Evidence strength for the context described on this page.
PEPTIDE ATLAS / MUSCLE & RECOVERY / IPAMORELIN
Not FDA-approvedEarly human
Ipamorelin
ALSO KNOWN ASGrowth-hormone secretagogue
A ghrelin-receptor agonist marketed for GH release with major evidence and product-quality gaps.
01CATEGORYMuscle & recovery
02REGULATORY STATUSNot FDA-approved
03COMMON ROUTEMarketed subcutaneously; studied intravenously for postoperative ileus
04DOSE BASISReported clinic use + human study
HOW TO USE THIS PAGE
Read the profile in the order that protects the decision.
- 01Verify what it is
Confirm the exact molecule, route, regulatory lane and actual human evidence.
- 02Read limits before dose
Unsupported claims, contraindications and uncertainty come before any protocol.
- 03Build the monitoring plan
Define the target, baseline checks, reassessment point and stop rules with a qualified clinician.
This peptide does not have an FDA-approved product or dose for the claims described here. Research dosing and vendor protocols are not consumer prescribing guidance.
RESEARCH PASSPORT
The five facts to know first.
REVIEWED
JULY 2026
Status is product-, formulation- and indication-specific.
Trial, label or reported-practice basis is always named.
Official labels, regulators, trials and indexed literature where available.
Peptide hormones, growth factors and related substances may be prohibited.
Check Global DRO ↗OVERVIEW
What Ipamorelin is.
A synthetic peptide secretagogue that activates the growth-hormone secretagogue receptor. It is often combined with CJC-1295 despite no approved combination regimen.
HOW IT IS THOUGHT TO WORK
Stimulates pulsatile GH release through the ghrelin receptor, with downstream effects that may include IGF-1 changes.
EFFECTS & EVIDENCE
What the evidence supports—and what it does not.
- Can stimulate GH release
- No established muscle, fat-loss, recovery or longevity outcome in healthy consumers
- Safe anti-aging
- Body recomposition
- Sleep improvement
- Benefit of common peptide-clinic stacks
Evidence grade: Early human. For an approved drug, “high” refers only to its labeled indication—not every off-label or wellness claim.
DOSAGE CONTEXT
Best available dosing range.
Reported clinic use + human studyMost commonly reported clinic range: 200–300 mcg subcutaneously once nightly, sometimes divided into two daily doses, for about 8–12 weeks. A controlled postoperative-ileus study used a very different regimen—0.03 mg/kg by IV infusion twice daily for up to 7 days. The clinic range is not FDA approved, and the IV research dose does not establish a wellness protocol.
BEST AVAILABLE GENERIC RANGE
Men and women.
The basis is named above. Reported-use ranges describe what clinics or communities publish; they are not proof of safety, efficacy, legality or product quality.
- Schedule in that source context
- Commonly reported nightly for 8–12 weeks; some clinics use 5 nights on and 2 nights off. These schedules have not been validated in outcome trials.
- How to interpret it
- The published human IV dose was studied for postoperative ileus, not body composition, recovery or anti-aging. Do not convert the 0.03 mg/kg IV trial dose into a subcutaneous wellness dose.
ACTUAL HUMAN DOSES REPORTED IN THE RECORD
Research regimens may use different routes, diagnoses, formulations and monitoring. They cannot automatically be converted into a general protocol.
- Postoperative-ileus proof-of-concept trial: 0.03 mg/kg by IV infusion twice daily from postoperative day 1 through day 7 or hospital discharge.
- Route
- Marketed subcutaneously; studied intravenously for postoperative ileus
- Duration
- Reported clinic cycles: 8–12 weeks; IV research: up to 7 days
- Men & women
- No validated male/female wellness protocol. The reported 200–300 mcg range is generally not sex-adjusted.
Clinician verification required. Always double-check the exact molecule or salt, concentration, route, volume, schedule, indication, patient-specific contraindications, interactions and applicable law with the prescribing clinician and dispensing pharmacy. A disclaimer does not make an unapproved product FDA-approved, and a reported-use range is not a prescription.
MONITORING
What should be tracked.
- GH or IGF-1 changes alone do not establish benefit
- Glucose, edema and symptoms would require medical oversight
SAFETY
Risks, red flags and reasons to avoid it.
- Immunogenicity and impurity concerns
- Serious adverse events, including death, occurred in an IV gastric-motility study; that route/context differs but underscores uncertainty
- Potential edema, tingling and glucose effects
- Unknown long-term growth-signaling risks
- Self-injection
- Active cancer
- Uncontrolled metabolic disease
- Combining with other secretagogues
Stop and seek careGet urgent medical help for trouble breathing, facial or throat swelling, chest pain, fainting, severe persistent abdominal pain, neurologic changes, severe hypoglycemia, uncontrolled vomiting or a prolonged painful erection.
CLINICIAN VISIT CHECKLIST
Six questions worth bringing with you.
Molecule or analog, salt, concentration, route, manufacturer or compounder, lot and beyond-use date.
Name the diagnosis or target, how it will be measured and the realistic time to reassess.
Ask how it compares with FDA-approved, lower-risk or better-studied alternatives.
Label, human trial, specialty guideline or clinic convention—and whether that route and formulation match.
Baseline checks, follow-up measures, interactions, pregnancy considerations and symptoms that mean stop.
Pharmacy license, prescription, identity/potency testing, sterility controls and who handles a product complaint.
Do not improvise reconstitution or convert “units” without the exact concentration. Mixing, storage and beyond-use instructions are product-specific; confirm them with the dispensing pharmacy.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Read the record yourself.
We prioritize official prescribing information, FDA regulatory material, registered trials and indexed biomedical literature. A source supports the specific statement beside it—not every claim made about the molecule.
PRODUCTS & TREATMENT ACCESS
There is no product we can responsibly recommend.
No FDA-approved ipamorelin product; offered in some compounded and gray-market channels.
Selective GH release is a mechanistic claim. It does not establish a favorable long-term benefit-risk profile for performance or aging.
Evidence before affiliate revenue.
We do not rank or sell unapproved research peptides. Use the Atlas to discuss safer, evidence-backed alternatives with a qualified clinician.
Explore evidence-backed options →NEXT STEP