CJC-1295 + Ipamorelin: The Practical Guide to the GH Pulse Stack

Last reviewed: May 2026

CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin are the two compounds that make up the standard GH-pulse stack. The pairing is one of the cleanest examples of complementary-mechanism stacking in the peptide-research catalogue. CJC-1295 extends the body’s own GH-releasing signal. Ipamorelin amplifies the GH-releasing pulse without the side effects that limit older secretagogues. Together they support the natural pulsatile pattern of growth hormone secretion at a higher amplitude than either compound alone.

This is the practical guide. What you need to know, in the order you need to know it.

What each compound does

CJC-1295 is a synthetic analogue of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH). The molecule is modified at four positions to resist plasma peptidases, which extends its active half-life from minutes (for native GHRH) to roughly 30 minutes (for the unmodified CJC-1295) or longer when bound to plasma proteins. The result is sustained signalling at the pituitary GHRH receptor, which drives endogenous growth hormone release.

Ipamorelin is a selective ghrelin-receptor agonist. It binds the GH-secretagogue receptor (GHSR) at the pituitary, triggering a separate pathway to GH release. The selectivity is the key feature. Older ghrelin mimetics also stimulated cortisol, prolactin, and ACTH release. Ipamorelin produces clean GH release without those off-target effects.

The two compounds work on different receptors driving the same outcome. The result is roughly synergistic. Combined administration produces larger GH release than either alone at the same total dose.

Standard dose patterns

Typical research-protocol patterns:

• CJC-1295 (without DAC): 100 mcg per administration, subcutaneous, 1 to 3 times daily
• Ipamorelin: 200 to 300 mcg per administration, subcutaneous, paired 1:1 with CJC-1295 doses

The “without DAC” specification matters. CJC-1295 with DAC (drug affinity complex) binds to plasma albumin and produces sustained signalling for 6 to 8 days from a single dose. The without-DAC version produces a 30-minute window. The without-DAC version is what most research protocols use, because the pulsatile pattern of natural GH release is part of what the stack is trying to mimic. The with-DAC version flattens that pattern and is generally considered less aligned with the research-protocol goals.

Timing matters

GH release is naturally pulsatile, with the largest endogenous pulses occurring during slow-wave sleep in the early-night sleep cycle. The stack’s ability to produce a meaningful effect depends partly on timing aligned with these natural windows.

The standard timing patterns:

• Pre-bed dose: 30 to 60 minutes before sleep, on an empty stomach (carbohydrate spikes blunt GH release for several hours). This dose aligns with the natural slow-wave-sleep GH pulse.
• Post-training dose (optional): 30 to 60 minutes after a strength training session, on an empty stomach. This dose aligns with the post-exercise GH pulse window.
• Morning dose (optional): on waking, on an empty stomach, at least 60 minutes before food. This dose pattern is less aligned with natural pulses but extends total daily exposure.

The pre-bed dose is the highest-priority timing slot. If you only run one dose per day, run it pre-bed.

The empty-stomach rule

This matters more than most other operational details. Carbohydrate-driven insulin release blunts GH secretion for 1 to 3 hours after a meal. Running CJC + Ipamorelin within that window wastes most of the dose. The rule of thumb: at least 90 minutes after a meal, at least 30 minutes before the next meal.

What pairs with the stack

• Nightfall as the sleep-architecture supplement layer. Slow-wave-sleep depth determines how much of the GH-pulse benefit translates to actual recovery and tissue work.
• BPC-157 in protocols focused on soft-tissue repair, where the GH pulse and the local-tissue support compound on different mechanisms.
• Adequate dietary protein (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg per day) so the GH pulse has substrate to work with. Our protein synthesis piece covers the dose math.

The Protocol Builder Recovery and Composition goals seed curated stacks that include the GH-pulse compounds where appropriate.

Cycle patterns

Standard cycle patterns run 8 to 12 weeks on, with an equivalent break before the next cycle. Tolerance development is a real concern with continuous use of GH-secretagogue compounds. The cycle pattern is meant to maintain receptor sensitivity over time.

Side-effect profile

The clean profile is one of the reasons this stack has held its place in research protocols. The most common reported side effects are mild flushing or temperature sensation at injection (transient, resolves in 5 to 10 minutes), occasional water retention in the first week or two, and mild appetite increase from the ipamorelin component (less pronounced than older ghrelin mimetics).

What the stack does not do at standard research-protocol doses: produce supraphysiological GH levels comparable to exogenous GH administration, drive significant joint or carpal tunnel symptoms (which can occur with high-dose recombinant GH), or cause the cortisol-axis disruption that older secretagogues did.

The clinical line

Both compounds are research-grade only, not approved as medicines, not licensed dietary supplements, not for human or veterinary application. Whether the stack belongs in your specific situation, at what dose, on what timing, is a clinical question that belongs with a UAE-licensed healthcare professional.

Read next

• Timing Peptide Doses Around Training: What the Literature Says
• Cycling Peptides On and Off: Why and When
• Protein Synthesis After 40: Anabolic Resistance and What Actually Works