Do human growth hormone supplements work?

Currently, there's a great deal of interest in dietary supplements designed to boost your growth hormone levels.

In the first part of this two-part series, you'll learn what growth hormone is, and how it affects your body. We'll examine the benefits and drawbacks of human growth hormone therapy. Plus, you'll discover whether supplements promoted as a way to raise growth hormone levels actually work.

In part two, we'll take a close look at the research on growth hormone secretagogues, such as PRO hGH™, and Pro-Endorphin™. These products contain ingredients that are supposed to stimulate the natural production of growth hormone.

Growth hormone affects just about every cell in your body. It has a major effect on how you feel, act, and look. Because growth hormone levels tend to decline with age, the supplements are promoted as a way to "reverse" the effects of aging.

Growth hormone supplements are supposed to help you lose fat and build muscle mass quickly and easily. They promise more energy. A better sex life. The feeling that life is an endless stream of possibilities.

Who wouldn't want all of those things?

Before you try one of these products, it's important to understand a little more about growth hormone, and what the scientific evidence says about these supplements...

In the first part of this two-part series, you learned what growth hormone is, and how it affects your body. In part two, we'll take a close look at the research on growth hormone secretagogues, found in products such as PRO hGH™, and Pro-Endorphin™.

Because growth hormone therapy is so expensive, these secretagogues — supplements that promote the release of your body's own growth hormone — have become extremely popular.

Secretagogues

Hormones in your body that cause the release of growth hormone include growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), growth hormone releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2) and growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6). Some growth hormone peptides can also be injected.

Studies show that GHRP-6 is an effective way to raise growth hormone levels, even in the obese, who often produce very little growth hormone [45, 46]. A combination of exercise and GHRP-2 is also more effective than exercise alone at boosting growth hormone levels [26].

A growth hormone secretagogue called MK-677, taken in the form of a small pill, can boost both IGF-I and growth hormone levels and accelerate gains in lean body mass (some of which is water) [47].

However, many of these compounds have been patented by drug companies. They're not available as dietary supplements. Instead, many supplement companies sell supplements containing amino acids such as arginine, ornithine, glutamine, lysine and the branched chain amino acids.

Because growth hormone is made up of 191 amino acids, it makes sense to some people that additional amino acids might stimulate the synthesis and release of growth hormone.

Amino acids are relatively safe, inexpensive, and widely available at any health food store. And there are a number of studies to show that various combinations of amino acids can result in a measurable and lasting increase in growth hormone levels.

Let's take a closer look at the evidence.

Amino acids

The infusion (introducing a solution into the body through a vein) of 30 grams of methionine leads to a consistent and relatively large increase in growth hormone. A small increase in growth hormone is seen with the infusion of leucine or valine [21].

Amino acids are also effective at raising growth hormone when taken orally.

A study published in 1995 examined the...

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