Exercise Increases Growth Hormone

One benefit of exercise you may not have been aware of is that it increases the level of growth hormone circulating throughout human body. Growth hormone is a vital component of the body's endocrine system that essentially keeps your body young and vibrant.

The effects of increased growth hormone include:

-increased protein synthesis
-increased immune response
-increased muscle mass
-decreased body fat
-increased calcium retention in bone

While growth hormone is occasionally used by athletes looking to gain a competitive edge (this is illegal, by the way), your body naturally secretes it from the pituatary gland, located at the base of the brain. GH levels start to decline around age 30 to 35, and slowly diminish as the years go by.

However, intense exercise has been shown to boost the levels of this hormone, which really does make exercise an anti-aging therapy! Especially helpful are exercises like the leg lunge, a multi-joint body weight leg exercise. For more information on the topic, stop in the office and ask to talk to our personal trainer Ann!