Boost fat loss and reap other health benefits with hGH

It's not often these days that I do go the gym - simply because I'm an outdoors fitness junkie - but when I am there, I'm always a little taken back by so many women reading magazines while doing a long, slow pummel on the cardio machines. If you think those cardio machines hold the keys to the fat loss kingdom ladies, then think again. Maybe you should be paying more attention to your Human Growth Hormone (hGH) instead.

So what is hGH anyway?
hGH is a hormone that is produced by the Pituitary Gland in the brain. Production peaks during the teenage years and slowly declines with age.

What role does hGH play in the body?
hGH has been shown to play a significant role in:

• Fat metabolism
• Growth of all tissues
• Energy level
• Tissue repair
• Whole body healing
• Cell replacement
• Bone strength
• Brain function
• Sexual function
• Organ health and integrity
• Enzyme production
• Integrity of hair, nails, skin and vital organs

HGH is responsible for growth during childhood - and for the repair and regeneration of human tissue throughout our lives. By the time we reach the age of 30, our HGH levels are only about 20% of their peak levels during childhood, and after the age of 30, they continue to decline at about 12 to 15% per decade.

By the time most of us are 30 years old, our bodies no longer produce enough HGH to keep pace with the cellular damage that is occurring in our bodies. As our HGH levels continue to decline, the damage that we collectively call ‘ageing’ accelerates.
And here's where we get to The NOT SO GREAT News: studies have shown that obese adults have lower levels than normal-weight adults.

The WONDERFUL News is that a 2003 study published in the British Journal Sports Medicine found that "exercise intensity above lactate threshold (when you ‘feel the burn’) and for a minimum of 10 minutes appears to elicit the greatest stimulus to the secretion of hGH."
So, how can we increase the natural secretion of hGH to boost fat loss and gain the other health benefits?
SIMPLE:

• Get More Sleep
• Drink More Water
• Moderate/Reduce Your Carbohydrate Intake
• Eat More Protein
• Exercise at the Right Intensity!
• Sleep

Since the largest hGH surge in a normal day tends to occur around one hour after the onset of night-time sleep, it's for anyone seeking fat loss to get plenty of sleep (groan, I hear most Mums say, if only it was so easy!) If the quality and quantity of sleep is inadequate there will be a reduction in the volume of hGH secreted with negative consequences for fat loss. For most people, ‘sufficient sleep’ people means around eight hours.

Water
It is also important to drink plenty of water during your waking hours and more when exercising, as dehydration has been shown to significantly reduce the exercise-induced hGH response. 1 ½ - 2 litres per day is a good guide.

Carbohydrates & Protein
Research has also shown how high-carbohydrate diets tend to switch off hGH secretion. Many fat loss expert suggest avoiding sugar for two hours post exercise but ensuring that at least 25g protein is consumed immediately preferably in liquid form for quick absorption (a protein shake) or a protein bar, lean poultry, meat or eggs as protein has been shown to enhance hGH secretion too.

The Right Intensity & Amount of Resistance Training – Less Is Best! - sort of!
Exercising at a higher than average intensity results in the biggest volume of hGH secretion in response to a single exercise bout, with levels of the hormone declining gradually over a period of an hour. Ultimately, to boost your hGH production and blitz your fat stores you need to ensure that when you exercise on your ‘metabolic’ exercise days you….

• Get hot
• Get sweaty
• Get out of breath
• Feel the lactate burn in your muscles
• In short bursts, work until you think you can’t do anymore

To give your hGH secretion a boost try this: 3-4 sessions per week, each involving at least 10 minutes’ work above lactate threshold. Keep total workout time to between 20-30 mins and include a variety of styles and principles to maintain muscle confusion. Work hard, keep it short and sweet. BE CONSISTENT!

Special acknowledgement: Burrell Education 2012 www.burrelleducation.com