Category
Fitness & muscle
Growth-hormone-axis peptides for training recovery, lean mass and body composition. CJC-1295/Ipamorelin is the default GH-secretagogue pairing, MK-677 the oral alternative, IGF-1 LR3 the more potent and more acutely risky downstream option.
Category primer
Almost everything here works by manipulating the GH → IGF-1 axis, either upstream (GHRH analogs, GHRPs, MK-677, all increasing the body's own GH release) or downstream (IGF-1 LR3, delivering the growth signal directly). Upstream approaches preserve the body's natural feedback regulation and are viewed as gentler. IGF-1 LR3 bypasses that regulation entirely and carries a distinct, more acute risk: hypoglycemia.
PEPTIDES in this category
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ACE-031
Myostatin decoy receptor that showed early promise in muscular dystrophy trials, then got shut down over vascular side effects.
Investigational (halted clinical trials) -
AICAR
AMPK activator marketed as 'exercise in a pill.' WADA-banned in sport, not FDA-approved for anything.
Research chemical -
Cagrilintide
Long-acting amylin agonist that adds synergistic weight loss on top of GLP-1 drugs.
Investigational (Phase 3) -
CJC-1295 / Mod-GRF (1-29)
A modified GHRH analog for boosting growth hormone release, almost always stacked with a GHRP like Ipamorelin. The 'without DAC' version (Mod-GRF) sees far more use than the long-acting DAC version.
Research chemical -
CJC-1295 with DAC
Long-acting GHRH analog with week-long half-life via albumin binding; distinct from daily-dosing CJC-1295.
Research compound -
GHRP-2
Potent synthetic growth hormone secretagogue with strong GH stimulation and emerging research support for tissue repair.
Research compound -
GHRP-6
Potent GH secretagogue with distinctive strong appetite stimulation via ghrelin receptor mimicry.
Research compound -
Hexarelin
Potent dual-receptor GH secretagogue with cardioprotective properties, limited by rapid receptor desensitization.
Research compound -
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin
Placental hormone that mimics LH to stimulate testicular testosterone production and sperm output. Used clinically for hypogonadism/fertility, off-label in TRT, and in doping.
FDA approved -
IGF-1 LR3
A modified, long-acting version of IGF-1, the growth factor downstream of growth hormone that directly drives muscle cell proliferation. Used in bodybuilding circles for localized and systemic muscle growth.
Research chemical (acute risk) -
Ipamorelin
One of the most selective growth hormone secretagogues available. It stimulates GH release without the cortisol, prolactin or appetite spikes of older GHRPs, and is almost always paired with a GHRH analog like CJC-1295/Mod-GRF.
Research chemical -
MGF
Muscle-specific IGF-1 isoform generated by mechanical stress; promotes local muscle repair and satellite cell activation.
Research compound -
MK-677 (Ibutamoren)
Orally active ghrelin mimetic that raises growth hormone and IGF-1 without injections. Not actually a peptide, but a fixture of GH-secretagogue discussions.
Discontinued (safety signal) -
MOTS-c
Mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA, studied for metabolic regulation and exercise-mimetic effects.
Research chemical -
PEG-MGF
Native MGF with a polyethylene glycol tag bolted on to stretch its otherwise minutes-long half-life into something injectable a few times a week; the underlying human data is essentially borrowed from other pegylated IGF-1 work, not PEG-MGF itself.
Research chemical -
Sermorelin
The original, FDA-approved GHRH analog (its approved brand was later discontinued), the natural-sequence precursor that CJC-1295/Mod-GRF are modified versions of.
Formerly FDA-approved -
Somatropin
FDA-approved recombinant growth hormone for deficiency, widely used off-label for performance and body composition.
FDA-approved (GHD treatment) -
SS-31
Mitochondria-targeted tetrapeptide that stabilizes cardiolipin and restores oxidative phosphorylation. FDA-approved for rare Barth syndrome, investigational in heart failure and aging-related conditions.
FDA Accelerated Approval (2025) for Barth Syndrome -
Teriparatide
FDA-approved PTH analog that stimulates bone formation. Used clinically for osteoporosis and investigationally for stress fractures and fracture healing.
FDA-approved for osteoporosis -
Tesamorelin
FDA-approved GHRH analog specifically approved for reducing visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy, used off-label more broadly for visceral fat reduction and as a growth-hormone secretagogue.
FDA-approved
POPULAR stacks in this category
- CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin — A GHRH and a GHRP paired to push more GH out of the pituitary.
- Tesamorelin + Ipamorelin — Same idea as CJC-1295 + ipamorelin, but with an FDA-approved GHRH backbone.
- Cagrilintide + Semaglutide (CagriSema) — The one stack on this list with real trial data behind it.
- Retatrutide + Cagrilintide — Two trial drugs nobody has actually combined yet.