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GHRP-6_Dosage, benefits & legal status

Also known as growth hormone releasing peptide 6

Published July 22, 2026 · Updated July 25, 2026

A growth-hormone shot that also triggers strong hunger, used for bulking.

Muscle & appetiteGH secretagogue (GHRP)Research only
Common vial size5 mg
Dose0.1 up to 0.3 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
Frequency1-3x daily
RouteUnder the skin (subcutaneous)
StatusResearch only
CycledCommonly cycled, usually 8 to 12 weeks on and 4 off

Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.

See how this dose compares across the library →

01

What is GHRP-6?

Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.

Overview

It raises your own growth hormone and triggers intense hunger, which is why it is mostly used for bulking.

The technical version

GHRP-6 is a growth hormone releasing peptide that strongly activates the ghrelin (hunger) receptor.

What it's used for

Boosts your own growth hormone and triggers strong hunger, mainly used to bulk up and eat more.

02

How does GHRP-6 work?

What it does in the body, and where.

GHRP-6 raises growth hormone, but its most reliable effect is hunger, and that is usually the point.

  1. 01
    It activates the ghrelin receptor
    Ghrelin is the hunger hormone, and this copies it directly.
  2. 02
    Appetite becomes intense
    Far stronger than with ipamorelin. For someone trying to eat in a surplus this is the reason to use it; for anyone else it is the reason not to.
  3. 03
    Growth hormone rises alongside
    With the same cortisol and prolactin increases as GHRP-2.
Pathway
THE PEPTIDE
GHRP-6
ACTS ON
The ghrelin receptor
RESULT
Growth hormone rises
RESULT
Strong hunger

A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.

03

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.

  • Strong appetite stimulation, which is its signature effectResearch only
  • Raising growth hormone to gain muscleResearch only

The published record

Research index

733

Papers and trials about GHRP-6

Searched: GHRP-6, growth hormone releasing peptide 6.

164 papers tagged human · 134 not reviews or lab · 29 clinical trial publications

Furthest stage reached: Published trials only, 29 clinical trial publications, no phased trial registered

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Category 3Regulators
In animals316
In the lab61
Reviews13
Senior author shareSpread across many groups

Evidence summary

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. 474 papers and 0 trials indexed in detail.

GHRP-6 vial rendering
Compound field notes

At a glance

Four things to know about GHRP-6

01

Evidence

Research only

02

Category

Weight loss and metabolic

03

Common vial

5 mg

04

Half-life

About 2.5 hours

04

How much, and do you cycle it?

The range, and whether you take breaks.

0.1 up to 0.3 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly), 1-3x daily. Commonly cycled, usually 8 to 12 weeks on and 4 off Community practice

Same picture as the rest of this family: the drop in response to sustained exposure is documented in people, the specific schedule is not. In practice the hunger is what limits how long anyone stays on it.

Source: 24-hour GHRP infusion attenuates the response to a later GHRP bolus (J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1993)

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05

How long does it stay in the body?

The half-life, and where the figure comes from.

About 2.5 hoursHuman study

Nine healthy men, single intravenous dose. The compound leaves the bloodstream in two stages, spreading through the body in about 8 minutes and then clearing over about 2.5 hours.

Source: Cabrales A, Gil J, et al. Eur J Pharm Sci 2013;48(1-2):40-46, DOI 10.1016/j.ejps.2012.10.006

You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.

06

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.

Your vial size (mg)
Printed on the vial.
What you paid per vial
$
Used for cost per dose only.
Your dose (mcg)
Commonly referenced range: 100 up to 300 mcgCommunity practice

Choose your mix

your own mL
units · —
Enter your own volume

Measuring the water1 mL = one full 100-unit syringe.

YOUR DRAW4 / 100 units
4 units is a very small line to read, so a small slip is a large error.
What it costs

GHRP-6 starts at $14.00 across 62 vendors, typically $3.00 – $6.00 per mg.

92 listings, last read Oct 24, 2026. Shipping and card fees are not included.

See all 92 listings →
07

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 GHRP-6 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.

08

What are the side effects and cautions?

Known cautions and warnings for this compound.
Handling note

Can cause a histamine flush: temporary flushing, itching, or welts near the injection, usually mild and short-lived. Injecting slowly helps. If it spreads, or you get facial or throat swelling or trouble breathing, treat it as a reaction and get help immediately.

Solubility, computed: 50% charged residues, 67% hydrophobic. Water usually sufficient.

A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.

Who should avoid it

Check these before anything else.

Stop and get help

These are emergencies. Seek care.
  • Signs of an allergic reaction
  • Persistent milky nipple discharge

Common effects

Expected, and usually mild.
  • Intense hunger, which is the signature effect
  • Water retention
  • Tiredness after dosing
  • Raised prolactin and cortisol
Community notes

What actually helps, according to the people doing it

Nobody's running trials on this. What follows is the folk wisdom that keeps surfacing in Reddit, peptide forums, and the Discord groups, sorted from "probably real" to "someone swears by it." Keep in mind, NONE of this is doctor advice.

Change how you inject (this helps most people)

The tip that comes up most on r/peptides is to add more water. Mix your vial with 3 or 4mL of bac water instead of 1 to 2mL. Same dose, spread thinner, so your skin reacts less.

Small habits people swear by

  • 1Let it warm to room temperature. Cold stings more.
  • 2Let the alcohol dry fully before the needle goes in.
  • 3Inject slow, over five to ten seconds.
  • 4Move your spot around, at least an inch from last time.
  • 5For a hard lump, warm compress after. For a red itchy welt, ice.

Treat the itch

This is where Benadryl and Zyrtec come up constantly on the boards. Most people take one 30 to 60 minutes before the shot if they know they tend to react. Claritin works too. Some skip the pill and use Benadryl cream before, or hydrocortisone cream after. Quercetin gets mentioned a lot as the gentler, natural option.

One heads up you'll also see repeated: taking an allergy pill before every shot can hide a real allergy building underneath. That's why some people don't do it by default.

The deeper end

In the more advanced threads, people keep KPV around and inject it when a reaction flares, and say it clears fast. Others try low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a longer-term fix, but that's real experimenter territory. And a common reminder on the forums: if your reactions are suddenly bad or started with a new vial, the peptide itself might be the problem, not you.

When to stop and get help

Redness that spreads past a couple inches, streaks, feels hot, oozes, or comes with a fever means a possible infection. See a doctor. Hives all over, a swollen face or throat, or trouble breathing is a real allergic reaction. Act on that right away.

Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.

09

Is GHRP-6 approved?

And where the numbers on this page come from.

No. GHRP-6 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 status
    Research only
  • Route
    Under the skin (subcutaneous)
  • Checked
    22 July 2026
  • Dose
    From community reports. No regulator or trial established this dose.
  • Vial size
    From what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
  • Sources
    None 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.

What regulators say

From official documents

Banned in drug-tested sport. Most research peptides are prohibited under WADA's S0 category, which covers any substance with no approval from any regulatory authority for human use. That means a compound can be banned without ever being named on the prohibited list. Check with your own anti-doping authority rather than assuming absence from the list means permitted.

You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.

Guides for this compound

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, 474 records are indexed. Browse the records