MGF (Mechano Growth Factor) vs Dulaglutide
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Anabolic & IGF
MGF (Mechano Growth Factor)GLP-1 / Weight Loss Agonists
Dulaglutide- Summary
- MGF (Mechano Growth Factor) is a splice variant of IGF-1 that is locally produced in muscle tissue in response to mechanical damage from exercise. It activates muscle satellite cells (stem cells) to proliferate and repair damaged fibers, making it specifically targeted at exercise-induced hypertrophy.
- Dulaglutide (brand name Trulicity) is a once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes management and cardiovascular risk reduction. It consists of two GLP-1 analog chains fused to a modified IgG4 Fc fragment, extending its half-life to approximately 5 days. While primarily a diabetes medication, it produces meaningful weight loss and has established cardiovascular outcomes data from the REWIND trial.
- Half-Life
- Native MGF: minutes. PEG-MGF: ~3 days
- ~5 days
- Admin Route
- SubQ, IM
- SubQ
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 200–400 mcg
- 0.75 mg → 1.5 mg
- Frequency
- 1–2 times per week
- Once weekly
- Key Benefits
- Activates muscle satellite cells for repair and growth
- Accelerates recovery from muscle damage
- Synergistic with IGF-1 LR3 (different mechanisms)
- Promotes muscle hypertrophy specifically at exercised muscles
- Faster recovery between training sessions
- Potential for injury repair in connective tissue
- FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes
- Once-weekly subcutaneous dosing via auto-injector pen
- Reduces HbA1c by approximately 1.1–1.6%
- Modest weight loss of 1.5–3 kg at approved doses
- Demonstrated cardiovascular risk reduction (REWIND trial)
- Established long-term safety profile
- Renal protective effects in CKD
- Side Effects
- Muscle soreness (satellite cell activation)
- Injection site irritation
- Hypoglycemia risk (modest, less than IGF-1 LR3)
- Nausea (most common, typically transient)
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Decreased appetite
- +3 more
- Stacks With
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