Peptides for Muscle Growth – GHRH

Growth- Hormone Releasing Hormone or GHRH is one of the rare peptides where the name is self-explanatory, as it promotes the release of the human Growth Hormone (GH).  We have spoken in previous blogs about the life cycle of cells (i.e. Cell Senescence and Herxheimer Reactions). Part of the regular cellular process is called senescence and it happens when cells that should die off and be replaced by new ones refuse to do so. Instead they stay ensconced in our body, not multiplying and not dying. This has both positive and negative effects. The positive attributes are that they help with “embryogenesis and tissue remodeling, as well as first-level immune response, helping the innate immune system with apoptosis and controlling potentially tumor-causing agents” (Seeds, 2020).The negative effects are many, including inflammation, disease, and mitochondrial dysfunction. This is a result of the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) that these cells emit, which include  “cytokines, chemokins, and proteases” (Seeds, 2020). The SASP messages emitted by these cells spread to other neighboring cells and cause a chain reaction. As Dr. William Seeds notes in his book “Peptide Protocols” (2020), cell senescence has multiple effects on our growth hormones including:

• Decrease of growth hormone (GH)
• Decrease of IGF1 (Insulin-like growth factor 1)
• Decrease in glucose sensitivity
• Decrease in cognitive function
• Decreased immune system
• Decreased mitochondrial biogenesis & efficiency
• Decreased steroid production
• Increase in cortisol
• Increase in sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass, strength & function)
• Increase in mitochondrial dysfunction
• Increased reactive oxygen species

Taken together, all of these factors impact cell growth, function, repair, and survival. Just as our body needs proper nutrition, water, rest, and stress management to function optimally, our cells require the right environment to help our bodies optimally function.

One of the main regulators of our body are hormones which are chemical messengers that play a crucial role in regulating and coordinating numerous processes and functions. Biologically, hormones are “secreted soluble factors that elicit their biological effects at picomolar concentrations by binding to receipts on target cells” (Goldsby et al., 2003). They are “largely responsible for the integrated communication of several physiological systems responsible for modulating cellular growth and development” (Kraemer et al., 2020). Growth hormone is produced by our pituitary gland multiple times throughout the day and Growth- Hormone Releasing Hormone is its precursor and stimulates the pituitary gland to create GH. Growth hormone is responsible for:

• Muscle growth: Stimulates protein synthesis in muscle cells which promotes strength and muscle mass.
• Bone growth: Controls bone growth by stimulating chondrocyte proliferation in epiphyseal plates which lengthens bones, increases calcium retention which helps with mineralization, and triggers osteoblastic activity, which helps to improve bone density.
• Tissue repair and regeneration: Promotes tissue repair and regeneration and increases This promotes wound healing, skin conditions, connective tissues, and the health of organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, brain and pancreas.
• Metabolism regulation: Stimulates the breakdown of fats, inhibits the uptake and utilization of glucose, and increases ATP production.
• Immune function: Promotes the development of lymphocytes and macrophages.
• Brain function: Involved in neurogenesis (formation of new neurons) and the maintenance of neuronal health.

As you can see, Growth Hormone does so much more than just grow our bones! A deficiency can lead to various medical conditions and disorders, with numerous immediate and downstream effects. On average, “growth hormone typically plateaus in young adult life and then progressively declines…after the third decade of life, there’s a progressive decline of growth hormone secretion  by about 15% every decade of adult life” (Seeds, 2020). Studies have shown that a young and old person produces the same amount of Growth Hormone, but the amount released is what slows with aging, as well as illness, metabolism, circadian rhythm, stress, exercise, and nutrition. There is an easy fix to this, and that is supplementing with Growth- Hormone Releasing Hormone peptides. This releases the reserves of Growth Hormone in the body and promotes all of the aforementioned muscle and bone growth, tissue repair and regeneration, metabolism regulation, immune function, and brain function. By using GHRH peptides, normal function can be both regained and maintained in the body.

References

Brinkman, J.E., Tariq, M.A., Leavitt, L., et al. (May 1, 2023). Physiology, Growth Hormone. StatPearls,Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482141

Cai, R., Schally, A. V., Cui, T., Szalontay, L., Halmos, G., Sha, W., Kovacs, M., Jaszberenyi, M., He, J., Rick, F. G., Popovics, P., Kanashiro-Takeuchi, R., Hare, J. M., Block, N. L., & Zarandi, M. (2014). Synthesis of new potent agonistic analogs of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and evaluation of their endocrine and cardiac activities. Peptides, 52, 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peptides.2013.12.010

Giustina, A., Mazziotti, G., & Canalis, E. (2008). Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factors, and the skeleton. Endocrine reviews, 29(5), 535–559. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2007-0036

Goldsby, R., Kindt, T., Osborne, B & Kuby, J. (2003). Immunology (5th ed.). W.H. Freeman.

Kraemer, W. J., Ratamess, N. A., Hymer, W. C., Nindl, B. C., & Fragala, M. S. (2020). Growth Hormone(s), Testosterone, Insulin-Like Growth Factors, and Cortisol: Roles and Integration for Cellular Development and Growth With Exercise. Frontiers in endocrinology, 11, 33. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00033

Seeds, W. A. (2020). The peptide protocols: A handbook for practitioners. Spire Institute.

Thorner, M. O., Vance, M. L., Evans, W. S., Rogol, A. D., Rivier, J., Vale, W., & Blizzard, R. M. (1986). Clinical studies with GHRH in man. Hormone research, 24(2-3), 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1159/000180547

About the author: Mary Genevieve Carty, MS, MHEd holds Masters degrees in Complementary and Integrative Health as well as Higher Education and is currently a doctoral student in Health Science at George Washington University’s College of Medicine and Health Science.  She is passionate about holistic health and wellness, and has additional training in teaching, Reiki, and Tapping/ Emotional Freedom Technique. Her research interests include resiliency, psychoneuroimmunology, neuroplastic pain, placebo/ nocebo effect, and bioenergy therapies.  The views she expresses are her own, and do not reflect any affiliation.