Research Evidence Anecdotal Efficacy Side Effects Price Dosing & Protocol Regulatory Safety Notes

GHRP-6

GHRP-6 is a first-generation hexapeptide that stimulates growth hormone release, and people run it mostly for that GH bump and appetite stimulation, alongside body composition and recovery. Reported doses span 100 micrograms to 10 milligrams, most commonly 500 micrograms, though community schedules vary and often land at roughly weekly; the single clinician source dosed 100 micrograms daily by injection. Sleep and dream changes occasionally surface in user reports, but no consistent side-effect pattern has emerged. There is no FDA-approved indication, all human use is off-label or compounded, and the supporting evidence remains preclinical and animal-only.

Half-life~20 min

Data last updated June 13, 2026

Measured on 5 of 6 axes

Research Evidence

Evidence shape

GHRP-6 possesses low-tier evidence, restricted entirely to diagnostic and mechanistic human studies. While 22 published studies exist, these focus on physiological responses rather than therapeutic outcomes, and there are zero registered clinical trials to support its use for any specific medical condition. The research remains exploratory and thin, with no completed trials to validate efficacy or safety in a clinical setting. This lack of registered trial data indicates that GHRP-6 has not progressed beyond early-stage, small-scale investigation.

Depthhow much

0 registered trials

Breadthhow many areas

2 indications mapped

1 thin / exploratory · 1 animal-only

Qualityhow rigorous

No completed trials

Breadth and depth40 rows captured

Human

direct clinical signal

22

Animal

translational support

12

In vitro

mechanistic support

6

HighMediumLow

Source data

Every row behind the score.

40 total

RCTPMID 8077339n=24

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH peak concentration

result 0.2 mg/kg induced GH in all 14 subjects (mean peak 41.0 ± 6.3 µg/L); 1.0 mg/kg yielded peak 82.5 ± 14.9 µg/L.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 10193871

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH secretion response

result GHRP-6 elicits GH responses greater than those evoked by GHRH in obese patients, though still lower than in lean subjects.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

HumaPMID 10206449n=29

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH peak concentration and AUC after GHRP-6, GHRH, and combined test

result GH peak after GHRP-6: 50.95±11.55 (normal-weight NIDDM), 51.96±7.71 (overweight NIDDM), 70.07±15.59 mU/L (controls); P>.05

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

CrosPMID 10336729

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH, ACTH, cortisol, sleep stage 2

result GHRP-6 i.n. increased GH, trended increase in ACTH

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

HumaPMID 10770194n=16

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH peak and AUC

result Normal men: GHRP-6 peak GH 39.3±7.1 µg/L (AUC 1958.8±445.7) after metyrapone vs 21.9±4.5 µg/L (AUC 1131.0±229.6) with placebo. Patients: peak 11.8±3.9 (AUC 563.2±208.7) on replacement vs 14.4±4.5 (AUC 695.6±272.9) after withdrawal.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

HumaPMID 12739742n=13

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested ACTH release (and cortisol) after GHRP-6

result In patients (n=6) ACTH increased from 38.1 ± 17.1 to 174.9 ± 79.4 pmol/L after GHRP-6; controls rose from 2.9 ± 0.8 to 4.7 ± 1.4 pmol/L. After 72 h glucocorticoid withdrawal basal ACTH rose to 191.2 ± 97.3 pmol/L (p=0.053).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

CrosPMID 12809173n=10

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested ACTH and cortisol levels (peak and AUC)

result GHRP-6 raised ACTH from 15.5±1.7 to 45.1±9.3 pmol/L and cortisol from 583±90.8 to 1013.4±194.6 nmol/L; DDAVP produced similar increases (ACTH 13.0→50.5, cortisol 572.5→860.5).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

HumaPMID 12841541n=21

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH peak response

result Obese PCOS women showed a significantly higher GH peak after GHRH+GHRP-6 before fasting; fasting further enhanced GH response in both PCOS and control groups.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

StudPMID 15177700n=7

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested stage 4 sleep, EEG delta power, GH, prolactin, ACTH, cortisol

result Hexarelin (4×50 µg) reduced stage 4 sleep and total‑night EEG delta power, while increasing GH and prolactin throughout the night and ACTH and cortisol in the first half.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 15638293n=330

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested diagnostic accuracy (ROC AUC)

result ROC AUC: GH peak 0.9997; AUC 0.9993; no statistical difference.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

HumaPMID 16832586n=20

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH, ACTH, cortisol, and glucose secretion

result In CD, GHRP-6 induced GH peak 2.7±1.0 µg/L vs controls 22.9±4.8 µg/L; ACTH response similar to ghrelin (185±56 pg/mL) and higher than controls (23.6±5.7 pg/mL).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 18426818n=17

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested ACTH and cortisol response to GHRP-6

result Patients with an ACTH/cortisol response to GHRP-6 had higher tumor GHSR-1a mRNA expression than non‑responders.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 19396632n=29

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested ACTH and cortisol AUC response to ghrelin and GHRP-6

result Basal cortisol higher in patients (10.7±0.7) vs controls (8.1±0.7); basal ACTH higher (21.5±2.9 vs 13.5±1.8). Ghrelin‑stimulated ACTH AUC markedly higher in patients (4189±1202) vs controls (1499±338); cortisol AUC similar (484±80 vs 524±107).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 19453623n=8

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested ACTH release (peak)

result GHRP-6‑induced peak ACTH rose from 60.7 ± 17.2 pmol/L pre‑treatment to 78.5 ± 12.1 pmol/L after 6 months ketoconazole (p ns).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 19946832n=69

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested serum cortisol peak after GHRP-6

result Mean cortisol peak 227±25.7 nmol/l in AI vs 395±35.3 nmol/l in AS; ROC threshold 299 nmol/l (Sens 71.0%, Spec 77.8%).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 20602173n=10

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH, ACTH, cortisol release

result GH peak after GHRP‑6: 13.8 ± 2.3 µg/L (hyperthyroid) vs 25.4 ± 2.7 µg/L (controls); after 6 mo euthyroidism 15.6 ± 3.6 µg/L

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

StudPMID 22154075n=9

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested plasma GHRP-6 concentration

result LOQ 5 ng/mL, calibration range 5–50 ng/mL, R² > 0.988; method applied to plasma of 9 healthy volunteers in a phase I trial.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

OpenPMID 23099431n=9

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested distribution half-life 7.6 ± 1.9 min; elimination half-life 2.5 ± 1.1 h; AUC increased proportionally with dose; occasional concentration spikes observed

result distribution half-life 7.6 ± 1.9 min; elimination half-life 2.5 ± 1.1 h; AUC increased proportionally with dose

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

CrosPMID 7561633n=14

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested growth hormone secretion (delta GH)

result GHRH alone gave blunted GH response in glucocorticoid patients (median ΔGH 0.9 µg/L) vs normals (7.1 µg/L); hexarelin restored response (median ΔGH 15.5 µg/L) comparable to normals (17.9 µg/L)

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

OpenPMID 7952160n=7

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH secretion (peak and AUC) and IGF‑I levels

result Oral GHRP-6 (300 µg/kg) raised GH peak to 10.7 ± 3.3 µg/L (AUC 353.1 ± 90.6) vs IV GHRH 5.1 ± 1.5 µg/L; after 4 days GH peak 16.8 ± 2.9 µg/L (AUC 499.8 ± 107.2); IGF‑I unchanged (77.1 → 84.1 µg/L, ns).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

ObsePMID 8370708n=11

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested GH peak response

result Peak GH responses to GHRP and GHRH were not correlated (r=0.57, P=0.066); peak GH responses to GHRP and TRH were highly correlated (r=0.95, P<0.001).

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

CrosPMID 9135702n=11

Diagnostic & mechanistic studies

tested growth hormone peak amplitude and frequency

result GHRP-6 induced long‑lasting peaks with high amplitude; GHRP-6 plus exercise further increased the amplitude of GH peaks.

Published human study (PubMed / Europe PMC), extracted from its abstract — not a CT.gov-registered trial.

AnimalPMID 10218787

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · An electrophysiological and morphological investigation of the projections of growth hormone-releasing peptide-6-responsive neurons in the rat arcuate nucleus to the median eminence and to the paraventricular nucleus. (PMID 10218787 · DOI 10.1016/s0306-4522(98)00532-6)

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 18322959

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested mouse · Gastric motor effects of ghrelin and growth hormone releasing peptide 6 in diabetic mice with gastroparesis.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 19289567

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rodent · Efficacy of ipamorelin, a novel ghrelin mimetic, in a rodent model of postoperative ileus.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 22005105

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · Ghrelin-attenuated cognitive dysfunction in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 26051399

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · Differential effects of ghrelin antagonists on alcohol drinking and reinforcement in mouse and rat models of alcohol dependence.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 32721647

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested mouse · Atheroprotective and atheroregressive potential of azapeptide derivatives of GHRP-6 as selective CD36 ligands in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 34380377

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested mouse · Ghrelin improves cognition via activation of the cAMP- CREB signalling pathway in depressed male C57BL/6J mice.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 34845505

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · Antagonism of the ghrelin receptor type 1a in the rat brain induces status epilepticus in an electrical kindling model of epilepsy.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 38107518

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested mouse · Ghrelin misbalance affects mice embryo implantation and pregnancy success by uterine immune dysregulation and nitrosative stress.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 39857727

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · Changes in Locomotor Activity Observed During Acute Nicotine Withdrawal Can Be Attenuated by Ghrelin and GHRP-6 in Rats.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 40074098

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · Danshen-Chuanxiong-Honghua ameliorates neurological function and inflammation in traumatic brain injury in rats via modulating Ghrelin/GHSR.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

AnimalPMID 40318448

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested rat · A novel butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor induces antidepressant, pro-cognitive, and anti-anhedonic effects in Flinders Sensitive Line rats: The role of the ghrelin-dopamine cascade.

result Preclinical publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; effect details require paper-level extraction.

In vitroPMID 17644286

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested In vitro release study of mono-PEGylated growth hormone-releasing peptide-6 from PLGA microspheres.

result In-vitro publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; assay details require paper-level extraction.

In vitroPMID 18710636

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested Therapeutic effects of ghrelin and growth hormone releasing peptide 6 on gastroparesis in streptozotocin-induced diabetic guinea pigs in vivo and in vitro.

result In-vitro publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; assay details require paper-level extraction.

In vitroPMID 34173284

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested Ghrelin antagonist D-Lys3-GHRP-6 counteract ghrelin effects in bovine cumulus-oocytes complexes matured in vitro.

result In-vitro publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; assay details require paper-level extraction.

In vitroPMID 39054708

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested Ghrelin Improves Glucolipotoxicity-Induced Pancreatic β-Cellular Dysfunction and Apoptosis by Inhibiting Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Induced IRE1/JNK Pathway.

result In-vitro publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; assay details require paper-level extraction.

In vitroPMID 41090425

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested Assessing The Effectiveness of Growth Hormone Releasing Protein-6 in Improving Human Oocyte Maturation and Meiotic Progression in <i>In Vitro</i> Maturation Culture Media.

result In-vitro publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; assay details require paper-level extraction.

In vitroPMID 6425039

Preclinical / mechanistic research

tested Conformational energy studies and in vitro and in vivo activity data on growth hormone-releasing peptides.

result In-vitro publication captured from PubMed/Europe PMC; assay details require paper-level extraction.

Anecdotal efficacy

GH release & appetite stimulation

All three reports describe GHRP‑6 as reliably boosting appetite, with users saying it left them feeling hungry soon after meals and even “ravenous” for the first few days. The typical experience is a pronounced increase in hunger that kicks in quickly after starting the peptide.

1-3 of 3

+“I’ve had hunger pains even after eating now lol”r/PEDs · 1 upvotes +“GHRP 6 makes you hungrier than a bear in springtime”r/gainit · 2 upvotes +“GHRP-6 makes me ravenous for the first 3 days of administration”r/gainit · 2 upvotes

GHRP-6 side effects

Clinical research side effects

Grouped from 3 published human studies — weighted by study count, not incidence (the papers report no rates).

Anecdotal side effects

Side effect source data

16 linked sources are available across clinical rows and community reports.

Clinical 2Anecdotal 14

1-6 of 16

Facial flushingPMID 8077339

Warm sensationPMID 8077339

“and started to itch like crazy.”Itching · r/PEDs · 1 upvotes

“I had itching around injection site but if I let the syringe cool to room temp it wasn’t anywhere near as bad of a reaction.”Itching · r/PEDs · 1 upvotes

“Also felt like my whole body got hot”Flushing · r/PEDs · 1 upvotes

“I have had a little redness and itching around injection site for around 30min after injection”Itching · r/PEDs · while stacking

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1-6 of 113

GHRP-6 dosing & protocol

How GHRP-6 is dosed across research, clinician, and community sources — each evidence tier kept separate so the dose range, frequency, timing, and cycling stay visible without flattening different levels of evidence.

Research trials

Published clinical-trial protocols

Typical dose

—

0
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg

no dose captured for this tier yet

No structured protocol details captured for this tier yet.

No completed trials have been identified for GHRP-6, so no reliable dosing figures exist for this tier.

Clinician practice

Doctor & published-protocol guidance

Typical dose

—

0
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg

no dose captured for this tier yet

No structured protocol details captured for this tier yet.

Anecdotal

Community-reported real-world use · n = 11

Typical dose

500 µg100 µg – 10 mg

typical

0
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg

distribution of 13 reported doses · darker = more

By reported cadence· tap a row to filter the chart

Frequency: mixed
Route: subQ

Most users (7 of 11) give roughly 160 µg per injection without specifying frequency, while a few follow a weekly routine (≈500 µg), a daily dose of 1 mg, or twice‑daily 100 µg; no cycling pattern is reported.

11 sources

Dose & protocol sources

11 linked sources are available across the research, clinician, and community tiers. Each card states what that source says, with a link to it.

Research trials 0Clinician practice 0Anecdotal 11

Anecdotalr/BodyHackGuide

Dose 100 mcg twice dailyFrequency twice dailyRoute subQ

View source ↗

Anecdotalr/Biohackers

Dose 500 mcg 5x/weekFrequency weeklyRoute subQ

View source ↗

Anecdotalr/BodyHackGuide

Dose 200 mcgRoute subQ

View source ↗

Anecdotalr/BodyHackGuide

Dose 1 mg for 4 weeks, 2 mg for 4 weeks, 3‑4 mg beyondRoute subQ

View source ↗

Anecdotalr/NTNPerformance

Dose 4 mgRoute subQ

View source ↗

Anecdotalr/NTNPerformance

Dose 0.5 mgRoute subQ

View source ↗

1-6 of 11

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