How to Control Your Metabolism by Thyroid & Growth Hormone | Huberman Lab Essentials

Andrew Huberman

Mar 6, 2025

Episode description

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain how two key hormones control metabolism and discuss tools to enhance their levels to improve metabolic health.

I discuss the pathways through which the brain and body interact to produce thyroid hormone and growth hormone, and how these hormones influence essential processes like tissue growth and repair, body composition, and energy production. I explain how thyroid hormone levels are influenced by key nutrients, such as iodine, selenium, and L-tyrosine. I also explain how practices such as exercise, sleep, meditation and sauna can offset age-related declines in growth hormone, to optimize overall hormone health and metabolism.

Episode show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/NiHUHED

Huberman Lab Essentials are short episodes focused on essential science and protocol takeaways from past full-length Huberman Lab episodes. Watch or listen to the full-length episode: https://youtu.be/x7qbJeRxWGw

*Timestamps*
00:00:00 Huberman Lab Essentials; Hormones & Metabolism
00:01:41 Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Thyroid
00:03:22 Thyroid Hormone Functions, Tools: Iodine, Selenium, L-Tyrosine
00:07:55 Thyroid Hormone, Glucose & Metabolism; Thyroid Hormone Disorders
00:10:14 Growth Hormone Functions, Prescription Growth Hormone
00:13:10 Growth Hormone Release, Tools: Sleep & Bedtime Fasting
00:14:35 Growth Hormone Release, Tools: Meditation; Exercise, Warm-Up, Glucose, Cool Down
00:19:30 Growth Hormone Supplements, Arginine
00:21:31 Offsetting Age-Related Growth Hormone Decline
00:22:30 Temperature & Growth Hormone, Tool: Sauna Protocol
00:26:49 Peptides, Sermorelin, Secretagogues, Risk
00:29:37 Recap & Key Takeaways

Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Incorporate Brazil nuts for optimal selenium intake

Brazil nuts are the heavyweight champion food for selenium, a mineral crucial for thyroid function, with just six to eight nuts containing over 550 micrograms.

#nutrition

Utilize peptides to stimulate natural hormone production

Peptides like Sermorelin are not growth hormone itself, but rather mimics of the body's releasing hormones that stimulate your pituitary to produce more.

#hormones

#peptides

Maximize growth hormone with targeted exercise protocol

To maximize growth hormone, exercise for about 60 minutes after a warm-up, get close to failure, and avoid ingesting sugar which will flatline the release.

#exercise

#growth-hormone

Limit arginine dosage to maximize growth hormone benefits

While arginine can boost growth hormone by 400-600%, taking more than nine grams can actually blunt the effect and it does not stack with exercise benefits.

#dosage

#supplement

Utilize meditation to boost growth hormone release

Certain meditation practices can induce delta-wave brain activity similar to deep sleep, which is the primary trigger for growth hormone release.

#growth-hormone

#meditation

Implement sauna protocol to boost growth hormone 16-fold

A specific sauna protocol of two 20-minute sessions separated by a 30-minute cooling period can increase growth hormone release up to 16-fold.

#growth-hormone

#sauna

Avoid food before sleep to enhance growth hormone release

Eating within two hours of going to sleep will suppress the large pulse of growth hormone that is naturally released during the early part of sleep.

#growth-hormone

#sleep

Offset age-related hormone decline with targeted exercise protocols

The two-to-three-fold decrease in growth hormone in your 30s and 40s can be completely offset by the 300-500% increase from specific exercise protocols.