Insulin-Life Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) is a peptide hormone essential for development during puberty, and is responsible for anabolism, bone strength, neurological preservation, and overall health.
IGF-1 is also one of the most anabolic hormones in the body, which is why many athletes and bodybuilders use it.
IGF-1 LR3 is one of the two forms of injectable IGF-1, IGF-1 DES being the other. It is the longer lasting of the two and yields promising properties like hyperplasia, fat loss, stronger bones, better sleep, skin, anti-inflammation properties and increased muscle growth.
This article is a comprehensive guide and breakdown of IGF-1 LR3 in the context of performance enhancement. It is based on the latest academic data as well as the analysis of hundreds of anecdotal reports and experiences online. And my personal experiments with myself and countless clients
The A and/or number in parentheses beside each benefit or side effect means that the information provided is based on anecdotal evidence, while the number refers to at least one clinical or animal trial that supports the claim. You can find the specific trial(s) at the end of the article. But because IGF-1 LR3 is simply injectable IGF-1, it would be impossible to include every study as there are thousands. Thus I’ve only included the most well-known and significant ones and grouped them together.
The benefits of supraphysiological IGF-1 via IGF-1 LR3 administration are many, but the main performance enhancing properties bodybuilders and athletes are after include:
The most interesting thing about injectable IGF-1 (IGF-1 LR3) is that it can lead to gains on a specific injection site. This means that whatever muscle one injects IGF-1 LR3 into, would experience a higher degree of growth than the rest.
The logic behind this is the natural way of IGF-1 secretion. Your body secretes IGF-1 from many tissues, and its actions are determined by the secretory site.
If you inject IGF-1, it makes sense that the effects be localized, like they are under natural conditions.
This occurrence has also been consistent across many of the anecdotal reports I’ve seen.
On the other hand, many others claim that IGF-1 LR3 did nothing for them. This may be attributed to the fact that, unfortunately, IGF-1 LR3 and IGF-1 DES are two of the most faked and expensive peptides on the market.
High IGF-1 levels are linked with cancer.
But it’s unclear whether IGF-1 actively causes certain types of cancer, or if it simply accelerates the growth of existing tumors (which it does).
Other side effects include:
The extent of these side effects is heavily dependent on the dose, but also on a user’s individual response, genetics, lifestyle, etc.
Most people don’t experience any of these side effects, but just to be safe, I always recommend starting with a small dose and working up.
If you work your way up from a small dose, you’ll know in advance if you are prone to any of these side effects before fully experiencing them.
IGF-1 LR3 has a half-life of 20 – 30 hours. It is injected once a day, at the same time every day. Ideally in the morning after breakfast.
Or, if you’re fasting after lunch or dinner.
The recommended dose range is:
The standard cycling protocol that most users tend to run is 6 weeks on, followed by 20 – 40 days off, before starting again.
So, 6 weeks on, 3 to 6 weeks off.
It’s also recommended that you consume a bit of protein and carbs 30 minutes to an hour before your daily dose.
That’s it.
Now, about properly administering it. If you find a vendor that sells liquid IGF-1 LR3, know that it’s fake. Peptides have a short shelf life and need to be refrigerated once reconstituted.
Whilst many peptides and GH secretagogues increase IGF-1 significantly, some users prefer to inject it in the form of IGF-1 LR3.
IGF-1 LR3 is very popular, and many users use it for recovering from injuries, prepping for events, shows, competitions, and even as an offseason PED.
My recommendation would be to use it sparingly and methodically according to your personal goals and needs.
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