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Nocturnal GH Release

Meaning

Nocturnal GH Release is the significant, pulsatile surge of Growth Hormone (GH) that occurs predominantly during the initial stages of deep, slow-wave sleep (SWS), typically within the first few hours of the sleep cycle. This release is the largest secretory episode of the day and is physiologically critical for the body’s overnight restorative processes, including tissue repair, fat metabolism (lipolysis), and liver production of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1). Diminished nocturnal GH pulses are a key marker of somatopause, the age-related decline in Growth Hormone secretion.