Duration of GH Fat Lipolysis

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I take 2 IUs of GH 60 mins. pre workout. Conventional wisdom says to delay post workout carbs for about 60-90 mins post workout to enjoy extra fat lipolysis while insulin and GH do their thing. Makes sense. However, my workout lasts around 3 hours usually because I combine lift and cardio in the same session.

Does this duration have any impact on the overall effect of the GH? Since I blast an hour before the workout that means it's typically been 4-5 hours by the time I am done. Is the GH still active this long post-injection?
 
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Thanks ChatGPT :)

Your workout duration does impact how HGH operates in your body, but overall, your current timing and strategy remain effective with some nuances to consider:

HGH Activity Duration

  • Active Window: HGH typically peaks in the bloodstream around 2-3 hours post-injection and begins to decline after that. Its effects may still linger to some extent for up to 4-5 hours, primarily through the actions of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is released in response to HGH stimulation.
  • By the end of your 3-hour workout, the direct activity of the injected HGH is mostly waning. However, IGF-1 levels stimulated by the injection can continue supporting recovery, fat mobilization, and anabolism.

Workout Impact on HGH Effects

  1. Extended Fat-Burning Benefits:
    • During your cardio session, the mobilized fat from HGH injection continues to fuel activity. Cardio helps ensure you're utilizing the lipolysis benefits initiated by the HGH shot.
  2. Post-Workout Timing for Carbs:
    • Delaying post-workout carbs remains ideal in this case. Insulin blunts lipolysis, and delaying carb intake for 60-90 minutes after exercise further amplifies the fat-burning window.
  3. Muscle Sparing:
    • With extended workouts, glycogen stores are depleted. While HGH provides some muscle-sparing effects through enhanced fat metabolism and protein synthesis, ensure you're not compromising muscle by neglecting post-workout nutrition for too long.

Considerations for 3-Hour Workouts

  • Hydration and Electrolytes: Extended workouts may increase cortisol levels, which can oppose the fat-loss and anabolic effects of HGH. Consider intra-workout electrolytes and a small amount of protein (like branched-chain amino acids or hydrolyzed whey) to buffer cortisol without impacting HGH's fat-burning benefits.
  • Efficiency of Pre-Workout Injection: Your strategy of injecting HGH 60 minutes before working out works well because it aligns peak HGH levels with the period of high physical demand. However, by the end of 5 hours, the impact of HGH itself may have significantly diminished.

Tweaks to Maximize Benefits

  1. Split Doses:
    If feasible, you could consider splitting your 2 IU dose into 1 IU pre-workout and 1 IU post-workout or before bed to extend the HGH’s activity and benefits across a longer time span.
  2. Post-Workout Nutrition:
    After a 3-hour workout, consider breaking your fast with a small meal high in protein and low in carbs to support muscle repair without entirely stopping fat burning. Delay carb reintroduction for another 30-60 minutes after that.

Conclusion

The duration of your workout slightly overlaps the active window of HGH, but its benefits—particularly in terms of fat mobilization and recovery—are still utilized effectively. If desired, splitting your dose or fine-tuning your nutrition strategy could help optimize long-term results.
 

CJ

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You're over thinking this. 🤣

It's still Cals in vs Cals out. Yes, GH does cause some body fat stores to be released into the bloodstream, to either be used as fuel or re-stored later, if not used.

But that's just a snapshot in time. Even if you took no GH, when your available energy gets low from training/cardio, fat and glycogen is still released from stores. It's not a magic fat loss compound, it can't break the laws of thermodynamics.

Just take it when you will remember to.
 
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buck

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I have always taken my GH whenever i thought about it. quit micromanaging the body long ago as it rarely paid attention to my way of thinking and did what it was going to do anyway.
 
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Remembering when to take it is not a problem for me. I'm simply trying to understand it's effects in order maximize usefulness. Timing is a factor in that equation.
 

Jonjon

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If taking for fat loss take it first thing in the morning fasted. That’s what wiser men have taught me
 
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If taking for fat loss take it first thing in the morning fasted. That’s what wiser men have taught me

Ultimately, I'm after the best of both worlds. I'm already losing fat just fine between diet and cardio. The GH is to maintain/build muscle while in a deficit. But if I can leverage the lipolytic properties at the same time why wouldn't I?
 

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If taking for fat loss take it first thing in the morning fasted. That’s what wiser men have taught me

Then what, wait several hours to do cardio, because it takes hours to do its thing? Or wake up hours early, take your shot, then go back to bed?

Just use itthe night before. Your body has the entire night to utilize the energy release for recovery and repair. And you can also add fasted cardio to this method, too.
 
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Just use itthe night before. Your body has the entire night to utilize the energy release for recovery and repair. And you can also add fasted cardio to this method, too.

My understanding is that if you use it before bed you will blunt your own natural production cycles. Assuming you are still young enough to be producing adequate amounts of natty GH, this might not be the best approach. Happy to be wrong but this is what I've read.
 

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My understanding is that if you use it before bed you will blunt your own natural production cycles. Assuming you are still young enough to be producing adequate amounts of natty GH, this might not be the best approach. Happy to be wrong but this is what I've read.

Well then it would stand to reason that it would also blunt the natural post workout GH release if taken pre workout.
 
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Well then it would stand to reason that it would also blunt the natural post workout GH release if taken pre workout.

Yes but this is a small trade-off. Natural post workout GH is a good bit less than the deep-sleep pulses of GH we get.

I'm fine missing out on the small endogenous GH spike from post-workout considering it is being replaced by the larger and more predictable effect of exogenous HGH. I wouldn't say the same thing about sleep-induced endogenous HGH pulses.
 

CJ

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Yes but this is a small trade-off. Natural post workout GH is a good bit less than the deep-sleep pulses of GH we get.

I'm fine missing out on the small endogenous GH spike from post-workout considering it is being replaced by the larger and more predictable effect of exogenous HGH. I wouldn't say the same thing about sleep-induced endogenous HGH pulses.

But doesn't the body release it at night for a reason? Are you trying to outsmart your body?
The vast majority of users take it at night for a reason.

And again, you're assuming that morning GH will result in more fat loss. It might, in the moment, but over the course if the day, if calories in/out and macros are equated, there will be no difference in fat loss from either method. If you don't believe me, then please explain where the calories go?
 
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But doesn't the body release it at night for a reason? Are you trying to outsmart your body? The vast majority of users take it at night for a reason.

Trying to outsmart my body implies that I'm actively working against it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm trying to work WITH my body. I think the "vast majority of users take it at night" is lacking context. It is hardly a universally accepted strategy as not all goals are the same.

And again, you're assuming that morning GH will result in more fat loss.

And you're assuming I take it in the morning. I don't. I take it at about 2:30 PM, about an hour before my workout and roughly 3 hours after my last carb. This ensures enough time for absorption, low insulin levels and (hopefully) enough lead time to peak for cardio which occurs about 1.5-2 hours into my workout. Hence, my original post questioning the duration of effectiveness.

You're also assuming fat loss is my primary goal with GH. It's not. It's a nice side effect but I primarily use it for muscle, bone and skin benefits.

if calories in/out and macros are equated, there will be no difference in fat loss from either method. If you don't believe me, then please explain where the calories go?

So HGH does not promote fat mobilization leading to fat loss? Or it does so in such a way as to be a zero sum game and to use it for these purposes is futile? I don't know what you're trying to say here.

In any event, this is my strategy and I believe it to be sound. I am not married to this approach. I will adjust as I observe how my body responds. I fully accept and admit that am still very new to being my own lab rat.
 

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Trying to outsmart my body implies that I'm actively working against it. Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm trying to work WITH my body. I think the "vast majority of users take it at night" is lacking context. It is hardly a universally accepted strategy as not all goals are the same.



And you're assuming I take it in the morning. I don't. I take it at about 2:30 PM, about an hour before my workout and roughly 3 hours after my last carb. This ensures enough time for absorption, low insulin levels and (hopefully) enough lead time to peak for cardio which occurs about 1.5-2 hours into my workout. Hence, my original post questioning the duration of effectiveness.

You're also assuming fat loss is my primary goal with GH. It's not. It's a nice side effect but I primarily use it for muscle, bone and skin benefits.
The just take it whenever, and forget it.
So HGH does not promote fat mobilization leading to fat loss? Or it does so in such a way as to be a zero sum game and to use it for these purposes is futile? I don't know what you're trying to say here.
It MOBILIZES stored fat, but whether that fat is burned or simply stored again is a result of energy needs.

If one is exercising fasted, then those calories are simply shifted to later in the day. Body fat will just be stored then, there's no "hacking" thermodynamics.
In any event, this is my strategy and I believe it to be sound. I am not married to this approach. I will adjust as I observe how my body responds. I fully accept and admit that am still very new to being my own lab rat.
It's perfectly fine, take it whenever you are going to remember it. That's far and away the important part.
 
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CJ is dead on! Dial in your macros first!! Then you’re winning regardless of the outside factors!!! Oh wait you can afford to blast GH, awesome now you’re super human! It’s a game changer, but win the basic game first🏆
💪😎
 
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Check out some pics CJ has dropped! You will never second guess him again!! If the brothers are gracious enough to drop wisdom, take it and run Adrenalytic💪😎
 

CJ

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Check out some pics CJ has dropped! You will never second guess him again!! If the brothers are gracious enough to drop wisdom, take it and run Adrenalytic💪😎

I appreciate the compliment, but I'm going to have to disagree with its premise.

Just because someone looks/performs a certain way, it doesn't mean that they are correct/knowledgeable.

(plus, I'm just an average looking in-shape guy, I'm nothing special. There are millions of mes out there)
 
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But doesn't the body release it at night for a reason? Are you trying to outsmart your body?
The vast majority of users take it at night for a reason.

And again, you're assuming that morning GH will result in more fat loss. It might, in the moment, but over the course if the day, if calories in/out and macros are equated, there will be no difference in fat loss from either method. If you don't believe me, then please explain where the calories go?

Taking GH before bed will stop your body from producing it's own GH, as there is already enough present. The same way your body won't produce it's own testosterone if there is already enough synthetic test present. Taking it first thing in the morning is the way to go in order to achieve the highest amount of overall GH in your system over a 24 hour period.

If you're injecting large amounts of GH, then it's probably not much of a difference, but if you're only using 1.5-2 IU like many of us, you're literally leaving your own bodies freely produced GH on the table and not getting the maximum benefit possible.

That's just how GH production works. If anything, you should be timing your work outs around your GH peak, rather than timing your GH around your workouts, if maximum utilization is a primary concern.
 

CJ

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Taking GH before bed will stop your body from producing it's own GH, as there is already enough present. The same way your body won't produce it's own testosterone if there is already enough synthetic test present. Taking it first thing in the morning is the way to go in order to achieve the highest amount of overall GH in your system over a 24 hour period.

If you're injecting large amounts of GH, then it's probably not much of a difference, but if you're only using 1.5-2 IU like many of us, you're literally leaving your own bodies freely produced GH on the table and not getting the maximum benefit possible.

That's just how GH production works. If anything, you should be timing your work outs around your GH peak, rather than timing your GH around your workouts, if maximum utilization is a primary concern.

It's actually the increased igf1 levels, and not the GH directly, that we are looking for for increased muscle growth. And the elevated igf levels maintain for awhile, so no need for timing.

But let's go with your reasoning. You are aware that workouts cause an acute GH spike, correct? Well if you administer the GH your way, then that spike won't happen, since levels are already elevated from the exogenous GH that you already took. So pick your poison.

Since you're on this site, I'll also assume that you're at least on TRT. Do you also take Testosterone no ester or suspension in the morning, so as not to disrupt your body's natural testosterone release at night? 🤔
 
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Since you're on this site, I'll also assume that you're at least on TRT. Do you also take Testosterone no ester or suspension in the morning, so as not to disrupt your body's natural testosterone release at night? 🤔

You're free to keep taking your GH suboptimally, no need to make bad faith arguments.

I don't bother timing GH and workouts in relation to each other, but it's just a fact that taking it before bed will result in less overall GH in your system over the course of the day than if you take it in the morning.

The sources that recommend GH at night are always in relation to people with GH deficiencies, who are trying to medically supplement/replace what their body won't produce. It's different if your objective is supraphysiological amounts.
 

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