Growth hormone research
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin
Also written CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin, CJC ipamorelin, cjc 1295 ipamorelin
CJC-1295 and ipamorelin are two peptides that both make the pituitary release growth hormone, through two different receptors, which is why they are often mentioned together. Each has been studied in a small number of human studies on its own. No study has tested the two together, and neither is an approved medicine.
This is the most discussed combination in the growth-hormone category, and unlike most named stacks its rationale comes from physiology rather than a forum: the two peptides act on the same gland through separate receptors. Nobody gave it a nickname, so people search for it by both compound names.
The compounds
CJC-1295
A long-lasting copy of the signal that releases growth hormone
Copies GHRH, the signal the brain sends to tell the pituitary to release growth hormone. Its one human trial used the long-acting DAC version.
Everything on CJC-1295
Ipamorelin
A selective growth hormone releaser with two human studies
Acts on a different receptor on the same gland, the ghrelin receptor. In early pharmacology work it was selective, largely leaving cortisol and prolactin alone.
Everything on IpamorelinHow it is thought to work
The pituitary releases growth hormone in bursts rather than a steady drip, and two separate receptors control those bursts. These two compounds act on one each.
Two receptors, one gland
CJC-1295 copies the signal the brain sends down to say "release now". Ipamorelin acts on the other receptor, the one the stomach's hunger hormone ghrelin uses. In physiology studies, signals through both receptors release more growth hormone than either alone. That is a pharmacological finding; it has not been tested with these two compounds in people.
Ipamorelin was the selective one in early pharmacology work. The older peptides in its family also pushed cortisol and prolactin up; ipamorelin largely left both alone.
The DAC question
CJC-1295 exists in two versions that behave nothing alike. With DAC, it attaches to a protein in the blood and keeps growth hormone raised for days. Without DAC, also called mod GRF 1-29, it clears in minutes and produces a single pulse.
The one human CJC-1295 trial used the long-acting version, and its findings do not transfer to the short-acting one. That mismatch is why so much of what is written about this pair contradicts itself.
Worth saying plainly: whether holding growth hormone up continuously is better than the body's natural pulses, or worse, has not been established. That is a genuine unknown rather than a technicality.
Why they are mentioned together
The rationale comes from physiology studies: signals through the GHRH receptor and the ghrelin receptor together release more growth hormone than either alone. That is a real pharmacological finding. Whether it translates into any outcome in people has never been tested for these two compounds together.
Straight answer
CJC-1295 is two different compounds under one name.
The version with DAC stays active for days and holds growth hormone elevated; the version without it, also called mod GRF 1-29, clears in minutes and produces a pulse instead. The one human CJC-1295 trial used the DAC form, and its findings do not describe the other. Much of what is written about this pair mixes the two up.
The research areas it is discussed for
Each has its own page on what studies have examined, covering every peptide, not just these two.
Worth knowing first
- With and without DAC are different compounds
- One holds growth hormone elevated for days, the other produces a pulse and clears in minutes. Research on one does not describe the other.
- The muscle-gain figures circulating for this pairing are not in the paper they cite
- The review usually credited with them reports lean-mass gains in people who are wasting or carrying a lot of extra weight, and appetite stimulation. It contains no body-composition percentage for healthy adults who train.
- Not approved, and not tested together
- Neither compound is an approved medicine, and no study has tested them in combination. Their interactions and long-term safety in people are unknown.
- Banned in sport, and not only in competition
- Both compounds are prohibited at all times under WADA rules, not just in competition.
The evidence behind CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin
This pairing has better underlying evidence than most on the hub: both halves have been studied individually in humans, and the reason for combining them is a real mechanism rather than a story. What is missing is a study of the two together. Note also that the human CJC-1295 trial used the DAC form, which behaves differently from the short-acting version.
Studied in people
1 of 1The only kind that directly answers whether it works in humans.Preclinical studies
1 of 1Preclinical results do not automatically hold in people.Questions people ask
Why are CJC-1295 and ipamorelin mentioned together?
They trigger growth hormone release through two different receptors on the pituitary, and in physiology studies signals through both receptors release more growth hormone than either alone. That mechanistic reason is real. No study has tested the two compounds together in people.
What is the difference between CJC-1295 with DAC and without?
DAC is an attachment that makes the peptide last much longer, days rather than minutes. With DAC, growth hormone rises for days; without it, also called mod GRF 1-29, it rises in a short pulse closer to the body's own pattern. The one human trial used the DAC version, and its findings do not transfer to the other.
What has each compound been tested for in people?
CJC-1295 with DAC was tested in healthy adults (Teichman 2006), where one injection raised growth hormone and IGF-1 for days. Ipamorelin was tested in a pharmacology study and in a phase 2 trial for bowel recovery after surgery, which did not continue. Neither has been tested for body composition, recovery or sleep.
Is it legal?
Neither is an FDA-approved drug, and neither is on the 503A list for compounding. Both are prohibited in sport at all times. We do not sell them and link to no seller.
Your DNA and the research on these compounds
Your report reads the DNA file you already have against the published research on 31 peptides, marker by marker, and says what that research does and does not show.