Performance

Sermorelin Benefits for Men & Women

Sermorelin promotes the natural release of growth hormone (GH), a peptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland that stimulates muscle and bone growth, promotes fat burning, improves cardiovascular health, and shortens recovery time. Unlike human growth hormone (HGH), sermorelin works with your body’s natural rhythms to restore GH as levels decline after age 30.¹

GH production is reported to decrease by 14% each decade and may decline by up to 50% every seven years in adult men. About 35% of men over the age of 60 are thought to be GH-deficient.²GH reduction is most prominent in sleep-related GH pulses.

Sermorelin was an FDA-approved medication sold under the brand name Geref in the early 2000s. The manufacturer discontinued production, but not for safety or efficacy reasons. Since AMD Serano discontinued production, there has been a decline in research, but studies prior to 2008 indicate that sermorelin increases growth hormone levels, potentially reversing the signs of age-related growth hormone declines and providing many sermorelin benefits for men and women. Results will vary by person, and many of the research results are inconsistent. Restoring healthy levels of human growth hormone has the following potential benefits.

1. Increase Lean Body Mass

Sermorelin increases the production of growth hormone and, ultimately, insulin-like growth hormone 1 (IGF-1). IGF-1 stimulates muscle cell growth. This led researchers to explore whether stimulating GH production would increase IGF-1 and subsequently increase lean muscle mass.³

In a 26-week study that enrolled men and women aged 65 to 88 to receive GH and sex steroids, researchers discovered the following:⁴

Lean body mass in women

Increased by 0.4 kg in the placebo group
Increased by 1.2 kg in the sex steroid hormone replacement group
Increased by 1.0 kg in the GH group
Increased by 2.1 kg in the GH and sex steroid hormone replacement group

Lean body mass in men

Increased by 0.1 kg in the placebo group
Increased by 1.4 kg in the sex steroid hormone replacement group
Increased by 3.1 kg in the GH group
Increased by 4.3 kg in the GH and sex steroid hormone replacement group

In another study, 52 men over the age of 69 took GH or a placebo for six months. Lean body mass increased by 4.3% in the GH replacement group. Lean body mass declined by 0.1% in the placebo group.⁵

2. Promotes Fat-Burning

Growth hormone is an anabolic, lipolytic, and hyperglycemic hormone. It stimulates fat breakdown and increases glucose levels to promote tissue building. Children with low growth hormone have decreased fat-free mass and increased percent body fat. Body fat is concentrated in the abdomen and hips.³

In a 26-week study that enrolled men and women aged 65 to 88 to receive GH and sex steroids, women and men had a significant decrease in fat mass in the GH and GH plus sex steroid replacement groups.⁴

In a study enrolling 52 men over the age of 69 to receive either GH three times weekly for six months or a placebo, fat mass decreased by an average of 13.1% in the growth hormone group and 0.3% in the placebo group.⁵

Research supports the premise that restoring growth hormone levels will increase lean muscle mass and decrease fat mass.

3. Enhances Muscle Strength

In a 26-week study that enrolled men and women aged 65 to 88 to receive GH and sex steroids, researchers discovered the following:⁶

Women’s strength decreased in the placebo group and had a nonsignificant increase in the GH and GH plus sex hormone replacement groups.
Men’s strength did not significantly increase except for a marginally significant strength increase in the GH plus sex steroid replacement group.

Another study in which men over the age of 69 received GH three times weekly for six months supported a lack of increase in grip strength after taking GH.⁴

Research results regarding GH replacement and muscle strength are inconclusive. More research is needed, especially in populations interested in combining the effects of increasing GH with sermorelin and with exercise.

4. Improves Cardiovascular Function

Aging is associated with increased blood pressure, cholesterol deposits on blood vessel walls, stroke risk, heart attacks, and peripheral vascular disease. IGF-1 inhibits cholesterol deposition and reduces inflammation in blood vessel walls.²

In a 26-week study that enrolled men and women aged 65 to 88 to receive GH and sex steroids, women had no change in VO2 max after receiving GH or GH plus sex steroids. Men had a marginal increase in VO2 max in the GH plus sex steroid replacement group.⁶

5. Shortens Recovery Time

Human growth hormone increases tissue growth, especially bone and cartilage tissue growth. HGH activates mitogen-activated protein kinases, increasing gene transcription in body cells and cellular growth.

IGF-1 binds to receptors on the surface of cells, increasing metabolism, cell growth, and cell division. It also inhibits apoptosis, a process of programmed cell death, prolonging the lifespan of individual cells.⁷

6. Improves Sleep

In a 1995 study, taking a growth-hormone secretagogue increased growth hormone, ACTH hormone, cortisol levels, and stage 2 sleep without negatively impacting slow-wave sleep time.⁶

In a 2007 analysis of multiple studies comparing the efficacy of taking GH versus placebo, researchers found that overall fat mass decreased and overall lean body mass increased with no change in overall weight. Side effects included tissue swelling, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and enlarged breast tissue in men.⁸These side effects limit the use of GH supplementation and have led researchers to explore safer alternatives, such as sermorelin, that stimulate natural growth hormone release.²

Disclaimer

While we strive to always provide accurate, current, and safe advice in all of our articles and guides, it’s important to stress that they are no substitute for medical advice from a doctor or healthcare provider. You should always consult a practicing professional who can diagnose your specific case. The content we’ve included in this guide is merely meant to be informational and does not constitute medical advice.

References

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Sattler FR. Growth hormone in the aging male. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Aug;27(4):541-55. doi: 10.1016/j.beem.2013.05.003. Epub 2013 Jun 18. PMID: 24054930; PMCID: PMC3940699.
Aguiar-Oliveira MH, Bartke A. Growth Hormone Deficiency: Health and Longevity. Endocr Rev. 2019 Apr 1;40(2):575-601. doi: 10.1210/er.2018-00216. PMID: 30576428; PMCID: PMC6416709.
Blackman MR, Sorkin JD, Münzer T, Bellantoni MF, Busby-Whitehead J, Stevens TE, Jayme J, O’Connor KG, Christmas C, Tobin JD, Stewart KJ, Cottrell E, St Clair C, Pabst KM, Harman SM. Growth hormone and sex steroid administration in healthy aged women and men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002 Nov 13;288(18):2282-92. doi: 10.1001/jama.288.18.2282. PMID: 12425705.
Papadakis MA, Grady D, Black D, Tierney MJ, Gooding GA, Schambelan M, Grunfeld C. Growth hormone replacement in healthy older men improves body composition but not functional ability. Ann Intern Med. 1996 Apr 15;124(8):708-16. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-124-8-199604150-00002. PMID: 8633830.
Giustina A, Veldhuis JD. Pathophysiology of the neuroregulation of growth hormone secretion in experimental animals and the human. Endocr Rev. 1998 Dec;19(6):717-97. doi: 10.1210/edrv.19.6.0353. PMID: 9861545.
Brinkman JE, Tariq MA, Leavitt L, et al. Physiology, Growth Hormone. [Updated 2023 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482141/
Liu H, Bravata DM, Olkin I, Nayak S, Roberts B, Garber AM, Hoffman AR. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly. Ann Intern Med. 2007 Jan 16;146(2):104-15. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-146-2-200701160-00005. PMID: 17227934.