GHRP-6: doses reported in published research

Sources checked 2026-10-07 · 6 cited studies (4 human, 2 animal, 0 cell culture)

GHRP-6 (His-D-Trp-Ala-Trp-D-Phe-Lys-NH2) is a synthetic hexapeptide that acts on the ghrelin/GHS receptor. It has been given to people mainly in pituitary-function testing and pharmacokinetic studies.

Human data: a phase 1 pharmacokinetic study and several endocrine testing studies (single doses).

Studies in people (4)

Human Nine healthy men, phase 1 pharmacokinetic study

Dose as reported: 100, 200 and 400 µg/kg
Route: Intravenous bolus
Frequency / duration: Single administration per dose level

Source wording: after a single intravenous bolus administration of 100, 200 and 400 μg/kg of body weight

Cabrales A, Gil J, Fernández E et al.. Pharmacokinetic study of Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide 6 (GHRP-6) in nine male healthy volunteers. Eur J Pharm Sci 2013. PubMed PMID 23099431 ↗

Human 8 volunteers, 9 women and 12 children (GH-response testing)

Dose as reported: 1 µg/kg
Route: Intravenous
Frequency / duration: Single test administration

Source wording: GHRP-6 alone (1 microgram/kg i.v. A group of nine women were studied with 1 microgram/kg i.v.

Peñalva A, Pombo M, Carballo A et al.. Influence of sex, age and adrenergic pathways on the growth hormone response to GHRP-6. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1993. PubMed PMID 8435889 ↗

Human Adults evaluated for GH deficiency (diagnostic testing)

Dose as reported: 1 µg/kg alone, or 1 µg/kg with GHRH 1 µg/kg
Route: Not stated in the abstract
Frequency / duration: Single test administration on separate days

Source wording: Either GHRP-6 (1 microg/kg) alone, or GHRP-6 in combination with GHRH (1 microg/kg) were administered on different days.

Petersenn S, Jung R, Beil FU. Diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency in adults by testing with GHRP-6 alone or in combination with GHRH: comparison with the insulin tolerance test. Eur J Endocrinol 2002. PubMed PMID 11980622 ↗

Human Children with normal short stature (GH-response testing)

Dose as reported: 300 µg/kg
Route: Oral
Frequency / duration: Single test administration

Source wording: The effect of oral GHRP-6 (300 micrograms/kg) was compared with that of the maximally effective dose of intravenous GH-releasing hormone (GHRH-29, 1 microgram/kg).

Bellone J, Ghizzoni L, Aimaretti G et al.. Growth hormone-releasing effect of oral growth hormone-releasing peptide 6 (GHRP-6) administration in children with short stature. Eur J Endocrinol 1995. PubMed PMID 7581965 ↗

Animal studies (2)

Animal doses are listed exactly as the studies report them. They are not converted to human amounts here; doses do not translate between species by body weight.

Animal Rats (adrenal-intact and adrenalectomised)

Dose as reported: 250 µg/kg
Route: Subcutaneous
Frequency / duration: Twice daily for 2 weeks

Source wording: The effects of twice-daily s.c. injections of GH-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) (250 microg/kg) for 2 weeks

Tung YL, Hewson AK, Dickson SL. Glucocorticoid-dependent stimulation of adiposity and appetite by a ghrelin mimetic in the rat. Eur J Endocrinol 2004. PubMed PMID 15191362 ↗

Animal Male rats (postoperative ileus model)

Dose as reported: 20 µg/kg
Route: Intravenous bolus
Frequency / duration: Single dose, or 4 doses a day at 3-h intervals for 2 days

Source wording: growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP)-6 (20 microg/kg) administered via intravenous bolus infusion after a single dosing or a 2-day repetitive dosing regimen (four doses a day at 3-h intervals)

Venkova K, Mann W, Nelson R et al.. Efficacy of ipamorelin, a novel ghrelin mimetic, in a rodent model of postoperative ileus. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2009. PubMed PMID 19289567 ↗

Half-life

Human Distribution half-life 7.6 ± 1.9 min and elimination half-life 2.5 ± 1.1 h (averaged over three dose levels) in nine healthy men after an intravenous bolus. Source wording: Averaging all three dose levels, the distribution and elimination half-life of GHRP-6 were 7.6 ± 1.9 min and 2.5 ± 1.1h, respectively. in nine male healthy volunteers after a single intravenous bolus administration
Cabrales A, Gil J, Fernández E et al.. Pharmacokinetic study of Growth Hormone-Releasing Peptide 6 (GHRP-6) in nine male healthy volunteers. Eur J Pharm Sci 2013. PubMed PMID 23099431 ↗

About this page

Every figure above is copied from the cited source; the source wording is shown with each entry. Where a source does not state something, the page says so.
Only abstracts, open-access full texts, registry records and FDA labels were used, so details found only in a paywalled full text may be missing.
This page does not convert doses between species or into other measures, and gives no preparation or handling information.