young male students, while in the same study, two fifteen-
minute sessions at 100°C (212°F) resulted in a fivefold
increase. Another study that subjected young men to
repeated sessions found that two one-hour sessions a day at
80°C (176°F) increased growth hormone by a remarkable
sixteen-fold, although the increases tapered off after the
third day of repeated exposure. As you adapt, spacing out
your sessions may be helpful.
As easy as it is to boost growth hormone, it’s even easier
to deplete it—especially today. Chronic stress is one of the
major modern growth hormone fighters, directly at odds
with maintaining our precious lean muscle tissue.
Carbohydrate consumption immediately turns off growth
hormone production, providing an explanation as to why
low-calorie diets without carbohydrate restriction can lead to
muscle loss concurrent with fat loss.
Finally, getting fewer than seven hours of sleep has been
shown to negatively affect growth hormone production. In
fact, most of the growth hormone in our bodies is produced
during slow-wave sleep, so getting two to three full cycles is
critical—shoot for eight hours a night.
Cortisol: The Carpe Diem Hormone
Cortisol, a master circadian regulator, peaks upon
waking, creating a temporary catabolic state in the body.
Often thought of solely as a stress hormone, cortisol is also
instrumental as the “waking” hormone, liberating energy as
carbs, fat, and amino acids for use in the early daytime
hours. When insulin and cortisol are both present at the
same time (i.e., after a carbohydrate-rich breakfast),