The Claim

In obese males undergoing 72-hour fasting, pharmacological blockade of growth hormone with pegvisomant enhances insulin-mediated suppression of circulating lipid intermediates, resulting in greater reductions in free fatty acids and ketones compared to fasting without growth hormone blockade, demonstrating that growth hormone impairs insulin's ability to suppress lipolysis.

Source: Substrate Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity During Fasting in Obese Human Subjects: Impact of GH Blockade

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
73score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

How it works
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In obese men who fast for three days, blocking the hormone growth hormone with a drug called pegvisomant allows insulin to reduce fat breakdown more effectively, leading to lower levels of free fatty acids and ketones than fasting alone.

See the scientific wording

During 72-hour fasting in obese males, growth hormone blockade with pegvisomant enhances insulin-stimulated suppression of circulating lipid intermediates, reducing free fatty acids and ketones more effectively than fasting alone, indicating that GH contributes to metabolic inflexibility by impairing insulin’s ability to suppress lipolysis.

Why this might work

During fasting, growth hormone increases fat breakdown and releases fatty acids and glycerol into the blood. These fats block insulin from stopping further fat breakdown. When growth hormone is blocked, insulin can more effectively shut down fat release from fat tissue and reduce the liver's use of glycerol to make new sugar. This lowers fatty acids and ketones more than fasting alone.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Substrate Metabolism and Insulin Sensitivity During Fasting in Obese Human Subjects: Impact of GH Blockade

    When scientists blocked a hormone called growth hormone in obese men during a 3-day fast, their bodies became better at stopping fat breakdown thanks to insulin. This shows that growth hormone normally gets in the way of insulin doing its job.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.