BIOHACKPHARMStack Analyzer

DES(1-3) IGF-1

IGF-1 DES(1–3), IGF-1 DES, DES IGF-1, Des(1-3)IGF-I, Truncated IGF-1

Growth hormone & secretagoguesNot approved for humansWADA S2 · prohibitedEvidence: animal data onlyExtreme risk

IGF-1 lacking its first three amino acids, so it barely binds IGF-binding proteins and acts more strongly than IGF-1 in animals. A lab reagent never tested in humans.

Legal status: Laboratory reagent never approved for human use; WADA bans IGF-1 and its analogues. Status varies by country.

What it gives

What people use it for and what the sources report. Strength is a general category from the literature: mild, clear or strong.

Purpose

No medical use; made for laboratory research. In sport: sold on the black market as an IGF-1 'research peptide' for muscle growth and recovery — claims without any human data.

What people seek and what studies show

Used for muscle growth and recovery. It was never tested in people. In rats recovering from gut surgery it improved weight gain and nitrogen balance as much as a higher amount of IGF-1, partly by slowing muscle breakdown, but the kidneys and thymus grew too. In pigs and marmosets it lowered blood sugar more strongly and for longer than IGF-1, the most of all variants tested.

Effects

Muscle growthRecovery

Evidence: Animal data only — effects in people are unproven

Possible side effects

With an extreme-risk substance some of these can be life-threatening or permanent; no dose, test or early sign makes it safe. Below — what each risk looks like; the signs that need urgent help are in block 04.

7 possible side effects

level · how often it is reported
High
Dangerous low blood sugar
In animals the strongest sugar-lowering of the IGF-1 variants tested, with longer lows than IGF-1. Severe hypoglycemia can kill, more so with insulin or alcohol. No measure makes use safe.
How to notice: Shaking, sweating, sudden hunger, confusion.
possible
Elevated
Black-market quality risk (fakes, contamination)
An anti-doping lab found many oxidised, lower-quality peptide forms in black-market IGF-1 analogue products.
How to notice: Unexpected effects, pain or infection, a stronger or weaker effect than expected.
common
Elevated
Abnormal tissue growth (theoretical cancer risk)
A direct growth signal to cells; in rats it enlarged the kidneys and thymus. Effects on tumors in people are unstudied.
How to notice: No direct signs — the point is not to fuel existing growths.
possible
Moderate
Unknown long-term safety (little human data)
Never tested in humans: there are no safety data for any duration of use.
How to notice: Nothing to notice — the risk is what is not yet known.
common
Low
Water retention / bloating
Medical IGF-1 caused swelling of the face and hands in adults; for DES this is unstudied.
How to notice: Puffy face and ankles, softer look, quick weight jumps.
possible
Low
Joint & muscle pain
Jaw tenderness, joint and muscle pain occurred with medical IGF-1 in adults; for DES this is unstudied.
How to notice: Aching or stiff joints, muscle aches.
possible
Low
Injection pain, infection, oil cough
Local reactions; a non-sterile 'research' product raises the risk of infection.
How to notice: Soreness, lumps; a short coughing fit right after an injection.
possible

How to lower the risks

Extreme risk

Extreme risk. No measure makes using this substance for sport safe: severe, including life-threatening, consequences are possible. The only reliable way to avoid these risks is not to use it.

Warning signs that need urgent help are listed in block 04.

Check-ups and blood tests

For an extreme-risk substance there is no testing schedule.

No testing schedule makes this substance safe, so there is no plan of tests here. If it has already been taken, watch for the urgent warning signs on this page and see a doctor — tell them exactly what was taken.

Get medical help at once if

  • Shaking, cold sweat, sudden hunger, confusion — fast sugar at once; very drowsy, unable to swallow or unconscious — nothing by mouth, call emergency services, glucagon if prescribed. Night sweats or nightmares can mean lows in sleep.
  • A new lump (including in the neck), trouble swallowing or persistent hoarseness, unexplained weight loss, or blood in stool or urine — see a doctor promptly.

In an emergency, call your local emergency number.

Myth & fact

Myth

“Because it clears fast, DES is milder than IGF-1 LR3.”

Fact

In pigs it lowered blood sugar more than LR3 and the other variants tested; despite faster clearance, such variants kept sugar low longer than IGF-1 itself.

Combinations

Dangerous combinationInsulin with another sugar-lowering substance

Each of these lowers blood sugar in its own way, so with insulin the lows come deeper, last longer and are harder to predict. Confusion, sweating or drowsiness is an emergency; a severe low can kill.

Insulin (rapid- and short-acting)IGF-1 LR3MetforminSemaglutideTirzepatideRetatrutide (investigational triple agonist)BerberineAlpha-lipoic acidLiraglutideCagrilintide (investigational amylin analogue)Mecasermin (recombinant IGF-1, Increlex)
Dangerous combinationIGF-1 LR3 with another sugar-lowering substance

IGF-1 LR3 acts like a long-lasting insulin. Other sugar-lowering substances add to it, so lows come deeper and last longer; confusion, sweating or drowsiness is an emergency.

IGF-1 LR3MetforminSemaglutideTirzepatideRetatrutide (investigational triple agonist)BerberineAlpha-lipoic acidLiraglutideCagrilintide (investigational amylin analogue)Mecasermin (recombinant IGF-1, Increlex)
Dangerous combinationA beta-blocker hides the warning signs of low sugar

A racing pulse and tremor are the body's early alarm for low blood sugar. Nebivolol blunts them, so a dangerous low can go unnoticed until it shows as confusion or fainting.

NebivololInsulin (rapid- and short-acting)IGF-1 LR3Mecasermin (recombinant IGF-1, Increlex)
CautionGlucocorticoid with insulin, IGF-1 or a GLP-1 drug

Glucocorticoids raise blood sugar, after a depot injection often for days, and work against insulin, IGF-1 and GLP-1 drugs. Sugar can run high while the glucocorticoid acts and then fall as its effect wears off while the sugar-lowering drug keeps working. Only glucose checks show these swings.

Insulin (rapid- and short-acting)IGF-1 LR3Mecasermin (recombinant IGF-1, Increlex)SemaglutideTirzepatideRetatrutide (investigational triple agonist)Liraglutide
Dangerous combinationA beta-blocker hides the warning signs of low sugar

A racing pulse is one of the body's early alarms for low blood sugar. Bisoprolol and carvedilol blunt it, so a dangerous low can go unnoticed until it shows as confusion or fainting. Carvedilol, which also blocks beta-2 receptors, can in addition make a low deeper and slower to recover from.

Insulin (rapid- and short-acting)IGF-1 LR3Mecasermin (recombinant IGF-1, Increlex)
Dangerous combinationMecasermin with DES(1-3) IGF-1

Both are forms of IGF-1 and both lower blood sugar much like insulin, so together the lows come deeper and last longer. Confusion, sweating or drowsiness is an emergency; a severe low can kill.

Mecasermin (recombinant IGF-1, Increlex)

Sources

Tomas FM et al., J Endocrinol 1997: IGF-I variants that bind poorly to IGF-binding proteins, des(1-3)IGF-I strongest, show more potent and prolonged hypoglycaemia than IGF-I in pigs and marmosets (opens in a new tab)Lemmey AB et al., Am J Physiol 1991: IGF-I and des-(1-3)IGF-I enhance growth in rats after gut resection (opens in a new tab)Mongongu C et al., Drug Test Anal 2021: LongR3-IGF-I, des(1-3)-IGF-I and R-IGF-I are sold as black-market bodybuilding products, often in oxidised form (opens in a new tab)