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).