GHRP-6
Synthetic hexapeptide ghrelin mimetic and growth hormone secretagogue
- Class
- GH secretagogue
- Half-life
- ~20 min
- Route
- Subcutaneous (SubQ)
- Cadence
- Multiple per week
- Evidence
- Mixed / early human
Overview
GHRP-6 is one of the original synthetic growth hormone secretagogues — a small peptide that tells your pituitary to dump a pulse of growth hormone. It was developed in the 1980s as part of the hunt for an injectable alternative to GHRH, and it works by hitting the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) without being ghrelin. Single injection triggers a GH spike that peaks around 30-60 minutes and fades over 2-3 hours.
In human trials from the 1990s, GHRP-6 reliably boosted GH levels 5-15× baseline depending on dose, age, and how suppressed your baseline GH was. The effect is dose-dependent and reproducible — 1 mcg/kg gets you a modest bump, 2+ mcg/kg gets you closer to pharmacological levels. It also makes you hungry, often intensely, because ghrelin-receptor agonism drives appetite. That's a feature if you're trying to eat more, a bug if you're cutting.
The catch: not approved anywhere for any indication, so everything on the research market is unregulated and purity varies wildly. Most of the human data comes from short-term pharmacology studies in the 1990s — weeks, not months or years. There's very little safety data beyond 'GH went up and people got hungry,' so the long-term risk profile is basically unknown.
Safety considerations
A few of the safety signals worth knowing — the full list, with dosing context and what to monitor, is inside AIx Core.
- Not approved by FDA, EMA, MHRA, or any regulator for human use. Sold in research markets with no oversight — purity and actual peptide content vary dramatically between suppliers.
- Banned by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) as a performance-enhancing substance. Athletes subject to testing should not use it.
- Long-term safety data basically don't exist — most human studies were 1-2 weeks of dosing in the 1990s. What happens if you use it daily for months or years is not well-characterised.
+ 3 more safety notes inside AIx Core →
Commonly monitored
Markers and signals people track when researching GHRP-6.
- Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c — chronic GH elevation can impair insulin sensitivity
- IGF-1 levels — the downstream read on whether GH pulses are translating to anabolic signalling
- Appetite and body composition changes
- Joint pain or carpal-tunnel symptoms (rare but reported with sustained GH elevation)
- Prolactin if stacking with other secretagogues
Frequently asked questions
What is GHRP-6?
Synthetic hexapeptide ghrelin mimetic and growth hormone secretagogue. GHRP-6 is one of the original synthetic growth hormone secretagogues — a small peptide that tells your pituitary to dump a pulse of growth hormone. It was developed in the 1980s as part of the hunt for an injectable alternative to GHRH, and it works by hitting the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) without being ghrelin. Single injection triggers a GH spike that peaks around 30-60 minutes and fades over 2-3 hours.
How is GHRP-6 administered?
Subcutaneous (SubQ), typically multiple per week.
What is the half-life of GHRP-6?
~20 min — Cleared fast from plasma — effects on GH pulse last 2-3 hours.
Is GHRP-6 approved for human use?
GHRP-6 is investigational — not approved by the FDA, EMA, or MHRA for human use at the time of writing.
What does the evidence show for GHRP-6?
Evidence tier: Mixed / early human. Bowers 1992 (healthy adults, n=8): single 1 mcg/kg IV dose increased GH from baseline 2.1 to 32.4 ng/mL at 30 min — about 15× peak. Effect was dose-dependent and reproducible across subjects.
What is commonly monitored when researching GHRP-6?
Commonly tracked markers + signals: Fasting blood glucose and HbA1c — chronic GH elevation can impair insulin sensitivity, IGF-1 levels — the downstream read on whether GH pulses are translating to anabolic signalling, Appetite and body composition changes, Joint pain or carpal-tunnel symptoms (rare but reported with sustained GH elevation), Prolactin if stacking with other secretagogues.
Related compounds
Open this in AIx Core for the full picture
Mechanism breakdown, receptor pathway diagram, full safety list, monitored items, source citations, and one-tap add-to-protocol. Free with any account.