Educational reference only. Not medical advice. Consult a healthcare provider before starting any protocol.
IGF-1 DES
des(1-3) Insulin-like Growth Factor-1
What it is
A naturally occurring truncated form of IGF-1 missing the three N-terminal amino acids (Gly-Pro-Glu). It has been isolated from bovine colostrum, human brain, and porcine uterus, likely produced by post-translational cleavage. Removal of the N-terminal tripeptide reduces IGFBP binding affinity to approximately 1% of native IGF-1 while retaining full IGF-1 receptor affinity, making it roughly 10× more potent in stimulating cell proliferation in vitro. In GH-deficient lit/lit mice, 3 mcg/day of des(1-3) IGF-1 matched the anabolic effects of 30 mcg/day native IGF-1 (Tomas et al., 1990). The very short half-life (~20-30 minutes) has led community users to favor site-specific intramuscular injection protocols. No human clinical trials have been conducted with this compound.
Community-reported ranges
Ranges sourced from community forums and published preclinical literature. Not dosing guidance. Dose units are mcg per injection site.
Reported dose range
50–100 mcg
Estimated half-life
~20-30 minutes
Source: derived from animal models and free IGF-1 clearance kinetics; no formal human PK study exists
Reported cycle length
4–6 weeks on
2-4 weeks off
Route
intramuscular, subcutaneous
Common vial sizes
100mcg, 1mg
Reported timing
Pre-workout (15-30 min) or immediately post-workout
Reported frequency
Training days only (4-5x/week), bilaterally into target muscles
Frequently discussed alongside
Based on community forum discussions. Not a recommendation to combine compounds.
Published research
Des(1-3) IGF-1 was first characterized in the late 1980s by Ballard, Francis, and colleagues at CSIRO in Australia. Key animal studies demonstrated 10× greater potency than native IGF-1 in GH-deficient mice (Tomas et al., 1990) and more pronounced hypoglycemia in pigs and marmosets (Ballard et al., 1998). A comprehensive 1996 review (Ballard et al.) explicitly noted that clinical opportunities had not been evaluated — this remains true as of March 2026. No registered clinical trials exist on ClinicalTrials.gov. Community dosing ranges are extrapolated from animal potency data and are not clinically validated.
Reported side effects
From community self-reports. Not from controlled studies.
The most significant acute risk is hypoglycemia, which is more pronounced than with native IGF-1 due to higher free fraction and receptor potency. Animal studies show increased organ weights (kidney, heart, liver, lung, stomach). The cancer risk class effect applies with particular concern given unregulated mitogenic signaling. Community users have reported localized swelling at injection sites, headaches, nausea, dizziness, joint pain, and water retention. Systematic human safety data does not exist.
Regulatory status
FDA (United States)
Not approved. Not specifically named on the FDA Category 2 list, but as an unapproved peptide drug without a USP monograph it cannot legally be compounded. Available only as a research chemical.
Health Canada
Not authorized as a therapeutic product. No DIN assigned. Falls under general prohibition on unauthorized injectable peptide drug sales.
WADA (Competitive Athletes)
Prohibited at all times under S2 — Peptide Hormones, Growth Factors, Related Substances and Mimetics. All exogenous IGF-1 forms are explicitly prohibited. WADA-funded immunopurification and mass spectrometry methods can distinguish des(1-3) IGF-1 from endogenous IGF-1 (Mongongu et al., 2021).
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