Ipamorelin vs MK-677 (Ibutamoren)
Ipamorelin is mainly studied for recovery, body composition, sleep. while MK-677 (Ibutamoren) is studied for recovery, appetite, sleep, composition. The difference is in the mechanism and the evidence, not in which is "better": it depends on the goal.
| Ipamorelin | MK-677 (Ibutamoren) | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hormonal/Sexual | Hormonal/Sexual |
| Studied for | Recovery, body composition, sleep. | Recovery, appetite, sleep, composition. |
| How it acts | A secretagogue studied for its relationship with growth-hormone release with a selective profile; analyzed for its short-acting kinetics. | An oral secretagogue studied for its relationship with sustained growth-hormone and IGF-1 signaling. |
| Evidence level | Limited human evidence | Human trials available |
How they differ
Although sometimes mentioned together, Ipamorelin and MK-677 (Ibutamoren) do not target the same thing. Ipamorelin: A secretagogue studied for its relationship with growth-hormone release with a selective profile; analyzed for its short-acting kinetics. MK-677 (Ibutamoren): An oral secretagogue studied for its relationship with sustained growth-hormone and IGF-1 signaling.
See full entry: Ipamorelin → · See full entry: MK-677 (Ibutamoren) →
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What is the main difference between Ipamorelin and MK-677 (Ibutamoren)?
Ipamorelin targets recovery, body composition, sleep. and MK-677 (Ibutamoren) targets recovery, appetite, sleep, composition. They act through different pathways, so the choice depends on your goal, not on which is "stronger".
Can they be studied together?
Combinations are studied by goal in the literature, but combining is not just adding: it changes the safety profile. What to combine and how is decided with a professional; here we only explain what each is studied for.
Which has more human evidence?
Based on the references we verified, MK-677 (Ibutamoren) has more human studies of this pair. Each one's evidence level is in the table above, and the references with their PMID are at the end.
Other comparisons
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References
Every entry links to its record on PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine database. Open them and check. We would rather have a reader who verifies than one who takes our word for it.
- Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteershuman Pharm Res · 1999 · PMID 10496658 →
- Prospective, randomized, controlled, proof-of-concept study of the Ghrelin mimetic ipamorelin for the management of postoperative ileus in bowel resection patientshuman Int J Colorectal Dis · 2014 · PMID 25331030 →
- Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagoguepreclinical Eur J Endocrinol · 1998 · PMID 9849822 →
- Ipamorelin, a new growth-hormone-releasing peptide, induces longitudinal bone growth in ratspreclinical Growth Horm IGF Res · 1999 · PMID 10373343 →
- Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized trialhuman Ann Intern Med · 2008 · PMID 18981485 →
- MK-677, an orally active growth hormone secretagogue, reverses diet-induced catabolismhuman J Clin Endocrinol Metab · 1998 · PMID 9467534 →
- Effects of oral administration of ibutamoren mesylate, a nonpeptide growth hormone secretagogue, on the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis in growth hormone-deficient childrenhuman Clin Pharmacol Ther · 2001 · PMID 11452249 →
- Growth hormone secretagogue MK-677: no clinical effect on AD progression in a randomized trialhuman Neurology · 2008 · PMID 19015485 →
Educational content. It does not include doses, protocols or preparation: that is defined by a professional.