The gold-standard GH peptide stack — a GHRH + GHRP combo that triggers natural pulsatile growth hormone release for better recovery, sleep, and body composition.
CJC-1295 (no DAC), also known as Mod GRF 1-29, is a Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) analog. It tells your pituitary to make more GH. “No DAC” means no Drug Affinity Complex, which gives it a short half-life (~30 minutes) that mimics natural GH pulses.
Ipamorelin is a Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide (GHRP) that acts on the ghrelin receptor to amplify the GH pulse — but unlike older GHRPs, it does NOT spike cortisol, prolactin, or hunger significantly.
Used together, they produce a synergistic GH pulse — larger than either alone and closer to the body’s natural pattern. This is why they are the most common peptide stack in anti-aging, recovery, and body composition protocols.
Not FDA approved. WADA prohibited (S2 — Peptide Hormones). Available as research chemicals.
Binds the GHRH receptor on the anterior pituitary, triggering natural GH release. Because there’s no DAC, the signal fades within 30 minutes — matching endogenous GH pulse biology.
Selectively activates the ghrelin (GHS) receptor to amplify the GH pulse from CJC-1295. Ipamorelin is unique among GHRPs for NOT stimulating cortisol, prolactin, or significant hunger.
CJC + Ipa together produce a GH pulse that is larger than the sum of either alone — a true synergy. The pulse triggers IGF-1 production in the liver, which drives most of the downstream benefits.
Because this stack stimulates your own GH production (not replaces it), the hypothalamic feedback loop stays intact. Less risk of shutting down natural production compared to direct HGH.
CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin have each been studied in clinical trials. The combined stack is well-established in anti-aging and bodybuilding communities.
| Benefit | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Deeper sleep | Pre-bed pulse restores slow-wave sleep; most consistent user-reported benefit |
| Recovery | Faster soft-tissue and muscle recovery between training sessions |
| Body composition | Lean mass gains and fat loss, particularly visceral fat; IGF-1-mediated |
| Skin quality | Improved collagen, reduced fine lines, thicker healthier skin |
| Energy & well-being | Sustained energy, improved mood and motivation over 8–12 weeks |
| Bone density | Long-term GH/IGF-1 elevation supports bone mineral density |
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Start Tracking FreeThis is the most widely used growth-hormone peptide pairing in practice, so the state of its evidence is worth stating precisely.
There is no published study of the combination. A PubMed search for CJC-1295 and ipamorelin together in the title returns nothing. The papers that mention both are narrative and systematic reviews of the peptide landscape published in 2026 — in Sports Medicine (PMID 41966639), JBJS Reviews (PMID 42160466), and Frontiers in Endocrinology (PMID 42395176) — which survey the field rather than test this pairing.
That does not make the stack unreasonable. The rationale is mechanistic and coherent: a GHRH analogue and a ghrelin-receptor agonist act through different receptors on the same axis, and combining a releasing hormone with a secretagogue is a well-established idea in endocrinology. But mechanistically sensible and shown to work together are different claims, and only the first one applies here.
CJC-1295 has real human data, which is unusual for this category. Teichman et al. (JCEM 2006, PMID 16352683) demonstrated prolonged stimulation of GH and IGF-I secretion in healthy adults. Ionescu et al. (JCEM 2006, PMID 17018654) established something more interesting: GH secretion remained pulsatile during continuous stimulation, rather than flattening into a constant elevated level. That distinction matters, because the physiological pattern of GH release — pulses rather than a plateau — is part of how the hormone works.
Ipamorelin also has human pharmacology, though less of it. Raun et al. (European Journal of Endocrinology 1998, PMID 9849822) characterised it as the first selective growth hormone secretagogue — selective meaning it raised GH without the cortisol and prolactin increases that older secretagogues caused, which is the property the compound is valued for. Gobburu et al. (Pharmaceutical Research 1999, PMID 10496658) then modelled its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in human volunteers, finding dose-dependent GH release across the range tested.
Beyond those, the literature is largely rodent — chronic dosing in young female rats (PMID 12168778), insulin release from rat pancreas (PMID 15665799), a model of postoperative ileus (PMID 19289567).
So both halves have some human grounding, and it is old and small on both sides: two 2006 studies for CJC-1295, two from 1998–1999 for ipamorelin, none of them efficacy trials for muscle, body composition, or any outcome people actually take these for. They establish that the compounds raise GH in humans. They do not establish what raising it that way accomplishes.
Among the papers indexed under CJC-1295 is a method for confirming its abuse in equine plasma (PMID 30938069). Racing authorities developed assays for this compound. That is a reasonable proxy for how the regulatory world regards it, independent of any claim about whether it works.
Not medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
Worth separating from what people do, because they are not the same thing.
No human dose-finding study exists for the subcutaneous protocols below. They are practice patterns and community consensus, and the ranges reflect real disagreement rather than a determined optimum.
| CJC-1295 (no DAC) | 100–300 mcg |
| Ipamorelin | 100–300 mcg |
| Frequency | Once daily |
| Timing | Before bed, fasted — at least 2 hours after eating |
| Route | Subcutaneous |
| Cycle | 12–16 weeks, then 4 weeks off |
| Morning (fasted) | 100–150 mcg of each |
| Before bed | 100–150 mcg of each |
| Rationale | Two separate GH pulses per day rather than one |
| Under 150 lb | 100–150 mcg per injection |
| 150–200 lb | 150–200 mcg per injection |
| Over 200 lb | 200–300 mcg per injection |
You will often read that ~100 mcg saturates the receptor and anything beyond it is wasted. That is an extrapolation from receptor pharmacology, not a finding: no dose-response curve has been run in humans for either compound at these doses. It may well be right. It has not been shown, and the ranges above exist precisely because practitioners disagree about it.
All compounds share one vial. Edit any amount or change the Ipamorelin dose — the other doses scale by ratio.
Insulin syringe — 100 units = 1 mL
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Not medical advice. These figures describe what is reported in the literature and what practitioners and communities do — not a recommendation, and for most compounds here no human dose-finding study exists. Talk to a qualified healthcare provider.
Both peptides are commonly sold as 5 mg lyophilized powder. You can reconstitute them separately or combine into a blend vial.
5 mg vial + 2.5 mL BAC water = 2 mg/mL = 2000 mcg/mL
| Dose (each peptide) | Volume | Syringe Units |
|---|---|---|
| 100 mcg | 0.05 mL | 5 units |
| 200 mcg | 0.10 mL | 10 units |
| 300 mcg | 0.15 mL | 15 units |
One 5 mg vial at 100 mcg/day = 50 days. With CJC + Ipa stacked, one full blend vial = ~25 days of single daily pulse.
GH and IGF-1 elevation may promote growth of existing malignancies. Do not use if you have any cancer history.
How fast do I see results?
Sleep improvements within the first week. Recovery and skin quality by 4 weeks. Body composition changes by 8–12 weeks.
CJC-1295 with DAC vs. no DAC?
“With DAC” is commonly described as having a multi-day half-life that creates a GH bleed rather than a pulse, and practitioners argue this can desensitize receptors and blunt natural pulses. These PK and receptor-desensitization claims are widely held clinical opinion based on CJC-1295’s albumin-binding design, but not tightly established by peer-reviewed PK comparisons in the abstracts reviewed for this guide. Most experienced users still prefer “no DAC” for pulsatile, physiological dosing.
Do I need to cycle?
Long-term continuous use is generally well tolerated, but 8–12 week on / 2–4 week off cycles help maintain receptor sensitivity and let IGF-1 return to baseline.
Why not just use HGH?
HGH is direct replacement and shuts down your own pituitary output. CJC+Ipa preserves natural pulsatility and feedback, and is significantly cheaper.
CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin is sold for research use only. If you are sourcing it for research, we recommend Lyvn — every batch third-party tested with the full laboratory panel published on the product page.
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For research use only. Not for human consumption. 21+.
Build your protocol, log every dose, monitor your body's response, and get reminders so you never miss a dose.
Start Tracking FreeCJC-1295 (no DAC), also known as Mod GRF 1-29, is a GHRH analog that tells the pituitary to make more growth hormone. Ipamorelin is a GHRP that acts on the ghrelin receptor to amplify the GH pulse without spiking cortisol, prolactin, or hunger the way older GHRPs do. Used together they produce a synergistic GH pulse that is larger than either alone and closer to natural pulsatile biology. Neither is FDA approved and both are WADA prohibited under S2 (Peptide Hormones).
The standard CJC + Ipa stack uses CJC-1295 no DAC (Mod GRF 1-29), which has roughly a 30-minute half-life that mimics natural GH pulses. CJC with DAC is commonly described as having a multi-day half-life that creates a GH bleed rather than a pulse, and practitioners argue this can desensitize receptors and blunt natural pulses. Those PK and desensitization claims are widely held clinical opinion based on the albumin-binding design but are not tightly established by peer-reviewed PK comparisons. Most experienced users still prefer no DAC for pulsatile, physiological dosing.
Standard protocol is 100 mcg of each peptide mixed in the same syringe, injected SubQ 1 to 3 times per day, on a 5 days on / 2 days off pattern or in 8 to 12 week cycles. The pre-bed dose is the most important because it enhances slow-wave sleep and the overnight IGF-1 pulse. Inject at least 2 hours after eating since carbs and fats blunt the GH pulse. An optional second dose 30 to 45 minutes pre-workout supports recovery.
100 mcg is the commonly cited starting and working dose for each peptide, widely described in community protocols as a practical saturation point beyond which returns diminish. A specific 100 mcg pharmacodynamic ceiling is not confirmed in the peer-reviewed abstracts available for CJC-1295 or Ipamorelin, so treat it as practitioner convention rather than an established pharmacological ceiling. If you want more total GH exposure, add more pulses per day (up to 3) rather than higher per-dose amounts.
Sleep improvements show up within the first week and are the most consistent user-reported benefit. Recovery and skin quality typically improve by 4 weeks. Body composition changes (lean mass gains and visceral fat loss, mediated by IGF-1) and bone density support show up over 8 to 12 weeks.
Common effects include facial flushing lasting about 10 minutes after injection (a known effect of GH secretagogue combinations), head rush or lightheadedness, tingling in extremities, vivid dreams (especially with the pre-bed dose), and mild water retention. Less common are carpal tunnel-like numbness, elevated fasting glucose, and injection site reactions. Contraindicated with active cancer or history of malignancy, active retinopathy, pregnancy or breastfeeding, and under age 25 (growth plates). Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance warrants glucose monitoring since GH is counter-regulatory.
HGH is direct hormone replacement and shuts down the pituitary's own output. CJC + Ipa stimulates your own GH production, so the hypothalamic feedback loop stays intact and there is less risk of suppressing natural production. It is also significantly cheaper than HGH. Long-term continuous use is generally well tolerated, but 8 to 12 week on / 2 to 4 week off cycles help maintain receptor sensitivity and let IGF-1 return to baseline.
Disclaimer: This guide is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The compounds discussed are not FDA approved for human use. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or peptide protocol. StackTrax does not sell peptides or supplements directly — purchase links go to third-party vendors. StackTrax is not responsible for the products, quality, or business practices of any third-party vendor.
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StackTrax guides cover peptides and compounds that are not FDA-approved for the uses discussed. The dosing, reconstitution, and safety information is compiled from published research and community protocols for educational purposes only.
Before using any compound mentioned here, consult a qualified healthcare provider. StackTrax does not sell, prescribe, or recommend these substances for personal use.