Hormonal
Bedtime administration of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) at doses of 2.5–3.5 g doubles nocturnal growth hormone (GH) secretion in healthy young men by enhancing slow-wave sleep (specifically Stage IV).
For healthy young men, taking 2.5–3.5g of GHB at bedtime significantly increases growth hormone output by deepening sleep (Stage IV). This is not a muscle-building steroid but a physiological enhancer of natural sleep-related hormone pulses. It is well-tolerated in clinical settings but carries stigma due to recreational misuse; consult a physician before considering any off-label use.
The present study demonstrates that bedtime administration of GHB, even at the lowest dose, results in a twofold increase in the amount of GH secreted during sleep. This effect of GHB on nocturnal GH secretion resulted from an increase in the amplitude and the duration of the normal secretory pulse associated with sleep onset, rather than from the induction of additional pulses.
Why this rating
Randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design with rigorous blood sampling and polygraphic sleep recording in healthy young men.
Source
Simultaneous stimulation of slow-wave sleep and growth hormone secretion by gamma-hydroxybutyrate in normal young Men.
Eve Van Cauter et al. · Journal of Clinical Investigation · 1997
DOI 10.1172/jci119587
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