What Women Need to Know About Growth Hormone

Women make more growth hormone (GH) than men. This is a (strange, but true) fact we established in my last article. We also established that the production of estrogen seems to be positively correlated with our levels of human growth hormone. The more estrogen we have circulating, the more growth hormone we produce. So, what does this really mean for us? Can we capitalize on our production of growth hormone? What happens when we aren’t making as much estrogen anymore? And can we use supplements and nutrition to enhance production of growth hormone and its effects?

Growth Hormone, Estrogen, and Testosterone
First, we make more growth hormone than men. Weird, right? It’s a pretty darn anabolic hormone and given that men are generally so much bigger and more muscular than us ladies, it seems odd that we make more. How is it we aren’t hulking she-beasts? Well, while there aren’t a lot of studies out there discussing this, I feel we don’t get as muscular as men largely due to the fact we do not make as much testosterone as men. Yes, while we make a lot of growth hormone, without coupling that with testosterone, muscle growth is limited.
However, it is very common to see women start to lose muscle and gain fat when they start going through menopause (when their estrogen starts to decrease). Most people associate this with the drop in estrogen, but I am inclined to think it is the combination of the loss of estrogen and growth hormone that contributes to this problem. Growth hormone and estrogen both have positive effects on hair, skin, and nails, and when we go through menopause these things tend to suffer. We lose our hair, our skin gets dry and creepy, our nails break and crack. I truly believe these two things combined and their dramatic reduction causes accelerated aging, loss of muscle and fat accumulation.

Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy
Which brings up a great question, what in the heck do we do when we go through menopause and our estrogen takes a nosedive? Well, if you ask me, I say find someone who specializes in bio-identical hormone replacement and start bio-identical estrogen (and probably testosterone) therapy. We know that women and men who are given exogenous estrogen produce more growth hormone. We also know that once the ovaries stop working our estrogen level plummets, and you’ll be hard pressed to get your natural levels to come up on their own. Thus, the only way you can really get adequate levels of estrogen and therefore, healthy levels of growth hormone, is to supplement estrogen. Bio-identical therapy is the safest and most beneficial way to go about doing that.

What’s Up With the Muscle-y Ladies?
Of course, we all know some women who are naturally much more muscular than average and if you’re into fitness and health this is usually seen as a good thing. Of course, many of us see a muscular woman and jump to the conclusion she must be using steroids. Before we accuse these ladies of  “using,” let’s consider they may be making the most of their higher growth hormone production. There are several ways they may be doing things differently that allows them to take advantage of their GH.
First, these muscular women are probably engaging in some very intense exercise. Hard-hitting workouts increase growth hormone levels in both men and women, with the highest GH production occurring when workouts last longer than ten minutes and push athletes past their lactate threshold. General strength training has been shown to increase GH levels in both men and women. However, women need more intense strength training with less rest and more work done in a set amount of time to raise their growth hormone above baseline. This may be why we see women who engage in intense workouts like CrossFit developing more muscular and leaner physiques. The intense exercise, little rest, and considerable volume of work CrossFit athletes engage in on a regular basis primes their bodies to produce more GH, form muscle, and burn fat.
Women athletes can also maximize their GH production by eating protein post-workout. Studies have shown GH levels increase with the ingestion of whey protein after a workout. Also, due to the high GH levels and increased insulin sensitivity post workout, macronutrients eaten after a workout will be shuttled into muscle cells and be used to fuel and grow new muscle. If you aren’t taking advantage of the post-workout window by ingesting protein, namely whey protein, then you are missing a grand opportunity to improve your body composition and up your GH.
Oh, and occasionally not eating can also increase your GH levels. You may have heard of intermittent fasting. There are tons of benefits to fasting besides increased GH production, of course, but it has been shown to increase GH by 1300% in women during a 24-hour fast. WHAT?! This is thought to occur in an effort to protect the bodies lean muscle mass and protect other metabolic functions. The key word here is intermittent, however. If you fast too often or for too long your body will be forced to slow its metabolism and alter endocrine production to stay alive. You’ll likely end up burning muscle and hanging on to fat.

Supplements and Sleep for More Growth Hormone
There are some important supplements you may also want to add to improve your growth hormone production. The amino acids arginine and orthinine have both been associated with increased GH levels. The magic dose of arginine appears to be somewhere between 5 and 9 grams daily and orthinine is around 170 mg per kilogram per day. Studies have shown that only high doses of these two supplements actually stimulates an increase in GH. So, if you’re going to supplement with these two amino acids don’t waste your money by doing tiny doses.
Lastly, let’s talk about sleep! Have you ever heard that your body repairs itself at night? Sure you have. Now, be honest. Are you getting enough shuteye? If you’re not, you’re missing a prime opportunity to allow your body to produce GH. This is actually when the body normally produces the majority of growth hormone. So sleep is pretty darn important to recovery and body composition goals. Quality and quantity of shuteye are also are important. Make it a goal to get around eight hours of sleep per night and make sure you are following those sleep rules. You want a cool, dark room, and you want to avoid stimulation from the TV, computer, and exercise prior to bed.
So, that about sums it up. Ladies, if you want to get leaner, stronger, and keep your bones, skin, and hair healthy and pretty, then you want to maximize your growth hormone production. If you can implement the aforementioned strategies you’ll be well on your way to making the most of your naturally higher GH levels.

Why Woman Should Lift Weights

Why Women Do Need a Strength Training Routine

We know that increasing and maintaining adequate muscle mass is one of the best ways to keep body fat at bay and to improve overall fitness, particularly as we age. We also know that weight lifting is the best way to build muscle mass. Still, the number of women who actually participate in any formal or consistent weight training workout is still extremely low. Most women who exercise are spending most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise. Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, if you are a woman, here are ten reasons why you need to take strength training seriously.

    You Will Be Physically Stronger.
    Increasing your strength will make you far less dependent upon others for assistance in daily living. Chores will be easier, lifting kids, groceries and laundry will no longer push you to the max. If your maximum strength is increased, daily tasks and routine exercise will be far less likely to cause injury. Research studies conclude that even moderate weight training can increase a woman's strength by 30 to 50 percent. Research also shows that women can develop their strength at the same rate as men.

    You Will Lose Body Fat.
    Studies performed by Wayne Westcott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, and you burn more calories all day long. Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day. That can really add up.

    You Will Gain Strength Without Bulk.
    Researchers also found that unlike men, women typically don't gain size from strength training, because compared to men, women have 10 to 30 times less of the hormones that cause muscle hypertrophy. You will, however, develop muscle tone and definition. This is a bonus.

    You Decrease Your Risk Of Osteoporosis.
    Research has found that weight training can increase spinal bone mineral density (and enhance bone modeling) by 13 percent in six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis.

    You Will Improve Your Athletic Performance.
    Over and over research concludes that strength training improves athletic ability in all but the very elite athletes (See Article). Golfers can significantly increase their driving power. Cyclists are able to continue for longer periods of time with less fatigue. Skiers improve technique and reduce injury. Whatever sport you play, strength training has been shown to improve overall performance as well as decrease the risk of injury.

    You Will Reduce Your Risk Of Injury, Back Pain and Arthritis.
    Strength training not only builds stronger muscles, but also builds stronger connective tissues and increases joint stability. This acts as reinforcement for the joints and helps prevent injury. A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can ease the pain of osteoarthritis and strengthen joints.

    You Will Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease.
    According to Dr. Barry A. Franklin, of William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added, these benefits are maximized.

    You Will Reduce Your Risk of Diabetes.
    In addition, Dr. Franklin noted that weight training may improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

    It Is Never Too Late To Benefit.
    Women in their 70s and 80s have built up significant strength through weight training and studies show that strength improvements are possible at any age. Note, however, that a strength training professional should always supervise older participants.

    You Will Improve Your Attitude And Fight Depression.
    A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did. Women who strength train commonly report feeling more confident and capable as a result of their program, all important factors in fighting depression.

Breaking the Myth: If I Lift Heavy I'll Look Like A Man!

Rosie Chee talks about another myth - If I lift Heavy I'll end up looking like a man! Rosie explains the facts about resistance training.

You hear it time and again from females in and out of the gym, when it is suggested to them that they either a) lift weights, or b) increase the weight that they are lifting. “I don't want to do that, because I don't want to look like a man.” Many people, males included, have come to believe that for a female to lift weights means that she will somehow transform into the stereotype image of the female bodybuilder. This is simply NOT the reality of females and resistance training. This article will discuss and compare the physiology, the hormonal adaptations to resistance training, and the role of diet in gaining muscle, in both males and females.

Whilst males and females are structurally similar, there are many physiological differences that affect the sexes' ability to gain muscle mass.
Hormones

The primary reason that females cannot gain muscle mass as fast or to the extent as males is the difference in hormone status.

Testosterone is one of the androgenic hormones responsible for anabolism in the body. It is testosterone that is responsible for masculine traits (i.e. excess hair (especially facial), deepening of voice, increase in muscle mass). Both males and females produce testosterone, as it is necessary for hormonal balance and body function. However, males have much HIGHER levels of testosterone than females, with the ‘normal’ range of total testosterone (in the bloodstream) being 0.95-4.3 pg/dl, compared to the 0.7-3.6 pg/dl of females. However, it is not so much the total amount of testosterone that an individual has that determines their potential/ability for muscle growth, since most of the testosterone in the body is bound to either sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) or other non-specific proteins such as albumin, but their levels of FREE testosterone (i.e. the amount of testosterone that is NOT bound in the body). In males 0.3-5% (with an average of 2%) of their total testosterone if free, with their free testosterone normal values being 270-1100 ng/dl, compared to only 6-86 ng/dl of free testosterone available to females.

The female ‘equivalent’ of testosterone is estrogen. Whilst estrogen may increase Growth Hormone (GH), it also increases a) SHBG, which decreases the amount of free testosterone in the body; and b) cortisol, which reduces muscle mass.
Muscle Fibres and Types

There is a similar distribution of the percentage of Type I, Type IIa, and Type IIb muscle fibres in both males and females. However, females have ~60-80% of the muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and whole muscle anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA) than that of males. Therefore, despite the potential for muscle hypertrophy in a relatively short period of time, similar percentage increases in either muscle mass or volume as a result of resistance training, results in smaller total overall gains in CSA and ACSA in females than in males.
Resistance Training and Hormonal Adaptations

Studies have shown that resistance training acutely increases total testosterone in males; whereas there is NO change in females. However, free testosterone HAS been shown to be elevated up to 25% in females after resistance training. Yet, because females have less free testosterone than males at rest, any increase is not significant enough to allow for muscle hypertrophy to the extent of a male. Therefore, it has been suggested that other anabolic hormones, such as GH may be responsible for hypertrophy in females.
Role of Diet in Gaining Muscle

Diet is an important component of gaining muscle mass. To gain muscle mass one needs to be eating MORE than Maintenance calories. Because females are generally smaller than males (i.e. smaller bone size and mass, less muscle mass, etc.), they generally require (and eat) LESS than males. If a female ate the amount that a male ate to gain mass, they would most likely end up gaining a lot of unwanted bodyfat along with muscle hypertrophy. Females are also generally more prone to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, etc. that are detrimental to muscle hypertrophy, and cause muscle loss.
Conclusion

Masculinization in females does not occur as a result of [heavy] weight training, but rather because of the excess of androgenic hormones (i.e. testosterone) coupled with the correct stimulus for muscle growth (i.e. chronic resistance training AND diet directed at muscle growth). The stereotype image of the female bodybuilder in the media is a result of said females chronically using androgenic compounds (i.e. steroids) in order to increase their muscle mass and size. For the female who is NOT doing this, they can lift as hard and as heavy as they want, and will come nowhere close to “looking like a man?".