Does fasting for one day growth hormone?

Yes, fasting can indeed increase growth hormone levels. According to Andrew Huberman, fasting leads to a significant elevation in growth hormone primarily due to the action of the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin, often associated with hunger, can bind to receptors in the brain that are normally responsive to growth hormone-releasing hormone, thereby stimulating the production of growth hormone. This mechanism can result in approximately a doubling of growth hormone levels during the waking state while fasting 1.

Additionally, avoiding food intake roughly 2 hours before sleep can optimize the pulse of growth hormone released during sleep, a period when everyone naturally experiences a release of this hormone. However, consuming carbohydrate-rich meals close to bedtime can substantially blunt this growth peak 2.