by Phil Campbell, M.S., M.S., FACHE

It's been called the middle-age spread and the middle-age blimp-out. But whatever it's called, it's a physical reality for 80 million middle-age adults.

Officially, medical researchers call this condition the somatopause (sa-mot-a-pause).

SYMPTOMS OF THE SAGING SOMATOPAUSE

Are you middle-age and experiencing weight-gain, energy decline, and loss of muscle? Are lab reports showing bad cholesterol going up and good cholesterol going down? These are all symptoms of the somatopause that typically begins in the 30s.

Medical researchers report that the somatopause is related directly to the decline of HGH growth hormone (a natural substance produced by the body) during aging.

HORMONE REPLACEMENT

HGH growth hormone replacement therapy has proven successful in many anti-aging research experiments. It has produced a 14 percent drop in body fat and an 8 percent gain in muscle. Researchers also report improvements in the skin, bone density, and cholesterol.

These remarkable clinical results are not the best case outcome. These are the typical, average results. So you can see why many are calling HGH therapy the fountain of youth.

Initially, HGH growth hormone injections were given to children with clinical stature growth problems to help them grow normally. Today, there are 15,000 children being treated with growth hormone.

When given to adults, growth hormone replacement therapy does not make adults grow taller, but it does reverse several clinical measures of the somatopause.

CELEBRITY ANTI-AGING DRUG OF CHOICE

It's widely reported that several well-known actors take HGH growth hormone injections for its anti-aging, youth rejuvenating properties. HGH has been banned for athletes because of its ability to improve performance.

While there's research to show serious side-effects are possible with this therapy, everyone knows instinctively -- when you inject something into your bloodstream that costs $1,500 a month (that can put on muscle like steroids and pull 30 lbs of body fat off a 200 lb person), it doesn't take rocket science to figure there's a price to pay in the long run.

Hold on! There's a better way to get the benefits of increasing HGH growth hormone. And it's 100% natural and it doesn't cost a dime - just a little of your time.

THE NATURAL CURE FOR THE SOMATOPAUSE

There are two cures for the middle-age somatopause - HGH growth hormone injections, or the natural method, anaerobic exercise.

HGH growth hormone can be increased 530% with anaerobic exercise - the short-burst, get-you-out-of-breath quickly, sprinting types of exercise. You don't have to spend all day in the gym, jog for hours, or starve yourself. But it does require high-intensity exercise for short periods.

Now, before you go out and run, cycle, or swim a few 100 meter sprints or power-walk some steep hills, it's important to note that anaerobic exercise is the most productive form of exercise (from the HGH anti-aging standpoint), but it's also the most dangerous. Even young athletes need to warm-up, and progressively build intensity levels or risk pulling hamstrings, calf muscles, and Achilles tears.

Middle-age adults need to slowly ease into high-intensity anaerobic exercise. And for some reason, many of my X-jock friends believe that this warning does not apply to them. Even well-conditioned athletes, who can jog for miles, need a progressive, six to eight week buildup period.

Adults can successfully add anaerobic fitness training to their fitness program, but there needs to be a slow, progressive buildup period. And physician clearance should be obtained before beginning any type of high-intensity training.

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Phil Campbell is the author of "Ready, Set, GO! Synergy Fitness for Time-Crunched Adults"
Pristine Publishers Inc. USA

Sources: National Library of Medicine. Website link: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
1. Savine, Sonksen. (2000). "Growth Hormone-hormone replacement for the somatopause." Horm Res 2000:53 Suppl 3:37-41. PMID: 10971102. Website link:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10971102&dopt=Abstract

2.Pritzlaff. (2000). "Catecholamine release, growth hormone secretion, and energy expenditure during exercise vs. recovery in men. J Appl Physiol 2000 Sep;89(3):937-46. PMID: 10956336. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10956336&dopt=Abstract

3. Pritzlaff. (1999). "Impact of acute exercise intensity on pulsatile growth hormone release in men." J Appl Physiol. Aug;87(2):498-504. PMID: 10444604. Website link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10444604&dopt=Abstract

GROWTH HORMONE DECLINES WITH AGE