MK-677 / Ibutamoren: GH & IGF-1 Secretagogue

Benefits of MK-677 (Ibutamoren)

✅ ↑ GH & IGF-1 levels: Daily 25 mg oral MK-677 restores GH and IGF-1 concentrations to those seen in healthy young adults within 2–4 weeks and sustains them for ≥12 months.
✅ ↑ Lean body mass / ↓ fat mass
One-year RCT in 65 elderly adults: +1.1 kg fat-free mass vs ‑0.5 kg with placebo; modest reductions in visceral fat reported in shorter trials.
✅ ↑ Bone mineral density (BMD)
12-month data show increased bone-turnover markers; femoral-neck BMD improved when combined with alendronate in post-menopausal women.
✅Improved sleep architecture
Double-blind trials found significant increases in REM and stage-IV sleep duration after 1–2 weeks of 25 mg nightly dosing.
✅Faster injury recovery
Anecdotal reports and small studies note accelerated healing of tendons, ligaments, and skin, attributed to elevated GH/IGF-1.
✅Oral convenience
Tablets or liquid taken once daily; avoids injections required for recombinant GH or peptides.
✅Cost advantage
Reagent-grade MK-677 is markedly cheaper than pharmaceutical-grade GH or GH-releasing peptides.

MK-677 (159752-10-0) Mechanism of action

MK-677 is one of the most popular compounds on the market right now. To be clear, Ibutamoren doesn’t belong to the SARMs family. Just like with Cardarine and Stenabolic, it’s just marketed as a SARM to make things easier. One of the most notable claims made about Ibutamoren is that it can increase the secretion of growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and growth hormone (GH).

It does this by imitating the way the ghrelin hormone works. This allows it to bind onto one of the brain’s dedicated ghrelin receptors (GHSR). Once activated, GHSR then stimulates the production of the growth hormone in the brain.

What makes MK-677 so unique is the fact that it can increase GH levels. But it does not disrupt the action of other hormones in your body, such as cortisol.

This is in addition to the regulation of energy distribution in the body. It also affects the way our bodies metabolize fat. It can also influence our ability to recover from conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

When taken on its own, MK677 has the potential to boost HGH production without disturbing other hormones. Users also like the fact that Ibutamoren doesn’t suppress the body’s existing levels of growth hormones and testosterone, which is a huge bonus considering the benefits.