Greetings, Primals!
One of my favorite reasons for being at Burn Booth Camp at 5:15 AM most days is what happens after my workout! A high intensity strength workout signals the body to start releasing growth hormone. And here’s the wild part: about 20% of your daily growth hormone is released after you train. That hormone is what drives muscle repair, fat burning, and cellular regeneration!
But most people blunt and shorten the body’s recovery efforts by doing something they think is benefiting immediately post workout. They walk out of the gym and slam a fruit smoothie!
In today’s issue:
Why insulin and growth hormone don’t mix
When to eat carbs for optimal recovery
How to use fasting windows to support fat-burning and repair
The sleep-growth hormone connectionFirst time reading? Sign up here.
WEEKLY DEEP DIVE
When you finish a hard workout, your body responds by releasing growth hormone (GH)—a key driver of muscle repair, fat burning, and cellular regeneration. According to research in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, fasted high-intensity training significantly increases growth hormone levels post-exercise.
But here’s where most people sabotage recovery:
They finish training and immediately grab a fruit smoothie or high-carb snack. This causes a spike in blood glucose and triggers an insulin response. And here’s the problem—insulin and growth hormone don’t work well together. They are counter-regulatory hormones. When insulin is elevated, growth hormone secretion and its downstream effects are suppressed.
Insulin is an energy storage hormone which tells the body to store glucose, build fat, and hold onto nutrients. Growth hormone mobilizes energy for rebuilding. GH instructs the body to break down fat for fuel, stimulate protein synthesis, and repair tissue.
If you want to maximize the anabolic and fat-burning effects of growth hormone, you need to delay carbohydrate consumption for 90 to 120 minutes after your workout. Give your body time to stay in growth mode before shifting into energy storage mode.
This same principle applies at night. The largest release of growth hormone in a 24-hour period occurs shortly after you fall asleep. But if you eat a high-carb meal or snack before bed, that insulin spike can blunt or shut down your ability to enter deep, restorative sleep—where growth hormone does its best work.
The Primal Takeaway
Your body isn’t designed to be in growth and storage mode at the same time! Growth hormone plays a critical role in repairing muscle, burning fat, and regenerating tissue. This process of growth requires a lot of energy. However, its effects are significantly diminished when insulin is elevated. By simply delaying carbohydrate intake after your workout and avoiding high-carb meals before bed, you allow growth hormone to do what it was designed to do. This approach aligns with how our ancestors recovered—by giving the body time to restore before refueling!
With Gratitude,
Will Winston, PHC
“Our results always match our choices. Therefore choose to Keep It Primal!”
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See you next week,
Will Winston
Certified Primal Health Coach
References
Kanaley, J. A., et al. (2001). Growth hormone responses to repeated bouts of aerobic exercise in young and older men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 91(1), 163–170.
Møller, N., et al. (2009). Impact of insulin on growth hormone secretion and signaling. Frontiers of Hormone Research, 37, 98–106.
Ivy, J. L., & Portman, R. (2004). Nutrient Timing: The Future of Sports Nutrition.
