Intro to Growth Hormone Secretagogues

Growth hormone peptide

Introduction to Growth Hormone

Growth hormone (GH) receptors are present on most tissue of the body including muscles, adipose tissue, liver, heart, kidney, brain and pancreas. After our 3rd decade of life, GH progressively declines by approximately 15% per decade.

When Tesamorelin is referenced in this course it is specifically referring to the brand name “Egrifta” as the peptide Tesamorelin is not FDA-approved. When BPC-157 is referenced I want to be clear that this is not an FDA-approved drug for human use and any trials mentioned or benefits discussed are not on humans.

Comprehensive Benefits of GHRH

Beyond its specific effects, GHRH offers a range of broader physiological benefits:

• Improved Cellular Health: Enhances apoptosis, cellular adaptation, and stress response.

• Increased IGF-1: Boosts endogenous Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) levels.

• Enhanced Fat Metabolism: Upregulates beta-oxidation and fatty acid utilization, promoting efficient fat burning.

• Optimized Energy Production: Upregulates oxidative phosphorylation, leading to more efficient ATP production.

• Gene Regulation: Upregulates the SIRT gene, associated with longevity and metabolic health, and activates the FOXO gene, which plays a crucial role in tumor cell suppression, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation.

Overall Benefits of GHRH/GHRP

Both GHRH and GHRP (Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide) contribute significantly to:

• Cellular and mitochondrial efficiency: Improves the overall efficiency of cells and mitochondria, working to restore optimal mitochondrial function and enhance fat oxidation. This makes the cell more metabolically flexible.

• Reduced cellular senescence: Decreases the cellular environment conducive to senescence and the presence of CD38, a marker associated with aging.

• Cardiovascular Protection and Cardiac Repair: Details on how GHRH agonists improve myocardial contractility, reduce oxidative stress, and lower cardiovascular risk markers.

• Body Composition Improvements: Information on the selective reduction of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and increases in lean body mass.

It is important to note that observable differences may take 3-4 months to manifest.

Factors Inhibiting Endogenous Growth Hormone GH Production and Release:

• Aging

• Obesity

• Lack of sleep

• Chronically high cortisol

• Stress

• Inflammation

• Hormone deficiencies
  

How is Ghrelin involved?

Growth hormone peptides (GHRPs) interact with the ghrelin system by binding to the same receptor as endogenous ghrelin, the growth hormone secretagogue receptor 1a (GHS-R1a), thereby activating a diverse array of physiological effects that extend far beyond GH release.

Ghrelin is primarily produced in the stomach and functions as a critical hormonal signal integrating nutritional status with the GH neuroendocrine axis. When GHRPs (such as ipamorelin and hexarelin) are administered, they activate this same receptor system, producing effects that mirror and amplify endogenous ghrelin signaling.

Why is there so much research on Tesamorelin?

When examining clinical data related to GHRH peptides, it is beneficial to look for studies on Tesamorelin. Tesamorelin, an FDA approved drug under the brand name Egrifta, has been clinically utilized in HIV patients to address lipodystrophy and enhance various aspects of cellular efficiency.

The data supporting this class of peptides, particularly Tesamorelin, is significant. We have now learned that Tesamorelin has an influence in every cytochrome in the electron transport chain (ETC) and upregulates a multitude of genes to improve the ETC. This action leads to an improved ETC function, which in turn enhances ATP production. The introduction of NADPH into the cascade facilitates the pulling of protons and the transfer of electrons thereby strengthening the proton motive force. This process is critical for "cellular redox."

In Summary: As cells lose ability to oxidize fat we can improve beta oxidation of fat and decrease the environment for senescense and CD38 using Tesamorelin.