The human pituitary gland produces various chemical compounds, hormones that regulate body development, metabolism and the function of endocrine glands. One of these hormones is somatotropin (or somatropin, growth hormone). The normal level of this drug is very important for children and adolescents, as well as for athletes and women, especially those who want to keep the body young longer. What is this hormone, what is its role in the body and where can it be tested? Read our article.
Growth hormone is involved in many organic processes: metabolism (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates), regulation of water balance and is also directly linked to the growth of the organism. Therefore, the peak of its concentration in the body during childhood decreases as the child grows rapidly. If there is not enough growth hormone in the baby’s body, he will fall behind his peers in this parameter, and sometimes growth hormone deficiency can even cause problems with general development.
Important! Too much growth hormone in a child’s body can also cause problems; in this case, the growth of the body will occur much more intensively than necessary according to the norm. A person with excess growth hormone usually continues to grow after puberty, which can lead to gigantism and/or acromegaly, pathological abnormalities that significantly impair quality of life.
Therefore, the most active growth hormone is produced in the period from birth to the end of puberty. But the normal level of somatotropin is also extremely important for adults, because without it normal processes of bone tissue formation, maintenance of muscle tone and proper metabolism are impossible.
Why growth hormone is also called “youth hormone”
According to the results of some studies, somatotropin is able to rejuvenate the body both externally and internally. The first experiment with this property of growth hormone was carried out in the 80s of the last century by immunologist Gregory Fahey. As a result, it has been discovered that somatropin can rejuvenate cells in the body, literally “turning the clock back”.
Important! Growth hormone also has a negative side effect: it can contribute to the growth of tumors already present in the body (benign and malignant). Therefore, if the analysis of somatotropin shows its high level, it is recommended to undergo a medical examination for the presence of tumors.
Where can you get somatotropin with its deficiency?
The level of this hormone fluctuates depending on the time of day. Its greatest concentration in the body is during sleep. And that means to maintain normal somatotropin production, you need to get enough sleep and you need to go to bed within 22 hours.
Moderate physical overload also increases the level of somatotropin. And so that the production of the hormone is no longer “lowered”, one cannot deny animal proteins in the diet (meat, fish). The fact is that the secretion of growth hormone increases “in response” to the presence of special amino acids contained in the protein.
After consulting your doctor, you can start taking somatotropin in the form of tablets or injections. Growth hormone preparations are sold not only in pharmacies, but also in sports stores.
Additionally, you can increase the body’s growth hormone production by taking certain amino acids, namely ornithine, arginine, glutamine, and lysine. They should be taken on an empty stomach just before bedtime.