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GHRP-6

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-6, Growth hormone-releasing hexapeptide, His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2

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1994 pubmed

Growth hormone-releasing activity of growth hormone-releasing peptide-6 is maintained after short-term oral pretreatment with the hexapeptide in normal aging.

Ghigo. E E; Arvat. E E; Rizzi. G G; Goffi. S S; Grottoli. S S; Mucci. M M; Boghen. M F MF; Camanni. F F

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Key Findings

Oral GHRP‑6 (300 µg/kg) produced a strong, rapid increase in GH levels in elderly women.
The GH‑stimulating effect was maintained (and slightly increased) after 4 days of twice‑daily dosing.
GH response to oral GHRP‑6 was greater than the response to an IV dose of GHRH.
Short‑term treatment did not significantly raise IGF‑1 levels.

Practical Outcomes

For biohackers interested in boosting GH, an oral dose of roughly 300 µg/kg (≈20‑30 mg for a 70 kg adult) taken twice a day can reliably raise GH acutely, even after a few days of use. Expect noticeable GH spikes but no immediate IGF‑1 rise, so longer‑term protocols may be needed for downstream effects. The study is very small and limited to older women, so start with caution, monitor hormone levels, and watch for any side effects.

Summary

A small study in older women showed that taking the peptide GHRP‑6 by mouth (about 300 µg per kg of body weight) caused a clear rise in growth hormone, even more than an IV dose of GHRH. After four days of taking the peptide twice daily, the hormone‑boosting effect was still there and even trended upward, though the longer‑term growth factor IGF‑1 didn’t change noticeably in that short period.

Abstract

The reduced activity of the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) axis in aging may contribute to changes in body composition. As this GH insufficiency is due to hypothalamic pathogenesis, the availability of GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs), such as GHRP-6 (His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) which is active even after oral administration, might be useful to restore it. The aim of our study was to verify the effectiveness of oral administration of GHRP-6 in normal elderly subjects and to investigate whether its GH-releasing activity is maintained or vanishes after short-term oral treatment. Seven normal elderly women (aged 65-82 years) were studied. The effect of oral administration of 300 micrograms/kg GHRP-6 on GH secretion was investigated before and after 4 days of treatment with the hexapeptide given twice daily. The GH response to the maximal effective dose of GHRH (1 microgram/kg i.v.) also was studied. Before treatment, oral administration of 300 micrograms/kg GHRP-6 elicited a clear GH rise (peak 10.7 +/- 3.3 micrograms/l; AUC 353.1 +/- 90.6 micrograms.l-1.h-1), which was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than that induced by intravenous GHRH (peak 5.1 +/- 1.5 micrograms/l; AUC 106.5 +/- 43.9 micrograms.l-1.h-1). After 4 days of treatment with GHRP-6, the GH response to the hexapeptide was maintained, with a trend towards an increase (peak 16.8 +/- 2.9 micrograms/l; AUC 499.8 +/- 107.2 micrograms.l-1.h-1). The IGF-I levels were not increased significantly after treatment (77.1 +/- 8.4 vs 84.1 +/- 12.2 micrograms/l).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Study Information

Provider

pubmed

Year

1994

DOI

10.1530/eje.0.1310499