How Does Intermittent Fasting Increase HGH?

How Does Fasting Increase Growth Hormone?

Human growth hormone (HGH) is undeniably one of the body’s most powerful and vital hormones. It regulates and stimulates crucial functions, including metabolism, cellular regeneration, cognitive processing, heart health, circulation, immunity, and more. HGH release occurs throughout the day and night in pulsatile bursts every few hours. Various factors influence the amount of HGH released into the bloodstream, including sleep, food, and fasting.

In this review, we examine the role of fasting, especially intermittent fasting, on HGH production. We look at how various types of fasting influence HGH production and why maintaining normal HGH levels is crucial for men as they age.

What Is the Difference Between Fasting and Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting is abstinence from consuming food, with prolonged fasting lasting longer than two days. Intermittent fasting focuses on when or how much you eat.

While engaging in intermittent fasting, you choose a specific time frame each day to consume all your meals and snacks. Some people do this daily, while others may pick only a few days a week for their intermittent fasting. 

There are many types of intermittent fasting, including:

• Time-restricted fasting: (time frames can be adjusted to your schedule)
  • 12:12 – fasting for 12 hours and eating all food during a 12-hour window
  • 16:8 – going 16 hours without eating and consuming all food during 8 set hours (between 10 am and 6 pm)
  • 20:4 – choosing a 4-hour period of time to consume all food and fasting for 20 hours
  • 18:6 – consuming all food during a 6-hour window (between noon and 6 pm)
  • 14:10 – fasting for 14 hours and eating for 10 hours (between 9 am and 7 pm)
• One meal a day (OMAD): having one large meal a day and fasting for the remainder of the time
• Twice-a-week method: consuming food normally for five days and then only 500 calories on the other two days (typically two meals – one 200 calories and one 300 calories)
• Alternate day fasting: normally eat one day then consume 500 calories the next day, alternating each day of the week (alternate day fasting produces a more favorable ratio of fat loss over muscle loss)

Fasting tips

• Avoid fasting if you are engaging in a physically demanding job or exercise routine. 
• It is best to pick a time to fast when you feel healthy and can rest rather than exert yourself.
• Try to create a schedule where nothing is consumed after 7 pm (8 pm at the latest)
• Consume foods that provide abundant energy before starting a fast. 
• At the end of the fast, eat gradually and build slowly to avoid getting sick. 

Do not fast if you fall into any of the following categories without first speaking with your doctor:

• Suffer from uncontrolled migraines
• Are breastfeeding or pregnant
• Have type 1 diabetes
• Are underweight
• Have an eating disorder
• Are under the age of 18
• Take prescription medication (some require food)
• Have kidney disease
• Are undergoing a blood transfusion
• Have heart problems 

Why Does HGH Increase During Fasting?

One of the many functions of HGH is stimulating insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) production in the liver. Human growth hormone production might decline if the body has a lot of IGF-1. Food consumption increases insulin and IGF-1 levels. Insulin spikes can disrupt human growth hormone signaling. Fasting helps lower insulin and IGF-1 levels, increasing HGH secretion.

Another benefit of intermittent fasting for HGH production is that people who fast tend to lose more weight. Fat retention reduces HGH production. Studies have shown that people with more belly fat have lower HGH levels. Losing weight can help boost HGH secretion, which, in turn, facilitates fat breakdown, fatty acid release, and tissue repair. 

During deep, slow-wave sleep, the body releases its largest amounts of HGH at night. These pulsatile bursts stimulate the metabolizing of the food consumed during the day. That is why people lose weight at night while they sleep. 

• How much does HGH increase during fasting?

In one study, people who participated in a 24-hour fast increased HGH levels five-fold. 

Another study demonstrated a boost in the number of peaks per 24-hour period and peak amplitude during a five-day fast.

In another study of a 59-hour fast, growth hormone peak frequency increased from 4.5 ± 0.3 to 8.4 ± 0.7 pulses per 24 hours. Pulse amplitude increased from 3.5 ± 0.6 to 5.8 ± 0.9 ng/ml.

• What is water fasting, and does it increase HGH?

Water fasting is another name for traditional fasting, as it eliminates all food and allows only water consumption. During the fast period, which can last between 24 hours and 3 days (even up to 8 days), a person drinks only water. As with any fasting, it is advised to contact a healthcare provider to determine the safety for your situation. Water fasting can provide benefits for people dealing with the following:

• Arthritis
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Obesity 

One benefit found in the study of the 8-day fast is reduced stress, which can lower cortisol levels. Cortisol opposes HGH production. By decreasing cortisol, the body can then increase HGH release. 

Many people find intermittent fasting more manageable to stick with than water fasting as it allows for food consumption during the day. For those looking to lose weight, intermittent fasting has proven as beneficial as a low-calorie diet and allows for more food choices.

With water fasting, a person is more likely to lose muscle mass along with fat as the body wants to hold on to its fat stores in fear of starvation. Intermittent fasting helps maintain lean muscle while burning stored fat. 

Why Having Normal HGH Levels Is Essential for Men

As the body’s “master hormone,” maintaining normal HGH levels is essential for men as they age. The older a person becomes, the more critical it is to protect human growth hormone levels for the following reasons:

• Protecting cellular regeneration to support muscle mass, bone density, skin texture, hair growth, organ size, blood cell production, and nail growth
• Maintaining a healthy immune system for overall well-being and healing
• Supporting brain functions, including focus, learning, processing, and memory
• Promoting healthy sexual functions and desire
• Keeping cortisol levels low to reduce stress and improve sleep
• Stimulating the production of other vital hormones
• Promoting healthy metabolic functions, including converting food into usable energy, improving glucose uptake by the cells, and supporting the burning of stored fat
• Improving circulation and heart health
• Maintaining balanced emotional responses and feelings

As you can see, HGH influences the entire body and all areas of your life. If human growth hormone levels become too low, numerous symptoms can interfere with your quality of life. Through human growth hormone or peptide treatments, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) restores balance to low HGH levels. These safe HRT treatments can provide the body with what it needs to function optimally at any age. 

Conclusion

The pituitary gland’s release of human growth hormone is directly tied to many variables, including insulin and IGF-1 levels in the bloodstream. Fasting, including intermittent fasting, can lower IGF-1 and insulin levels to help stimulate HGH production. Because fasting also aids in weight loss, and belly fat is associated with lower human growth hormone levels, losing weight due to intermittent fasting also helps boost HGH levels.

For those individuals with symptoms associated with HGH deficiency, fasting may not provide a quick enough boost to HGH levels. Human growth hormone therapy offers many reliable benefits to adults with low HGH. Only prescription HGH injections offer legitimate human growth hormones. Another treatment is peptide therapy, which can help increase natural HGH release from the pituitary gland. Our hormone specialists can help determine whether HGH or peptide therapy benefits you.