HGH And Body Building

Bodybuiders have different needs from any other type of people. This is because they have different needs, nutrition-wise and exercise-wise. For bodybuilding, having low body fat levels is essential if you want to display the muscles that you have worked so hard for.

Thus the search goes on for a supplement which builds muscles but burns fat. And HGH is a typical supplement for that need.

Human growth hormone is a protein-based poly-peptide hormone. It stimulates growth and cell reproduction and regeneration in humans and other animals. It is a 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide hormone that is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland. Growth hormone is used clinically to treat children's growth disorders and adult growth hormone deficiency. The benefits are a decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, increased bone density, increased energy levels, improved skin tone and texture, increased sexual function and improved immune system function.

But how does HGH perform its function? Why is human growth hormone considered to be an ideal supplement for bodybuilders?

HGH Effects on Bodybuilding

Human growth hormone is an anabolic hormone, meaning that it builds up muscles and other tissues in the body except the brain. Like most other protein hormones, HGH acts by interacting with a specific receptor on the surface of cells.

There are, in general, two ways by which human growth hormone affects growth in the body. Because polypeptide hormones are not fat-soluble, they cannot penetrate sarcolemma. Thus, human growth hormone exerts some of its effects by binding to receptors on target cells, where it activates a second messenger. Through this mechanism GH directly stimulates division and multiplication of muscle cells and chondrocytes of cartilage.

Human growth hormone also stimulates production of insulin-like growth factor 1 which is a hormone similar to proinsulin. The liver is a major target organ of GH for this process and is the principal site of IGF-1 production. IGF-1 has growth-stimulating effects on a wide variety of tissues and has stimulatory effects on osteoblast and chondrocyte activity to promote bone growth.

Through these mechanisms, human growth hormone exerts its effects of building muscle, bone and tissue yet burning fat. It also maximizes athletic performance by converting or burning fat to energy. This is how HGH performs its function of building muscle yet burning fat.