GLOSSARY

Acute Growth Hormone Responses to Exercise
Exercise can transiently increase GH secretion, with the response shaped by intensity, duration, recruited muscle mass, nutritional state and prior training. The timing of sampling strongly affects the measured peak.

A dynamic signal

The exercise response is superimposed on normal pulsatile secretion. Two similar sessions can therefore produce different measured patterns without representing different adaptation potential.

Metabolic role

GH-related responses contribute to the integrated handling of fuels and tissue signals. They act alongside catecholamines, insulin, glucagon and cortisol rather than independently.

Training interpretation

A larger acute GH peak is not a reliable standalone predictor of later hypertrophy or strength gain. Program evaluation should prioritize performance, workload tolerance and recovery over attempts to maximize a transient blood hormone response.