After 1 week of fasting, they had increased by a massive 1,250% ( 18). One study found that 3 days into a fast, HGH levels increased by over 300%. Studies show that fasting leads to a major increase in HGH levels. Get rid of excess body fat - especially around your belly - to optimize your HGH levels and improve your health. Losing belly fat will help optimize your HGH levels and other aspects of your health. After losing a significant amount of weight, their levels returned to normal ( 17).īelly fat is the most dangerous type of stored fat and linked to many diseases. What’s more, a study found that people with obesity had lower levels of HGH and IGF-1 - a growth-related protein. However, lowering body fat is still key for both genders ( 15, 16). Interestingly, research suggests that excess body fat affects HGH levels more in men. One study observed that those with three times the amount of belly fat as the control group had less than half their amount of HGH ( 15).Īnother study monitored the 24-hour release of HGH and found a large decline in those with more abdominal fat. Those with higher levels of belly fat will likely have impaired HGH production and an increased risk of disease. The amount of belly fat you carry is directly related to your HGH production ( 3).