Growth hormone secretagogues and recovery
Growth hormone secretagogues prompt the pituitary gland to release more of its own growth hormone. They are discussed for recovery and muscle loss, but they carry real trade-offs and limited evidence for those uses.
How they work
CJC-1295 is a growth hormone-releasing hormone analog. Ipamorelin mimics ghrelin, a hormone that also triggers growth hormone release. Both raise growth hormone, which in turn raises IGF-1, a blood marker physicians can measure.
What is approved and what is not
One related medicine, tesamorelin, is FDA-approved to reduce excess abdominal fat in adults with HIV and lipodystrophy. CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are not approved for any use. A legal summary lists CJC-1295 among substances the FDA flagged for safety concerns in compounding. Confirm current status with the FDA, because it is changing.
What a physician weighs
Raising growth hormone can affect blood sugar, fluid balance and joints, and it is a concern for anyone with a past or present cancer. Evidence that these compounds speed recovery or reverse muscle wasting in otherwise healthy adults is limited. Growth hormone-releasing substances are also on the WADA prohibited list. Sleep, protein intake, resistance training and treating the cause of any muscle loss come first.
IGF-1 is one of the blood tests for recovery a physician may order. Whether any of this belongs in peptide therapy is decided only after an evaluation. Quality and WADA concerns, including gray-market peptide quality problems, are covered in our safety guide.
About the clinical team behind this page
Dr. Penni Russo-Going is a physician trained in family medicine and surgery, with a focus on trauma surgery. At Nova she advises on post-surgical tendon and joint recovery, soft-tissue trauma and the systemic and metabolic factors that affect healing, and she reviews content on those topics.
Dr. Arnaldo Manuel Mora is Medical Director and leads clinical governance at Nova. His background is in internal and occupational medicine. He oversees diagnostic intake, baseline laboratory review and the safety standards that apply before any prescription therapy, including pharmacy sourcing and contraindication screening as described in our safety guide.
Medical disclaimer: The information on this site is for education and does not replace a consultation, diagnosis or treatment. Peptides are prescription-only at Nova, are prescribed only after an in-person physician evaluation, and are not FDA-approved for orthopedic use. Full credentials are on our physicians and clinical governance page.
Keep reading
Individual results vary and no outcome is guaranteed. Peptides discussed on this site are not FDA-approved for orthopedic use, and a physician decides after an in-person evaluation whether any is appropriate.