BlessUp Peptide Library · Growth & Recovery
Sermorelin, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, the GHRPs, tesamorelin, MK-677. Nine ways to nudge your own growth hormone, pulling one of two levers.
They amplify the pulse you already make. That is the whole point, and the honest catch.
Tesamorelin visceral-fat figure: Falutz 2010, J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr (404-patient trial). Full citations at the end.
You have seen the menu: sermorelin, CJC-1295, ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin, tesamorelin, and the oral one, MK-677. Nine names, all promising more growth hormone, and it is easy to read them as nine flavors of the same thing.
Here is the honest version. Every one of these is a secretagogue: it tells your own pituitary to release more of your own growth hormone, in your own natural rhythm, instead of injecting synthetic HGH from outside. That is the key difference from HGH, and it is a genuine advantage, because it keeps your body's feedback brake and your natural nightly pulse intact. Underneath, the whole class pulls just two levers, and most of these compounds are simply different ways of pulling one or the other. What actually changes from one to the next is which lever, how hard, how cleanly, and, most importantly, how much real human evidence stands behind it. We do honest, not hype, so let us take it slowly.
Read this first
This is education, not medical advice, and it does not replace your own clinician or your own labs. Of this class, only tesamorelin is FDA-approved (for a specific medical condition); sermorelin was formerly approved and withdrawn for commercial reasons; the rest are research peptides, and MK-677 is an investigational compound never brought to market. Every one raises IGF-1, which carries real contraindications covered below. Any dose named here is an example for discussion, never a prescription.
90-second self-check
This flags the hard stops that mean this class is not for you, and if you are clear, it points toward the kind of secretagogue that matches your goal. It is education, not a diagnosis or a recommendation to use anything.
Answer honestly. Nothing is stored, and no one sees it but you.
First, the hard stops. Do any of these apply to you? (tap all that are true)
What are you actually weighing this class for?
Any of these in your picture? (tap all that apply)
Is the foundation actually in place? (tap all that apply)
This reflection is education only, not a diagnosis or a recommendation to use any compound. Talk to a licensed provider about your own history and goals.
The basics
Your pituitary releases growth hormone in pulses, mostly at night in deep sleep, and the size of those pulses is set by two opposing signals: GHRH (growth-hormone-releasing hormone, the accelerator) and somatostatin (the brake). Downstream, each GH pulse tells the liver to make IGF-1, which carries most of the actual recovery, body-composition, and anabolic effect and lingers for hours. So the whole class is really about one thing: producing a bigger, well-timed GH pulse, then reading it out as IGF-1.
There are exactly two ways in, which is why there are two families:
| Compound | Family | Half-life | Route | The differentiator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sermorelin | GHRH | ~12 min | SubQ | Gentle, short, the classic starter |
| CJC-1295 (no-DAC) | GHRH | ~30 min | SubQ | Short clean pulse; the GHRH half of the blend |
| CJC-1295 (DAC) | GHRH | ~6-8 days | SubQ | Week-long steady bleed; blunts the pulse; pin alone |
| Tesamorelin | GHRH | ~26 min | SubQ | The only FDA-approved one; real trial data |
| Ipamorelin | GHRP | ~2 hr | SubQ | Cleanest: little hunger, cortisol, or prolactin |
| GHRP-2 | GHRP | ~30 min | SubQ | Potent, but appetite and some cortisol/prolactin |
| GHRP-6 | GHRP | ~20 min | SubQ | Strongest hunger of any GHRP |
| Hexarelin | GHRP | ~1 hr | SubQ | Most potent, but desensitizes fastest |
| MK-677 | Ghrelin | ~4-6 hr | Oral | Oral convenience; water, hunger, higher glucose |
Half-lives are approximate, from the OnePin compound reference. Notice the range: from about 12 minutes (sermorelin) to 6 to 8 days (CJC-1295 with DAC). That single number explains most of how each one behaves.
The honest half-truth you will hear
"Secretagogues are just a safer HGH." Half true. They ARE gentler than injecting synthetic HGH, because they keep your own feedback brake and natural pulse instead of overriding them. But gentler is not the same as proven. Outside tesamorelin, the human outcome evidence for this class is thin, the mechanism is far better established than the results, and every one of them still raises IGF-1, with all the cautions that carries.
The part the marketing flips
These are sold as if they are equally established. They are not. Here is an honest read of how much real human evidence sits behind each, separate from how good the mechanism looks or how popular it is. Longer bars mean deeper, more human data, not "works better for you."
Depth of human evidence, by compound
A judgment read of the literature. Tesamorelin is the clear outlier; most of the class is mechanism plus thin outcomes.
Synthesized from Falutz 2010/2008 (tesamorelin), Nass 2008 (MK-677), Teichman 2006 (CJC-1295), and the GHRP mechanism literature (Raun 1998, Cordido 1993). Full citations at the end.
The pattern to hold onto: the compound with the most human data (tesamorelin) is not the one the internet talks about most, and the popular pulse-stack (CJC-1295 plus ipamorelin) rests on a strong mechanism and dose-ranging pharmacology, not on a body-composition outcome trial. That gap is the whole honest story of this class.
The number that explains the behavior
The single most useful number here is half-life, because it decides whether a compound gives you a clean, natural-shaped pulse that clears in hours, or a continuous, days-long bleed of GH that flattens your rhythm. Most of this class is deliberately short, to protect the pulse. One (CJC-1295 with DAC) is deliberately long, for convenience, at the cost of that pulse.
Approximate half-life (log-ish scale, for shape)
Short = a clean pulse that protects your rhythm. Long = a steady bleed and weekly dosing, but a blunted pulse.
Approximate half-lives from the OnePin compound reference and CJC-1295 pharmacokinetics (Teichman 2006, JCEM). Bar widths are shaped for readability, not linear.
Under the hood
A GHRH analog binds the GHRH receptor on the pituitary and drives it to build and release stored growth hormone, setting the size of the pulse.
A GHRP hits a separate receptor: it triggers release AND lowers somatostatin, the body's natural GH brake. Pressing the gas while easing the brake.
The GH pulse reaches the liver, which makes IGF-1. That is the messenger that carries most of the recovery and body-composition effect, and it lingers for hours.
Because the two families work through different receptors, using one of each at the same time does more than add up. According to PubMed, combining a GHRH signal with a GHRP produced a synergistic, much larger GH discharge than either alone (Cordido 1993 doi:10.1210/jcem.76.4.8473389). That is the entire logic behind the classic pairing below.
Why the classic stack is a stack
The famous pairing, CJC-1295 (no-DAC) plus ipamorelin, is not two versions of one thing. It is one lever from each family: the GHRH side sets the pulse height, the GHRP side triggers it and lifts the brake. Hit both receptors at once and the pulse is bigger and cleaner than either produces alone. The same logic pairs tesamorelin with ipamorelin.
The one rule that prevents most mistakes
Never combine two GHRH agents (sermorelin, CJC, tesamorelin all hit the same receptor, so stacking them is redundant and just desensitizes it), and do not double up GHRPs either (one ghrelin receptor, and stacking reintroduces the hunger, cortisol, and prolactin you were avoiding). A GHRH's partner is a GHRP, not another GHRH. And CJC-1295 with DAC is pinned by itself.
The members, with honest pros and cons
Same goal, two families, and honestly, very different levels of proof. Tags show the family: GHRH (the accelerator), GHRP / ghrelin (release plus un-brake), or oral.
The first GHRH analog, a fragment of your own GHRH. Gentle, short-acting, and the classic entry point.
Honest read: the gentle on-ramp. Typically dosed at night, fasted, paired with a GHRP. Half-life about 12 minutes.
The same GHRH molecule in two very different kinetics. No-DAC gives a short clean pulse; the DAC version binds albumin and lasts a week.
Honest read: no-DAC for pulse purists, DAC for convenience. Half-life about 30 minutes (no-DAC) versus 6 to 8 days (DAC).
A stabilized GHRH analog and the only FDA-approved member of this class. The one with real trial data.
Honest read: the choice when you value real evidence and accept your goal may be off-label. Daily, evening, fasted; 2 mg is the studied dose.
A selective ghrelin-receptor agonist and the cleanest GHRP. The GHRP leg most people reach for.
Honest read: the clean GHRP to pair with a GHRH. Selectivity is well established; the payoffs are mostly extrapolated. Half-life about 2 hours.
Older, more potent ghrelin agonists that trade selectivity for punch, and bring appetite and stress hormones along.
Honest read: more GH, more baggage. GHRP-2 for potency-over-cleanliness; GHRP-6 when hunger is the point. Both short-acting, dosed fasted.
The most potent GHRP per dose, with a unique heart-protective action, but it desensitizes the receptor fastest.
Honest read: maximum punch for a short block, not a daily driver. Cycle it deliberately. Half-life about 1 hour.
The only oral, non-peptide member. A ghrelin mimetic in a pill that raises GH and IGF-1 with daily dosing and no needles.
Honest read: real convenience and real IGF-1 and sleep data, with a real glucose price. Watch fasting glucose and HbA1c. Half-life about 4 to 6 hours; dosed at night.
What they realistically do
The reliable, measurable common effect is an IGF-1 rise, and the compounds that raise it deliver the recovery-and-body-composition family of benefits people are after: better deep sleep (especially MK-677), improved fat-free mass over time, and support for connective-tissue and bone remodeling. The one place with genuinely strong human numbers is tesamorelin's visceral-fat reduction, and MK-677 has a real 2-year trial behind its IGF-1 and lean-mass effects.
Now the edge of the map, honestly. Outside those two, the recovery, recomposition, and anti-aging payoffs for the injectable GHRPs are mechanistic extrapolation, not outcome trials. And none of these builds muscle or burns fat for you. They amplify a GH signal that supports the work; the protein and the training do the work. A secretagogue on a poor foundation is an expensive way to raise a lab value.
Where the honest line sits
The mechanism is real and elegant. Tesamorelin has approved-level evidence. MK-677 has a long human trial. Everything else is a strong story with light human proof. That is not a reason to dismiss the class, it is a reason to be honest about which rung of the evidence ladder you are actually standing on.
The most important section here
This matters more than any IGF-1 number. Everything in this class raises GH and IGF-1, and IGF-1 is a growth signal, which is exactly why some of these lines are firm.
IGF-1 is a proliferation signal, so raising it in someone with active or prior malignancy is the central hard stop for the whole class. This is not a self-clear item: anyone with a cancer history needs a provider before considering any of these compounds.
Growth hormone is diabetogenic: it raises blood sugar and can worsen insulin sensitivity. MK-677 does this most reliably (higher fasting glucose and HbA1c in trials), and continuous elevation pushes it hardest. Anyone with diabetes, prediabetes, or insulin resistance needs glucose monitoring and a provider.
Active proliferative diabetic retinopathy is a recognized caution with growth-hormone therapy, because GH and IGF-1 can drive the abnormal vessel growth involved. Flag any diabetic eye disease before starting.
This class is not for use in pregnancy or breastfeeding. Clear that first.
The less-selective GHRPs (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin) raise cortisol and prolactin, which can worsen anxiety, sleep, and a poorly-controlled cortisol or thyroid picture. Get those managed first, and favor the cleaner ipamorelin if you proceed.
These raise GH-driven water retention, which can cause carpal-tunnel-like numbness and joint aches. If you already have significant carpal tunnel or joint issues, go low and slow, and stop if symptoms flare.
The one rule under all of it
Start at the lowest effective lever, respect the saturation ceilings, cycle it, and involve a provider, especially if you are considering the investigational members or have any cancer, glucose, or eye-disease history. The IGF-1 you are raising is the whole benefit and the whole risk.
Put it together
First question
Second question
The move most people skip
Fix the foundation first, then pick the lowest lever that fits. One GHRH plus one GHRP, dosed at night and fasted, beats a big multi-compound stack for almost everyone. Matching beats maxing.
The foundation under everything
Growth hormone is released mostly in deep sleep, so sleep is the single largest natural GH lever you own, and it is the whole reason these are dosed at bedtime, to stack the drug pulse on top of the natural one. Fix short or broken sleep before you spend a dollar on a peptide, or you are amplifying a pulse you are also sabotaging.
The peptide raises the GH and IGF-1 signal; protein and lifting are what that signal acts on. Without them, a higher IGF-1 is just a number. With them, it supports the recovery and body composition you are training for.
A glucose and insulin spike blunts the GH pulse, so eating (especially carbs) around a pulse-style dose literally costs you the dose. The standard is an empty stomach for about two hours before and thirty minutes after. The long-acting DAC version is the exception.
Water retention and mild joint aches are the common early complaints; steady hydration and modest, gradual dosing blunt them. Alcohol near dosing works against the pulse and against sleep.
Cutting through the noise
The genuinely supported base of any GH-axis effort. This is what turns a raised IGF-1 into an actual result. Boring, and it works.
Sensible support for the deep sleep that drives your natural GH pulse. Useful alongside the basics, not a replacement for them.
Marketed as natural secretagogues. The effect is small, inconsistent, and easily erased by a meal. Mostly money better spent on sleep and protein.
MK-677 raises glucose and insulin resistance; pairing it with a glucose-sensitive plan, or running it without checking fasting glucose, is working directly against yourself.
Turn this into action
Have I honestly ruled out the hard stops: any cancer history, pregnancy, and active diabetic eye disease?
Is my sleep actually handled, since that is the biggest natural GH lever I own?
Am I choosing one GHRH plus one GHRP, or piling on redundant compounds from the same family?
Do I know which rung of the evidence ladder my chosen compound is on?
If I am considering MK-677, am I set up to monitor fasting glucose?
Bring these to your visit
Given my history, is any member of this class off the table for me, and which lever fits my goal?
What baseline labs should we check, and how often should we recheck IGF-1 and glucose?
What is a sensible starting dose and cycle length, and when do we stop?
What symptoms should make me stop and call you?
A few situations are not "go slower," they are "stop and be seen."
Mild water retention and a little joint stiffness settle. A new lump, vision change, or a glucose you cannot control are different, and they are provider questions, not push-through-it ones.
The BlessUp take
The idea here is genuinely good: instead of overriding your body with synthetic HGH, you nudge your own pituitary to pulse a little harder, in your own rhythm, and you keep the feedback brake that keeps the whole system safe. Two levers, the GHRH accelerator and the ghrelin release-and-un-brake, and the smartest use is one of each, dosed at night, on top of real sleep. The variable people skip is evidence depth. Tesamorelin has approved-level trials. MK-677 has a long human study and a real glucose price. The rest is a strong, well-understood mechanism riding on thin human outcomes. None of it builds the body for you. So fix the foundation first, clear the hard stops honestly, pick the lowest lever that fits, respect the ceilings, cycle it, and stand on the evidence level you are actually comfortable with, with a provider. That is not the timid move. It is the strong one.
The evidence
Human figures are the published results from each compound's key trial, retrieved from PubMed. Only tesamorelin and MK-677 have substantial human outcome trials; the rest of the class rests on pharmacology and mechanism studies. Half-life figures are approximate, from product data and the OnePin compound reference.
Citations retrieved from PubMed. Injectable GHRPs (ipamorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, hexarelin) and CJC-1295 have strong mechanistic and pharmacologic data but limited human outcome trials; treat their recomposition and anti-aging claims as extrapolation. This report is an honest educational map of the class, not a dosing sheet or a recommendation to use any compound.