IGF-1 DES_Dosage, benefits & legal status
Also known as DES(1-3) IGF-1
A short-acting muscle-builder that works right where you inject it.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is IGF-1 DES?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
Injected into a specific muscle, it drives growth right there, then clears quickly.
IGF-1 DES is a short, extra-potent version of insulin-like growth factor 1 that acts locally.
What it's used for
A short-acting muscle-builder that works right where you inject it, used to target a specific muscle.
How does IGF-1 DES work?
What it does in the body, and where.IGF-1 DES is a shortened, more potent IGF-1 that acts where you put it and then disappears.
- 01It binds IGF-1 receptors at the injection siteWith the first three amino acids removed, it binds the receptor more strongly and the binding proteins less.
- 02The effect is localWhich is the entire reason for using it rather than LR3: growth is meant to happen in the muscle you injected.
- 03It clears within minutesShort enough that systemic effects, including the blood-sugar drop, are smaller.
- 04No human evidence for the localised-growth claimThe pharmacology is real. The training application is not studied.
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.
- Growing a specific muscle at the injection siteResearch only
The published record
Papers and trials about IGF-1 DES
Searched: des(1-3)IGF-I, des(1-3)IGF-1, des-IGF-1, des(1-3) IGF-1, IGF-1 DES, des(1-3)-insulin-like growth factor.
91 papers tagged human · 59 not reviews or lab · 0 clinical trial publications
Furthest stage reached: No clinical trial on record
Compare this against the whole library →
Prohibited at all times, in and out of competition. S2.3 Growth factors and growth factor modulators: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, mecasermin) and its analogues. Non-Specified.RegulatorsCounted 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.
At a glance
Four things to know about IGF-1 DES
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.0.05 up to 0.15 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly), around training. Used around training rather than on a cycle Community practice
Because it acts where it is injected and then clears, it is used per session rather than run continuously. No human study establishes a schedule.
Nothing publishedNo figure
No human or animal pharmacokinetic study has been published. IGF-1 DES is a shortened form of IGF-1 and its behavior cannot be read across from the full molecule.
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.
IGF-1 DES starts at $23.26 across 19 vendors, typically $28.00 – $92.50 per mg.
20 listings, last read Oct 24, 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 IGF-1 DES 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.Mixing exception: reconstitute this one with a dilute acetic acid solution, not bacteriostatic water. Plain BAC water can degrade it, so follow the product's own mixing instructions.
Solubility, computed: 27% charged residues, 46% 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
- Any history of cancer
- Diabetes, or any use of insulin
- Pregnancy
- Banned in drug-tested sport
Stop and get help
- Signs of very low blood sugar such as shaking, sweating, confusion, or fainting
- New lumps or masses
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Low blood sugar
- Injection-site reactions and localised swelling
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is IGF-1 DES approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. IGF-1 DES 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 or into muscle
- Checked22 July 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.
What regulators say
From official documentsProhibited at all times, in and out of competition. S2.3 Growth factors and growth factor modulators: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, mecasermin) and its analogues. Non-Specified.
Checked 12 September 2026WADA: The 2026 Prohibited List (in force 1 January 2026)
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.
What else is like IGF-1 DES?
Others in Muscle building, side by side.If you're weighing IGF-1 DES, it's worth reading FLGR242, GDF-8 (Myostatin), and Trevogrumab in the same class.
A short-acting muscle-builder that works right where you inject it.
- Dose
- 0.05 up to 0.15 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Around training
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
The protein that limits muscle growth, which is the opposite of what most buyers want.
- Dose
- Research only
- How often
- Varies
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
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.
- Why Does My Peptide Injection Itch or Welt
Injection-site irritation, a histamine reaction, or a true allergy, and how to tell them apart.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
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, 210 records are indexed. Browse the records