HGH and IGF-1 Together: What Is Known
HGH and IGF-1 taken together: what each one is, how each is regulated, and what is known about combining them.
Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureUpdated
[class][status]IGF-1Growth factor whose recombinant form (mecasermin) was tested in Rett syndrome; a randomised phase II trial did not show significant improvement in primary outcomes.[8]
Interaction notes
Timing, interactions and safety
Evidence for the combination
No studies tested these together (PubMed search: 3434 results, 2 Oct 2026).
IGF-1 is not FDA approved, and we have no sourced data on combining it with HGH.
Each component
Side by side
Showing 8 of 9 fields where the two differ. PCAC vote, Jul 2026 are the same or both unknown.
| Field | HGH | IGF-1 |
|---|---|---|
| Class | Recombinant growth hormone | [class] |
| Also called | GH, growth hormone, generic HGH, IU | — |
| FDA status | FDA approved (prescription only) | [status] |
| PCAC vote, Jul 2026 | Not on the Jul 2026 agenda | Not on the Jul 2026 agenda |
| WADA | Prohibited by WADA (S2.2.3)Growth hormone and its analogues and fragments are prohibited at all times (S2.2.3). | No WADA record in our data |
| Half-life | 0.4 hours IV; 3.0 hours subcutaneousintravenous (normal adults); subcutaneous (GHD adults), Genotropin · FDA label (Genotropin) | [half-life by route] |
| Evidence strength | Human RCT evidence, 4 of 4Strongest: Journal of applied physiology 2014, PMID 24235105 | [evidence grade] |
| Human studies we summarised | 13 human (13 randomized or controlled) of 20 summarised | [n] |
| Typical study doses |
| [dose range] |
Related tools
HGH vs IGF-1
Choosing between the two rather than combining them? The comparison lines them up field by field.
What people search
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US monthly searches, Google Keyword Planner, Oct 2026. Shown so you can see which questions this page answers.
Sources
- 1World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 2GENOTROPIN (SOMATROPIN) KIT [PFIZER LABORATORIES DIV PFIZER INC]FDA label (Genotropin), DailyMed · current labeldailymed.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 3Effect of growth hormone on aging connective tissue in muscle and tendon: gene expression, morphology, and function following immobilization and rehabilitation.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2014PMID 24235105Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 4Impact of GH replacement therapy on sleep in adult patients with GH deficiency of pituitary origin.European journal of endocrinology · 2013PMID 23447518Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 5Local administration of growth hormone stimulates tendon collagen synthesis in elderly men.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2012PMID 22961272Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 6PubMed search: (somatropin[tiab] OR "recombinant human growth hormone"[tiab] OR "recombinant growth hormone"[tiab] OR rhGH[tiab] OR "growth hormone therapy"[tiab] OR "growth hormone treatment"[tiab] OR "growth hormone replacement"[tiab] OR "growth hormone administration"[tiab] OR "GH therapy"[tiab] OR "GH treatment"[tiab] OR "GH replacement"[tiab] OR "GH administration"[tiab] OR "growth hormone injection"[tiab] OR "growth hormone injections"[tiab] OR "growth hormone supplementation"[tiab]) AND ("IGF-1"[tiab] OR "IGF-I"[tiab] OR "insulin-like growth factor 1"[tiab] OR "insulin-like growth factor I"[tiab] OR mecasermin[tiab])PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
- 7Short-term administration of supraphysiological recombinant human growth hormone (GH) does not increase maximum endurance exercise capacity in healthy, active young men and women with normal GH-insulin-like growth factor I axes.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2005PMID 15784718Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 8Molecular Signatures of Response to Mecasermin in Children With Rett Syndrome.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2022PMID 35712450Accessed 2 Oct 2026
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