What are “GH secretagogous/peptides”?
Growth hormone secretagogues are compounds (peptides or non-peptidic) that stimulate the release of growth hormone from the pituitary, rather than being exogenous GH in of itself.
They commonly act by binding to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), which is also the receptor for ghrelin, or by acting on the GHRH axis.
Because they stimulate endogenous GH release, they tend to maintain the feedback loops (somatostatin, IGF-1) more naturally than exogenous GH which is safer than exogenous GH. However these are less effective than something like HGH because there is a cap to how much they can stimulate but you can shoot up as much HGH as you want.
When ranking these were the factors I used.
Growth hormone secretagogues are compounds (peptides or non-peptidic) that stimulate the release of growth hormone from the pituitary, rather than being exogenous GH in of itself.
They commonly act by binding to the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), which is also the receptor for ghrelin, or by acting on the GHRH axis.
Because they stimulate endogenous GH release, they tend to maintain the feedback loops (somatostatin, IGF-1) more naturally than exogenous GH which is safer than exogenous GH. However these are less effective than something like HGH because there is a cap to how much they can stimulate but you can shoot up as much HGH as you want.
| Type | Examples | Mechanism |
| GHRH analogs / GHRH-derived peptides | Sermorelin, CJC-1295 (with or without DAC), Modified GRF(1-29) | These are analogues of GHRH. They stimulate GH release via the GHRH receptor (GHRH-R) on pituitary somatotrophs. |
| GHRPs (growth hormone releasing peptides) | GHRP-1, GHRP-2,, GHRP-3, GHRP-4, GHRP-5 GHRP-6, Hexarelin | Small synthetic peptides usually 6-7 amino acids (not making a 67 joke, it's actually 6-7) that act with the GHS-R / ghrelin receptor pathway to stimulate GH release. |
| Non-peptidic / peptidomimetic secretagogues | Ibutamoren (MK-677), Macimorelin, Ipamorelin (though ipamorelin is a peptide) | These are small molecules (or peptide mimetics) that stimulate GH release. |
When ranking these were the factors I used.
- Potency (how much they raise GH / IGF-1)
- Duration / half-life (how long effect lasts)
- Specificity / side effects (how many off-target effects)
- Ease of administration (oral vs injectable, frequency)
- Safety / tolerance / long-term data
- Use case (fat loss, anti-aging, muscle gain, etc.)
| Ipamorelin with Cjc-1295 (no DAC) | Often favored for having fewer side effects (less impact on cortisol, prolactin) while still stimulating GH. Still short half-life, requires frequent dosing, limited long-term human trials. | |
| CJC-1295 (with DAC) | Long-acting GHRH analog. Provides more sustained GH elevation with fewer peaks and troughs. [oai_citation:8‡TRTMD | |
| Sermorelin / Modified GRF(1-29) | One of the better-known GHRH analogs, reasonably safe, decent track record. Modified GRF(1-29) improves half-life over native GHRH fragment. |
| GHRP-6 | Classic, well-studied GHRP. Solid GH release in many studies. | Tends to increase appetite (ghrelin effect), possible cortisol / prolactin rise, insensitivity over time |
| GHRP-2 | Some consider it more potent than GHRP-6 with possibly fewer side effects. | Same issues: short half-life, frequent dosing, limited data |
| Hexarelin | Very strong GH releaser | More side effects (cardiac / prolactin / desensitization) in some reports |
