HGH And Carbs

Our bodies are so amazing that they can be thought of as chemical processing plants. Chemicals are taken in, processed through various types of reactions, and then distributed throughout the body to be used immediately or stored for later use. One of these chemicals is carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the human body. We obtain carbohydrates by eating foods that contain them, for example potatoes, rice, breads, and so on.

Carbohydrates are a superior short-term fuel for organisms because they are simpler to metabolize than fats or those amino acid portions of proteins that are used for fuel. The most important carbohydrate is glucose; so much so, that the level of glucose is used as the main control for the central metabolic hormone, insulin.

This is why carbohydrates are so important in our diet. Yet, carbohydrates when in excess are stored as fat in or bodies. Our dilemma is—how can we take in carbohydrates and burn them all for energy?

A promising key to speeding up carbohydrate metabolism is human growth hormone. Growth hormone is a protein hormone of about 190 amino acids that is synthesized and secreted by cells called somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary. It is a major participant in control of several complex physiologic processes, including growth and metabolism. Growth hormone is also of considerable interest as a drug used in both humans and animals.

But how does growth hormone affect carbohydrate metabolism

HGH and Carbohydrate Metabolism

Growth hormone is one of a battery of hormones that serves to maintain blood glucose within a normal range. Growth hormone is often said to have anti-insulin activity, because it supresses the abilities of insulin to stimulate uptake of glucose in peripheral tissues and enhance glucose synthesis in the liver. Somewhat paradoxically, administration of growth hormone stimulates insulin secretion.

The effect on carbohydrate metabolism is secondary to HGH’s indirect effects on the body. Indirect effects are mediated primarily by a insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), a hormone that is secreted from the liver and other tissues in response to growth hormone. A majority of the growth promoting effects of growth hormone is actually due to IGF-I acting on its target cells.

It is not only carbohydrate metabolism HGH regulates, also protein and fat metabolism. Growth hormone has important effects on protein, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. In some cases, a direct effect of growth hormone has been clearly demonstrated, in others, IGF-I is thought to be the critical mediator, and some cases it appears that both direct and indirect effects are at play.