Rapid suppression of growth hormone concentration by overeating: potential mediation by hyperinsulinemia

The very low GH concentration in obesity is commonly attributed to high body fat mass; however, the influence of overeating on GH secretion is not clear.

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of 2 wk of overeating on changes in GH secretion.

Subjects were admitted to the hospital and stayed within the Michigan Clinical Research Unit throughout the entire 2-wk overeating period.

We studied seven healthy, nonobese men (body mass index, 24 ± 1 kg/m(2); age, 25 ± 1 yr).

Subjects ate standardized meals containing 70 kcal/kg fat free mass/d (∼4000 kcal/d) for 2 wk.

Twenty-four-hour plasma concentrations of GH (every 20 min) and insulin (every 2 h) were measured before overeating (baseline), on d 3, and after 2 wk of overeating.

Compared with baseline, average 24-h plasma GH concentration declined nearly 80% by d 3 of overeating (1.30 ± 0.18 vs. 0.36 ± 0.09 ng/ml; P = 0.01). This marked suppression of GH secretion occurred in the absence of an increase in body weight (77.0 ± 2.2 vs. 76.4 ± 2.4 kg). At the same time, average 24-h insulin concentration doubled (16.6 ± 2.1 vs. 31.7 ± 5.8 μU/ml; P = 0.009). After 2 wk, body weight significantly increased (79.0 ± 2.1 kg; P < 0.001), and body fat increased by more than 10% (P = 0.002). However, this did not induce a further suppression in plasma GH concentration (0.33 ± 0.08 ng/ml).

Only a few days of overeating markedly suppressed GH secretion before any measurable weight gain and was accompanied by chronic hyperinsulinemia. Increased body weight and body fat by 2 wk of overeating did not further suppress GH secretion.