HGH helps to maintain, build, and repair healthy tissue in the brain and other organs. This hormone can help to speed up healing after an injury and repair muscle tissue after exercise. This helps to build muscle mass, boost metabolism, and burn fat. HGH is also said to benefit the quality and appearance of the skin.

Human Growth Hormone for Bodybuilding

Human growth hormone (HGH) is associated with increased fat loss and enhanced cosmetic muscle growth. Bodybuilders may inject human growth hormone to achieve a more muscular appearance. However, most of the increase in muscle mass is actually due to fluid retention, not actual muscle growth. There are also risks associated with the use of human growth hormone.

Because of a perceived advantage to muscle growth and strength, bodybuilders and athletes who are tempted to take performance-enhancing drugs and supplements like steroids have taken HGH in order to gain an athletic advantage, or for rapid, cosmetic muscle growth.

Because HGH taken orally can be broken down by digestion, HGH is injected when used as a supplement drug. HGH is also promoted as an agent for rejuvenation for aging people who want to look and perform younger.

Side Effects

The following (but rare) side-effects of injected HGH have been reported with excessive and prolonged abuse:

Muscle or joint pain
Suppression of pituitary/hypothalamus gland function
Swelling of body tissues (edema)
Carpal tunnel syndrome (wrist nerve pain)
Elevated blood glucose levels

Expert Assessment

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in its 2009 review, concluded this about HGH:

“Human growth hormone increases lean body mass within weeks of administration; however, some of this change is within the water compartment and not in body cell mass. Human growth hormone is sometimes administered as a single agent, but often it is used in combination with androgens. Combined administration of HGH and resistance training is associated with maximal gains in lean body mass, muscle size, and voluntary strength in men compared with resistance exercise alone.

HOW CJC-1295 WORKS IN THE BODY

CJC-1295 offers many benefits to the body, including:

Increased growth hormone secretion and IGF-1 Levels with no increase in prolactin

Increased Body Weight and Length through increased protein synthesis

Increased Muscle Growth

Increased Bone Density

Improved Immune Function

Improved Cognition and Memory

Increased Collagen Production

Increased Fat Loss

Increased Cellular Repair and Regeneration

CJC-1295 also promotes slow wave deep sleep, which is responsible for the highest level of muscle growth and memory retention and rejuvenation.

CJC 1295: GHRH & DAC

GHRH (growth hormone releasing hormone) is produced in the hypothalamus. Its pulsatile release from the hypothalamus triggers a pulsatile release of GH from the pituitary gland. GHRH has a very short half-life of only a few minutes (half-life = the time required to remove half of the substance from the blood. The shorter the half-life, the more rapidly the substance is removed from the body, and the less its effect on the body).

The first 29 amino acids of GHRH is the active segment. They are available as a manufactured peptide called Sermorelin. Sermorelin was further modified to increase its half-life to 30 minutes. This is called CJC 1295. CJC-1295 was further modified by adding DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) to it. DAC binds to a blood protein called albumin, which increases its half-life to 8 days. It is called CJC 1295 + DAC. CJC 1295 can also be compounded in a non-DAC form which mimics a more normal physiologic GH spike each night.

The longer half-life from the DAC binding to albumin means injections are only required once or twice per week. However, the long half-life and relatively constant blood level provide a constant stimulus for GH release from the pituitary through the GHRH receptor, which is not physiological. This can decrease the GH pulse amplitude which will result in decreased GH tissue stimulation.

CJC-1295 (DAC) Effectiveness

Chart A below shows the increase in muscle building IGF-1 that occurs from varying doses of CJC-1295 (DAC). You will note that the 250 mcg dose reaches significantly higher levels and we have found that this dosing protocol works best. It is the “sweet spot” for most people in terms of economy, efficiency and safety!

Chart B above shows the large increase in IGF-1 levels over a 7 day period.

CJC-1295 (DAC) Half Life

The half life, or time it takes for the compound to be reduced to half of it’s original dose is reflected in the chart below:

This leads us to the final question…

CJC-1295 (DAC) Dosing

The sweet spot we have found with CJC-1295 (DAC) administration seems to be 250 mcg, once per week. People may think doing more would be even more beneficial, and it might, but to a limited extent. Not only are there diminishing returns from larger doses, but larger doses also increases the chance for side effects. What we have found is that 250 mcg per week is the sweet spot before there are diminishing returns. It’s cost-effective, gives more bang for your buck, plus it decreases chance of side effects. We feel 250 mcg, once per week, for most people is definitely the “sweet spot”!

Using CJC 1295 Safely

It is recommended when using a long-acting CJC molecule to have ‘hormone holidays’ of three months to allow the pituitary to ‘recover’. During the holidays, Sermorelin is used daily instead of CJC-1295 (DAC).

The ‘hormone holidays’ may also minimize the risk of GH resistance developing. This resistance, or insensitivity, may occur via antibodies forming that bind to and inactivate GH, or by a decreased number of GH receptors on tissues (down-regulation). These are theoretical concerns as no long-term studies have been undertaken to clarify the issues.

Side effects of CJC-1295 are rare, but may include injection site reactions (irritation, erythema, induration, pain, itching), headache, diarrhea, vasodilation (flushing, warmth, transient hypotension), nausea, abdominal pain.

Questions about CJC-1295 (DAC) or peptide therapy? Contact us today!