VIP vs Follistatin
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
Immune SupportSleep Optimization
VIPAnabolic & IGF
Follistatin- Summary
- VIP is a 28-amino acid neuropeptide with profound anti-inflammatory, vasodilatory, and immunomodulatory effects. It plays a critical role in gut motility, circadian rhythm, and immune tolerance. Used therapeutically for CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome), MCAS, and inflammatory conditions.
- 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.
- Half-Life
- ~2 minutes in plasma (rapidly degraded by peptidases); intranasal delivery may extend local CNS effects
- ~3–5 hours (endogenous form)
- Admin Route
- Intranasal, SubQ, IV
- IM, SubQ
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 50 mcg (4 sprays of 12.5 mcg each)
- 50–100 mcg per injection site
- Frequency
- 4x daily
- Every other day or 2–3x per week
- Key Benefits
- Potent anti-inflammatory for CIRS and mold illness
- Improves pulmonary hypertension symptoms
- Regulates gut motility and IBS symptoms
- Modulates circadian rhythm and sleep quality
- Reduces mast cell activation (MCAS)
- Improves cognitive function in neuroinflammatory conditions
- Vasodilatory — reduces vascular resistance
- 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
- Side Effects
- Facial flushing (transient, intranasal)
- Mild nausea
- Headache at initiation
- Hypotension at high doses
- +1 more
- 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
- Stacks With
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