What is a "growth hormone releaser"?
A releaser is a substance that causes a gland to release, or secrete, one of the hormones it produces. However, a releaser does not cause the gland to make the hormone. The word "releaser" can be interchanged with the word "secretagogue".
In the case of a growth hormone releaser, we are referring to the signal the pituitary gland receives from the hypothalamus gland to release or secrete growth hormone. The signal is referred to as GHRH (growth hormone releasing hormone) comprised of GHRP (growth hormone releasing peptides).
A formula such as XGF-1 is designed to mimick or duplicate the releasing signal that originates at the hypothalamus gland.
The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces growth hormone along with several other hormones. It is the nature of the pituitary gland that growth hormone is automatically produced as it is released. In fact, GH is stored until it is released. The object is not to stimulate the production of growth hormone, but to get it released from its stored state as GH will always be produced in adequate amounts all through life, even in old age, just not released in adequate amounts sufficient to repair all damaged
or dying cells.