The original GHRH peptide — well-tolerated, affordable, and still one of the best entry-level choices for improving sleep and recovery in midlife.
Sermorelin (GRF 1–29) is the first 29 amino acids of human GHRH — the active fragment that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone. It was FDA approved twice — first in 1990 as Geref Diagnostic for pituitary stimulation testing (NDA 19-863), then in 1997 as Geref for pediatric growth hormone deficiency treatment (NDA 20-443). EMD Serono voluntarily discontinued both in 2008; FDA confirmed in 2013 that the withdrawal was for commercial reasons, not safety.
With a very short plasma half-life (~10–20 minutes), sermorelin produces a clean, physiological GH pulse that closely mimics endogenous secretion. It’s often considered the gentlest GHRH option — a great starting point before progressing to CJC-1295 or tesamorelin.
Previously FDA approved; now available only through compounding pharmacies. Sermorelin's prior-approval history places it on more secure compounding footing than never-approved peptides like CJC-1295 or ipamorelin. WADA prohibited (S2.2.4 — Growth Hormone Releasing Factors). Generally considered one of the safest GHRHs.
Binds the GHRH receptor on the pituitary and triggers a natural GH pulse. Because it’s a true GHRH fragment (not a stable analog), the signal is short-lived and clean.
The short half-life preserves natural pulse patterns better than longer-acting GHRHs — endogenous somatostatin caps the GH pulse, which is why supraphysiologic GH excursions are much harder to drive than with exogenous somatropin (Walker 2006, PMID 18046908).
Modest rise in IGF-1 drives the anabolic and recovery effects (Khorram 1997 documented IGF-1 / IGFBP-3 rising within 2 weeks at 10 mcg/kg nightly × 16 weeks; PMID 9141536). Magnitude of IGF-1 elevation is smaller than CJC-1295 or tesamorelin (no head-to-head trials; inferred from PK).
Sermorelin has the longest clinical safety record of any GHRH peptide — more than two decades of use.
| Benefit | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Sleep quality | Endogenous GH peaks during slow-wave sleep, and sermorelin is dosed pre-bed to align with that rhythm. Community reports of improved sleep are widespread, but Khorram 1997 (PMID 9141536) — the strongest RCT in the class — found no measurable change in sleep quality with 16 weeks of nightly dosing. Plausible but not validated. |
| Recovery | IGF-1 rise drives anabolic signaling in muscle and connective tissue (the basis for the "recovery" framing). Direct exercise-recovery endpoints with sermorelin have not been measured in published trials. |
| Energy & mood | Khorram 1997 (PMID 9141536) reported libido / well-being improvement in men but not women in a 16-week trial. Community-reported within 2–4 weeks; sex-dependent response is plausible. |
| Body composition | Khorram 1997 documented modest lean mass gain in men (not women) and skin thickness increase in both sexes over 16 weeks of nightly dosing (PMID 9141536). No change in weight or BP. |
| Skin | Skin elasticity / thickness improved in Khorram 1997 (P<0.05, both sexes; PMID 9141536). Hair-quality claims are community-reported and not validated in published trials. |
| Pediatric height velocity | Thorner 1996 (Geref International Study Group, PMID 8772599): 30 mcg/kg nightly increased height velocity from 4.1 cm/yr → 8.0 cm/yr at 6 mo, 7.2 cm/yr at 12 mo (74% responder rate) — the only sermorelin regimen ever validated in a pivotal trial. |
Build your protocol, log every dose, monitor your body's response, and get reminders so you never miss a dose.
Start Tracking FreeSermorelin’s approved indication was growth hormone deficiency in children. Almost nobody buying it today is in that population. The real question is whether stimulating GH does anything worthwhile in a healthy adult whose GH has declined with age — and there is a good review addressing exactly that.
Merriam, Schwartz and Vitiello (Endocrine 2003, PMID 14610297) surveyed GHRH and GH secretagogues in normal aging. Two findings are worth carrying.
The pituitary still works. The aging pituitary remains responsive to GHRH and to ghrelin-mimetic secretagogues, and repeated administration raises IGF-I back into the range normal for younger adults. So the pharmacology does what it claims: the signal still lands, and the downstream marker moves.
But nothing has tested whether that matters. The authors put it plainly — trials of the duration and scale needed to test efficacy on clinically important endpoints cannot be run without first getting promising results from smaller studies using intermediate endpoints, and every study published to date has been of the latter type.
That distinction is the whole ballgame for this category, and it has not meaningfully changed since 2003. An intermediate endpoint is a number that moves — GH pulses, IGF-I concentration. A clinically important endpoint is something a person would notice or care about: strength, function, independence, how long they live. Every GH-peptide result you will encounter, here and on the other guides in this section, is of the first kind.
That is not an argument that the compounds do nothing. It is an argument about what has been demonstrated, and the honest answer is: they raise growth hormone. What raising growth hormone accomplishes in an otherwise healthy adult remains, twenty years on, untested at the scale needed to know.
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.
Sermorelin’s approved dosing was for growth hormone deficiency in children. Adult protocols are practice patterns, not label dosing. As Merriam 2003 (PMID 14610297) notes, every published study in normal aging has measured intermediate endpoints — GH and IGF-I levels — rather than outcomes, so there is no dose established against anything a person would notice.
Published clinical protocols have used different schedules — Sigalos 2017 (PMID 28830317) used 100 mcg three times daily (300 mcg/day total) in an adult male study; Khorram 1997 (PMID 9141536) used 10 mcg/kg nightly × 16 weeks straight without evidence of tachyphylaxis. The 200–500 mcg once-daily pre-bed regimen, "5 on / 2 off" frequency, and 3–6 month cycle/break pattern are all practitioner convention rather than regimens directly validated in the published human trial record.
Sermorelin + ipamorelin 100 mcg each pre-bed produces a bigger GH pulse than sermorelin alone — a cheaper alternative to CJC-1295 + ipamorelin with slightly less sustained IGF-1 elevation.
Pre-filled with a typical Sermorelin setup. Edit any field — the draw updates live.
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.
5 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water = 2500 mcg/mL
| Dose | Volume | Syringe Units |
|---|---|---|
| 200 mcg | 0.08 mL | 8 units |
| 300 mcg | 0.12 mL | 12 units |
| 500 mcg | 0.20 mL | 20 units |
5 mg vial at 300 mcg/day = ~16 days
Sermorelin has one of the best tolerability profiles of any GHRH — its plasma half-life is approximately 10–20 minutes in humans (PMID 14499707), which is why side effects are mild and brief: the drug is cleared before much downstream accumulation can happen.
Sermorelin 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 FreeNot currently. Sermorelin was FDA approved in 1997 (Geref, Serono) for pediatric growth hormone deficiency but was withdrawn by the manufacturer in 2008 for commercial reasons — not safety concerns. Sermorelin has a prior FDA approval history that never-approved research peptides do not.
Community and pharmacy-compounded protocols typically use 100–300 mcg subcutaneously, once daily before bed on an empty stomach. The pre-bed timing aligns the iatrogenic GH pulse with the natural early-night slow-wave-sleep pulse; the empty-stomach requirement reflects general GH-axis physiology (postprandial somatostatin/insulin blunts GH release), not anything sermorelin-specific.
A typical reconstitution is 5 mg of sermorelin + 2 mL of bacteriostatic water, yielding 2.5 mg/mL. A 200 mcg dose draws to 0.08 mL (8 units on a 100-unit insulin syringe), 300 mcg = 0.12 mL (12 units). Many users dilute further (5 mg + 2.5 mL = 2 mg/mL) so 200 mcg is an even 10 units — easier to measure on small syringes.
Tesamorelin has the regulatory edge: FDA approved for HIV lipodystrophy, daily dosing supported by ~26-min half-life and the trans-3-hexenoic acid DPP-4-resistant modification. Sermorelin is the unprotected GHRH(1-29) fragment — much shorter half-life (~10–20 min subcutaneously), no current FDA approval. For general off-label GH-axis support, sermorelin is cheaper and more accessible; for documented evidence and longer plasma exposure, tesamorelin wins.
IGF-1 elevation is detectable within the first week or two of consistent daily dosing. Subjective effects (sleep depth, recovery) often reported in the first 2–4 weeks. Body composition changes accumulate over 3–6 months. None of these are anchored to large RCT efficacy data — they reflect clinic and community observation.
Yes. Sermorelin is prohibited at all times under WADA S2.2.4 (Growth Hormone Releasing Factors). USADA explicitly names sermorelin. The 2026 Prohibited List (in force Jan 1, 2026) continues the ban; no therapeutic-use exemption available.
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.