Follistatin vs Cardiogen
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anabolic & IGF
FollistatinAnti-Aging & Longevity
Cardiogen- Summary
- Follistatin is an endogenous glycoprotein that acts as a potent inhibitor of myostatin and activin, two proteins that limit muscle growth. By binding and neutralizing myostatin, follistatin removes the primary brake on skeletal muscle hypertrophy, enabling significant muscle growth beyond normal physiological limits. It is distinct from its isoforms Follistatin 315 and Follistatin 344 in tissue distribution and binding affinity.
- Cardiogen is a tetrapeptide bioregulator (Ala-Glu-Asp-Arg) developed by Professor Vladimir Khavinson. It is a tissue-specific bioregulator for the heart and myocardium, designed to normalize cardiomyocyte function and support cardiac tissue regeneration. Research has demonstrated cardioprotective effects, improved cardiac rhythm, and benefits in recovery from ischemic injury.
- Half-Life
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- Short (minutes); gene-regulatory effects persist longer
- Admin Route
- IM, SubQ
- SubQ, Oral
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- 10 mg per day
- Frequency
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Daily for 10–30 days
- Key Benefits
- Potent myostatin inhibition enabling supraphysiological muscle growth
- Increases skeletal muscle mass and fiber size
- May accelerate recovery from muscle injury
- Potential benefits in muscular dystrophy and sarcopenia
- Synergistic with IGF-1 and growth hormone in anabolic protocols
- Animal studies show dramatic increases in muscle mass
- Reduces muscle fibrosis in dystrophic models
- Cardioprotective effects on myocardial tissue
- Normalization of cardiomyocyte protein synthesis
- May improve cardiac rhythm and conduction
- Support for recovery from ischemic cardiac events
- Anti-aging effects on heart tissue
- Potential reduction in cardiac fibrosis
- Often combined with Epithalon for comprehensive cardiovascular longevity support
- Side Effects
- Potential for excessive muscle growth if doses are not controlled
- FSH suppression with implications for fertility in women
- Theoretical risk of cardiac hypertrophy with prolonged high-dose use
- Limited human safety data available
- +1 more
- Generally well tolerated in available research
- Mild injection site reactions
- No significant adverse cardiovascular events reported at standard doses
- Stacks With
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