TL;DR: The “CJC/Ipa” stack pairs CJC-1295 without DAC (a.k.a. Mod GRF 1-29, a GHRH analog) with ipamorelin (a selective GHRP). In research models the two hit different pituitary receptors at the same time, producing a growth-hormone pulse noticeably larger than either alone. The go-to research convention is a “saturation dose” of roughly 100 mcg of each per shot, run 1-3x daily on an empty stomach, before bed, or post-workout. Below is the full protocol, a mcg-to-insulin-units table, and the reconstitution maths. Run every number through the peptide calculator before you draw anything up.
Why CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin Get Stacked
The reason the “GH stack” pairs these two comes down to two separate signalling pathways converging on the same cells.
- CJC-1295 (no-DAC / Mod GRF 1-29) is a GHRH analog. It binds the GHRH receptor on the anterior pituitary and tells the somatotroph cells to release growth hormone. Its half-life is short, around 30 minutes, which is exactly why the no-DAC version is the one used here. For the difference between the two versions, see CJC-1295 DAC vs no-DAC and what is Mod GRF 1-29.
- Ipamorelin is a GHRP (ghrelin-receptor agonist). It binds the GHS-R1a receptor, a completely different lock, and both amplifies the GH pulse and suppresses somatostatin (the brake on GH release). Raun et al. characterised it as the first selective secretagogue, meaning it lifts GH without meaningfully touching cortisol, prolactin, or ACTH.
Fire both at once and you get GHRH pushing the accelerator while the GHRP releases the brake. That’s why researchers describe the pulse as synergistic rather than merely additive.
The ~100 mcg “Saturation Dose” Concept
The number you’ll see everywhere for the CJC-1295 Ipamorelin stack is roughly 100 mcg of each per injection. This is the “saturation dose” idea: past a certain point, adding more peptide to a single shot doesn’t produce a proportionally bigger GH pulse, because the available receptors are already close to fully engaged. So instead of chasing bigger single doses, research protocols favour hitting that saturation point and, where relevant, adding more pulses across the day rather than more mcg per pulse.
A 1:1 ratio (100 mcg CJC / 100 mcg Ipa) is the classic template. Some research setups nudge ipamorelin higher (e.g. 200-300 mcg) while holding the GHRH side near 100 mcg, since the GHRP is doing the somatostatin-suppression work. The pre-blended CJC/Ipa blend vial exists precisely to make the 1:1 pairing a single draw.
Timing: Empty Stomach, Before Bed, Post-Workout
GHRP signalling is blunted by circulating nutrients, especially carbohydrate and fat, so the timing rules exist to protect the pulse.
- Empty stomach. The convention is roughly 20-30 minutes clear of food on either side of the shot. High blood glucose and somatostatin both dampen the GH response.
- Before bed. The body’s largest natural GH pulse rides the first phase of deep sleep. A pre-sleep dose is designed to stack onto that endogenous pulse.
- Post-workout. A fasted post-training window is another common slot in research cadences.
For the ipamorelin-specific timing logic, see ipamorelin research dosing and timing.
Illustrative research-model kinetics, not clinical guidance. Peak GH lands roughly 30-40 min post-injection; the elevated window runs a couple of hours.
Daily Cadence: 1x, 2x, or 3x
Because Mod GRF 1-29 clears in about half an hour, each shot is one discrete pulse. That’s the lever for cadence:
- 1x/day — usually the pre-bed pulse. Lowest-frequency template.
- 2x/day — pre-bed plus a morning or post-workout fasted pulse.
- 3x/day — spaced pulses (e.g. morning, afternoon, pre-bed), each on an empty stomach, mimicking the natural pulsatility of GH secretion.
More pulses means more saturation-dose events, which is the mechanism behind the “recomp stack” nickname in body-composition research contexts.
Reconstitution and the mcg-to-Units Maths
This is where most drawing-up errors happen, so slow down here. Everything hinges on concentration = peptide mass ÷ water added.
Worked example for a single 2 mg (2000 mcg) CJC-1295 vial reconstituted with 2 mL of bacteriostatic water:
- Concentration = 2000 mcg ÷ 2 mL = 1000 mcg/mL
- A U-100 insulin syringe reads 100 units = 1 mL, so 1 unit = 0.01 mL = 10 mcg
- A 100 mcg dose = 100 ÷ 10 = 10 units = 0.10 mL
Same arithmetic applies to a 10 mg ipamorelin vial; just change the mass in the numerator. The universal rule:
units to draw = (desired mcg ÷ total mcg in vial) × total units of water added
Dosing table (2 mg vial + 2 mL water = 1000 mcg/mL)
| Dose (each peptide) | Volume | U-100 insulin units |
|---|---|---|
| 50 mcg | 0.05 mL | 5 units |
| 100 mcg | 0.10 mL | 10 units |
| 150 mcg | 0.15 mL | 15 units |
| 200 mcg | 0.20 mL | 20 units |
| 300 mcg | 0.30 mL | 30 units |
Since the dosis (ES) and Dosierung (DE) both trace back to concentration, the single most useful habit is to confirm your mcg/mL first and let the calculator translate it into insulin units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why use CJC-1295 without DAC instead of the DAC version for this stack?
The no-DAC form (Mod GRF 1-29) has a ~30-minute half-life, so it produces a clean, discrete GH pulse that lines up with ipamorelin’s own short action. The DAC version circulates for days and creates a sustained “bleed” of GHRH signalling, which doesn’t pair as neatly with pulse-based GHRP timing. See CJC-1295 DAC vs no-DAC.
What is the standard CJC/Ipa saturation dose?
Roughly 100 mcg of each peptide per injection is the widely cited saturation-dose template, often at a 1:1 ratio. The premise is that receptors are near-fully engaged around that point, so additional pulses across the day tend to matter more than larger single doses.
How many units is 100 mcg on an insulin syringe?
At a concentration of 1000 mcg/mL (a 2 mg vial in 2 mL of water), 100 mcg equals 10 units on a U-100 syringe, or 0.10 mL. Any change to the water volume changes that number, so verify concentration first with the calculator.
Why does the stack have to be dosed on an empty stomach?
Elevated blood glucose and dietary fat raise somatostatin and blunt the GHRP-driven GH response. Keeping roughly 20-30 minutes clear of food on either side of the shot protects the pulse. Pre-sleep and fasted post-workout windows are the most common research slots.
Can I run one pre-mixed blend instead of two vials?
Yes, a pre-blended CJC/Ipa blend delivers the 1:1 pairing in a single draw, which removes one source of measuring error. Just remember the blend’s total-mcg-per-mL figure now covers both peptides, so recalculate units against the blend’s label, not a single-peptide vial.
References
- Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen NL, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. European Journal of Endocrinology. 1998;139(5):552-561.
- Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I secretion by CJC-1295, a long-acting analog of GH-releasing hormone, in healthy adults. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2006;91(3):799-805.
- Gobburu JV, Agersø H, Jusko WJ, Ynddal L. Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of ipamorelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, in human volunteers. Pharmaceutical Research. 1999;16(9):1412-1416.
- Sigalos JT, Pastuszak AW. The Safety and Efficacy of Growth Hormone Secretagogues. Sexual Medicine Reviews. 2018;6(1):45-53.
- Ionescu M, Frohman LA. Pulsatile secretion of growth hormone (GH) persists during continuous stimulation by CJC-1295, a long-acting GH-releasing hormone analog. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2006;91(12):4792-4797.
This article is a research and educational reference only; the compounds discussed are not approved medicines, this is not medical advice, and none of it is intended for human consumption.