Comparison
Ipamorelin vs Magnesium Glycinate
Side-by-side of Ipamorelin and Magnesium Glycinate. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Ipamorelin
Ipamorelin peptide benefits: selective ghrelin-receptor GHRP, 200 to 300 mcg dosage, GH pulse without cortisol or prolactin rise, CJC-1295 stack vs sermorelin.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate supplement guide: chelated bisglycinate form, 200 to 400 mg dosage, sleep architecture benefits, low GI side effects, glycine co-effect.
Effects at a glance
Ipamorelin
- •Pentapeptide GHS-R1a agonist with the cleanest selectivity profile in the GHRP class
- •Minimal cortisol and prolactin elevation at standard doses (substantially less than GHRP-2 or hexarelin)
- •~2 hour plasma half-life, longest of the synthetic GHRPs
- •Largest human safety database (~600 participants in Helsinn's postoperative ileus phase 2)
- •Standard pairing for CJC-1295 no-DAC at 200 to 300 mcg subcutaneously 2 to 3 times daily
- •Banned by WADA under S2; never reached registration despite phase 2b development
Magnesium Glycinate
- •Shortens sleep onset latency in older adults and in deficient populations supplementing 200 to 400 mg elemental Mg
- •Improves subjective sleep quality scores (PSQI, ISI) modestly versus placebo over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Reduces nocturnal leg cramps and exercise-induced muscle cramping in some controlled trials
- •Lowers self-reported anxiety in mild-to-moderate cases, with smaller effect than first-line pharmacotherapy
- •Glycinate form delivers fewer GI side effects than oxide or citrate at equivalent elemental doses
- •Insufficient as a stand-alone hypertension treatment; small adjunctive blood-pressure reductions only
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Ipamorelin | Magnesium Glycinate |
|---|---|---|
| Category | peptide | supplement |
| Also known as | NNC 26-0161, Aib-His-D-2-Nal-D-Phe-Lys-NH2 | magnesium bisglycinate |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 2 | 5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 0.2 | 300 |
| Dosing frequency | 2-3x daily | daily (often evening) |
| Routes | subcutaneous, intravenous | oral |
| Onset (hr) | 0.25 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | 1 | - |
| Molecular weight | 711.86 | - |
| Molecular formula | C38H49N9O5 | - |
| Mechanism | Selective GHS-R1a agonist that stimulates pulsatile GH release with minimal cortisol or prolactin co-activation. Suppresses hypothalamic somatostatin and stimulates pituitary somatotrophs. | Magnesium acts as a cofactor for 300+ enzymes and as a voltage-dependent antagonist at NMDA receptors; glycine serves as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and co-agonist at glycine receptors. |
| Legal status | Not FDA approved; advanced through phase 2b in postoperative ileus before discontinuation; research-use-only grey market; banned by WADA | Dietary supplement |
| WADA status | banned | allowed |
| DEA / Rx | Not scheduled (research chemical) | OTC supplement |
| Pregnancy | Insufficient data; not recommended | Generally considered acceptable at RDA doses; consult clinician |
| CAS | 170851-70-4 | 14783-68-7 |
| PubChem CID | 11338566 | 84645 |
| Wikidata | Q1666741 | - |
Safety profile
Ipamorelin
Common side effects
- injection-site irritation
- vivid dreams
- transient mild head pressure
- occasional headache
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- active malignancy
- history of pituitary tumor
- uncontrolled diabetes
Interactions
- CJC-1295: synergistic GH release via parallel GHRH and ghrelin pathways; standard pairing(minor)
- sermorelin: additive GH release; functionally similar pairing to CJC-1295 with shorter GHRH half-life(minor)
- insulin: sustained GH can blunt insulin sensitivity over weeks(moderate)
- corticosteroids: blunt GH response; reduce expected efficacy(moderate)
Magnesium Glycinate
Common side effects
- mild GI upset at high doses
- loose stools (dose-dependent, less than with oxide/citrate forms)
Contraindications
- severe renal impairment
- myasthenia gravis
- heart block
Interactions
- tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics: magnesium chelates antibiotic, reducing absorption; separate by 2+ hours(moderate)
- bisphosphonates: reduced absorption of bisphosphonate(moderate)
- potassium-sparing diuretics: possible hypermagnesemia in renal impairment(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Magnesium Glycinate comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. Ipamorelin is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is growth-hormone axis, pick Ipamorelin.
- → If your priority is body composition, pick Ipamorelin.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is stress and HPA-axis regulation, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Magnesium Glycinate is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Magnesium Glycinate. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for Ipamorelin only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Ipamorelin and Magnesium Glycinate?
Ipamorelin and Magnesium Glycinate differ in category (peptide vs supplement), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Ipamorelin or Magnesium Glycinate?
Ipamorelin half-life is 2 hours; Magnesium Glycinate half-life is 5 hours.
Can you stack Ipamorelin with Magnesium Glycinate?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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