CJC-1295 (Ipamorelin) is a peptide, that is a releasing factor for growth hormone. Peptides have gained increasingly popularity due to their anabolic and androgenic stimulating effects, without steroidal classification. Peptides are in a league of their own, somewhere in the space between supplements, prescription hormones, and anabolics, peptides are simply short chain amino acids, but with specific intended purpose. Peptides are considered, grey market, and with so many different peptides available, with little investigational research, and no known control of quality, the question is, which ones have legitimate evidence behind them. We are going to discuss the therapeutic potential, benefits, safety, and efficacy of CJC-1295 (Ipamorelin).
What Are Peptides
To paint a clear picture of what CJC-1295 is, you must first understand what peptides are. Peptides are a popular performance-enhancing aid used for bodybuilding, training applications, as well as overall health, wellness, and longevity.
Different than anabolic steroids and synthetic hormones, peptides are short chain amino acids, that typically contain between 2 - 50 amino acids linked together, via peptide bonds.
Your body makes peptides, and they naturally exist endogenously within the body, however, there are several different types of synthetic peptides, which are created for numerous benefits and functions. Natural sources can be found in foods, such as protein, nuts, and whole grains. Manufacturers isolate specific amino acids and combine them to form peptides. Thus, peptides are split into two distinct categories: endogenous and exogenous peptides.
How Do Peptides Work, What Do Peptides Do
Peptides facilitate the release of hormones, notably growth hormone. Hormone optimization has numerous health benefits including but not limited to improving body composition, increasing muscle mass, promoting fat loss, improving sleep parameters, supporting gut health, stimulating libido, and promoting joint health. Other forms of peptides may help and benefit brain health, and skin health.
In part, peptides stimulate the liver to release IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor). IGF-1 triggers muscle growth and production and indirectly promote lipolysis.
There are two classifications of peptides with human growth hormone function and their mechanisms, Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) and Secretagogue Ghrelin Agonists (Hunger Hormone)
Secretagogue GHRH Analogs (Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone) and Ghrelin Agonists
Secretagogues are agents or peptides that promote the secretion and release of hormones, neurohormones, chemical neurotransmitters, enzymes, or other molecules synthesized and secreted by cells.
Growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) are synthetic, non-natural peptidyl and non-peptidyl molecules. GH-releasing peptides (GHRPs), the first component of the GHS family, were invented, not isolated, in 1977, and are endowed with strong growth hormone releasing effects both in animals and in humans [R]. GH-releasing peptides have gained significant interest amongst the bodybuilding community and performance athletes, due to the belief that peptides have fewer side effects than supplementing HGH itself.
Examples of secretagogues are sermorelin, and tesamorelin. These types of secretagogues or peptides, help facilitate the natural release of hormones such as human growth hormone and IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor, which is a hormone that manages the effects of human growth hormone.
The growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) also known as the ghrelin receptor, is involved in mediating a wide variety of biological effects of ghrelin, including stimulation of growth hormone release, increase of food intake and body weight, modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, regulation of gastrointestinal motility and secretion, protection of neuronal and cardiovascular cells, and regulation of immune function.
For those who are not familiar, ghrelin is the hunger hormone, that signals your brain when you feel hungry.
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What Is CJC-1295 (Ipamorelin)
Ipamorelin is a synthetic pentapeptide and is one of the first selective growth hormone secretagogues that has been developed even before the discovery of ghrelin [R].
Ghrelin is a multifaceted gut hormone which activates its receptor, growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R). Ghrelin's most notable functions are its stimulatory effects on food intake, fat deposition and growth hormone release [R].
CJC-1295 was developed by ConjuChem biotechnologies for potential treatment of Lipodystrophy and growth hormone deficiency. Lipodystrophies are a group of genetic disorders, in which the body is unable to produce and maintain healthy fat tissue.
How Does CJC-1295 (Ipamorelin) Work, What Does CHC-1295 Do
Ipamorelin, displays high growth hormone releasing factors, and works to facilitate the release of ghrelin, promoting fat loss and the control of hunger [R].
Your pituitary gland endogenously releases hGH in short bursts (pulses) or in a pulsatile manner, throughout the day. The release of HGH is mainly controlled by two hormones your hypothalamus releases: growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), which stimulates hGH release, and somatostatin, which prevents or (inhibits) hGH release.
CJC-1295 has been shown to stimulate insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).
IGF-1 plays a critical role in preventing (inhibiting) the release of the HGH through what’s called the negative feedback loop by stimulating somatostatin and inhibiting GHRH release.
However, HGH and IGF-1 secretion are regulated by each other, where HGH triggers IGF-1 release, and the IGF-1 inhibits HGH release in a feedback loop. Thus, they are antagonists, yet complementary to one another.
Growth hormone (GH) is essential to linear growth and to the metabolic regulation of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and minerals. GH is secreted in response to growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), also known as growth hormone releasing factor (GRF). GRF has been shown to produce a natural pulsatile release of GH in humans. Growth hormone releasing factor has a short half-life and is impractical in clinical application with daily injections. Ipamorelin, has an extended half-life, making it more convenient and clinically relevant. CJC-1295 covalently bonds to albumin, the dominant protein in blood, thus dramatically prolonging the half-life of GRF from minutes to days [R]. The estimated half-life of CJC-1295 is 5.8-8.1 days.
CJC-1295 (Ipamorelin) Benefits
Increased Lean Muscle Mass
By stimulating growth hormone, and releasing more IGF-1, and HGH, CJC-1295 may help increase lean muscle mass.
Human growth hormone triggers, growth in nearly all human tissues, and is well known for it’s effects on bone mineral density and growth.
Studies have shown that after a single injection of CJC-1295, there were dose-dependent increase in mean plasma GH concentrations by 2-10-fold for 6 days or more and in mean plasma IGF-I concentrations by 1.5-3-fold for 9-11 days
Decreased Body Fat Loss
HGH is also shown to decrease body fat. Studies published in the New England Journal Of Medicine, showed that HGH injections, decreased body fat up to 14% and had an increase of 9% in lean muscle mass.
Of course, this is with an injection of HGH itself, not a synthetic hormone, which facilitates the release of growth hormone release.
Growth hormone is a is lipolytic and acts to reduce and redistribute body fat [R]. Animal studies do show efficacy in body composition, with CJC-1295 use [R].
Other human growth hormone secretagogues, have shown positive benefit on body composition, however current research of Ipamorelin are limited [R].
CPC-1295 (Ipamorelin) Dosage
Studies show that doses of 30 or 60 microg/kg, showed dose-dependent increases in GH and IGF-I levels in healthy adults and was safe and relatively well tolerated [R].
CPC-1295 (Ipamorelin) Side Effects Risk Factors
CPC-1295 entered Phase II clinical trials, and was terminated due to the death of a patient. Although the ruling, was outside the use of CPC-1295, this must still be noted. The FDA discontinued trials after the incident.
No adverse events have been reported with the use of CJC-1295, outside of the single incident, again with no relation to use of the peptide. he most common side effects of CJC 1295 and Ipamorelin are injection site reactions, such as pain, redness, swelling, flushing of the face.
CJC-1295 (Ipamorelin): Takeaway
Mechanistically, CJC-1295, may increase lean muscle mass, and decrease body fat. Studies show that ipamorelin is a releasing factor for growth hormone and a ghrelin agonist. Thus, there can be several therapeutic benefits, of CPC-1295 administration, on body composition, performance, longevity, wound healing, and vitality.
Due to its ergogenic benefit, and molecular nature, Ipamorelin, is considered a Prohibited Substance under Section S2 of the WADA Prohibited List. This substance has potential performance-enhancing effects. Although GH releasing peptides, are supported by a large body of evidence, CJC-1295 is lacking in research, to support any clinical benefits, or uses. More research is needed to establish safety and efficacy.
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