Source comparison
Hexarelin Before and After: Comparison of Secretagogue Protocols
| Secretagogue | Peak GH Elevation (% Above Baseline) | Time to Peak (Minutes) | Duration of Elevation (Minutes) | Receptor Mechanism | Typical Research Dose | Bottom Line ||—|—|—|—|—|—|| Hexarelin | 400–650% | 20–30 | 90–120 | GHSR-1a agonist, CD36 agonist |
This comparison does not assign a generated winner or score.
- | Secretagogue | Peak GH Elevation (% Above Baseline) | Time to Peak (Minutes) | Duration of Elevation (Minutes) | Receptor Mechanism | Typical Research Dose | Bottom Line ||—|—|—|—|—|—|| Hexarelin | 400–650% | 20–30 | 90–120 | GHSR-1a agonist, CD36 agonist | 1–2 mcg/kg subcutaneous | Fastest onset, highest peak, narrowest window. Ideal for pulsatile GH research and timed intervention studies || GHRP-6 | 250–400% | 30–45 | 120–150 | GHSR-1a agonist | 1 mcg/kg subcutaneous | Moderate onset, moderate peak, stimulates appetite via ghrelin mimicry. Useful when orexigenic effects are desired || Ipamorelin | 200–300% | 30–40 | 120–180 | Selective GHSR-1a agonist | 200–300 mcg subcutaneous | Lower peak but no cortisol/prolactin co-elevation. Preferred when isolating GH effects without HPA axis activation || MK-677 (Ibutamoren) | 150–200% sustained | 60–90 | 1200–1440 (24 hours) | Oral GHSR-1a agonist | 25 mg oral | Sustained low-amplitude elevation, convenient oral dosing. Ideal for chronic e
- This comparison illustrates why hexarelin before and after protocols dominate acute-response studies while sustained-release alternatives like MK 677 are preferred for chronic exposure models. Choosing the wrong secretagogue for the research question is the most common design error we observe. A 24-hour exposure study using hexarelin would require multiple daily dosing and risk tachyphylaxis, while a pulsatile kinetics study using MK-677 would produce uninterpretable data due to sustained baseline elevation.