone?
Whether it is in the context of a weight gain or a dry one, optimizing GH secretion is essential.
It is a anabolic hormone which acts directly on the metabolism (mainly on that of carbohydrates and lipids, but also on that of proteins). It thus supports the muscular growth.
In addition to the increase in muscle mass, it participates in the reduction of the body fat. This is what interests many athletes, who want to find the right balance between lean mass and fat mass to obtain a dry and muscular physique.
Another important element for sportsmen and women is the impact of growth hormone on the increase of the muscular strength and endurance. During an intense effort, the feeling of fatigue is largely reduced.
Finally, this hormone has a positive effect on blood pressure and the cardiovascular system.
As you can see, GH increases the physical performance of individuals. This is what drives some athletes to dope, despite the many side effects and the fact that it is prohibited.
The dangers of GH doping
The growth hormone doping appeared in the 1980s. As medical advances made it easier to detect anabolic steroids, another doping agent, unscrupulous athletes turned to GH.
The desired effects are those mentioned above:
- rapid weight gain,
- loss of fat mass,
- increase in strength,
- slowing down the aging process.
The use of growth hormones to enhance performance has been prohibited for many years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (AMA).
Indeed, the use of hormones leads to side effects and is extremely risky for health. The doses used are much higher than those recommended by doctors for medical treatment of GH deficiency.
All the sports are concerned, whether they are endurance sports or strength sports. From soccer players to bodybuilders, cyclists, fighters, rugby players, sprinters or long-distance runners, doping unfortunately affects all disciplines.
However, the dangers of doping to growth hormone are numerous. GH injections can be responsible for the development of cancer, diabetes or hypertension and disproportionate growth of certain organs such as the heart or liver.
Simply put, growth hormone doping reduces thelife expectancy. In the short term, this seems like an easy solution. But in the long run, its effects are absolutely disastrous.
Fortunately, it is possible to optimize your growth hormone in a natural way.
How to stimulate growth hormones naturally?
To speed up your muscle developmentIt is interesting to know how to naturally stimulate the growth hormone. You will be able to take advantage of its anabolic character.
In reality, you will see that these tips are not a miracle cure. Most of them are closely linked to the implementation of a healthy lifestyle and balanced, starting with sleep and nutrition.
Tip #1: Improve your sleep quality
Did you know that most of the growth hormone is produced at night, during the deep sleep phase?
The quality of your sleep is crucial to increasing your GH levels. To maximize its secretion, you should sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night.
And if you have trouble falling asleep and meeting that quota, these tips may help:
- Eat light foods at the end of the day to aid digestion,
- Do not consume stimulants such as coffee after 5 p.m,
- Avoid television and smartphone screens near bedtime,
- Choose relaxing activities such as reading,
- Cool your room to sleep well (recommended temperature is 18°C).
Tip #2: Meet your protein needs
Get enough amino acids to boost growth hormone production.
Some of them are known to contribute to GH secretion, including glutaminearginine, lysine and the 3 BCAAs (branched amino acids) that are leucine, isoleucine and valine.
Depending on your goal, plan on between 1.5 and 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
If your diet is insufficient in terms of protein intake, it may be appropriate to consume food supplements for weight training.
Tip #3: Focus on complex carbohydrates
To increase your hormone production and activate your muscle gainlimit simple carbohydrates and prefer complex carbohydrates.
The fast sugars present in the vast majority of industrial products block the production of GH. It is better to opt for growth hormone stimulating foods such as brown rice, whole grain bread, sweet potatoes, oatmeal or legumes.
Overall, a balanced diet is essential to reach your goal. Beware of processed foods!
Well, according to some studies, intermittent fasting would slightly increase the level of growth hormone in the body.
Tip #4: Get regular physical activity
L'intensive training is ideal for secreting growth hormones.
Several researchers who have studied the subject agree that weight training sessions that focus on volume lead to a greater increase in the hormone. This is notably the case for the Professor Kraemer and his team in the 1990s.
In other words, it is better to do 5 sets of 10 reps with appropriate weights on an exercise (bench press, squat, deadlift, etc.) than 10 sets of 1 rep with heavy loads. This should be taken into account when designing your weight-training program.
L'aerobic exercise at high intensity also has a positive effect on hormone levels. Raising your heart rate facilitates the release of GH, which makes physical activities such as CrossFit, cardiotraining or HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) particularly interesting.
Tip #5: Fill up on vitamins
The vitamin D and the vitamin B6 are invaluable in raising your GH production. Not only are these vitamins essential for good health, they also have a direct influence on the creation of hormones and their proper use by the body.
This is also the case for the magnesium and the zinc2 minerals essential to the proper functioning of the human body.
There are supplements whose only role is to increase GH. These are the growth hormone boosters. They are generally composed of amino acids, vitamins and minerals. However, it is much better to meet your needs through your diet and to target your deficiencies precisely by choosing specific food supplements.
Some athletes also use testosteronean anabolic hormone (like insulin) that participates in the release of GH.
Tip #6: Take cold showers
The virtues of cold shower are numerous. Increased secretion of hormones such as growth hormone or testosterone is one of them.
In contact with cold water, the body stimulates the metabolism to deal with what he considers to be an aggression.
Of course, you don't have to shower every day in cold water. Just lower the water temperature gradually and finish your shower under cold water for a few seconds.
Conclusion
With these few methods, you now know how to increase your growth hormone naturally. If there is only one thing you should remember from this article, it is that it is important to adopt a good health and to pay special attention to sleep, diet and physical activity.
