Background

IGF stands for insulin-like growth factor, an anabolic hormone roughly the same size as insulin and has insulin-like actions (i.e. It shuttles nutrients, specifically amino acids and glucose, into the muscle cells where they can then be synthesized into new muscle tissue).  It is a natural substance that is produced in the human body and is at its highest natural levels during puberty. It is produced predominantly in the liver in response to growth hormone (GH) release from the pituitary gland. During puberty IGF is the most responsible for the natural muscle growth that occurs during these years. There are many different things important for physical enhancement that IGF does in the human body. Among these effects, the most positive are increased amino acid transport to cells, increased glucose transport, increased protein synthesis, decreased protein degradation, and increased RNA synthesis. IGF1 is also known as somatomedin C.

Mode of action

Hypertrophy is what occurs during weight training and steroid use, it is simply an increase in the size of muscle cells. IGF works differently -it has the potential to alter an individual’s capacity to build superior muscle density and size. The most interesting and potent effect IGF has on the human body is its ability to cause hyperplasia, which is an actual splitting of cells. IGF1 belongs in the super family of substances known as ‘growth factors,’ along with epidermal (skin), transforming; platelet derived fibroblast, nerve, and ciliary neurotrophic growth factors. These agents all have in common the ability to stimulate cell division, known as mitogenesis, and cell differentiation. In the case of IGF1 which acts on muscle tissue it will initiate the growth of new muscle fibers, and subsequently new receptors for testosterone. After puberty a person will have a set number of muscle cells, and all that can be done is increase the size of these muscle cells. A person can initiate hyperplasia with IGF use and actually increase the number of muscle cells present in the tissue. A serious bodybuilder can mature these new cells, make them grow and become stronger, through weight training and steroid use.

IGF versus steroids and others (advantages)

There is a lot of talk about the similarity between IGF and growth hormone. The most often asked question is simply which is more effective. GH works by increasing protein synthesis capabilities, increasing the amount of insulin a person can use effectively, and increasing the amount of anabolic steroids a person can use effectively. GH also indirectly causes muscle growth by stimulating the release of IGF when it (the GH) is destroyed in the human body. GH then can be considered as a precursor to IGF. It is for this very reason that high dosing of GH will not necessarily result in more growth– growth is limited by the amount of IGF-1 that the liver can produce in response to any given dosage of GH.  IGF is more effective at directly causing muscle growth and density increases. Moreover, with growth hormone you need to use high amounts of anabolics and often insulin to see any gains at all, this is not the case with IGF. IGF does not have to be used along with anabolic steroids, GH, insulin, or thyroid hormones to be effective. IGF can be effectively used by itself and cause muscle growth on its own. In fact some people prefer to use it during their breaks from steroid cycles since IGF has no effect on natural testosterone production. It could effectively be used along with hcg, Clomid, and PGF2a for an off cycle stack which would allow the body to return to normal.

Another advantage that IGF has over GH is that it has greater affinity for muscle cells instead of bone and organ cells. GH has been known to cause a lot of organ enlargement and bone elongation since it attaches to all types of receptor cells. IGF is much more selective and attaches to only myogenic stem cells, the cells located in muscle and connective tissues.  It also has no effect in testosterone production and can be used by bodybuilders who bridge between cycles.

IGF-1 versus LONG R3 IGF-1

There are many different analogs of IGF, but the two most common are recombinant IGF and Long R3 IGF-1. Regular recombinant IGF is the more expensive and the less effective of the two. Regular IGF only has a half-life of about 10-20 minutes in the human body. It can be combined with certain binding proteins to extend its half-life, but this requires a complex procedure.

Scientists studied the physiology and pharmacology of the hormone, IGF-1 and found out that 99 % of IGF-1 circulates in the bloodstream bound to specific binding proteins. It is the remaining unbound or FREE 1% of the IGF-1 that actually causes the anticipated muscle cell hyperplasia (the bound 99% is essentially wasted. IGF-1 has been synthetically synthesized (using similar technology to that used to make GH) to circumvent the shortcomings that are associated with GH-mediated IGF-1 production in the liver. Scientists chemically altered the original IGF-1 molecule to combat this phenomenon of the binding proteins “stealing” IGF-1, thus creating a new hormone known as LONG R3 IGF-1 (the LONG R3 refers to the 3 long side chains that have been added to the original molecule). These large, space occupying, side chains attach to the IGF-1 molecule and prevent these blood borne binding proteins (BP’s) from “snatching” up and inactivating the IGF-1. The amino acid changes cause it to avoid binding to proteins in the human body, allowing it to have a much longer half life (20-30 hours) and enhance the biological activity of the IGF peptide. LONG R3 IGF-1 is not expensive since a media grade version is available which is sufficient for bodybuilding use.

Preparation

The diluents needed for the IGF are a weak concentration of hydrochloric acid and a sterile buffer (sterile water or bacteriostatic water). These can be obtained from most local chemical suppliers.

A media grade version which is sufficient for bodybuilding use is available. There is also a receptor grade IGF but it is VERY expensive and its difference with the media grade version is barely noticeable. The price on the black market for Long R3 IGF-1 can be seen anywhere from $300-$500 per milligram depending on the source. At present, IGF remains a research product and is only available from a few laboratories in the world.

Usage and Precautions

The most effective length for a cycle of IGF is 50 days on and 20-40 days off. This one is already established. The most controversy surrounding Long R3 IGF-1 is the effective dosage. The most used dosages range between 20mcg/day to 120+mcg/day. Never exceed 120mcg in one day.

IGF is only available by the milligram, one mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 20mcg/day, 2mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 40mcg/day, 3mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 60mcg/day, 4mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 80mcg/day and so on. The dosage issue mainly revolves around how much money you have to spend, plenty of people use the minimum dosage of 20mcg/day and are happy with the results, and in fact several top bodybuilders use the 20mcg/day dosage and are pleased with the results. IGF is most effective when administered subcutaneously and injected once or twice daily at your current dosage. The best time for injections is either in the morning and/or immediately after weight training.

Bodybuilders noticed that Long R3 IGF-1 stopped working effectively after about 4 weeks. As the dosage of IGF-1 increases, the IGF-1 muscle cell receptors become saturated and all the excess IGF-1 go straight to the highest naturally occurring concentration of IGF-1 receptors– the extremities (i.e. feet, hands, and facial bones), whereby, side effects such as shoe and hand size increases and facial bone thickening can occur. Additionally, high doses of Long R3 IGF-1 will lead to decreases in muscle cell IGF-1 receptors thus diminishing the results seen with Long R3 IGF-1 usage over time. In summary, anecdotal reports by Long R3 IGF-1 users suggest that 10-20mcg per day of Long R3 IGF-1 can cause significant muscle cell hypertrophy, and will continue to do so for approximately 30 days.

Results

IGF-1 directly reacts with the proteins in the body, and consequently also directly effects muscle and tissue growth. GH on the other hand, simply signals the other compounds to react (IGF-1 being one of those compounds). Therefore, effects are definitely quicker and faster when you use IGF-1 instead of ordinary GH.

Don’t expect to gain 5 lbs. a week like what may be seen in users of anadrol or a similar steroid. The only weight a bodybuilder will gain from IGF use is pure lean muscle tissue; with steroids most of the weight gained is water weight. Expect to gain 1-2 lbs of new lean muscle tissue every 2-3 weeks. These effects can be complemented with the use of testosterone, anabolic steroids, and insulin use. Increased vascularity is also very common, people report seeing veins appear where they never have before. Another effect reported is the ability to stay lean while bulking with heavy dosages of steroids and lots of food while on an IGF cycle, this is perhaps the most pleasing effect.

Adverse reactions and Precautions

Fatigue is one of the reported side effects of IGF use and makes you sleep longer. This is also common in growing children who have high levels of HGH in their bodies and researchers think this may be related to IGF1 levels. When used in larger quantities (over 100mcg) IGF may cause headaches, occasional nausea, muscle stiffness and hypoglycemia. IGF1 can also cause serious gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea and vomiting. As a precaution, do not take more than 120mcg in one day.

Other benefits

IGF-1 can increase the strength of tendons and help heal existing injuries by stimulating the production of myogenic stem cells responsible for the production of myoblast cells, which in turn are responsible for the buildup and repair of connective tissues (ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and joints to a certain extent).   Scientists are currently investigating IGF’s potential to help nerve tissue repair, treat burn victims, and as a possible treatment for muscle wasting in AIDS patients.

IGF can also help strip the body of fat.   Active IGF behaves differently in different types of tissues.

IGF mobilizes fat for use as energy in adipose tissue. In lean tissue, IGF prevents insulin from transporting glucose across cell membranes. As a result the cells have to switch to burning off fat as a source of energy.

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MGF is a splice variant of the IGF gene which increases stem cell count in the muscle and allows for muscle fibers to fuse and mature. This is a process required for growth of adult muscle. Natural MGF is made locally and does not travel into the bloodstream. Synthetic MGF is water based and when administered intramuscular, travels into the bloodstream. MGF is only stable in the blood stream for only a few minutes.

PEGylation is the act of attaching a Polyethylene glycol (PEG) structure to another larger molecule (in this case, MGF). The PEG acts as a protective coating and the theory here is that this will allow the MGF to be carried through the blood stream without being broken down.

MGF is produced biologically when muscle fibers are broken down through resistance (weight training). It is a potent factor in muscle growth. MGF stimulates muscle growth, creates new muscle fibers, promotes nitrogen retention and increases protein synthesis. This compound is commonly used for overall growth of muscle and to promote growth in body parts that are not up to par with the rest of the user’s physique. Results usually depend on dosage. Fat loss and strength increases are not typically seen with MGF’s use (as they are in IGF-1 use).

The PEG itself is safe for use as it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and does not react in the body. The PEG  MGF is not broken down in the body and excreted (intact) through urine or feces. Any risk associated PEGylated drugs is due to drug itself not the PEG per se.

PEG MGF Data

In a study on older rodents, muscle fiber reduction in their older muscles was found to be attributed to decreased activity of satellite cells. After a certain size was reached, growth ceased. In the presence of MGF, satellite cells became activated and hypertrophy in mature muscles continued.

In experiments where MGF was administered intramuscular, there was a 20% increase in the weight of the injected muscle fibers within 2 weeks. In further studies, it took 4 months for IGF to cause a 25% increase in muscle mass. MGF was found to be more potent than IGF-1Ea in rapid muscle growth (4).

PEG MGF is best if used 4 to 6 weeks, at dosages of 200mcgs to 500mcgs EOD preferably at night.

PEG MGF is best while dieting or cutting to help prevent muscle loss and even increase lean mass or during PCT to help retain gains. PEG MGF works well by itself and a high protein diet is highly recommended.

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Although still relatively new, peptides have recently become popular as performance enhancing drugs. GHRP-6 is currently available from a few research companies.

The major side effect accompanied by the use of GHRP-6 is a significant increase in appetite due to a stimulating the release of Ghrelin, a peptide which is released naturally in the lining of the stomach and increases hunger and gastric emptying.

GHRP-6 causes stimulation of the anterior pituitary gland which ultimately causes an increase in GH release. Since GHRP-6 acts directly on the feedback loop which signals the inhibition of GH release, when natural GH secretion has been inhibited by long term synthetic use, GHRP-6 can be used to re-stimulate the natural production of GH. GHRP-6 also affects the central nervous system, by protecting neurons as well as increasing strength in a way very similar to the way certain steroids in the Dihydrotestosterone family do.

Benefits of increased Growth Hormone levels through GHRP-6 stimulation include: an increase in strength, muscle mass and body fat loss, rejuvenation and strengthening of joints, connective tissue and bone mass. Enhanced GH secretion also leads to the liver secreting more IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1), which is thought to be the primary anabolic mechanism of action for Growth Hormone.

It has also been discovered that when GHRP-6 and insulin are used simultaneously, GH response to GHRP-6 is increased. A recent study in normal mice showed significant differences in body composition, muscle growth, glucose metabolism, memory and cardiac function in the mice being administered the GHRP-6. Although this stuff can have GH-like effects, the weight increase makes any possible fat burning effects almost unnoticeable. For a bulking cycle, and at the price, it’s almost a must-have.

American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology:

Growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptides (GHRP), a class of synthetic peptidyl GH secretagogues, have been reported to exert a cardioprotective effect on cardiac ischemia. However, whether GHRP have a beneficial effect on chronic heart failure (CHF) is unclear, and the present work aims to clarify this issue. At 9 wk after pressure-overload CHF was created by abdominal aortic banding in rats, one of four variants of GHRP (GHRP-1, -2, and -6 and hexarelin, 100 mug/kg) or saline was injected subcutaneously twice a day for 3 wk. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization were performed to monitor cardiac function and obtain blood samples for hormone assay. GHRP treatment significantly improved left ventricular (LV) function and remodeling in CHF rats, as indicated by increased LV ejection fraction, LV end-systolic pressure, and diastolic posterior wall thickness and decreased LV end-diastolic pressure and LV end-diastolic dimension. GHRP also significantly alleviated development of cardiac cachexia, as shown by increases in body weight and tibial length in CHF rats. Plasma CA, renin, ANG II, aldosterone, endothelin-1, and atrial natriuretic peptide were significantly elevated in CHF rats but were significantly decreased in GHRP-treated CHF rats. GHRP suppressed cardiomyocyte apoptosis and increased cardiac GH secretagogue receptor mRNA expression in CHF rats. GHRP also decreased myocardial creatine kinase release in hypophysectomized rats subjected to acute myocardial ischemia. We conclude that chronic administration of GHRP alleviates LV dysfunction, pathological remodeling, and cardiac cachexia in CHF rats, at least in part by suppressing stress-induced neurohormonal activations and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Research Dosage: 150-500mcg/day

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Hexarelin (HEX) is a peptide GH secretagogue, structurally similar to GHRP-6,  in the growth factor family which stimulates the release of growth hormone (GH).  It can be used medically to treat GH deficiency.

Although relatively new, Hexarelin is becoming a popular choice as a performance enhancement drug. Hexarelin is currently available from several research companies.

Due to Hexarelin’s ability to increase secretion of natural Growth Hormone, most of its effects are similar to those of synthetic GH, although to a slightly lesser extent.  Effects of its use include:  increase in strength, growth of new muscle fibers, increase in the size of already existing muscle fibers, neural protection, joint rejuvenation, protection and healing.  Also, the GH receptors in adipose (fat) tissue allow for potential fat reduction with Hexarelin use.  The increase of circulating GH through Hexarelin use causes levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF-1) to rise in the liver.  IGF-1 is the prime cause of muscle growth in response to GH stimulation.

There is no appetite boost with Hexarelin use (as opposed to GHRP-6’s extreme appetite increase) due to its inability to drastically increase Ghrelin levels that are responsible for added hunger and quicker gastric emptying.

In studies where Hexarelin was injected subcutaneously, Growth Hormone, measured through plasma concentrations, increased significantly and within thirty minutes of injection.  GH levels decreased back to normal around four hours post injection.  The GH increase, has been found to be effective up to 2mg/kg, any further increase in dose was found to be ineffective in causing a GH response.

Results showed that Hexarelin’s effect on GH stimulation tapered between weeks 4 through 16.  Separating cycles by 4 week off periods, avoided the negative feedback loop and the next cycle of Hexarelin produced the same level of results as the first cycle.

Hexarelin, administered subcutaneously produces a dose-dependent GH response from the Pituitary.

The advantages of having HGH secreted in larger amounts in the body would be similar to what happens when injectable growth hormone is administered. Effects from GH include increased bone mineral density, increased mitosis and meiosis which leads to more muscle mass, triglyceride hydrolysis which causes prominent fat loss, connective tissue strengthening, and improved skin elasticity.

GH secretion also leads to the liver secreting more IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor One), which by itself has a host of effects similar to GH. Users of IGF-1 typically experience increased strength and muscle mass, as well as a very pronounced fat loss.

Therefore, by injecting Hexarelin, the user will experience all of the effects of both Growth Hormone as well as IGF-1. However, since Hexarelin actually stimulates the body to produce more GH, it may be likely that the eventual shutdown of the body’s natural GH production may be avoided, as is seen with injectable GH. For this reason, many athletes use Hexarelin alone, but others have used it after a Growth Hormone or Insulin-Like Growth Factor one cycle, to “jump start” their own natural GH and IGF-1 production. Of course, as we know from other peptides like GHRP-6, this type of surge in Growth Hormone levels has been positively correlated with increases in strength, muscle hypertrophy, and fat loss. Therefore, the many advantages of having GH secreted in larger amounts via administration of Hexarelin are comparable to the effects of injectable growth hormone administration.

Hexarelin enhanced GH secretion also leads to the liver secreting more IGF-1(Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1). IGF-1 is thought to be the primary causative factor in the anabolic effects of Growth Hormone. Hexarelin only stimulates the increase of GH, and has been found to be effective up to 2mg/kg, but after that dose does not really produce more results in terms of GH secretion. Thus, a dose of 2mgs/kg is the upper limit for Hexarelin use, while GH users in the professional ranks of athletics and bodybuilding have gone as high as 10iu/day. Hexarelin, at 2mg/kg of body weight has been compared by most users to the type of results seen with 1-2iu/day of GH. At the price,though, Hexarelin is a much better alternative. In fact,  for the price and for the effects, this stuff is a steal when compared with using 2iu of GH every day.

Unlike GH, however, some attenuation to Hexarelin occurs by week 4, and continues on up to 16 weeks of use. By separating Hexarelin cycles by 4 week off periods, this attenuation can be totally reset, and the next cycle of Hexarelin will produce the same level of results as the first cycle. Although, many athletes use Hexarelin alone, others have used it after a Growth Hormone or Insulin-Like Growth Factor one cycle, to as a form of Post-Cycle Therapy for the recovery of their own natural GH and IGF-1 production. Again,for this purpose, 2mg/kg, injected subcutaneously is the proper dose per day.

A surge in Growth Hormone levels has been positively correlated with increases in strength, muscle hypertrophy, and fat loss. Therefore, the many advantages of having GH secreted in larger amounts via administration of Hexarelin are comparable to the effects of injectable growth hormone administration. Hexarelin can increase strength and even aided with fat-loss a bit, but won’t put much weight on at all. This makes it very different from GHRP-6, which piles tons of weight on.

Research Dosage: Hexarelin at 100-200mcg/day

Cycle off every 4-6 weeks

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sermorelin

Sermorelin is a biological active analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) that is produced by the human brain to stimulate production and release of growth hormone by the pituitary gland. Sermorelin stimulates production of the body’s own HGH. It is a truncated analog of growth hormone releasing factor (GRF 1-44) that is naturally

produced by the brain to stimulate pituitary production and secretion of HGH. Growth hormone is naturally produced by the pituitary gland and is necessary for growth in children. In children who fail to grow normally because their bodies are not producing enough growth hormone, this medicine may be used to increase the amount of growth hormone produced by the pituitary gland.

Sermorelin is a growth hormone releasing hormone analogue. It is a 29-amino acid polypeptide representing the 1-29 fragment from endogenous human growth hormone releasing hormone, and is thought to be the shortest fully functional fragment of GHRH. It is used as a test for growth hormone secretion.
During youth, ample amounts of GHRH are produced so that the pituitary is able to provide the body with sufficient growth hormone to sustain health, vitality and otherwise normal aspects of form and function. GHRH declines with age causing reduced production and secretion of pituitary HGH and thereby increasing the sequelae of growth hormone insufficiency.

Unlike HGH, Sermorelin affects a more primary source of failure in the GH neuroendocrine axis, has more physiological activity, has a better safety profile, and its use for adult hormone deficiency is not restricted.
Sermorelin benefits:

* Increases natural production of Growth Hormone
* Improves Physical Performance
* Improves Immune Function
* Increases IGF-1
* Improves sleep quality

sermorelin

While Sermorelin produces the same effects on body composition and provides the other benefits of HGH, it also has some additional and important benefits.
The effects of Sermorelin are regulated at the level of the pituitary gland by negative feedback and by release of somatostatin so that safety concerns associated the HGH overdosing are minimized or completely avoided.

Currently, the only method for effectively administering Sermorelin is by subcutaneous injection. However, because the molecule is much smaller than hGH, it may be possible to successfully administer it through the nasal mucousa using a spray formulation.
Sermorelin is administered by Subcutaneous injection once daily prior to bedtime. The time of injection is important because the additional GRF provided by Sermorelin complements that which naturally occurs during sleep and thereby facilitates the nocturnal release of hGH that is characteristic of youth. Dose selection should be suited for each person’s individual needs. However, guidelines for dosing are:

• 200 ug/day for men with BMI from 18.5 – 24.9
• 300 ug/day for men with BMI between 25 and 29.9
• 400 ug/day for women or for men with BMI between 25 and 29.9
• 500ug/day for women or for men with BMI between 25 and 29.9

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IGF stands for insulin-like growth factor. It is a natural substance that is produced in the human body and is at its highest natural levels during puberty. During puberty IGF is the most responsible for the natural muscle growth that occurs during these few years. There are many different things that IGF does in the human body. Among the effects the most positive are increased amino acid transport to cells, increased glucose transport, increased protein synthesis, decreased protein degradation, and increased RNA synthesis.

When IGF is active it behaves differently in different types of tissues. In muscle cells proteins and associated cell components are stimulated. Protein synthesis is increased along with amino acid absorption. As a source of energy, IGF mobilizes fat for use as energy in adipose tissue. In lean tissue,IGF prevents insulin from transporting glucose across cell membranes. As a result the cells have to switch to burning off fat as a source of energy.

IGF also mimics insulin in the human body. It makes muscles more sensitive to insulin’s effects, so if you are a person that currently uses insulin you can lower your dosage by a decent margin to achieve the same effects, and as mentioned IGF will keep the insulin from making you fat.

Perhaps the most interesting and potent effect IGF has on the human body is its ability to cause hyperplasia, which is an actual splitting of cells. Hypertrophy is what occurs during weight training and steroid use, it is simply an increase in the size of muscle cells. See, after puberty you have a set number of muscle cells, and all you are able to do is increase the size of these muscle cells, you don’t actually gain more. But, with IGF use you are able to cause this hyperplasia which actually increases the number of muscle cells present in the tissue, and through weight training and steroid usage you are able to mature these new cells, in other words make them grow and become stronger. So in a way IGF can actually change your genetic capabilities in terms of muscle tissue and cell count. IGF proliferates and differentiates the number of types of cells present. At a genetic level it has the potential to alter an individuals capacity to build superior muscle density and size.

There is a lot of talk about the similarity between IGF and growth hormone. The most often asked question is simply which is more effective. GH doesn’t directly cause your muscles to grow, it works very indirectly by increasing protein synthesis capabilities, increasing the amount of insulin a person can use effectively, and increasing the amount of anabolic steroids a person can use effectively. GH also indirectly causes muscle growth by stimulating the release of IGF when it (the GH) is destroyed in the human body. So one way you could look at it as GH being a precursor to IGF. So to put it simple IGF is more effective at directly causing muscle growth and density increases. IGF is also much more cost effective.

IGF can also be effectively used by itself and gains will still be easily noticeable. With growth hormone you need to use high amounts of anabolics and often insulin to see any gains at all, this is not the case with IGF. IGF can be used by itself and is often used by bodybuilders who bridge between cycles, during this bridge is a good time to use IGF since it has no effect on natural testosterone production so it will therefore allow you to return to normal in terms of hormone levels.

IGF is a research drug, it hasn’t been approved by the FDA for use as a pharmaceutical and it is currently being researched for nerve tissue repair, possible burn victims, and also as a possible aid in muscle wasting for AIDS patients. There are many different analogs of IGF available, instead of mentioning them all, I will simply mention the two most common and the most effective. Regular recombinant IGF is one of the two, it is also the more expensive and the least effective. Regular IGF only has a half-life of about 10-20 minutes in the human body and is quickly destroyed, it can be combined with certain binding proteins to extend the half-life, but it is not a very simple procedure and there is a more effective and less expensive version available. The most effective form of IGF is Long R3 IGF-1, it has been chemically altered and has had amino acid changes which cause it to avoid binding to proteins in the human body and allow it to have a much longer half life, around 20-30 hours. “Long R3 IGF-1 is an 83 amino acid analog of IGF-1 comprising the complete human IGF-1 sequence with the substitution of an Arg(R) for the Glu(E) at position three, hence R3, and a 13 amino acid extension peptide at the N terminus. This analog of IGF-1 has been produced with the purpose of increasing the biological activity of the IGF peptide.”

“Long R3 IGF-1 is significantly more potent than IGF-1. The enhanced potency is due to the decreased binding of Long R3 IGF-1 to all known IGF binding proteins. These binding proteins normally inhibit the biological actions of IGF’s.”

It is also not as expensive since a media grade version is available which is sufficient for bodybuilding use. There is also a receptor grade available but it is VERY expensive and the only noticeable difference between the two would only be able to be noticed in a laboratory setting.

The most effective length for a cycle of IGF is 50 days on and 20-40 days off. The most controversy surrounding Long R3 IGF-1 is the effective dosage. The most used dosages range between 20mcg/day to 120+mcg/day. IGF is only available by the milligram, one mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 20mcg/day, 2mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 40mcg/day, 3mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 60mcg/day, 4mg will give you a 50 day cycle at 80mcg/day and so on. The dosage issue mainly revolves around how much money you have to spend, plenty of people use the minimum dosage of 20mcg/day and are happy with the results, and in fact several top bodybuilders use the 20mcg/day dosage and are pleased with the results. IGF is most effective when administered subcutaneously and injected once or twice daily at your current dosage. The best time for injections is either in the morning and/or immediately after weight training.

Another frequently asked question of IGF refers to the real world results, in terms of pure weight gain don’t expect to gain 5 lbs. a week like you may off of anadrol or a similar steroid. The only weight you will gain from IGF use is pure lean muscle tissue, with steroids most of the weight gained is water weight. With an effective dosage you can expect to gain 1-2 lbs of new lean muscle tissue every 2-3 weeks and these effects can be increased with the use of testosterone, anabolic steroids, and insulin use. Increased vascularity is also very common, people report seeing veins appear where they never have before. And yet another effect reported is the ability to stay lean while bulking with heavy dosages of steroids and TONS of food while on an IGF cycle, this is perhaps the most pleasing effect. Increased pumps are also noticeable almost immediately, the pumps can almost become painful, pumps are even noticeable when doing cardio.

Overall, IGF is a very exciting drug due to its ability to alter ones genetic capabilities.

IGF1, also known as somatomedin C, is polypeptide hormone about the same size as insulin. It is produced predominantly in the liver in response to growth hormone (GH) release from the pituitary gland. Many of the growth promoting effects of GH are due to its ability to release IGF1 from the liver. The conversion ratio of GH to IGF1 varies greatly in different individuals but most external sources of GH convert around 4-6mcg of IGF per one I.U. of GH. IGF-1 acts on several different tissues to enhance growth. IGF1 belongs in the super family of substances known as ‘growth factors,’ along with epidermal (skin), transforming; platelet derived fibroblast, nerve, and ciliary neurotrophic growth factors. None of the other factors have any bearing on exoskeletal tissue incidentally however These agents all have in common the ability to stimulate cell division, known as mitogenesis, and cell differentiation. Meaning That In the case of IGF1 which does act on muscle tissue it will initiate the growth of new muscle fibers, and subsequently new receptors for testosterone. Users have unanimously concluded that it enhances cycles of steroids significantly. They also seem to be adamant about its ability to reduce fat and improve vascularity a great deal.

Research uses of IGF

Test studies show dosages range from 60mcg up to 120mcg per day in divided doses. One injection in the morning and again at bed time. If dosages exceed 120mcg IGF1 can cause serious gastrointestinal problems such as tumors intestinal swelling diarrhea and vomiting.
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The starting point for a peptide mimetics research is the identification of a peptide or peptide sequence within a protein context that is active in the relevant assay. The process involves deconstructing the original peptide and reassembling the essential features on a new, mimetic scaffold that retains the ability to interact with the biological target, but circumvents the problems associated with a natural peptide. The deconstruction process begins by developing structure-activity relationships, then designing analogs to define a minimal active sequence and to identify the key residues and portions of the backbone in the peptide that are responsible for the biological effect. The structural constraints are added to check the effectiveness of these features.

The interaction of a peptide with a biological target may occur via a direct binding of a linear sequence in any number of conformations accessible to a peptide. The modern peptide mimetics approach incorporates a production of small molecules which mimic peptides in order to overcome their ineffectiveness as drugs when administered orally. The small molecules mimetics retain the desired biological properties of the peptide lead, but are metabolically stable, have unlimited diversity, and can be designed to provide the new drugs.

By this process, the peptide has been reduced to its information content, the basis for a pharmacophore model that defines the critical features and their arrangement in space. This model supports the re-assembly of the critical elements and non-peptide variants on a modified scaffold that presents the optimized pharmacophore to the receptor. The optimized peptide-hybrid may be valuable as a first drug candidate, in addition to its role as a tool for further evolution to a mimetic. Mimetic scaffolds are designed to be resistant to the proteases that would destroy a natural peptide, and would have pharmaceutical properties consistent with a drug candidate.

It is possible to represent the biologically active sites of the peptides in the form of orally administered small-molecule mimietics that take all the advantages of evolutionally designed peptides on the one hand and have good drug properties, are stable, bioavailable, inexpensive in manufacture and convenient in use, on the other hand. There is no way to get involved in modern drug discovery and drug design without peptide and their small molecule mimetics research.

researchpeptides.com

After synthesizing and screening hundreds of molecules, the researchers headed by Victor Hruby, found a peptide, [Nle4, D-Phe7]-%u03B1-MSH, that was approximately 1,000 times more potent than natural %u03B1-MSH.  They dubbed this new peptide molecule, “Melanotan” (later Melanotan I, now known as afamelanotide). They subsequently developed another analog, Ac-Nle-cyclo[Asp-His-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Lys]-NH2), which they called “Melanotan II”. The scientists hoped to use these peptides to combat melanoma by stimulating the body’s natural pigmentary mechanism to create a tan without first needing exposure to harmful levels of UV radiation.This in turn, they hypothesized, could reduce the potential for skin damage that can eventually lead to skin cancer.
Melanotan and Melanotan II are both synthetic versions of melanocyte stimulating hormone that were created, synthesized and developed at The University of Arizona and the Arizona Cancer Center. Melanotan is a linear, full length peptide (containing all 13 amino acids). Melanotan II is a shortened, circular version of the same peptide. Both Melanotan and Melanotan II have sunless tanning capabilities but because Melanotan II had libido enhancement and spontaneous erections as side effects, it is now being developed as a sexual and erectile dysfunction drug.

To be particularly clear regarding Melanotan (due to previous incorrect news reports) it should be noted that it does not cause sexual arousal nor have erectile effects. These aspects are only found in the drugs Melanotan II and bremelanotide.
The scientists licensed their patented peptides, via a technology transfer company, to a number of biotechnology companies who intend to develop them into drugs.

Melanotan 1 and 2 are sold for research purposes only and are used for clinical trial studies. The FDA has not approved these peptides as a new drug, or makes claim to any healing properties. Much is still to be learned on the long term effect of these peptides and clinical studies are still conducted to test the abilities of MT1 and MT2

researchpeptides.com