The role of growth hormone in the regulation of protein metabolism with particular reference to conditions of fasting.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review without systematic methodology or primary human trial data
PubMed 12566723 · doi:10.1159/000067827
What was done
Narrative review synthesizing literature on how growth hormone (GH) regulates protein metabolism across different physiological states, specifically focusing on fasting conditions and interactions with insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and lipolysis-derived free fatty acids.
What was found
The abstract provides a qualitative overview and reports no quantitative data or effect sizes. It notes that chronic GH deficiency decreases lean body mass and muscle mass, whereas acromegaly increases them. GH regulates protein dynamics by stimulating synthesis and restricting breakdown depending on tissue type and conditions, with GH-stimulated lipolysis and elevated circulating free fatty acids playing a central role in protein conservation.
Why it matters
Highlights the interplay between growth hormone, lipid mobilization, and protein preservation, providing mechanistic context for lean mass maintenance during energy deprivation.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic literature search, risk of bias assessment, and quantitative pooling. The abstract reports no primary experimental data, sample characteristics, or numerical measurements.
Cited by
- supports Fasting causes a surge in growth hormone that preserves muscle tissue from breakdown.