Follistatin vs Dihexa
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anabolic & IGF
FollistatinCognitive Enhancement
Dihexa- 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.
- Dihexa is a potent experimental oligopeptide derived from angiotensin IV that dramatically enhances synaptogenesis. Preclinical research shows cognitive enhancement orders of magnitude more potent than BDNF — it is considered one of the most powerful nootropic compounds in research, but has very limited human safety data.
- Half-Life
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- Unknown (limited pharmacokinetic data)
- Admin Route
- IM, SubQ
- Oral, SubQ, Topical
- Research
- —
- —
- Typical Dose
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- 5–10 mg
- Frequency
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Daily
- 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
- Dramatically increases synapse formation (potentially 10 million× more potent than BDNF in animal models)
- Enhances memory and learning
- May reverse cognitive decline
- Improves neuroplasticity and executive function
- Long-lasting cognitive benefits from short courses
- Potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's
- 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
- Headache
- Irritability
- Brain fog during washout period
- Unknown long-term effects (insufficient data)
- Stacks With
- —
- —