Growth hormone (GH) and muscle quality

GH production drops by 60% at age 60. A senior who had been taking asthma meds for a long time experienced severe neck and shoulder bone fracture from a fall.  Know that some meds can impair muscle quality.

The following factors influence GH secretion spike by the pituitary gland in the brain:

Factors Increasing GH Secretion	Factors Decreasing GH Secretion
Physiological:	Physiological:
Sleep	Hyperglycemia
Fasting	Elevated Blood Free Fatty Acids
Exercise	Obesity
High Amino Acids in the Blood	Hyper or Hypothyroidism
Low Blood Sugar
Pharmacologic:	Pharmacologic:
Any hypoglycemic agent	GH itself
Estrogens	Somatostatin
Alpha-agonists	Alpha antagonists (yohimbine)
Beta antagonists	Beta agonists (ephedrine, clenbuterol)
Serotonin	Serotonin antagonists
Dopamine	Dopamine antagonists
GABA

Source: Basic and Clinical Endocrinology, 5th Edition

Muscle regeneration

Muscle growth and capacity to regenerate upon injury are faster for skeletal muscle but poor for cardiac muscle especially for young ones.

A greater capacity…