Somatopause is the progressive decline in the levels of

growth hormone Growth hormone (GH) or somatotropin, also known as human growth hormone (hGH or HGH) in its human form, is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth, cell reproduction, and cell regeneration in humans and other animals. It is thus important in ...

(GH) and

insulin-like growth factor 1 Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), also called somatomedin C, is a hormone similar in tertiary structure, molecular structure to insulin which plays an important role in childhood growth, and has Anabolism, anabolic effects in adults. In the ...

(IGF-1),

hormone A hormone (from the Ancient Greek, Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of cell signaling, signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs or tissues by complex biological processes to regulate physio ...

s of the

hypothalamic–pituitary–somatotropic axis The hypothalamic–pituitary–somatotropic axis (HPS axis), or hypothalamic–pituitary–somatic axis, also known as the hypothalamic–pituitary–growth axis, is a hypothalamic–pituitary axis which includes the secretion of growth hormone ( ...

(HPS axis), with age. Secretion of GH may only be 60% of that of a young adult by age 70 years. Somatopause results in changes in the body, such as

body composition In physical fitness, body composition refers to quantifying the different components (or "compartments") of a human body. The selection of compartments varies by model but may include fat, bone, water, and muscle. Two people of the same gender, h ...

changes like a decrease in

lean body mass Lean body mass (LBM), sometimes conflated with , is a component of body composition. Fat-free mass (FFM) is calculated by subtracting body fat weight from total body weight: total body weight is lean plus fat. In equations: :LBM = BW ...

Estrogen Estrogen (also spelled oestrogen in British English; see spelling differences) is a category of sex hormone responsible for the development and regulation of the female reproductive system and secondary sex characteristics. There are three ...

s and

progesterone Progesterone (; P4) is an endogenous steroid and progestogen sex hormone involved in the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and embryogenesis of humans and other species. It belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens and is the ma ...

may oppose somatopause by increasing GH and IGF-1 levels.

References

Developmental stages Endocrine system {{Biology-stub