Follistatin vs DSIP
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anabolic & IGF
FollistatinSleep OptimizationCognitive Enhancement
DSIP- 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.
- DSIP is an endogenous neuropeptide originally isolated from rabbit cerebrospinal fluid that induces delta-wave (deep) sleep. It also modulates stress response, cortisol regulation, and LH secretion, making it valuable for sleep optimization and stress management.
- Half-Life
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- ~30–60 minutes; however downstream sleep effects last 4–6 hours
- Admin Route
- IM, SubQ
- SubQ, IV, Intranasal
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- 100–400 mcg
- Frequency
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Once nightly
- 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
- Induces and deepens delta-wave (slow-wave) sleep
- Reduces cortisol and normalizes HPA axis
- Improves sleep quality in insomnia patients
- Anti-stress and anxiolytic effects
- May improve opiate/alcohol withdrawal symptoms
- Analgesic properties through opioid modulation
- Antioxidant and neuroprotective effects
- 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
- Mild grogginess next morning at higher doses
- Rare: hypotension
- Potential for altered dream patterns
- Stacks With
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