HGH is a growth hormone and according to webmd it is produced by the pituitary gland. It promotes growth in children and adults, but has many other benefits.

It’s also responsible for body fluids, muscle and bone growth as well as the metabolism of fat and sugar and has effects on the heart function. In short doses HGH helps you get a better looking skin –so it has anti-ageing benefits.

Because of the muscle regeneration properties and building muscle mass faster it’s very popular in the fitness and beauty industry – as a synthetic version.

As in most countries, HGH is classified as a prescription only drug (also in Australia) and has to be taken under supervision of a doctor [7]. It’s also illegal to posses or import and companies do not have a permission for advertise it in public.

You can not import it into Australia for personal use even if you have a prescription. A doctor can import it in the name of his patient.

1. How to increase HGH

What are the best methods for increasing HGH? I found 3 – HGH injections, fasting and supplements that promote hgh secretion.

1. Fasting (relatively safe)

Short (up to 5 days) periods of fasting can have a huge effect in therms of HGH levels. A 3 day fast can increase hgh levels up to 300%[1]. If you can hold for another 4 days (so 7 day total), there’s a big chance your HGH levels increase by up to 1250%.

And don’t worry about loosing muscle mass – HGH keeps the muscles intact in those 5 days. But always consult your doctor before starting a fast (it has its dangers too).

So you get all the benefits of increased hgh while also losing weight (if that’s your goal). More on fasting, HGH and athletic performance go to section no. 2.

2. Supplements for HGH (also pretty safe, no side effects, not so effective as fasting or hgh injections)

Natural supplements (or I should say ingredients in supplements) can also increase the HGH production although the effect is shorter than fasting and the quantity of hgh released is lower.

Some of these ingredients are Glutamine, Creatine, L-Dopa, Glycine and Orthinine.

According to this study [2], a 20g dose of Creatine boosts the maximum growth hormone secretion that lasts 2 to 6 hours after consuming the creatine.

A small dose of Glutamine increases the hgh secretion for up to 60 minutes before returning to normal after 1,5 hours. It’s a short burst but hey, I take what I can. The study is referenced under number [3]

This study [6] confirms that L-Dopa (a dose of 500mg) significantly increased hgh levels for about 2 hours. That means you should take this amino acid before workout.

3. HGH injection therapy

This therapy is being prescribed often to treat conditions such as growth hormone deficiency or Turner syndrome. These diseases happen because of low levels of HGH.

Some doctors used it to prescribe a so called off-label treatment for other conditions, such as muscle wasting and weight loss but also age-related declines in HGH levels.

According to mayoclinic the correct dose must be determined by your doctor. Somatropin (a syntetic version of hgh) is usually injected under the skin (once per day) and the required dose is 0,005miligram per kilogram.

Norditropin dosage is exactly 0.004mg per kilo (also once per day).

Notice that these dosages are for adults with growth hormone deficiency.

Please notice that HGH injection therapy has some unwanted potential side effects like joint and muscle pain, swelling of your arms and legs and finally the carpal tunnel syndrome, but these are not so common.

The risk of developing diabetes type two is being elavated and the the injections can also cause enlargement of our harts.

2. Fasting for muscle growth and athletic performance

Fasting is usually a practice that motivates you to abstain from food and drinks for a shorter or longer time span. It has been used for religious and spiritual reasons for centuries, but more recently, it has gained popularity as a way to improve health and fitness.

One of the ways that fasting can benefit the body is by increasing the secretion of the hormone human growth hormone (HGH).

This study on PubMed for a 5 day fast [4] showed a 100% increase in hgh comparing to the placebo group.

Fasting and the increase in HGH levels it produces is believed to also improve athletic performance.

HGH injections might help increase the amount of available energy for our muscles. All this can improve one athlete endurance and of course strength.

It can also help to reduce body fat and increase lean muscle mass, which can improve overall athletic performance.

Although fasting for HGH promotes lean muscle mass and can increase energy, it does not have any effects on athletic performance according to this study [5] over at PubMed

Sources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6758355
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11297004/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7733028/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18347346/
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3080462/
[7] https://www.tga.gov.au/news/blog/too-much-good-thing-health-risks-human-growth-hormone