Ipamorelin
Research Parameters
- Typical Dose Range
- 200 to 300 mcg, 1 to 3 times daily (research standard: before bed, post-workout, fasted morning)
- Half-Life
- ~2 hours
- Administration Route
- Subcutaneous
Dosing information is for research purposes only and has not been evaluated by the FDA.
Ipamorelin is the peptide researchers come back to when they want the benefits of a growth hormone pulse without the baggage. Older GH-release peptides spiked cortisol and prolactin along with GH, which is why they fell out of research rotation. Ipamorelin doesn't. It's the clean option, which is why it's the most common secretagogue in research protocols focused on recovery, sleep depth, body composition, and skin quality.
The way the research describes it matches what lifters actually care about: deeper sleep, faster recovery between sessions, and gradual body composition improvements over a cycle. Most protocols dose it before bed because that's when the body's own biggest natural GH release happens. Ipamorelin reinforces that pulse rather than replacing it. It gets stacked with CJC-1295 in nearly every serious research protocol.
For research purposes only.
Mechanism of Action
Ipamorelin is a selective growth hormone secretagogue. It binds the ghrelin receptor in the pituitary to trigger GH release, without activating the pathways that would spike cortisol or prolactin. This selectivity is what distinguishes it from older ghrelin mimetics like GHRP-6.
Citations
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Ipamorelin used for in research?
Research studies Ipamorelin for growth hormone release, body composition endpoints, recovery, and sleep quality. Its selectivity profile, no cortisol or prolactin spike, is what makes it the research standard in the ghrelin-mimetic class. For research purposes only.
- How does Ipamorelin compare to CJC-1295?
Ipamorelin triggers a sharp GH pulse; CJC-1295 extends and amplifies the body's natural GH release. Research protocols often combine them because the mechanisms stack rather than duplicate. For research purposes only.
- Why is Ipamorelin typically dosed before bed?
The body's largest natural GH release happens during early deep sleep. Dosing Ipamorelin before bed in research protocols is designed to reinforce that endogenous pulse rather than replace it. For research purposes only.