Ipamorelin + CJC-1295: The Classic Growth Hormone Pulse Stack
Ipamorelin is a selective GHRP. CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog. Together they trigger a synchronized GH pulse without cortisol or prolactin spillover.
Ipamorelin and CJC-1295 (no-DAC) are the most popular growth hormone secretagogue stack in research. Ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin receptor agonist; CJC-1295 is a GHRH analog. Used together at the same injection, they trigger a natural-shape GH pulse without elevating cortisol, prolactin, or aldosterone the way older peptides (GHRP-6, hexarelin) do.
Why Two Peptides Instead of One
GH release uses two parallel signals: GHRH tells the pituitary 'make GH', and a ghrelin-receptor agonist tells it 'release what you have'. Hitting one without the other gives you a small pulse; hitting both at once produces a synergistic pulse roughly the size of natural deep-sleep GH release.
Dosing
100 mcg of each peptide per injection is the standard research dose, taken 1–3 times daily on an empty stomach (food blunts the GH pulse). The most common protocol is one injection before bed to amplify the natural nighttime pulse and one upon waking.
What It Doesn't Do
Secretagogues amplify your own pulses; they don't override the negative feedback loop. That means you can't drive IGF-1 sky-high the way exogenous HGH does — which is also why the side effect profile (fluid retention, carpal tunnel, insulin resistance) is so much milder.
Reference page
Reconstitution chart, dose calculator, and storage notes for this peptide.
Open the reference cardFAQ
- How is CJC-1295 different from CJC-1295 DAC?
- DAC adds a drug affinity complex that extends the half-life to days, producing a sustained GH 'bleed' instead of a pulse. Most modern protocols prefer the no-DAC version for cleaner pulses that mimic natural physiology.