MK-677 (Ibutamoren)_
Also known as ibutamoren, MK-0677, Nutrobal
A once-daily pill that raises growth hormone for sleep, appetite, and muscle.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is MK-677 (Ibutamoren)?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
MK-677 (ibutamoren) is a ghrelin-receptor agonist and, unlike the injectable peptides here, a small molecule that works as a daily pill. In plain terms: it keeps your own growth hormone and IGF-1 raised around the clock for sleep, appetite, muscle, and skin, without needles.
What it's used for
A once-daily pill that raises growth hormone for better sleep, appetite, muscle, and skin, with no needles.
How does MK-677 (Ibutamoren) work?
What it does in the body, and where.MK-677 reaches the ghrelin receptor as an oral small molecule rather than an injected peptide, and it does not stop.
- 01It activates the ghrelin receptor as a daily pillNo injection, and no cold chain.
- 02Growth hormone and IGF-1 stay raised around the clockUnlike the injectable peptides, which produce pulses, this holds levels up continuously.
- 03That continuous elevation is the trade-offNatural growth hormone release is pulsatile. Constant elevation brings water retention, raised blood sugar, and increased appetite, and the long-term consequences are not well characterised.
- 04Appetite increases substantiallyOften the first thing people notice, and the reason many stop.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each group 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.
Muscle and hormones
Investigational- Human trialIn 65 adults aged 60 to 81 over two years, lean mass rose 1.1 kg while the placebo group lost 0.5 kg.
- Human trialGrowth hormone rose 1.8-fold and IGF-1 rose 1.5-fold, back toward young-adult levels.
- Human trialA single dose raised 24-hour growth hormone output by about 97% in older adults.
- Human trialDespite the hormone changes, there was no significant improvement in strength or physical function.
Sleep and side effects
Investigational- Human trialIn younger people, high doses increased deep sleep duration by roughly 50%.
- Human trialFasting blood sugar rose measurably, reflecting mildly worse insulin sensitivity.
- Human trialIt also raised bone-turnover markers and modestly increased cortisol.
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.10 up to 25 mg per day, daily, at night. Not cycled in the research. Commonly cycled by users anywayHuman study
The longest controlled trial gave MK-677 daily for two years and the effect did not wear off, so the tolerance argument for cycling does not hold here. Insulin sensitivity did decline across those two years. Fasting blood sugar rose early on, though by the two-year mark that rise was no longer statistically significant. If there is a reason to take breaks from this one, it is metabolic rather than receptor tolerance.
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.
MK-677 (Ibutamoren) is not injected
It is taken by mouth (oral).
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Room temperature. Cool, dry, out of light.
MK-677 (Ibutamoren) is taken as a pill or capsule. Keep it in its original container at room temperature, away from heat, humidity, and direct sun. No fridge or mixing needed. Check the expiration date on the bottle.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.22 July 2026Never approved anywhere. A trial in hip-fracture patients was stopped early over heart-failure concerns, and it is banned in drug-tested sport.
Who should avoid it
- Heart failure or significant heart disease, after a fracture trial was stopped early over heart-failure concerns
- Diabetes or poorly controlled blood sugar
- Active cancer
- Pregnancy
- Banned in drug-tested sport
Stop and get help
- Shortness of breath, or swelling in the legs and ankles, which can signal heart strain
- Signs of high blood sugar such as constant thirst or blurred vision
- New lumps or masses
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as face or throat swelling, hives, or trouble breathing
Common effects
- Increased appetite, often strongly
- Water retention and puffiness
- Tiredness or grogginess
- Joint aches
- Rising blood sugar over time
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is MK-677 (Ibutamoren) approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. Not FDA-approved.
Never approved anywhere. A trial in hip-fracture patients was stopped early over heart-failure concerns, and it is banned in drug-tested sport.
- DoseFrom research and community reports. No regulator has reviewed this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- Sources
- Reviewed22 July 2026
What else is like MK-677 (Ibutamoren)?
Others in Growth hormone, side by side.If you're weighing MK-677 (Ibutamoren), it's worth reading Ipamorelin, CJC-1295 with DAC, and CJC-1295 no DAC (Mod GRF 1-29) in the same class.
A once-daily pill that raises growth hormone for sleep, appetite, and muscle.
- Dose
- 10 up to 25 mg per day
- How often
- Daily, at night
A gentle shot that nudges your body to release its own growth hormone.
- Dose
- 0.2 up to 0.3 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- Daily, often at night
A once-or-twice-weekly shot that keeps your growth hormone raised for days.
- Dose
- 1 up to 2 mg per dose (start low, increase slowly)
- How often
- 1-2x per week
A short-acting growth-hormone pulse, usually paired with ipamorelin.
- Dose
- 0.1 mg per dose
- How often
- Daily to 2x daily
10What these words mean
Show glossary +
What these words mean
- Titrate
- Starting at a low dose and increasing it slowly over time so your body adjusts and side effects stay mild.
- Subcutaneous
- An injection just under the skin, into the fat layer, usually with a short, thin insulin needle.
- Intramuscular (IM)
- An injection into a muscle, using a longer needle.
- Reconstitution
- Mixing a powdered peptide with liquid (bacteriostatic water) so it can be drawn into a syringe.
- Bacteriostatic water
- Sterile water with a tiny amount of preservative, used to mix powdered peptides.
- Concentration
- How strong the mixed peptide is, in milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). More water makes it weaker; less water makes it stronger.
- Units (on the syringe)
- The marks on an insulin syringe. 100 units equals 1 mL. They measure how much liquid you draw, not the dose in milligrams.
- mcg and mg
- Units of dose. 1 milligram (mg) equals 1,000 micrograms (mcg).
- GLP-1
- A natural gut hormone that lowers appetite and blood sugar. Drugs that copy it, like semaglutide, are used for weight loss.
- Growth hormone secretagogue
- A compound that nudges your body to release more of its own growth hormone, rather than injecting the hormone itself.
- Half-life
- How long a compound stays active in your body. A longer half-life means you inject less often.
- Peptide vs small molecule
- A peptide is a short chain of amino acids. A few items here (like MK-677 or methylene blue) are small molecules, not true peptides, but people use them the same way.
- Research only
- No approved dose or use in people. Sold for research and not reviewed by the FDA for safety or quality.
- Investigational
- Still being tested in clinical trials and not yet approved or legally sold for general use.
- Banned in drug-tested sport
- Prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA); using it can disqualify a competing athlete.
Sources
- US Department of Defense, Operation Supplement Safety on MK-677(2024)US Department of Defense review; notes it is unapproved and banned in sport.
- Nass two-year trial, Annals of Internal Medicine, 2008
- Nass two-year trial, PubMed, 2008
Last reviewed 22 July 2026