GHRP-2

Key Benefits#

• Strong GH pulse stimulation
• Increased IGF-1 levels
• Enhanced muscle growth and recovery
• Improved fat metabolism
• Better sleep quality
• Increased bone density
• Enhanced appetite (less pronounced than GHRP-6)
• Anti-aging effects via GH axis optimization

Mechanism of Action#

GHRP-2 is a synthetic agonist of the ghrelin receptor (GHSR-1a) that stimulates growth hormone secretion via two complementary mechanisms: direct stimulation of pituitary somatotrophs and suppression of somatostatin (the GH-inhibiting hormone). It is more potent than GHRP-6 per unit dose and produces significantly less hunger stimulation, but does modestly elevate cortisol and prolactin compared to Ipamorelin.

Dosing Protocols#

Side Effects#

• Increased appetite
• Water retention
• Elevated cortisol (modest)
• Elevated prolactin (modest)
• Injection site irritation
• Fatigue initially

Contraindications#

Active cancer or history of cancer. Pregnancy or breastfeeding. Diabetes or insulin resistance (cortisol elevation may worsen glucose control).

Storage#

Lyophilized powder: store at −20°C. Reconstituted: refrigerate at 2–8°C, use within 30 days.

Featured In Stacks#

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   Possible Involvement of Hypothalamic Dysfunction in Long COVID Patients Characterized by Delayed Response to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone

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   One Case of Sudden Isolated Adrenocorticotropic Hormone (ACTH) Deficiency Diagnosed Based on Repeated Hypoglycemic Attacks

   Sato T · Cureus · 2025Case ReportPubMed Verified

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   Benchmark for Setting ACTH Cell Dosage in Clinical Regenerative Medicine for Post-Operative Hypopituitarism

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   Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide 2 May Be Associated With Decreased M1 Macrophage Production and Increased Histologic and Biomechanical Tendon-Bone Healing Properties in a Rat Rotator Cuff Tear Model

   Li Y, Yao L, Zhang C, Li T, Wang D, Li J et al. · Arthroscopy : the journal of arthroscopic & related surgery : official publication of the Arthroscopy Association of North America and the International Arthroscopy Association · 2025PubMed Verified

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   Robust growth hormone responses to GH-releasing peptide 2 in adolescents

   Onuki T, Hiroaki T, Sawano K, Shibata N, Nyuzuki H, Ogawa Y et al. · Journal of pediatric endocrinology & metabolism : JPEM · 2024PubMed Verified

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   Assessment of anterior pituitary reserve capacity based on growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 test in the elderly

   Teramoto S, Tahara S, Hattori Y, Kondo A, Morita A · Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society · 2023PubMed Verified

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   Clinical Usefulness of the Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide-2 Test for Hypothalamic-Pituitary Disorder

   Suzuki S, Ruike Y, Ishiwata K, Naito K, Igarashi K, Ishida A et al. · Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2022PubMed Verified

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    Refractory hypoglycaemia in a localised gastrointestinal stromal tumour: Case report

    Dhali A, Ray S, Dhali GK, Ghosh R, Sarkar A · International journal of surgery case reports · 2021PubMed Verified

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    On the road of dried blood spot sampling for antidoping tests: Detection of GHRP-2 abuse

    Reverter-Branchat G, Segura J, Pozo OJ · Drug testing and analysis · 2021PubMed Verified

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    Determination of the immunostimulatory drug-glucosoaminyl-muramyl-dipeptide-in human plasma using HPLC-MS/MS and its application to a pharmacokinetic study

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    Fully automated dried blood spot sample preparation enables the detection of lower molecular mass peptide and non-peptide doping agents by means of LC-HRMS

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    Beyond the androgen receptor: the role of growth hormone secretagogues in the modern management of body composition in hypogonadal males

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    Abundant expression of the membrane-anchored protease-regulator RECK in the anterior pituitary gland and its implication in the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis in mice

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    Preoperative growth hormone (GH) peak values during a GH releasing peptide-2 test reflect the severity of hypopituitarism and the postoperative recovery of GH secretion in patients with non-functioning pituitary adenomas

    Soga A, Fukuda I, Kobayashi S, Tahara S, Morita A, Sugihara H · Endocrine journal · 2020PubMed Verified

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    Detection of black market follistatin 344

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    β1-adrenergic receptors mediate plasma acyl-ghrelin elevation and depressive-like behavior induced by chronic psychosocial stress

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    Evaluation of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis by the GHRP2 Test: Comparison With the Insulin Tolerance Test

    Hayakawa T, Kitamura T, Tamada D, Mukai K, Hayashi R, Takahara M et al. · Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2018PubMed Verified

24. 24.
    Glycine-modified growth hormone secretagogues identified in seized doping material

    Gajda PM, Holm NB, Hoej LJ, Rasmussen BS, Dalsgaard PW, Reitzel LA et al. · Drug testing and analysis · 2019PubMed Verified

25. 25.
    Identification of a novel growth hormone releasing peptide (a glycine analogue of GHRP-2) in a seized injection vial

    Popławska M, Błażewicz A · Drug testing and analysis · 2019PubMed Verified

26. 26.
    Evaluation of growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 for diagnosis of thyrotropin-producing pituitary adenomas

    Kageyama K, Sakihara S, Kameda W, Sugiyama A, Takayasu S, Terui K et al. · Endocrine journal · 2018PubMed Verified

27. 27.
    Analysis of new growth promoting black market products

    Krug O, Thomas A, Malerød-Fjeld H, Dehnes Y, Laussmann T, Feldmann I et al. · Growth hormone & IGF research : official journal of the Growth Hormone Research Society and the International IGF Research Society · 2018PubMed Verified

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    Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency Following Nivolumab Therapy in a Patient with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

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    Growth Hormone Secretagogue Treatment in Hypogonadal Men Raises Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels

    Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW, Allison A, Ohlander SJ, Herati A, Lindgren MC et al. · American journal of men's health · 2017PubMed Verified

30. 30.
    Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Resolves Low GHRP-2-Stimulated Growth Hormone Levels in Obese Patients

    Ohara E, Tokuyama H, Kitamoto T, Kitahara A, Hayashi A, Hayashi H et al. · Obesity surgery · 2017PubMed Verified

31. 31.
    The Safety and Efficacy of Growth Hormone Secretagogues

    Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW · Sexual medicine reviews · 2018ReviewPubMed Verified

32. 32.
    Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2 Attenuation of Protein Kinase C-Induced Inflammation in Human Ovarian Granulosa Cells

    Chao YN, Sun D, Peng YC, Wu YL · International journal of molecular sciences · 2016PubMed Verified

33. 33.
    Genetic and protein biomarkers in blood for the improved detection of GH abuse

    Ferro P, Ventura R, Pérez-Mañá C, Farré M, Segura J · Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis · 2016PubMed Verified

34. 34.
    Investigation of the clinical significance of the growth hormone-releasing peptide-2 test for the diagnosis of secondary adrenal failure

    Arimura H, Hashiguchi H, Yamamoto K, Shinnakasu A, Arimura A, Kikuchi A et al. · Endocrine journal · 2016Clinical TrialPubMed Verified

35. 35.
    Effects of GHRP-2 and Cysteamine Administration on Growth Performance, Somatotropic Axis Hormone and Muscle Protein Deposition in Yaks (Bos grunniens) with Growth Retardation

    Hu R, Wang Z, Peng Q, Zou H, Wang H, Yu X et al. · PloS one · 2016RCTPubMed Verified

36. 36.
    Structure-activity relationship for peptídic growth hormone secretagogues

    Ferro P, Krotov G, Zvereva I, Rodchenkov G, Segura J · Drug testing and analysis · 2017PubMed Verified

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    Simplifying and expanding the screening for peptides <2 kDa by direct urine injection, liquid chromatography, and ion mobility mass spectrometry

    Thomas A, Görgens C, Guddat S, Thieme D, Dellanna F, Schänzer W et al. · Journal of separation science · 2016PubMed Verified

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    Ghrelin Receptor Ligands Reaching Clinical Trials: From Peptides to Peptidomimetics; from Agonists to Antagonists

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39. 39.
    One-year intranasal application of growth hormone releasing peptide-2 improves body weight and hypoglycemia in a severely emaciated anorexia nervosa patient

    Haruta I, Fuku Y, Kinoshita K, Yoneda K, Morinaga A, Amitani M et al. · Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle · 2015PubMed Verified

40. 40.
    Determination of growth hormone releasing peptides metabolites in human urine after nasal administration of GHRP-1, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin, and Ipamorelin

    Semenistaya E, Zvereva I, Thomas A, Thevis M, Krotov G, Rodchenkov G · Drug testing and analysis · 2015PubMed Verified

41. 41.
    Detection of GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 in urine samples from athletes

    Cox HD, Hughes CM, Eichner D · Drug testing and analysis · 2015PubMed Verified

42. 42.
    Synthesis of Mono-PEGylated Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide-2 and Investigation of its Biological Activity

    Hu X, Xu B, Zhou Z · AAPS PharmSciTech · 2015PubMed Verified

43. 43.
    In vitro models for metabolic studies of small peptide hormones in sport drug testing

    Esposito S, Deventer K, Geldof L, Van Eenoo P · Journal of peptide science : an official publication of the European Peptide Society · 2015PubMed Verified

44. 44.
    Increased Secretion of Endogenous GH after Treatment with an Intranasal GH-releasing Peptide-2 Spray Does Not Promote Growth in Short Children with GH Deficiency

    Tanaka T, Hasegawa Y, Yokoya S, Nishi Y · Clinical pediatric endocrinology : case reports and clinical investigations : official journal of the Japanese Society for Pediatric Endocrinology · 2014PubMed Verified

45. 45.
    Adult growth hormone deficiency: current concepts

    Fukuda I, Hizuka N, Muraoka T, Ichihara A · Neurologia medico-chirurgica · 2014ReviewPubMed Verified

46. 46.
    Ghrelin receptor agonist, GHRP-2, produces antinociceptive effects at the supraspinal level via the opioid receptor in mice

    Zeng P, Li S, Zheng YH, Liu FY, Wang JL, Zhang DL et al. · Peptides · 2014PubMed Verified

47. 47.
    A high-throughput LC-MS/MS screen for GHRP in equine and human urine, featuring peptide derivatization for improved chromatography

    Timms M, Hall N, Levina V, Vine J, Steel R · Drug testing and analysis · 2014PubMed Verified

48. 48.
    Identification and quantification of the doping agent GHRP-2 in seized unlabelled vials by NMR and MS: a case-report

    Gaudiano MC, Valvo L, Borioni A · Drug testing and analysis · 2014PubMed Verified

49. 49.
    Adult growth hormone deficiency: current concepts

    Fukuda I, Hizuka N, Muraoka T, Ichihara A · Neurologia medico-chirurgica · 2014PubMed Verified

50. 50.
    Effect of intrahippocampal ghrelin agonist administration on passive avoidance learning and anxiety in rats

    Kajbaf F, Ahmadi R, Fatemi Tabatabaie R, Safarpoor E · Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS · 2012PubMed Verified