Muscle Growth

“In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 29 male road cyclists, 8 weeks of bovine colostrum supplementation at 20g/day was associated with maintenance of intestinal permeability during exercise in hot conditions, whereas the placebo group exhibited a 250% increase in gut permeability. The colostrum group also displayed a trend toward improved time-trial performance.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Dr. Andrew Huberman has discussed bovine colostrum on the Huberman Lab Podcast, noting its immunoglobulin content and describing reported associations with gut lining integrity and immune function in athletes. He has mentioned emerging interest in colostrum for exercise recovery and mucosal immunity.”

“I'm a masters-level cyclist and colostrum has been part of my recovery stack for 4 months. I've noticed fewer upper respiratory infections during heavy training blocks and my gut feels more resilient during long rides. Recovery between interval sessions feels faster.”

Cycle: 16 weeks

“The first two weeks were rough on my stomach — cramping and gas. That settled down but I also had a minor acne breakout. Recovery did seem slightly better and I got fewer colds at the gym during flu season. Not sure if it's worth the cost and hassle though.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Added colostrum to my post-workout shake. Recovery between sessions improved noticeably by week 3 — less DOMS and I could train harder more consistently. The bloating in week 1 went away. Expensive but I plan to keep it in my stack.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“A 2019 randomized controlled trial (n=46) at Freie Universitat Berlin observed that participants receiving ecdysterone during a 10-week resistance training program demonstrated greater increases in muscle mass compared to placebo, with no adverse analytical findings in doping tests. The authors noted the results were significant enough to warrant consideration of ecdysterone's inclusion on the World Anti-Doping Agency monitoring program.”

Cycle: 10 weeks

“Higher dose turkesterone from a brand that provides CoA. Genuinely noticed better recovery between sessions starting around week 6. Lifts went up modestly. Could be coincidence — I also cleaned up my sleep during this period. But I'm going to run another cycle to see if the pattern holds.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“Tried 500mg/day for 8 weeks and honestly noticed zero difference in strength or body composition. Training and diet were dialed in. Most of the turkesterone products out there are underdosed — third-party testing showed some brands had barely any actual ecdysterone content. Felt like I threw money away.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Ran turkesterone at 1g/day split into two doses for 12 weeks alongside consistent training. Did notice some improvement in recovery and muscle fullness, but nothing close to what the YouTube hype promised. Hard to say how much was placebo vs real. Taking it with food eliminated the stomach issues. At the price point, not sure it's worth continuing.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“A 2013 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (n=63) examining Tongkat Ali supplementation in moderately stressed adults observed reductions in cortisol exposure and reported improvements in tension, anger, and confusion profiles compared to placebo over 4 weeks.”

Cycle: 4 weeks

“Dr. Andrew Huberman has discussed Tongkat Ali extensively on the Huberman Lab podcast, noting that it may work by lowering sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), thereby increasing free testosterone availability. He has described taking 400mg daily in the morning due to its mild stimulant properties, and has reported observing changes in his own bloodwork after approximately 8 weeks of use.”

“Female here, took a lower dose for general hormonal support and recovery. Noticed improved gym recovery and slightly better sleep quality. Nothing dramatic but consistent and no side effects at 200mg. Planning to continue at this dose.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“Went with 600mg daily based on some forum posts. Definitely felt more driven in the gym but around week 5 I became noticeably more irritable — my partner commented on it. Dropped to 400mg and the irritability faded. The higher dose felt like diminishing returns with more downsides.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Started taking 400mg in the morning for testosterone support. Noticed higher energy within the first week and libido went up noticeably by week 3. Bloodwork at 8 weeks showed free T went from low-normal to mid-range. Taking it early is key — afternoon dosing made it hard to wind down at night.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“A meta-analysis of 96 peer-reviewed studies (100 randomized, placebo-controlled trials) reported small but statistically significant effect sizes for creatine supplementation on body composition and performance outcomes in the ATP-PCr energy system. The analysis noted consistent associations between creatine use and increased lean body mass across study populations.”

“The ISSN position stand reviewed evidence from over 500 studies and reported that short- and long-term creatine supplementation (up to 30 g/day for 5 years) has been described as well tolerated in healthy individuals across a range of ages. The review noted associations with improved high-intensity exercise capacity and increased lean body mass during training.”

“In his supplement framework discussion, Dr. Peter Attia described creatine as a compound where the goal is to achieve supra-physiologic levels rather than correct a deficiency. He noted the reported 5-15% improvement in short-duration, high-intensity muscle performance, and described the mechanism through the phosphocreatine system's role in ATP generation. Attia reported taking 5g daily.”

“In his episode on nutrients for brain health, Dr. Huberman discussed creatine as both a performance and cognitive compound. He described the reported 5-15% improvement in muscle performance at 3-5g daily dosing, and noted that creatine serves as a fuel source in the brain with emerging data on its role in mood and cognitive function.”

“Tried loading at 10g/day for the first week — big mistake. Stomach cramps and diarrhea for days. Dropped to 5g and the GI issues cleared up within 48 hours. After 4 weeks at 5g I was up about 3 lbs and noticeably stronger on compounds. Split dosing helps if you have a sensitive stomach.”

Cycle: 4 weeks

“Started creatine at 3g/day since I'm only 130 lbs. Took about 3-4 weeks to notice anything. After 8 weeks my working sets on bench and squat went up by a couple reps each. Minor bloating in the first week but nothing after that. Zero GI issues at this dose.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Been taking 5g creatine mono daily for years at this point. When I first started I gained about 4 lbs of water weight in the first two weeks, then it stabilized. Strength went up noticeably within the first month — added reps on most lifts. It's the one supplement I never drop.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“In his peptide therapeutics episode, Dr. Huberman discussed how growth hormone releasing peptides like CJC-1295 and ipamorelin work through distinct receptor pathways to stimulate GH release. He noted that combining GHRH analogs with GH secretagogues is a common protocol but cautioned that redundantly activating the same pathway may produce diminishing returns and unwanted downstream hormonal changes.”

“In two randomized, placebo-controlled ascending dose trials, a single CJC-1295 injection produced dose-dependent GH increases of 2- to 10-fold lasting 6+ days, and IGF-I increases of 1.5- to 3-fold lasting 9-11 days. Estimated half-life was 5.8-8.1 days. The compound was described as generally well tolerated at 30-60 mcg/kg doses.”

Cycle: 7 weeks

“Only made it 6 weeks. Dizziness after injections was annoying and the increased hunger was counterproductive since I was trying to recomp. Didn't notice any measurable changes in body composition or strength. Maybe I didn't run it long enough but the sides weren't worth continuing.”

Cycle: 6 weeks

“Tried the CJC/Ipa combo for 8 weeks. Morning injections made me nauseous so I switched to nighttime. Sleep was deeper but the nausea and bloating were persistent. Gained about 3 lbs but hard to tell how much was water. Might try again at lower doses.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Second run with CJC/Ipa, this time 2x/day dosing at higher amounts. Felt the GH pulse more noticeably — got a head rush about 20 min after each pin. Recovery was the standout benefit. Could train 6 days a week without feeling beat up. Added about 7 lbs over 16 weeks at roughly the same body fat.”

Cycle: 16 weeks

“Ran CJC/Ipa at 100/200mcg before bed for 12 weeks. Noticed improved sleep within the first few days. By week 4, recovery from heavy leg days was noticeably faster. Gained about 5 lbs of lean mass while staying relatively lean. Mild flushing after pinning but it passes in 10 minutes.”

Cycle: 12 weeks

“In a double-blind crossover study of 8 healthy volunteers (ages 24-39) under caloric restriction, MK-677 at 25mg/day reversed diet-induced nitrogen wasting. Mean daily nitrogen balance was +0.31 g/day with MK-677 compared to -1.48 g/day with placebo, indicating a protein-sparing effect.”

Cycle: 2 weeks

“In a 12-month randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 65 healthy older adults (60-81 yr), daily MK-677 administration was associated with increased GH and IGF-I levels, and a reported gain of 1.1 kg fat-free mass compared to a 0.5 kg loss with placebo. No changes in strength or function were observed.”

Cycle: 52 weeks

“In a discussion with Dr. Kyle Gillett, Dr. Huberman noted that MK-677 is an orally active growth hormone secretagogue that stimulates ghrelin receptors to promote GH release. He described reported increases in appetite, and noted that it may also elevate cortisol and prolactin levels as downstream effects of GH pathway activation.”

“First time trying MK-677 as a female lifter. The hunger was absolutely relentless and I gained 7 lbs of water in the first two weeks. Hands would go numb at night which I read is from GH-related fluid retention. Felt sluggish during training. Stopped at week 10. Won't run again.”

Cycle: 10 weeks

“Used MK-677 during a lean bulk phase. Sleep quality was noticeably better within the first week. Appetite increase was present but manageable since I was already eating at a surplus. After 16 weeks, gained about 6 lbs of lean mass based on DEXA. Recovery between sessions felt improved.”

Cycle: 16 weeks

“Tried 12.5mg to keep sides manageable. Appetite was still out of control — worst side for me. Gained some water weight and felt a bit puffy. Bloodwork at week 8 showed fasting glucose crept up from 88 to 101, which worried me. Stopped after 8 weeks.”

Cycle: 8 weeks

“Ran MK-677 at 25mg/day for 12 weeks. Appetite increase was intense — I was eating an extra 500-800 cals a day without trying. Gained about 8 lbs, though a lot of it was water. Definitely noticed fuller muscles and better sleep. Lethargy hit around week 3 but leveled off.”

Cycle: 12 weeks