GDF-8 (Myostatin)_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as myostatin, growth differentiation factor 8, GDF8
The protein that limits muscle growth, which is the opposite of what most buyers want.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is GDF-8 (Myostatin)?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
The protein that stops your muscles growing. Selling it next to muscle-building peptides gets the biology exactly backward.
Growth differentiation factor 8, a TGF-beta superfamily member signaling through ActRIIB to negatively regulate skeletal muscle mass. Loss-of-function mutations produce documented hypermuscular phenotypes in cattle, canines and humans. The therapeutic targets in this space are myostatin pathway inhibitors, not the ligand itself.
What it's used for
Used as a research reagent. Sold by peptide vendors, where it is frequently confused with the compounds designed to block it.
How does GDF-8 (Myostatin) work?
What it does in the body, and where.Getting this one backward is easy and it is worth being clear.
- 01Myostatin restrains muscle growthIt signals through activin receptors to hold muscle building in check. More myostatin activity means less muscle, not more.
- 02The famous examples are the absence of itBelgian Blue cattle, whippets with a particular mutation, and a small number of documented human cases all show large muscles because their myostatin does not work.
- 03What people actually want is the blockerACE-031, follistatin, bimagrumab, apitegromab and trevogrumab are all attempts to inhibit myostatin or its signaling. Several are in this library. GDF-8 itself is the target rather than the treatment.
What else is it used for?
Each use below carries its own evidence level. Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
- Laboratory reagent for studying muscle growth regulationResearch only
- A target for muscle-wasting drugs, several of which are in this libraryInvestigational
The published record
Papers and trials about GDF-8 (Myostatin)
255 papers tagged human · 145 not reviews or lab · 17 clinical trial publications
35 registered trials · 5 with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Phase 2, under way
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count. 500 papers and 35 trials indexed in detail.
At a glance
Four things to know about GDF-8 (Myostatin)
Evidence
Category
Muscle building
Common vial
1 mg
Half-life
Nothing published in humans
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.Research only, varies. No established pattern No range
No published human study establishes a schedule.
Nothing published in humansNo figure
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
How do I dose and price it?
Enter your vial and your dose. Pick a mix. We show the draw and the cost.The vial holds a fixed amount of drug. Adding more water does not make more drug, it just spreads it thinner, so you draw a bigger number on the syringe for the same dose.
Choose your mix
Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.
GDF-8 (Myostatin) starts at $34.99 across 5 vendors, typically $34.99 – $133.98 per mg.
6 listings, last read Oct 10, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Dry powder in the freezer or fridge. Once mixed, fridge, and use within about a month.
Unmixed lyophilized GDF-8 (Myostatin) keeps for a long time cold. Once you add water the clock starts: most reconstituted vials hold up for roughly 28 to 30 days at fridge temperature. Keep it out of light, and do not freeze it after mixing.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Who should avoid it
- Any non-laboratory use
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding
Stop and get help
- Any use at all, since this is a research reagent rather than a compound with a human application
Common effects
- No human safety data exists for administering myostatin.
- No reason exists to administer it, since its biological role is to limit muscle.
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is GDF-8 (Myostatin) approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. GDF-8 (Myostatin) is not approved for any use, anywhere. It is sold labeled for laboratory research only, and there is no legal route to buy it for human use.
- Approval statusResearch only
- RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
- Checked22 September 2026
- DoseFrom community reports. No regulator or trial established this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesNone traced yet.
What has happened recently
We have not yet written a full regulatory note for this compound. The status above is current as of the date shown.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like GDF-8 (Myostatin)?
Others in Muscle building, side by side.If you're weighing GDF-8 (Myostatin), it's worth reading FLGR242, Trevogrumab, and ACE-083 in the same class.
The protein that limits muscle growth, which is the opposite of what most buyers want.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- Varies
Sold as an upgraded follistatin. Nobody outside the sellers has said what is in the vial.
- Dose
- No established dose
- How often
- No established schedule
A myostatin antibody trialled with semaglutide, where the three-drug version got dangerous.
- Dose
- 200 or 400 mg (trial doses)
- How often
- In the trial schedule
A muscle drug injected into one muscle at a time. It grew muscle and changed nothing functional.
- Dose
- 200 to 240 mg into one named muscle, in the trial
- How often
- Every 3 weeks in the trial
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
No primary source has been traced for this compound yet. Treat everything on this page as unverified until one is. How we grade evidence
Beyond these, 535 records are indexed. Browse the records