10 Reasons to Consider Growth Hormone Peptides to Promote Weight Loss

Growth hormone peptide (GHP) therapy is a safe & effective alternative for improved weight loss. It may seem intimidating or overwhelming at first, possibly even risky. However, the truth of the matter is there are a lot of misconceptions about what peptide therapy can really do for improved quality of life and weight loss. 

Growth hormone peptides (GHP) are NOT Growth Hormone (GH): GHP's are a complex group of amino acids that are chained together AND stimulate the natural release of growth hormone from your own pituitary gland.  

As you get older, growth hormone levels naturally drop resulting in "aging" --- the natural deterioration of body composition leading to other age-related issues. 

Many symptoms of decreased growth hormone (GH) levels include:

• Increased fatigue
• Increased fragility
• Increased body fat (especially around the waist)
• Decreased muscle mass & strength
• Decreased aerobic & anaerobic capacity
• Decreased protein synthesis
• Decreased amino acid synthesis
• Reduced bone density
• Reduced libido
• Decreased sleep quality & patterns
• Decreased mood & mental sharpness
• Thinning skin
• Hot and cold intolerances
• Worsening of anxiety and depression
• Marked decreased quality of life & activity

Without a doubt the natural production of growth hormone declines as we age, and for that active 50-year-old many of the above symptoms related to growth hormone decline can dramatically be reduced by simply maintaining a healthy eating plan, active lifestyle (exercise & strength training) and a good, quality sleeping pattern.  

Unfortunately, for the obese patient this rule does not apply. Growth hormone (GH) production is markedly diminished in patients considered to be obese. The exact mechanism for this phenomena is not well established but does involve many different endocrine related factors. The Good News! - the body has shown the ability to return to normal levels of growth hormone production once the body has returned to a normal body composition (fat reduction and muscle building).

Any person that has tried or is trying to lose weight already knows how difficult weight loss & fat reduction is for them. To complicate things even further --- is the decreased ability to produce the very hormone necessary to facilitate normal body fat% loss. Keep in mind that no single item (hormone, medication, supplement or device) can replace the necessity for a good eating plan, exercise regimen and sleeping patterns. The consideration and inclusion of growth hormone peptide (GHP) therapy can greatly & effectively support and optimize a well-structured weight loss plan and lead to a higher degree of weight loss success. 

While results may vary from patient to patient, 9 things growth hormone peptide can positively impact and support:

Protein and Amino Acid Synthesis - To have that optimal body composition, increased muscle mass & density top the list. Increased muscle mass results in an increased energy demand (more calorie burning capasity). If you want to burn fat you have to have the engine to burn it - building your muscle mass composition is a must. However, muscle cannot be effectively built without protein and amino-acid synthesis. Having low growth hormone levels significantly reduces the ability to stimulate protein & amino acid anabolism (synthesis). Additionally, having an adequate supply of growth hormone is preventative in the oxidation (degradation) of the current muscle mass (protein) you do have. Remember the goal here is to lose fat not muscle.

Joint Health - Ever wonder why our joints start to ache as we get older? Is this just another symptom of getting old? Well, it just so happens that growth hormone is directly related to joint health through chondrocytes proliferation. Chondrocytes are the cells that make articular cartilage in order to help maintain a health joint space. They are necessary to help facilitate daily joint repair. As noted earlier, maintaining an ideal body weight & composition is hard - now struggling with painful joints due to low growth hormone levels and losing your ability to exercise effectively has just complicated your journey tenfold. 

Fat Reduction - At Weight Loss and Vitality we follow a philosophy focused on a reduction of size not weight (improved body composition). It’s all relative and all weight loss is not created equal. I am personally much more satisfied with 20 lbs. of fat loss versus a total weight loss of 30 lbs. (with 20 lbs. being fat and 10 lbs. being muscle). Loss of muscle mass is common error in fad weight loss program, crash diets, inappropriate phentermine utilization (starvation diets) and the like. The collective concentration on FAT metabolism must be applied at all levels of weight loss including growth hormone levels. Growth hormone facilitates the use of fatty acids by stimulating triglycerides emulsification and oxidation in adipocytes (fat cells). This process leads to the overall reduction of body fat% --- granted the necessary and appropriate eating & exercise plans are in place.

Increased Energy - I'm not talking about just being able to get up in the morning, however this is important too - I'm talking about your burning power. What's your metabolic rate of caloric expenditure? Burning 1 gram of fat results in 2.5 X more energy (power) than buring 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein. Take a moment and think about that... If you get over twice the amount of energy from burning fat versus carbohydrates what will that do to your sustained energy pattern? Ask yourself: How is my metabolism really functioning? Growth hormone is a necessary and required component for your metabolism to actively switch over to a healthy fat burning operation. (Reduction of carbohydrates and sugar are also a must! If you are continuously consuming carbs & sugar, effective fat burning will be nullified. Over consumption of carbs & sugar leads to metabolic resistence.)

Improved muscle composition - Muscle burn calories! There is a bit of debate on exactly how many calories 1 lb. of muscle burns per day but what we do know is that muscle burns 3-4 X more calories than fat. Projected average is somewhere around 50 calories a day per pound of muscle. Important to note, your muscles not only provide you strength & stability - they also greatly impact your hormone production, stabilization of blood sugar and insulin levels, heat generation for your body, red blood cell production, facilitate storage of minerals, etc. The point is you need muscle to lose weight. And growth hormone facilitates the ability to build muscle.

Enhanced immune system - Multiple studies and research has shown that people that are struggling with obesity also have an impaired immune system. This leads to a complicated discussion not fit for the blog. However, focusing on the immune system which is critically important for the ability to burn fat. It just so happens that growth hormone enhances the immune system’s ability to make T and B cells which lead to the formation of a specific type of T cell that manufactures fibroblast growth factor - 21.  This fibroblast helps convert typical white fat to brown fat which increases the body's metabolic demand and caloric expenditure leading to weight loss.  The bonus on the entire thing is it’s not just weight loss - having a strong functioning immune system has untold health benefits for a later post.

Increased bone density - Healthy bones are obviously necessary for day to day function. Even more important is how healthy bones support exercise as an activity & regiment to help weight loss efforts. However, sometimes weight loss programs can place bones susceptible to density loss. Two factors that contribute to this are: 1.) the obvious caloric restriction which often leads to nutritional deficits, and 2.) Having low levels of growth hormone. Growth hormone (GH) plays a huge and critical role in the regulation pathway of bone health and remodeling. Without adequate amounts of growth hormone an individual will not be able to maintain appropriate bone mass.

Improved sleep quality - Low levels of growth hormones have shown to increase the inability to manage stress and low energy levels. This will lead to increased stress hormones resulting in poor quality or lack of sleep. Unfortunately, this is a vicious cycle resulting in more anxiety, stress, mood disorders, emotional eating (late night eating), increased caloric consumption, decreased metabolism and body fat gain. Additionally, when you don't get enough sleep your body over produces ghrelin the hunger & fat storage hormone which results in more weight gain. Optimizing growth hormone (GH) levels with growth hormone peptides (GHP) results in increased (GH) blood level production while you sleep.  This release of growth hormone will repair and restore essential metabolic function(s) and better support day-to-day demands on the body. 

Improved quality of life - In many cases, growth hormone peptide (GHP) therapy can result in improved overall health, energy, mental sharpness and an improved quality of life.  Improvements in skin integrity, heart & lung function, libido and mental clarity all support the overall core of an improved quality of life. The idea of improving quality of life is to help prevent a sedentary lifestyle at which point health & wellbeing will rapidly corrode.

If you wonder whether growth hormone peptide treatment might be right for you, come visit us at Weight Loss and Vitality. We'll be happy to further discuss the benefits and  provide you with treatment options. 

Author

David J. Bauder, PA-C David Bauder, PA-C, is a certified physician assistant and the assistant medical director at Weight Loss and Vitality in Manassas and Alexandria, Virginia, Washington, DC; and Gaithersburg, MD. He enjoys helping patients optimize their physical and mental health to improve their overall well-being. He earned his physician assistant degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Afterward, he gained admission into the reputable graduate program for physician assistant studies at the University of Nebraska Health Science Center in Omaha. David has over 26 years of experience working as a physician assistant. He’s practiced in podiatry, family medicine, emergency medicine, general surgery, urgent care, and functional medicine.