Emerging evidence · Grade B
Hexarelin
Hexarelin (Examorelin)
Score
66 / 100
Class
GH-releasing peptide
Notable for
Cardiac (CD36) biology
Status
Investigational
TL;DR
01
A potent, chemically stable growth-hormone-releasing peptide (also called examorelin) that activates the ghrelin receptor to release GH.
02
Beyond GH release, it has a distinctive second biology: it binds the cardiac receptor CD36 and shows cardioprotective effects in preclinical models — a genuinely interesting research angle.
03
As with the rest of the GHRP family, it reliably raises GH in humans but has no trials proving muscle, recovery, or anti-aging benefit.
04
A specific drawback is desensitization: the GH response drops with continued use, more so than some other secretagogues.
05
It is not an approved therapy; consumer supply is research-grade and unregulated.
Human GH release
Proven
potent, stable
Cardiac biology
CD36 / cardioprotective
preclinical
Therapeutic RCTs
None
no clinical-benefit outcomes
Desensitization
Notable
GH response falls with use
Approval
None
research chemical only
Part 01 · How it works
Mechanism.
Hexarelin is one of the stronger, more stable GH-releasing peptides. It works like the others — activating the ghrelin receptor to release growth hormone — but it also has a separate trick: it binds CD36, a receptor found in the heart and blood vessels, and in animal studies protects heart tissue independently of growth hormone. That cardiac angle is what makes it scientifically interesting. For the muscle and anti-aging uses it's sold for, though, the evidence stops at GH release, and its GH effect notably fades with continued dosing.
A stronger GH-release button with an unusual side wire to the heart's own repair circuitry — intriguing in the lab, but as a supplement it mostly just releases GH, and less so the longer you use it.
GHS-R1a agonism
Potent, stable hexapeptide agonist at the ghrelin receptor; strong GH release.
CD36 binding
Binds the cardiac scavenger receptor CD36, mediating cardioprotective effects in preclinical models independent of GH.
Stability
More chemically stable and potent than native ghrelin.
Desensitization
GH response attenuates with continued dosing — a notable limitation.
Part 02 · Dosing & administration
How it's taken.
Community-reported · unregulatedValues below reflect commonly reported community protocols for Hexarelin. These are anecdotal and unregulated — not clinically validated and not a recommendation. Provided for educational purposes only — this is not medical advice and not instructions for self-administration. Consult your healthcare provider before making any health decision.
Standard dose
~100–300 mcg SC per dose (community); human research used ~1–2 mcg/kg IV/SC as single or short-course doses
Subcutaneous injection · 1–3x daily (community); single IV challenge or 2–3 SC doses/day in the limited human studies
Duration
Not established; limit to ~4–8 weeks — GH response falls with continued use (tachyphylaxis)
·
Community use is 100–300 mcg 1–3x daily; the human maximal-effective dose was ~2 mcg/kg IV (Arvat 1999).
·
Most potent GHRP but desensitizes fastest and also drives prolactin/ACTH/cortisol — keep cycles short to preserve receptor sensitivity.
·
Not FDA-approved, sold as a research chemical of unverified quality, and prohibited under anti-doping rules.
Need help with reconstitution?
Use the free peptide calculator for dilution, unit conversion, and injection volume.
Part 03 · Safety
Side effects, rare serious events, who shouldn't.
Common
Flushing / head-rush
Transient.
Reported
Increased appetite
Ghrelin-receptor effect, generally milder than GHRP-6.
Possible
Water retention
GH-axis effect.
Possible
Serious · rare
Cortisol / prolactin effects
Less selective than ipamorelin.
Possible
IGF-1 / glucose effects
Chronic GH elevation carries insulin-resistance and mitogenic cautions.
Theoretical
Product-quality risk
Research-grade supply may not match labeled purity/dose.
Source-dependent
Absolute · do not use
×
Pregnancy and breastfeeding (no data; should be considered unstudied and inappropriate)
×
Active or prior cancer, given the GH/IGF-1 axis stimulation (precautionary)
×
History of elevated prolactin or prolactinoma, because hexarelin raises prolactin
×
Adrenal disorders or concern for cortisol excess, because it stimulates ACTH and cortisol
×
Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, due to GH-class effects on insulin sensitivity
×
Competitive or drug-tested athletes (prohibited at all times by anti-doping rules)
Relative · discuss first
!
Active or prior malignancy — GH/IGF-1 mitogenic caution
!
Pregnancy or breastfeeding — no data
!
Diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance — GH raises insulin resistance
!
Anyone expecting proven benefit — human evidence is GH-release and preclinical cardiac only
Interactions
GHRH / GHRH-analog peptides (e.g., sermorelin, CJC-1295)
Synergistic, larger GH release when combined; can exaggerate GH-related effects on fluid, glucose, and joints
Moderate
Insulin and other glucose-lowering drugs
GH-class effects can reduce insulin sensitivity and raise blood glucose, potentially working against glycemic control
Moderate
Corticosteroids / agents affecting the HPA axis
Hexarelin independently stimulates ACTH and cortisol; overlapping effects complicate interpretation of adrenal status
Moderate
Somatostatin analogs (e.g., octreotide)
Opposing mechanism (somatostatin suppresses GH), which can blunt hexarelin's intended GH response
Moderate
Other ghrelin-receptor secretagogues (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, ipamorelin)
Additive GHSR stimulation and additive prolactin/cortisol effects; also accelerates receptor desensitization
Moderate
Labs to monitor
IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1)
Baseline and periodically (e.g., every 8-12 weeks) if used
Downstream readout of growth-hormone activity over time; the most practical marker of whether GH stimulation is producing a sustained effect
Fasting glucose and HbA1c
Baseline and every 3 months
GH-class effects can reduce insulin sensitivity and raise blood sugar
Prolactin
Baseline; repeat if symptoms arise
Hexarelin raises prolactin at GH-active doses; relevant for anyone with menstrual changes, galactorrhea, or prior high prolactin
Morning cortisol (with ACTH if indicated)
Baseline; repeat if symptoms suggest cortisol excess
Hexarelin stimulates ACTH and cortisol release; baseline helps interpret any HPA-axis symptoms
Part 04 · Evidence
How strong is the evidence?
66
Grade B
Grade B, Emerging. Reliable human GH release plus a genuinely interesting cardiac (CD36) research angle — but the cardiac work is preclinical, there are no therapeutic outcome trials, and desensitization limits chronic use.
Mechanistic plausibility
Potent GH release plus a distinct, characterized CD36 cardiac mechanism.
80
Human evidence
Human GH-release data; cardiac effects are preclinical; no therapeutic efficacy RCTs.
55
Safety & tolerability
Short-term tolerated; GH-axis cautions; long-term human data limited.
66
Durability
Notable desensitization of the GH response with continued use.
50
Independence
GH-release and CD36 biology studied across independent groups.
66
Part 05 · Research log
Every study we cite.
We list each study with its methodology, funding source, and our quality grade. Flagged studies aren't dismissed — they're tagged so you can weigh them.
01
2014
J Geriatr Cardiol Flagged
The cardiovascular action of hexarelin (review)
Summarizes hexarelin's binding to cardiac CD36 and its cardioprotective effects in preclinical models, distinct from its GH-releasing action — a scientifically notable but non-clinical angle.
Narrative review · Review of mostly preclinical cardiac data; not a human outcome trial.
PMID 25278975 ↗
Moderate (review)
Evidence against
What didn't work, and where the evidence is thin.
Every publication is incentivized to tell you a peptide works. We catalogue the null results, failed trials, and mechanism limits we found in the same literature — so you can weigh them against the upside, with your provider.
01
GH release is proven; therapeutic benefit and the cardiac promise are not
Mechanism limit J Geriatr Cardiol · 2014
Hexarelin reliably releases GH in humans, and its CD36 cardioprotective effects are intriguing — but the cardiac data are preclinical, and no controlled human trial shows benefit for muscle, recovery, aging, or heart outcomes.
What this means: The interesting biology has not been converted into demonstrated human benefit for any of its marketed or hypothesized uses.
PMID 25278975 ↗
02
The GH response desensitizes with continued use
Mechanism limit class pharmacology · 2014
Continued hexarelin dosing tends to blunt the GH response more than some other secretagogues, limiting sustained effect.
What this means: Even the one proven effect — GH release — diminishes over time, which undercuts a chronic-use rationale.
PMID 25278975 ↗
Part 06 · Cost & access
Where it's available, at what price.
United States
Not approved
No approved product; sold as a research chemical. No legal consumer medicine.
Grey-market; unregulated
European Union
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
United Kingdom
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
Canada
Not approved
No approved product.
N/A
The Peptide Column takes no affiliate commission from any source. Hexarelin is not an approved therapy; consumer supply is research-grade and unregulated, and its benefits are unproven in people. We link only to clinician-directed care, never to sellers.
Part 07 · Your appointment
Questions to bring.
01
Given hexarelin is not FDA-approved and made by unregulated suppliers, how would we even verify identity, purity, and sterility before considering it?
02
I have a history of high prolactin, adrenal issues, diabetes, or any cancer. Does hexarelin's effect on cortisol, prolactin, and the GH/IGF-1 axis make it riskier for me specifically?
03
Since the GH response fades with repeated dosing, what would we actually expect it to accomplish versus an approved option?
04
What baseline and follow-up labs (IGF-1, glucose/HbA1c, prolactin, cortisol) would you want if I were determined to try it?
References
Every citation, numbered.
Citation list. For our editorial read of each study — including bias flags and quality grades — see the Research log above.
- 01.
- 02. PubMed. Hexarelin GH-release and CD36 cardiac literature