Hexarelin Benefits and Research Applications

Hexarelin is a potent growth hormone-releasing peptide that is increasingly studied for a range of research applications.

Originally designed as a GH-releasing peptide that would not cause changes in other hormones, hexarelin is even studied for its cardioprotective and neuroprotective properties.

As with most of the growth hormone secretagogues, key hexarelin benefits include:

• Enhanced muscle growth in research settings
• Better sleep and recovery
• Accelerated fat loss

Read on to learn more about the potential applications and safety profile of hexarelin, as well as where to buy research-grade peptides online.

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What is Hexarelin?

Hexarelin is a synthetic six-amino-acid peptide that acts as a ghrelin mimetic at the growth hormone secretagogue receptors (GHS-Rs) of the pituitary and hypothalamus [1].

Researchers at Tulane University were initially credited with discovering this small peptide. They found that hexarelin was not only more potent at releasing growth hormone than older, larger peptides, but was also significantly less likely to desensitize the pituitary response [2].

Europeptides and Mediolanum Farmaceutici have extensively studied hexarelin for its role in treating GH deficiency [3]. Smaller teams are further investigating further potential applications of hexarelin, including non-GH-related cardiovascular and neurological benefits [4, 5].

Specifically, hexarelin shows promise for improving the lives of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, reducing time to recover from cardiac bypass surgery, and improving the insulin response of diabetics [4, 5, 6].

Like many peptides in its class, hexarelin is currently available as a reference material to qualified researchers and laboratory professionals for in vitro experimentation.

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What Does Hexarelin Do?

Though hexarelin is a synthetic ghrelin analog, researchers are finding its effects preferable to those of exogenous ghrelin, due to the hexarelin’s superior potency and extended half-life [4].

The affinity of hexarelin at the GHS-R causes pulsatile growth hormone release, with subsequent potential benefits like [7]:

• Greater muscle mass;
• Enhanced collagen production;
• Increased bone density;
• Accelerated soft tissue repair;
• Improved insulin sensitivity;
• Better response to resistance training; and,
• Anti-aging properties.

Apart from these GH-release associated benefits, hexarelin has been shown to exert the following neuroprotective effects [5]:

• Activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in the hippocampus, resulting in protection from excessive intracellular calcium concentrations that could interfere with healthy neuron signaling;
• Regulation of nitric oxide synthesis and free radicals that would otherwise result in neuroglial death;
• Reduction of inflammation in brain tissue;
• An overall positive influence on mitochondrial production and oxidative stress reduction.

Yet another point of interest with hexarelin lies in its ability to trigger the CD36 scavenger receptor [8]. When CD36 is functioning optimally, subjects experience several desirable metabolic outcomes such as [9, 10, 11, 12]:

• An increase in the formation of brown adipose tissue, which is highly involved in energy production, thermogenesis, and glucose metabolism;
• An enhanced ability to metabolize lipids, especially in white fat cells, which are primarily implicated in obesity and other metabolic disorders;
• Increased production of adenosine triphosphate or ATP, which is responsible for the body’s energy production, DNA/RNA synthesis, muscle contractions, and so on; and,
• Improved hepatic insulin sensitivity.

Now that we have covered some of the potential beneficial actions of hexarelin, let’s take a closer look at why researchers are choosing to conduct further experimentation with this peptide.

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Benefits of Hexarelin | A Comprehensive Review

Our overview of the key effects of hexarelin demonstrates its broad range of possible applications.

Hexarelin is especially appealing to researchers working in areas like heart health, muscle-building, sleep, and recovery.

Hexarelin for Cardiovascular Health

In a meta-analysis of the cardiovascular potential of hexarelin, Mao et al. (2014) found that lower-dose hexarelin therapy consistently outperformed traditional ghrelin therapy in restoring heart function following ischemia and myocardial infarction, normalizing diastolic pressure, improving or reversing atherosclerosis, and reducing apoptosis of the cardiomyocytes [4].

Its anti-atherosclerotic effect was also demonstrated in a study in which rats were fed a high-fat diet to induce atherosclerosis with an incidental increase in serum total and LDL cholesterol. In the study, a control group received placebo while the experimental group received hexarelin injections for 30 days. The hexarelin-treated rats showed suppressed atherosclerotic plaque formation, a more favorable cholesterol profile, and a reduction in dangerous foam cell formation [13].

Another rodent study showed that when a single dose of hexarelin was administered immediately after myocardial infarction, there was a parasympathetic shift in autonomic nervous system activity, better ejection fraction and fractional shortening, and overall improved cardiac functioning when compared to rodents who did not receive hexarelin treatment [14].

More human trials must be conducted to determine the long-term consequences of hexarelin therapy for cardiac patients. For now, the existing evidence seems to show that this peptide increases the quality of life and prognosis of post-surgery patients [4].

Hexarelin for Body Composition

Hexarelin is among other growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) being researched for its muscle-building and muscle-preserving potential.

Muscle wasting can occur in contexts of certain diseases or treatments like chemotherapy, or simply as part of the aging process. Studies have shown that hexarelin attenuates cachexia and sarcopenia in rats treated with the chemotherapy drug cisplatin by antagonizing cisplatin-induced mitochondrial damage [15].

Hexarelin therapy was also shown in the patients to increase strength output by increasing the area of muscle fibers and promoting calcium homeostasis within muscle tissue. Interestingly, the treatment also improved the subjects’ responsiveness to caffeine, which had been blunted when intracellular calcium homeostasis was disrupted [15].

Caffeine is proven to increase strength and power output during training. If a subject has a condition or is undergoing treatment that desensitizes their muscles to caffeine’s effects, hexarelin may counteract that desensitization. This may allow the subject to train more effectively, stimulating the release of more GH to enable the body’s natural muscle-building processes [16, 17].

Those interested in hexarelin research for muscle growth will no doubt appreciate the importance of the next benefit on this list.

Hexarelin for Improved Recovery

The ability of hexarelin to help the body recover after injury or intense bouts of resistance training represents one of its most sought-after benefits.

In 2010, a team of Danish researchers found that by causing an increase in serum GH in healthy young human subjects for 14 days, there was a six-fold increase in muscle collagen production. This significantly increased tendon and skeletal muscle matrix tissue strength compared to the control group [18].

Hexarelin-induced GH release may facilitate similar tissue healing while also mitigating the natural decline in slow-wave sleep that occurs as humans age.

Likewise, the necessity of sleep for aiding in the recovery process cannot be overstated [19]. One study on healthy human subjects showed a clear positive correlation between slow-wave sleep and GH secretion, leading researchers to conclude that GH is a vital factor in maintaining an optimal sleep/wake cycle [20].

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Hexarelin Side Effects and Safety

Although hexarelin has proven to elicit minimal side effects in humans according to available clinical data, it has the potential to cause the following adverse effects:

• Increased Cortisol: Hexarelin can increase cortisol in a dose-dependent manner, which has the potential to result in chronic hypercortisolism [21]. This is a very rare condition and is unlikely to occur outside of hexarelin or GH abuse [22]. Chronic hypercortisolism can lead to exhaustion, immune system dysfunction, and mortality [23].
• Increased Prolactin: Similar to its effect on cortisol, hexarelin at high doses may increase the body’s production of prolactin [21]. Chronically elevated prolactin can induce loss of bone density, hair loss, gynecomastia, psychological issues, sexual dysfunction, and the imbalance of other sex hormones [24].
• Injection-related complications are possible with any subcutaneously administered peptide. Below are a few of the major signs to watch for at the injection site [25]: Bruising, swelling, secondary infection, pain, and discoloration.

Desensitization to hexarelin therapy is another key concern of researchers. Studies have shown that while hexarelin may cause a desensitized GH response in subjects receiving therapy, the effect is reversible [26].

Independent researchers have also reported feelings of lethargy and water retention as a consequence of administering an excessively high hexarelin dose. Monitor the subject’s response for these and any other reactions, and adjust dosing if any such effects are observed.

Researchers may mitigate the incidence of side effects by practicing excellent hygiene and following a suitable hexarelin dosing protocol with appropriate cycling.

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Where to Buy Hexarelin Online? | 2024 Edition

For researchers looking for a dependable source of research-grade hexarelin, here is the first choice for our team at Peptides.org.

PureRawz

When sourcing hexarelin, PureRawz is the place to start. They supply researchers world-wide with pure hexarelin and have earned a great reputation in the research community.

Here's a few reasons why researchers choose PureRawz as a vendor:

• Impressive Production Facilities: PureRawz sources research peptides from their accredited partners. This gives researchers additional confidence that the products are high-quality, pure, and safe for research purposes.
• Lab-Tested Hexarelin: PureRawz tests their hexarelin by a third-party laboratory utilizing cutting-edge MS analysis. This ensures researchers receive the highest quality peptides.
• Fast, Reliable Shipping: Domestic researchers receive orders within 4-12 business days. Shipping is free on every order over $100.
• Responsive Support: PureRawz is one of the few vendors who offers ample service and support. Researchers can contact them via phone, live chat, and email.

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Benefits of Hexarelin | Verdict

The list of hexarelin’s beneficial effects grows with each new study conducted on the potent GH secretagogue.

From diminishing the ill effects of aging and chemotherapy, to improving body composition and metabolic efficiency, this compound is truly pleiotropic.

Even when used to stimulate GH, hexarelin appears to have few adverse effects, which themselves are often transient and/or reversible.

Researchers searching for hexarelin for laboratory experimentation can look to our top-rated vendor to deliver this peptide safely and at an affordable price.

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