By Brad Pilon,
MS
While many people think
that growth hormone is simply a hormone that makes you grow
taller when you are a child, this hormone is much more
complicated than simply being in charge of growth.
In fact, I?d go so far as to say that
growth hormone should be renamed ?fasting hormone?, since
growth hormone plays a vital role in ?overseeing? or
?regulating? your metabolism while you are fasting.
Growth hormone acts directly on your fat
cells telling them to release stored fat for energy when you
are fasting. It does this by interacting with an enzyme called
hormone-sensitive lipase, or HSL.
Many people seem to think that we burn fat
when we are fasting because of the very low levels of insulin,
but scientific research has show us that even when insulin is
at VERY low levels, we see very little fat being released from
our fat stores if our growth hormone levels have been kept
artificially low.
In other words, even when insulin is low,
if there is no growth hormone, there is very little fat being
released from our fat stores.
Not a good thing if we are trying to get
rid of stubborn body fat.
Growth hormone is also known for its
beneficial effects on muscle mass. Growth hormone?s effects on
reducing body fat and building muscle mass led it to be banned
by both the IOC and NCAA.
Your body releases GH every 3 to 4 hours,
with your biggest release coming about an hour after you fall
into a deep sleep.
There is an important and often
underestimated relationship between exercise and GH release.
Research has clearly illustrated that as little as ten minutes
of intense exercise can have profound effects on increasing
Growth Hormone levels!
The bottom line is that having healthy
growth hormone levels is a very important component of your
overall health. It is what directs your fat toward fat
burning, and what preserves your muscle mass (even though you
aren't eating any food). It may even be responsible for
keeping your metabolism from decreasing while you are
fasting.
So my advice is simple. Firstly, you
should try following the Eat Stop Eat lifestyle by using
flexible intermittent fasting (since short periods of fasting
can increase your growth hormone levels). Secondly, if you
want even more GH release you should perform ten minutes of
intense exercise every single day. Lastly, make sure you get a
good night?s sleep every night, as your largest release of
growth
hormone occurs while you are
sleeping.
****
Brad Pilon is a nutrition
professional with over eight years experience working in the
nutritional supplement industry specializing in clinical
research management and new product development. Brad has
completed graduate studies in nutritional sciences
specializing in the use of short term fasting for weight
loss.
His trademarked book Eat Stop Eat has been
featured on national television and helped thousands of men
and women around the world lose fat without sacrificing the
foods they love. For more information on Eat Stop Eat, visit
www.eatstopeat.com
