Growth hormone isn't just for growing taller in childhood—it's actually a vital hormone that continues to play a crucial role in both men's and women’s bodies throughout their entire adult lives.
Produced in your pituitary gland (a small structure at the base of your brain), this powerful hormone affects virtually every cell in your body, influencing everything from your muscle mass and bone density to your energy levels and cognitive function.
What Is Growth Hormone?
Growth hormone (GH), also called somatotropin or human growth hormone (HGH), is a hormone secreted by your pituitary gland that both directly and indirectly causes your body to grow.
It triggers the production of another hormone called IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) in your liver, which carries out many of growth hormone's effects on your tissues.
Your body releases growth hormone in pulses throughout the day, with the most significant releases happening during deep sleep.
Unlike some other hormones, growth hormone doesn't have a single target organ. Instead, it affects almost every tissue in your body, making it a true master regulator of growth, metabolism, and tissue repair.
This wide-ranging impact is similar to how testosterone affects multiple body systems in men and estrogen influences various functions in women.
The Many Roles of Growth Hormone in Your Body
Growth hormone earned its name because of its obvious effects on height and development during childhood and adolescence. But even after you've stopped growing taller, growth hormone continues to perform vital functions throughout your life.
It helps regulate your metabolism by controlling how your body uses fat, protein, and carbohydrates for energy, similar to how optimal testosterone levels improve metabolic health in men.
Growth hormone promotes protein synthesis, helping preserve and build lean muscle mass—a process that becomes increasingly important as we age and naturally begin to lose muscle.
It also stimulates your body to use fat for energy, particularly from around your abdominal organs, making it essential for controlling dangerous visceral fat that's linked to numerous health problems.
For bone health, growth hormone supports density and strength by promoting bone turnover and mineral deposition, working alongside testosterone and estrogen. It accelerates tissue repair and healing of injuries by stimulating cell reproduction, which is why recovery becomes more challenging as growth hormone declines with age.
Growth hormone also helps you maintain your cognitive abilities, memory, and mental clarity, with deficiencies often contributing to brain fog and difficulty concentrating. It even strengthens your immune response to infections and illness and helps maintain the strength and efficiency of your heart muscle.
Growth hormone doesn't work in isolation—it interacts with other important hormones including testosterone, estrogen, thyroid hormones, and insulin. Together, these hormones create a complex network of signals that keep your body functioning optimally, which is why comprehensive hormone testing is so important when addressing health concerns.
How Growth Hormone Changes with Age
Like many hormones, growth hormone levels naturally decline as you age. This decline starts around your late 20s to early 30s and continues throughout life.
By the time you reach 60, your growth hormone production is typically about 75% lower than it was when you were young.
This natural decline in growth hormone contributes to many of the changes we associate with aging. You'll likely experience loss of muscle mass and strength, making daily activities more challenging and increasing your risk of falling.
Increased body fat, especially visceral fat around the abdomen, becomes more common—this pattern of fat distribution is associated with higher health risks. These changes mirror what happens during andropause in men when testosterone declines.
Decreased bone density raises fracture risk, while thinner, less elastic skin contributes to wrinkles and slower wound healing. Many people notice reduced energy and stamina alongside changes in sleep quality that further disrupt hormone production.
Your immune function diminishes, leaving you more vulnerable to illness, and recovery from exercise and injury takes longer than it once did. These changes are similar to those seen in chronic inflammation, which often happens at the same time as a decline in your hormone levels.
This decline happens alongside similar reductions in other hormones, like testosterone in men and estrogen in women during menopause.
Together, these hormonal changes contribute to what we recognize as the aging process and explain why comprehensive hormone balancing approaches often produce better results than focusing on just one hormone.
Signs Your Growth Hormone Levels Might Be Low
While a certain amount of growth hormone decline is normal with age, some people experience more significant deficiencies that can substantially impact their quality of life.
You might notice excessive fatigue and low energy levels despite adequate sleep, making it difficult to maintain your usual activities. Unexpected weight gain, especially around your midsection, often occurs despite no changes in diet or exercise—a pattern similar to what happens with low testosterone.
Muscle weakness and decreased exercise capacity can make previously manageable workouts feel impossible, while poor recovery from workouts or injuries extends downtime between activities.
Many people report memory problems and difficulty concentrating that affect their work performance and quality of life. Your healthcare provider might even detect reduced bone density during routine screenings.
Decreased muscle mass despite regular exercise can be particularly frustrating, as normal training no longer produces the same results. Changes in cholesterol levels or increased cardiovascular risk often appear in lab work, alongside a generally reduced quality of life and mood issues that might resemble depression.
If You're Experiencing the Symptoms of Low Growth Hormone, We May Be Able to Help
If you're experiencing any of the above symptoms, the first step is to get your hormone levels tested to see which hormones are actually causing those symptoms (if any).
The DUTCH test can help determine whether your symptoms are related to an issue with your growth hormone levels, other hormones, or something else entirely.
Learn more about our approach to hormone replacement therapy for men and women, or schedule an appointment with a specialist today to discuss your symptoms and how we can potentially help.