IGF-1 DES dose range
The amounts people commonly use, from the low end to the high end, with syringe units, schedule and half-life. The 7 published studies are one click away.
Animal studies only Growth hormone axis Also called des(1-3)IGF-I, des-IGF-I, truncated IGF-I
Common use ranges
From user guides and clinic write-ups. No drug label exists, and no study has tested these amounts in people. Community and education sites agree well on 50 to 100 mcg on training days with 100 mcg as the top. They split on whether to inject before or after training.
- Half-life
- Not measured in any published study
- How it is taken
- Intramuscular into the trained muscle, or subcutaneous
- How long people use it
- 4 to 6 weeks is most common. Shorter 2 to 4 week runs with 2 to 4 weeks off also appear.
- Mixing used for the units
- 1 mg vial + 2 mL water. 1 unit on a U-100 insulin syringe = 5 mcg.
Pick your vial size and how much water you add. The units below change to match.
1 mg vial + 2 mL water: 1 unit = 5 mcg
| Tier | Each dose | Syringe units1 mg vial + 2 mL water | How often | Schedule | Vial lastsat this tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting [1] | 30 mcg | 6 units 0.06 mL | once a day | 20 to 50 mcg once a day on training days | about 5 weeks |
| Typical [2] | 50 mcg | 10 units 0.10 mL | once a day | 50 to 100 mcg in total on training days, right before or right after the workout, often split across 2 to 4 muscles | 20 days |
| Higher [3] | 100 mcg | 20 units 0.20 mL | once a day | 100 mcg a day, the stated top of the community range | 10 days |
Good to know
- Its half-life is about 20 to 30 minutes, so it is timed right around the workout.
- Low blood sugar is the main risk. Fast-acting carbs are kept on hand.
- There are no human dosing studies for IGF-1 DES.
Sources for these amounts
- Starting: Peptide Protocol Wiki, IGF-1 DES community protocols (conservative) · The Peptide Breakdown, IGF-1 DES guide (20 to 50 mcg typical)
- Typical: Peptide Protocol Wiki, IGF-1 DES community protocols · Ascend wiki, IGF-1 DES (50 to 100 mcg into target muscle) · The Peptide Breakdown, IGF-1 DES guide (50 to 100 mcg higher range)
- Higher: Peptide Protocol Wiki, IGF-1 DES community protocols (maximum 100 mcg)
How long people use it: Peptide Protocol Wiki, IGF-1 DES community protocols · The Peptide Breakdown, IGF-1 DES guide · Ascend wiki, IGF-1 DES (4 to 8 weeks)
Half-life: Ballard et al, Plasma clearance and tissue distribution of labelled IGF-I, IGF-II and des(1-3)IGF-I in rats, J Endocrinol 1991 (clearance 4.59 vs 1.20 ml/min per kg) · Tomas et al, IGF-I variants which bind poorly to IGF-binding proteins show more potent and prolonged hypoglycaemic action, J Endocrinol 1997
Take the IGF-1 DES chart with you
Get a one-page printable chart for IGF-1 DES, with the syringe units for each vial and water mix. We can also email you when a new IGF-1 DES study is published.
This page shows what labels, clinics and users report, and what studies gave. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation for anyone. Many of these compounds are not approved for human use. Check your own medicines and lab work with a licensed clinician before using anything.
See the science: 7 published studies
No human dose data. No published human study of IGF-1 DES states an amount given. Every figure on this page comes from animal studies.
Amounts given to animals in studies
Read this first. More potent than IGF-1 at the same amount and drops blood sugar harder and for longer. No person has been given any amount.
Every study used for this page
Proof grade: Animal studies only. No human dose data has been published. Amounts are quoted as each study reported them. Where the abstract does not state an amount, the row says so.
| Study | Who was studied | Amount given, as reported | Route | How often | How long | What the authors reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PMID 2005410Ballard et al, J Endocrinol 1991 | Rat (group sizes not in abstract) | tracer dose of labelled peptide | Into the vein | one time | single study | Cleared from blood about 3.5 times faster than IGF-1 (4.59 against 1.20 ml/min per kg) and spread into a much larger volume. Stays mostly unbound in plasma |
| PMID 1710892Tomas et al, Biochem J 1991 | Rat, streptozotocin diabetic (group sizes not in abstract) | 1.08 mg/kg per day | Under the skin by pump | continuous | 7 days | Matched 70% of the insulin effect on weight and nitrogen balance. At least as strong as full IGF-1 at the same dose |
| PMID 1375179Vanderhoof et al, Gastroenterology 1992 | Rat, Sprague Dawley, 3 groups after 80% bowel removal | 1.5 mg/kg per day | Under the skin by pump | continuous | 7 days | More weight gain than IGF-1. Gut lining grew in the upper small bowel |
| PMID 7683875Tomas et al, Biochem J 1993 | Rat, 160 g streptozotocin diabetic (group sizes not in abstract) | graded doses up to 695 mcgrams per day | Under the skin by pump | continuous | 7 days | 2.5 to 3 times more potent than IGF-1 at restoring growth. Did not fix the high urine sugar |
| PMID 7803042Lemmey et al, Growth Factors 1994 | Rat, growing, after 70% or 80% bowel removal (group sizes not in abstract) | 278 mcgrams per day | Under the skin by pump | continuous | 7 days | Cut fat and nitrogen malabsorption after 70% bowel removal |
| PMID 8138750Martin et al, J Endocrinol 1994 | Rat, male Sprague Dawley, acute kidney failure (group sizes not in abstract) | 2.0 mg/kg per day (HIGHEST verified) | Under the skin by pump | continuous | 7 days | Better weight gain and nitrogen balance, lower blood urea, but no better kidney filtration |
| PMID 9415072Tomas et al, J Endocrinol 1997 | Marmoset monkey and pig (group sizes not in abstract) | 42 to 270 mcgrams/kg in marmosets, 20 and 50 mcgrams/kg in pigs | one time bolus injection | one time | blood sampled 30 min before to 4 h after | The most potent of the variants for lowering blood sugar, 2 to 3 times IGF-1, and the effect lasted much longer |
How to read the study numbers
- One study, one group. Each figure is what one team chose for its own participants or animals.
- Route matters. An amount given into a vein (IV) is not the same as the same amount under the skin, in the nose or by mouth.
- Animals are not small people. An animal amount is shown as the study gave it. It is not a human amount.
- Short studies. Many studies ran days or weeks. They do not show what happens over longer use.
Common questions
Is there a human dose for IGF-1 DES?
No published human study of IGF-1 DES states an amount given. The figures on this page come from animal studies only.
Where do these IGF-1 DES numbers come from?
From 7 published studies, each linked to its PubMed or ClinicalTrials.gov record. Every figure was checked against the study abstract or its open full text. Proof grade: Animal studies only.
How long does IGF-1 DES stay in the body?
No published study has measured the half-life of IGF-1 DES, so nobody knows exactly how long one dose stays in the blood.
Is this a recommendation for how much IGF-1 DES to use?
No. This page shows the amounts reported by drug labels, clinics and users, next to what researchers gave in studies. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation for anyone. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any of it.