Muscle Growth Research Program
This is an educational summary of research areas relevant to this goal. SmartPeptide does not prescribe peptides or recommend dosages. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider.
Educational only — not medical advice. SmartPeptide does not prescribe, diagnose, or treat. Always consult a licensed healthcare provider before using any peptide, supplement, medication, or protocol.
Evidence landscape
Aggregated across all 6 peptides in this categoryTop-ranked in this category
Goal
Educational overview for muscle growth research program.
Research overview
Research overview compiled from publicly available abstracts and reviews. Quality of evidence varies — some peptides have only preclinical data.
All 6 peptides in this category
Ranked by evidence quality: strongest human evidence first, preclinical and anecdotal last.
- CJC-1295 / IpamorelinLimited human evidence
Growth-hormone secretagogue combination studied for stimulating endogenous GH pulses in research contexts.
- GHRP-2Limited human evidence
Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2. Synthetic hexapeptide ghrelin-receptor agonist. Stimulates GH release potently and consistently. Studied since the 1990s; approved in some Asian markets for diagnostic GH stimulation, NOT for therapeutic use in the US.
- HexarelinLimited human evidence
Synthetic hexapeptide growth-hormone secretagogue developed in the 1990s. Stimulates GH release potently in short-term human studies. Concerns about tachyphylaxis (tolerance) with chronic use have limited clinical development.
- IGF-1 LR3Animal / preclinical only
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1, Long R3 variant — an analog of human IGF-1 with extended half-life (~20-30 hours vs. ~12 minutes for native IGF-1). Used in research; widely (and controversially) discussed in performance-enhancement communities. NOT FDA-approved for human use; the only approved IGF-1 product is mecasermin (native sequence).
- Follistatin (FST-344)Animal / preclinical only
Protein that binds and inhibits members of the TGF-β superfamily, most notably myostatin. Myostatin inhibition increases muscle mass in animals and in rare human genetic conditions (myostatin-deficient individuals). Heavy biohacking / bodybuilding interest. Limited human-trial data for any indication.
- MGF (Mechano Growth Factor / IGF-1Ec)Animal / preclinical only
Splice variant of IGF-1 (specifically IGF-1Ec) produced locally in muscle in response to mechanical loading. Theorized to drive satellite-cell activation and muscle hypertrophy. Heavy bodybuilding-community interest. Limited human clinical-trial evidence. NOT FDA-approved.
Lifestyle suggestions
Foundational lifestyle factors (sleep, nutrition, training, stress) often outperform any single intervention in published research.
Lifestyle factors (sleep, nutrition, training, stress) are foundational. SmartPeptide does not provide exact dosing instructions for any peptide.
Questions for your clinician
- What is the strongest human evidence for the peptides I'm considering?
- Which option here is FDA-approved vs. research-only?
- What baseline + monitoring labs would you recommend for my goal?
- What signs of harm or adverse reactions should I watch for?
- How will we measure benefit objectively?
- What's the exit criteria if it's not working?