First things first, just what is a Human Growth Hormone?

HGH is a hormone that is produced by our pituitary gland throughout our entire lifetimes. When we're younger these hormones work to increase our height. As we age this hormone is used by our bodies to repair muscle tissue and break down fat. HGH is also associated with many other benefits but this article will be focusing on muscle maintenance and weight loss.

HGH Decreases As We Age

You may have heard about celebrities getting HGH injections so that they can recover the levels they had in their early 20's and teen years. By the time someone reaches age 60 their HGH is as low as 25% that of the levels in a young adult. This decline in HGH levels tends to begin at age 30. This is why some people experience rapid weight gain in their 30's. But there is good news, it doesn't have to be this way.

Increase HGH With Intense Workouts

In order to encourage your body to release a large amount of natural HGH you'll need to do an intense workout. Staying active and maintaining a solid diet can lead to notable weight loss but if you want to shed the pounds in a shorter amount of time you'll need to maximize the release of HGH in your body.

Increase HGH Through Fasting

If you eat every few hours insulin levels can increase too much causing your body to stop producing HGH. Insulin is basically a sort of fat storage hormone where HGH is a fat releasing hormone. When you have food in your body insulin will be released in order to store nutrients in your cells. Your body can't burn fat when insulin levels are heightened as your body will have put itself into storage mode. When insulin levels are lowered your body will begin using fat for energy, HGH levels will increase in order to release that store fat and turn it into energy. Fasting is a good way to trigger this process. Of course it is impossible to fast all the time, however fasting for set intervals can be a great way to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass.

Sleeping Well Releases HGH

When you are in REM sleep your body releases HGH. If you want to maximize your HGH levels you'll want to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. In these busy times many people are living on only 5 hours of sleep a night and they will likely find it difficult to keep off weight in this time. Making the effort to get a good night's sleep can lengthen your life span.