Somatopause - Middle Age Spread

Somato-what? Ah-Sooo... Somatopause is one of those silly names someone came up with for the aging phenomenon of lowered growth hormone. Why can't I come up with this stuff? Growth hormone is secreted from the anterior pituitary gland and its self explanatory, it is responsible for growth. GH is very high in children but levels begin to drop by nearly half in adulthood. Adult somatopause is directly related to the decline of HGH produced by the body during aging. What is Growth Hormone and why would I want it? GH is released by specialized cells called somatotropes-So the Somatotropes begin to 'pause', as we get older.


Growth Hormone has many other effects on the body:
• Increases calcium retention, and strengthens and increases the mineralization of bone
• Increases muscle mass
• Promotes fat burning
• Increases protein synthesis
• Stimulates the growth of all internal organs excluding the brain
• Plays a role in fuel homeostasis
• Reduces liver uptake of glucose
• Promotes gluconeogenesis in the liver
• Contributes to the maintenance and function of pancreatic islets
• Stimulates the immune system

Stimulators of GH are - The Sex Hormones: Androgen and Estrogen (and yes, an afternoon delight with the spouse is what I mean) - Deep sleep - Fasting - Vigorous exercise - Laughter

GH is secreted in a pulsatile manner throughout the day; surges of secretion occur at 3- to 5-hour intervals. The largest and most predictable of these GH peaks occurs about an hour after onset of sleep. Nearly fifty percent of HGH secretion occurs during the third and fourth REM sleep stages. In addition to control by endogenous and stimulus processes, a number of foreign compounds (such as drugs and endocrine disruptors) are known to influence GH secretion and function. HGH can be increased 530% with anaerobic exercise - the short-burst, get-you-out-of-breath quickly, sprinting types of exercise. You don't have to spend all day in the gym, jog for hours, or starve yourself. But it does require high-intensity exercise for short periods.

The idea is to exercise above lactate thresholds to elicit the greatest stimulus of secretion of GH. There is some debate over how long, but the benefits of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) are well documented. A catch all statement of 'vigorous energy expenditure' will most likely increase Growth hormone Laughter boosts (HGH) by as much as 87%! If you are insulin resistant-human growth hormone is definitely your friend and will help in the battle of keeping a healthy stabile blood sugar. Human Growth hormone also helps with muscle recovery and growth, and fat mobilization. As we age, Human Growth Hormone decreases dramatically, and must be boosted in differing ways.

by Connie Huft

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6227354