Why staying on your GH medicine during a fast helps your body save muscle
Continuation of Growth Hormone (GH) Substitution during Fasting in GH-Deficient Patients Decreases Urea Excretion and Conserves Protein Synthesis<sup>1</sup>
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
GH didn’t increase glucose use during fasting—even though it raised blood sugar levels.
Most assume GH acts like insulin or cortisol—pushing glucose into cells. But here, glucose stayed higher without being burned, suggesting GH’s role is more about preserving fuel than using it.
Practical Takeaways
If you have GH deficiency and practice fasting, continue your prescribed GH replacement to help preserve muscle and increase fat burning.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
GH didn’t increase glucose use during fasting—even though it raised blood sugar levels.
Most assume GH acts like insulin or cortisol—pushing glucose into cells. But here, glucose stayed higher without being burned, suggesting GH’s role is more about preserving fuel than using it.
Practical Takeaways
If you have GH deficiency and practice fasting, continue your prescribed GH replacement to help preserve muscle and increase fat burning.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
Year
2001
Authors
Helene Nørrelund, Niels Møller, K. Sreekumaran Nair, Jens Sandahl Christiansen, Jens Otto Lunde Jørgensen
Related Content
Claims (6)
When people with low growth hormone fast for a day and a half, giving them their hormone medicine helps their bodies keep building and keeping proteins instead of breaking them down.
When people with low growth hormone take their hormone while fasting, their bodies burn more fat for energy instead of breaking down muscle.
When people with low growth hormone fast and take their hormone, their bodies produce less urea (a waste product from breaking down protein), meaning they’re not losing as much protein.
When people with low growth hormone take their hormone while fasting, their blood sugar goes up a little, but their body doesn’t use more or less glucose overall—so it’s just keeping sugar available without changing how it’s burned.
Endogenous adipose tissue serves as a metabolic substrate that can support muscle protein synthesis during periods of caloric restriction or maintenance.