IF = intermittent fasting
GH = growth hormone
BMR = basal metabolic rate
Many people use fasting or intermittent fasting (IF) as a strategy when cutting fat. Some consider IF to be unnecessary or a "fad diet" and claim it's a complicated approach to a simple concept. That concept being: calories in < calories burned. This concept holds true as in order to lose weight, all you really have to do is eat less calories than you burn each day. But what if you could accomplish this goal WHILE increasing your growth hormone (GH) levels?
First off, what are the benefits to increased GH levels during cutting?
-Increased fat oxidation (fat burning)
-muscle preservation
-Increased basal metabolic rate (BMR) - (BMR = amount of calories your body burns naturally in a rested state.)
So yes, while simple calorie reduction will certainly result in weight loss, increasing GH at the same time will:
-Help preserve your muscle by keeping them in an anti-catabolic state
-Targeting more fat rather than burning away hard earned muscle
-Increase your body's natural rate of calorie burning (BMR)
Now HOW DOES FASTING INCREASE GH LEVELS???
This part is simple. The main pathway for releasing GH in your body is via the Ghrelin receptors which are located in your brain's hypothalamus, or more specifically your pituitary gland.
What is Ghrelin?
Ghrelin is your hunger hormone. It is the hormone that is released in your stomach during periods of fasting when you are hungry and travels to your Ghrelin receptors in your pituitary gland and causes you to feel hungry. However what Ghrelin also does is signal your pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone. Fun fact: The Ghrelin receptors used to be called "growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a", due to the fact one of it's primary functions is the signaling of GH secretion.
So fasting = hunger = Ghrelin secretion = GH secretion
You ever heard of GHRP or GHRH peptides? (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, CJC-1295, Hexarelin, etc.) These peptides are all Ghrelin analogues. They fit into your Ghrelin receptors in your pituitary gland and send a STRONG signal to produce and secrete mass amounts of GH. These peptides are specifically engineered on a molecular level to send a very strong signal to the Ghrelin receptors leading to huge secretions of GH to supraphysiological levels, whereas natural Ghrelin's signal is not as strong.
Nonetheless there are REAL benefits to fasting and increasing GH when cutting as opposed to simple calorie reduction.
