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Specimen Atlas of Research Peptides30 plates · MIT
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Hexarelin

GHRP / Ghrelin Receptor Agonist

also known as Hex, Examorelin

Synthetic hexapeptide GHRP that activates the ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) with high potency. Distinct from ipamorelin in producing a stronger GH pulse but with measurable cortisol + prolactin elevation at higher doses. Most-studied GHRP for direct cardiomyocyte effects independent of GH — binding myocardial CD36 and the GHS receptor in cardiac tissue.

§ I

At a glance

Per dose
100–200 mcg
[smith-1996-hexarelin]
Evidence level
Phase 1
[ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
Half-life
~70 min
[semenistaya-2010]
Route

SQ · Multiple sites · 1–3×/day

§ II

Mechanism

Primary target — Ghrelin receptor (GHS-R1a) + cardiac CD36 [smith-1996-hexarelin][ghigo-1997-hexarelin].

Pathway — GHS-R1a → Gαq → Ca²⁺ → GH release. CD36 engagement → direct cardio-tropic action [ghigo-1997-hexarelin].

Downstream effect — Strong GH pulse + IGF-1 elevation; cardio-protective effects in animal MI models [ghigo-1997-hexarelin].

Origin — Synthetic hexapeptide His-D-2-Methyl-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH₂ [smith-1996-hexarelin].

Feedback intact — Yes initially; tachyphylaxis with chronic use [ghigo-1997-hexarelin].

§ III

Dosage

Protocols described in the cited literature; not medical advice.

ParameterValue
Standard dose100–200 mcg per injection [smith-1996-hexarelin]
Frequency1–2× per day max (tachyphylaxis with chronic 3× daily)
Lower / starter dose50 mcg per dose
Evidence basisPhase 1 / Phase 2 trials [smith-1996-hexarelin][ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
Duration4–8 weeks on / 4–8 weeks off (tachyphylaxis mitigation)
ReconstitutionBacteriostatic water
TimingPre-sleep + fasted preferred
Half-life~70 min [semenistaya-2010]
§ III · b

Reconstitution

A pure mass-to-volume utility. Enter what you have in the vial; the atlas computes the volume per dose. No prescription information.

Inputs
The calculator does pure mass-to-volume math. It does not recommend a dose. Refer to Hexarelin's cited literature for protocol specifics.
Volumetric outputFig. C — reconstitution math
Volume per dose
0.100mL
≈ 10.0 units on a U-100 insulin syringe
Concentration
2500
mcg per mL
Doses per vial
20
at this dose
§ V

Adverse events

Severities follow the FDA / CTCAE convention.

Cortisol elevationmoderate
Modest at high doses [ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
Prolactin elevationmoderate
Modest at high doses [ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
Hungermoderate
Strong appetite increase via ghrelin agonism
Tachyphylaxismoderate
Receptor desensitisation with chronic dosing [ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
Cardiac effectsmild
Direct cardio-tropic; potential benefit in MI but unstudied in humans [ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
IGF-1 elevationmoderate
Strong; monitor with chronic high-dose use
Cancer risksevere
Contraindicated in active malignancy (GH/IGF-1 axis)
Pregnancy / OBsevere
Avoid
Absolute contraindications
  • — Active malignancy
  • — Pregnancy / breastfeeding
  • — Disrupted hypothalamic-pituitary axis
Relative contraindications
  • — Untreated diabetes
  • — Severe hyperprolactinemia
§ VI

Administration

  1. 01
    Reconstitution

    Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water to 5 mg vial → 2.5 mg/mL = 250 mcg per 0.1 mL.

  2. 02
    Injection site

    SQ — abdomen or thigh. Rotate sites.

  3. 03
    Timing

    Pre-sleep + fasted preferred. Cycle on/off to avoid tachyphylaxis.

  4. 04
    Storage

    Lyophilised: room temp, light-protected. Reconstituted: refrigerate ≤30 days.

  5. 05
    Needle

    29–31G, 4–8 mm insulin syringe.

§ VII

Synergies

strong synergy
+
Hexarelin + CJC-1295 (no DAC)

Hexarelin (GHRP) + CJC-1295-no-DAC (GHRH analogue) is the higher-amplitude variant of the standard GHRH+GHRP stack. Hexarelin produces a stronger pulse than ipamorelin but with cortisol + prolactin signal — choose this stack for maximum GH amplitude when side-effect tolerance is acceptable. Cycle aggressively.

Primary benefit — Maximum GH pulse amplitude (with side-effect signal)
Appendix

Sources

42%

of 45 rendered claims carry a resolvable citation.

  1. [ghigo-1997-hexarelin]
    Ghigo 1997 — Growth hormone-releasing peptides
    Eur J Endocrinol, 1997
    PubMed →
  2. [semenistaya-2010]
    Semenistaya 2010 — Determination of growth hormone-releasing peptides for sports doping control
    Anal Bioanal Chem, 2010
    PubMed →
  3. [smith-1996-hexarelin]
    Smith 1996 — A nonpeptidyl growth hormone secretagogue
    Science, 1996
    PubMed →
  4. [teichman-2006]
    Teichman 2006 — Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295
    J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 2006
    PubMed →
Plate composed 2026-04-25 · maturity reviewed · schema v1 · Contributors: peptidesdb-core · 26 fields uncited — open contributions
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