Follistatin vs Thymosin Alpha-1
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anabolic & IGF
FollistatinImmune SupportAnti-Aging & Longevity
Thymosin Alpha-1- 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.
- Thymosin Alpha-1 is a naturally occurring 28-amino acid peptide derived from the thymus gland. It is a powerful immune modulator approved in many countries for treating chronic hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and as an adjunct in cancer immunotherapy.
- Half-Life
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- 2–3 hours
- Admin Route
- IM, SubQ
- SubQ
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- 0.8–1.6 mg
- Frequency
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Twice weekly
- 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
- Enhances T-cell and NK cell activity
- Supports recovery from viral and bacterial infections
- May reduce inflammation systemically
- Supports healthy aging and immune resilience
- Improves vaccine response
- Supports liver health
- May help with chronic fatigue syndrome and post-viral conditions
- Approved in multiple countries for hepatitis B and C treatment
- 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
- Injection site irritation
- Mild flu-like symptoms initially (immune activation)
- Fatigue (rare)
- Stacks With
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