Comparison
Magnesium Glycinate vs Semax
Side-by-side of Magnesium Glycinate and Semax. 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.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate supplement guide: chelated bisglycinate form, 200 to 400 mg dosage, sleep architecture benefits, low GI side effects, glycine co-effect.
Semax
Semax peptide benefits: nootropic ACTH(4-10) analog without corticotropic activity. Cognitive enhancement, neuroprotection, intranasal dosing, Russian stroke.
Effects at a glance
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
Semax
- •Synthetic heptapeptide analog of ACTH(4-10) developed in Russia in the 1980s
- •Approved in Russia for ischemic stroke, cognitive impairment, and cerebrovascular disorders
- •Lacks the corticotropic activity of native ACTH due to the Pro-Gly-Pro stabilizing tail
- •Russian RCTs report improved cognitive recovery in acute ischemic stroke versus standard care
- •Modulates BDNF and NGF expression and dopaminergic signaling in preclinical models
- •Standard route is intranasal; not FDA approved; research-use-only outside Russia
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Magnesium Glycinate | Semax |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | magnesium bisglycinate | Met-Glu-His-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro, ACTH(4-10) Pro-Gly-Pro analog |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 5 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 300 | 0.6 |
| Dosing frequency | daily (often evening) | 2-3x daily (intranasal) |
| Routes | oral | intranasal |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 0.5 |
| Peak (hr) | - | 2 |
| Molecular weight | - | 813.94 |
| Molecular formula | - | C37H51N9O10S |
| Mechanism | 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. | Modulates BDNF and NGF expression in hippocampus and cortex, enhances dopaminergic and serotonergic signaling, and reduces oxidative stress markers in preclinical ischemia models. Lacks corticotropic activity of native ACTH. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement | Approved in Russia for stroke and cognitive disorders; not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market elsewhere |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | Not FDA approved; not scheduled; research-chemical status outside Russia |
| Pregnancy | Generally considered acceptable at RDA doses; consult clinician | Not recommended; insufficient data |
| CAS | 14783-68-7 | 80714-61-0 |
| PubChem CID | 84645 | 9811102 |
| Wikidata | - | Q4413083 |
Safety profile
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)
Semax
Common side effects
- mild nasal irritation
- transient mild headache
- rare mild euphoria or activation
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- acute psychotic disorder
- severe hypertension (caution due to mild activating effect)
Interactions
- stimulants (caffeine, amphetamines): potential additive activation; monitor for overstimulation(minor)
- antipsychotics: theoretical antagonism via dopaminergic modulation(minor)
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. Semax is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is focus or working memory, pick Semax.
- → If your priority is long-term neuroprotection, pick Semax.
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 Semax 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 Magnesium Glycinate and Semax?
Magnesium Glycinate and Semax differ in category (supplement vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Magnesium Glycinate or Semax?
Magnesium Glycinate half-life is 5 hours; Semax half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Magnesium Glycinate with Semax?
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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