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RUO · Research Use Only⚠ IGF-1 Elevation✓ Free to read

MK-677 (Ibutamoren)

Also called MK-677

Swallow it daily and your growth hormone rises, along with puffiness, hunger, and blood sugar.

Updated 03 May 2026Read 3 minBacked by 60 studies

The quick version

What it is: A pill you swallow that pushes your body to make more growth hormone
Is it FDA-approved?: No. Merck tested it, then dropped it. Sold 'for research only'
How strong is the proof?: More human data than most peptides here, but it was never approved
How you take it: By mouth, often about 25 mg a day. Pill only, never a shot
Typical result: IGF-1 (a growth signal) goes up 40-80%. Water weight and hunger go up too
Biggest catch: Puffiness, higher blood sugar, and a long-term cancer worry

Any word with a dotted underline is a science word — tap it for a plain-English meaning.

In plain words.

MK-677, also called Ibutamoren, is a pill. It is not really a . It is a small lab-made chemical you swallow.

Your body makes growth hormone in bursts. MK-677 copies a gut hormone called ghrelin and tells your body to make more growth hormone around the clock. That raises a growth signal called .

A big drug company, Merck, tested it years ago and then stopped. So there is no approved version. It is sold "for research only." Note: it is a pill, not a shot. Anyone selling "injectable MK-677" is selling a fake.

What people use it for.

People use it to chase the things growth hormone is linked to: more muscle, better sleep, and quicker recovery.

Lifters like it because it is a pill, not a daily shot. Older people use it hoping to hold onto muscle.

It is banned in tested sports (WADA-banned), so do not use it if you compete.

Does it actually work?

In one sense, yes. It clearly raises your growth signal, , by about 40 to 80 percent. There were several real human trials, which is more than most peptides here have.

But here is the honest part. Merck ran a trial in older people for hip-fracture recovery. People got some function back, but there was a worrying signal of more heart failure. So Merck walked away. A company dropping its own drug is itself a data point.

So it "works" at raising hormones. Whether that is safe long-term is the open question.

what you’ve probably heard.

The claims floating around online, and how true they actually are.

“MK-677 can make you taller, even as a grown adult.”

myth

It raises your growth signal, , but that is not the same as adding height once you are done growing. There is no data showing it makes a grown adult taller.

“It builds muscle almost like a mild steroid.”

overblown

It does push up 40 to 80 percent, but raising that growth signal is not the same as building real muscle. A lot of the early 'gains' are just 3 to 7 pounds of water.

“It's basically natural and safe, it just nudges your own growth hormone.”

Merck tested it in older adults, saw a heart-failure signal, and dropped its own drug. It also pushes blood sugar up and keeps high around the clock, which carries a long-term cancer worry.

“Getting puffy and gaining weight fast means it's working.”

half true

The water weight is real and shows up in the first couple weeks. But that bloat and the big jump in hunger are side effects, not muscle.

How you take it.

You take it by mouth. The common amount people use is about 25 mg a day. It is a pill or a liquid you swallow, never a shot.

Most of the action builds over weeks. Water weight shows up in the first 2 weeks. The growth signal peaks around weeks 8 to 12.

There is no slow ramp-up needed like with the weight-loss shots. But watch your body closely, which we cover next.

What to watch out for.

The common stuff

Most people get puffy and gain 3 to 7 pounds of water weight in the first couple weeks. Hunger goes way up. Some feel tired.

The serious stuff

Your blood sugar can climb. This can push you toward diabetes. Stop if your fasting blood sugar goes over 100 or your A1c (a blood sugar test) is rising.
It can cause swelling in your legs and feet. Stop if that happens.
It raises around the clock for as long as you take it. High IGF-1 over a long time is linked to higher cancer risk. Do not use it if you have had cancer.

Talk to a real doctor and check your bloodwork. We are not your doctor.

Where people get it.

Here are the ways people get it, from safest to riskiest.

Brand. None. Merck dropped it, so there is no approved product.
. A few pharmacies make capsules for about $90–$200 a month. Most real pharmacies do not carry it, since it is an odd fit for them.
Research-only (). The main supply, about $30–$90 a month. Sold "for research only," often as a liquid. Purity is rarely tested.
. Comes from overseas chemical sellers, not the usual sources. Quality unknown.

A common problem: liquids are sometimes mislabeled or mixed with other similar chemicals. Ask for a with a test so you know it is really MK-677 and not a look-alike.

Our honest take.

Here is the part gym chat leaves out: Merck ran this in older adults, saw a heart-failure signal, and walked away from its own drug. That silence is marketing, not safety.

What you are actually buying is a pill that mostly makes you hold water and feel hungry, in trade for rising blood sugar and a long-term cancer worry from that stays up around the clock. If you have a real, diagnosed growth-hormone problem, that is a doctor's job with a monitored, injected option, not this. For everyone else, skip it.

The studies behind this.

We read the research so you don't have to. Here's where the facts on this page come from.

Learn about these too.

Energy · FDA-approved

We're not your doctor, and this isn't medical advice. It's a plain-English summary of what the research says, so you can have a smarter conversation with someone who is.

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