Your body already makes growth hormone in pulses, with the largest release during deep, slow-wave sleep. That makes consistent, sufficient sleep the single most important lever. Protecting your sleep schedule and your deepest sleep stages supports the natural overnight pulse.
Exercise is the other reliable trigger. Intense resistance training and high-intensity intervals produce short-term increases in growth hormone. These are normal physiological responses, not large or lasting changes, and they happen whether or not you take a supplement.
Keeping body fat in a healthy range helps too, since higher body fat is linked with lower growth hormone output. Avoiding large, sugary meals right before bed may also help, because a sharp rise in insulin can blunt the overnight release.
What does not reliably work is taking amino acids by mouth. Oral arginine, a common ingredient, has not been shown to raise resting growth hormone, and may reduce the exercise response. Focus on sleep and training first, and speak with a doctor before adding supplements.
Sources
- Normal Physiology of Growth Hormone in Adults, Endotext, NCBI Bookshelf
- Oral arginine attenuates the growth hormone response to resistance exercise, PubMed
This page is general information, not medical advice. Real human growth hormone is a prescription medicine given by injection. Products sold as HGH supplements do not contain growth hormone. Talk to a doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you take medication or have a health condition.