Peptides for muscle growth
Best peptides for muscle growth, and what bodybuilders use
Side by side
Six peptides, and what each is best for
Injection
CJC-1295/Ipamorelin
Best for: the all-round first pick
One CJC-1295 injection raised growth hormone 2 to 10 fold for 6 days or more, and IGF-1 for 9 to 11 days, in healthy adults. That trial measured hormones, not muscle.
Source: Teichman et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2006CJC-1295/Ipamorelin guideCapsule
MK-677 (ibutamoren)
Best for: no needles
In adults aged 60 to 81, fat-free mass rose 1.1 kg over a year on MK-677 and fell 0.5 kg on placebo. Strength did not change.
Source: Nass et al., Ann Intern Med 2008MK-677 guideInjection
Sermorelin
Best for: a gentle start
In a 16-week study of adults aged 55 to 71, growth hormone rose in everyone and lean mass rose in the men.
Source: Khorram et al., J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1997Sermorelin guideInjection
Tesamorelin
Best for: losing belly fat while training
In 412 adults with HIV-related belly fat, deep abdominal fat fell 15.2% over 26 weeks on tesamorelin and rose 5.0% on placebo.
Source: Falutz et al., N Engl J Med 2007Tesamorelin guideInjection or capsule
BPC-157
Best for: sore tendons and joints
Studied for tissue repair signaling, mostly in animals. Men use it to stay in training.
BPC-157 guideInjection
Wolverine Stack (BPC-157 + TB-500)
Best for: coming back from an injury
Two recovery peptides in one vial. The research on both is mostly in animals.
Wolverine Stack guide
What the trials measured
The numbers behind the growth hormone peptides
2 to 10x
Rise in growth hormone for 6 days or more after one CJC-1295 injection in healthy adults.
+1.1 kg
Fat-free mass gained over a year on MK-677 in adults aged 60 to 81. The placebo group lost 0.5 kg.
Source: Nass et al., Ann Intern Med 2008
-15.2%
Change in deep belly fat over 26 weeks on tesamorelin in adults with HIV. Placebo rose 5.0%.
Source: Falutz et al., N Engl J Med 2007
None of these trials studied lifters. They were in healthy adults, older adults and adults with HIV. A trial of growth hormone peptides in trained men has not been run yet.
First things first
Training, protein and sleep do the building
Lifting is the signal that tells your muscles to grow, and protein is the fuel for them to do it. A growth hormone peptide tells your body to produce more growth hormone at the critical time, while you sleep. These three work together to deliver results.
What we recommend
Protein
0.8 to 1 g per pound of goal body weight, every day
For a goal weight of 185 lb, that is about 150 to 185 grams a day. The guideline minimum for older adults is lower, at 1.0 to 1.2 grams per kilogram, and men who train need more than the minimum.
Source: Bauer et al. (PROT-AGE), J Am Med Dir Assoc 2013Strength training
A structured program, at least 3 days a week
Resistance training is the one strong recommendation in the muscle-loss guidelines. Follow a program that adds weight or reps over time.
Source: Dent et al. (ICFSR guidelines), J Nutr Health Aging 2018Sleep
At least 8 hours a night
In a study of 149 healthy men, growth hormone release tracked deep sleep, and both fell sharply by midlife. Short nights cut into the window a growth hormone peptide works in.
Source: Van Cauter et al., JAMA 2000
Peptides for bodybuilding
What bodybuilders use, by training phase
Building
Lean mass and recovery between sessions
CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, with BPC-157 for joints
A growth hormone peptide for recovery and sleep, plus tendon support for higher training volume.
Cutting
Losing fat while holding muscle
Tesamorelin
It is the growth hormone peptide with the strongest belly-fat trials.
Coming back
Returning from an injury or a layoff
Wolverine Stack, with sermorelin
Recovery peptides for the injured area and a gentle growth hormone signal while training is lighter.
What peptides do
- Raise your own growth hormone, which supports lean mass, recovery and sleep
- Work through your pituitary, so your body's normal limits still apply
- Act on growth hormone, not testosterone, so they are not a form of TRT
What they don't do
- Build muscle the way anabolic steroids do. The effect is smaller.
- Replace training and protein. Those do the building, and a peptide supports them.
- Pass a drug test in tested sport. Growth hormone peptides are on the WADA prohibited list.
Running fat loss and muscle together? See the peptide stack for fat loss and muscle. Comparing two options? Read CJC-1295/Ipamorelin vs sermorelin or tesamorelin vs sermorelin. For women, see female muscle growth.
Your options
Where most men start
Most requestedCJC-1295/IpamorelinTwo growth hormone signals in one vial. The usual starting point for muscle and recovery.$100 · 5mL vial of 2 peptidesView 
No needlesIbutamorenA daily capsule. It can raise appetite and blood sugar, so tell the provider if you have diabetes or prediabetes.$1.65/capView 
Gentle startSermorelinA single, short-acting growth hormone peptide. A common first choice for men over 50.$80 · 3mg/mL, 5mL vial (15mg total)View
We prescribe one injectable growth hormone peptide per order. MK-677 is a capsule, so it can be ordered alongside one.
How to get it
A provider decides whether it fits you
We serve 28 states plus Washington, DC. One $39 review covers up to three peptides, and there is no subscription.
See muscle growth peptides- 1Complete a short intakeYour history, current medications, any cancer history and what you already take, including testosterone.
- 2A provider reviews itA licensed provider reviews it for a one-time $39 and prescribes only if it fits.
- 3The pharmacy ships itA licensed U.S. 503A compounding pharmacy compounds and ships it to you.
Frequently asked questions
- What peptides are best for muscle growth?
- The growth hormone peptides have the most evidence: CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, MK-677 (ibutamoren), sermorelin and tesamorelin. They prompt your own pituitary to release more growth hormone, which supports lean mass and recovery alongside training. BPC-157 and TB-500 are recovery peptides that help you keep training.
- Do peptides build muscle without exercise?
- No. Growth hormone peptides support recovery and sleep, but resistance training is what tells muscle to grow, and protein is what it is built from. A peptide adds to that work. It does not replace it.
- How much muscle can you gain on peptides?
- Expect modest gains. In the longest trial, adults aged 60 to 81 gained 1.1 kg of fat-free mass over a year on MK-677 while the placebo group lost 0.5 kg. Trials in younger, trained men have not been run, so results there come down to your training, protein and sleep.
- What peptides do bodybuilders use?
- Most often CJC-1295/Ipamorelin or MK-677 when building, tesamorelin when cutting, and BPC-157 or the Wolverine Stack for joints and injuries. All growth hormone peptides are prohibited in drug-tested federations.
- Is MK-677 a SARM?
- No. MK-677 (ibutamoren) is a ghrelin receptor agonist that raises growth hormone. It does not act on androgen receptors. It gets grouped with SARMs because both are sold together online as research chemicals.
- Are peptides steroids?
- No. Anabolic steroids are synthetic forms of testosterone that act directly on muscle. Growth hormone peptides signal your pituitary to release more of your own growth hormone. They do not raise testosterone and do not have steroid side effects, and their effect on muscle is smaller.
- Are muscle-growth peptides legal?
- Yes, with a prescription filled by a licensed compounding pharmacy. Products sold online as research chemicals, with no prescriber and no pharmacy, are a different and unverified category.
- Can you use growth hormone peptides with TRT?
- Yes. They work on different hormone systems, and many men use both. Your TRT prescriber keeps managing your testosterone. Tell the Rx Peps Direct provider you are on TRT in your intake.