MK-677 (Ibutamoren) vs IGF-1 LR3
MK-677 (Ibutamoren) is mainly studied for recovery, appetite, sleep, composition. while IGF-1 LR3 is studied for muscle growth, recovery. The difference is in the mechanism and the evidence, not in which is "better": it depends on the goal.
| MK-677 (Ibutamoren) | IGF-1 LR3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Hormonal/Sexual | Hormonal/Sexual |
| Studied for | Recovery, appetite, sleep, composition. | Muscle growth, recovery. |
| How it acts | An oral secretagogue studied for its relationship with sustained growth-hormone and IGF-1 signaling. | An analog of insulin-like growth factor, studied for its relationship with growth and muscle-repair signaling. |
| Evidence level | Human trials available | Limited human evidence |
How they differ
Although sometimes mentioned together, MK-677 (Ibutamoren) and IGF-1 LR3 do not target the same thing. MK-677 (Ibutamoren): An oral secretagogue studied for its relationship with sustained growth-hormone and IGF-1 signaling. IGF-1 LR3: An analog of insulin-like growth factor, studied for its relationship with growth and muscle-repair signaling.
See full entry: MK-677 (Ibutamoren) → · See full entry: IGF-1 LR3 →
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What is the main difference between MK-677 (Ibutamoren) and IGF-1 LR3?
MK-677 (Ibutamoren) targets recovery, appetite, sleep, composition. and IGF-1 LR3 targets muscle growth, recovery. 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.
- 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 →
- Detection of His-tagged Long-R3-IGF-I in a black market productpreclinical Growth Horm IGF Res · 2010 · PMID 20675162 →
- Biochemical markers of insulin-like growth factor-I misuse in athletes: the response of serum IGF-I, procollagen type III amino-terminal propeptide, and the GH-2000 score to the administration of rhIGF-I/rhIGF binding protein-3 complexhuman J Clin Endocrinol Metab · 2014 · PMID 24606087 →
- Frequency and Predictive Factors of Hypoglycemia in Patients Treated With rhIGF-1: Data From the Eu-IGFD Registryhuman J Clin Endocrinol Metab · 2023 · PMID 37579214 →
- Use of growth hormone, IGF-I, and insulin for anabolic purpose: Pharmacological basis, methods of detection, and adverse effectsreview Mol Cell Endocrinol · 2018 · PMID 28606865 →
Educational content. It does not include doses, protocols or preparation: that is defined by a professional.