A Beginner’s Guide to Using Peptides for Bodybuilding

If you have been feeling insecure about your muscle size, you are not alone. Having bigger muscles not only makes you seem more confident, but it can also make it easier for you to find a partner.

According to research done by UCLA, women are more drawn to men with a bigger muscle mass as it is deemed more “attractive”. In fact, men with more muscle mass were twice as likely to have more sex partners than men with less muscle mass. To pack on more muscle, you need to know the secrets, such as using peptides for bodybuilding. 

The only problem is, how do you know how to use peptides for bodybuilding, and how do you know if it will work for you? The last thing you want to do is spend money and hope for something that will not work!

That’s precisely why we’ve created this beginners guide to teach you all about the benefits of peptides for bodybuilding. Keep on reading to learn more. 

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are small chains of amino acids, which are naturally occurring molecules needed for the proper functioning of the human body. Amino acids are also known as the building blocks of proteins, and since protein is essential for muscle building, it only makes sense that you work on them from a molecular level.

These small amino acids form together as an amino-peptide chain and then link together to form a complete peptide. Peptides have become increasingly popular for their incredible muscle-building benefits, however, they play a much bigger role in the human body than just for building muscle. 

Peptides are also essential for reducing inflammation, treating disease, rebuilding, repair, development, anti-aging, killing microbes, and increasing nutrient density. Multiple different peptides have specific functions such as collagen peptides, which are responsible for youthful skin, and elasticity. 

There are also hormonal peptides, which act as little messengers to deliver chemical signals to all tissues, blood, and regulate your appetite. 

Perhaps one of the most miraculous discoveries with peptides is the use of insulin injections (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptors) to regulate blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. 

Since the use of insulin therapy in the 1920s, peptide use has come a long way. There are over 60 approved peptide drugs approved by the FDA, with over 150 peptides currently being reviewed additionally. 

Why Use Peptides For Bodybuilding?

As we mentioned above, peptides help to produce the hormones in the human body, which also includes the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH). Human growth hormone is commonly used to build lean muscle mass, more power, and more strength, however, its benefits do not stop there.

Once men reach the age of 35, their bodies start to produce less HGH, which can lead to health problems, balding, decreased muscle mass, low libido, low testosterone, and a lowered immune system. HGH is clinically used to help men gain back not only their lean muscle mass, but also increase their sex drive, anti-aging, vitality, stimulate hair growth, and fat loss. 

Peptides also help with recovery after a workout or with injuries, because they assist in delivering sufficient amounts of oxygen to the muscles. 

Are Peptides the Same as Steriods

Contrary to typical belief, peptides are not the same as steroids. Peptides are used for specific functions in the body by stimulating different receptors in the body. This helps people like athletes and bodybuilders tailor their results by first knowing what their goals are, then taking the right peptides that align with that specific goal. 

On the contrary, steroids are more of a one-size-fits-all approach. They do not target specific receptors, therefore, they do not have the ability to tailor a result. 

Peptides work by stimulating the pituitary gland to release more human growth hormone into the bloodstream. Steroids work by increasing levels of testosterone, so the results are a byproduct of more testosterone, rather than from creating amino-peptide chains and getting the root cause of muscle building.

Because of this, steroids have many negative side effects, such as affecting hormone balance, acne, voice distortion, aggressive behavior, baldness, impotence, weight gain, heart conditions, injuries, and many more health problems. 

The bottom line is peptides are more gentle and can be used to target specific goals, while steroids are too powerful and force the body into negative reactions.

Different Types of Peptides For Bodybuilding

There are many different options for peptides, and it all comes down to what your specific goals are, and what your lifestyle is like. This is what makes peptides one of the most common bodybuilding tools to help gain more muscle and lose fat. 

Growth Hormone Releasing Hormones (GHRH)

Because of the profound effects that the human growth hormone has on the body, scientists have discovered a unique peptide that has the ability to stimulate and release it, naturally. This is much gentler than injecting human growth hormone itself into the body because it naturally gets your body to secrete it instead.

This helps from overflowing too much HGH, so your body can have a chance to adapt alongside the extra secretion of the hormones.  The length of secretion depends on the type of peptides you use, and they are limited to the dose you take. That being said, taking more does not mean that you will not have more growth hormone. 

CJC – 1295 DAC

The benefits of using CJC – 1295 with DAC is that the half-life is much longer than other types of growth hormone-releasing hormones. The half-life for CJC – 1295 with DAC is just over a week-long, so if you do not want to have to continuously take hormones, this is the best choice for you. 

Modified GRF (1-29)

Modified GRF (1-29) is one of the most common peptides for bodybuilding because of its ability to help stimulate muscle growth but also help to lose fat. While many peptides do one or the other, MOD GRF (1-29) can do both, which is especially great for the older population that loses muscle mass quickly.

Other benefits of this peptide are increasing length and quality of sleep, and helping to slow down the aging process.

Sermorelin

With a structure much similar to CJC-1295, Sermorelin is commonly used for those who want to slow down the aging process within their bodies. This is because this peptide is very good at releasing higher levels of human growth hormone. After all, it contains 29 out of the 44 required amino acids for releasing HGH.

The only downside of Sermorelin is that the half-life is extremely short at about ten minutes, this means that you will have to invest in more of these peptides and take it more frequently. 

HGH Fragment 176 – 191

While the peptide HGH fragment 176 -191 is in fact, a fragment of HGH itself, it isn’t the best peptide for stimulating muscle growth. This peptide is commonly used for fat loss and weight cutting, which is a very essential part of the bodybuilder’s performance routine. 

Because of its targeted ability for fat loss, this peptide is much more powerful than using just HGH alone for cutting weight and building muscle. HGH fragment 176 -191 is also a common peptide for anti-aging, because of its ability to stimulate the IGF-1 receptors.

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides 

Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides (GHRP) are like the newer, improved version of GHRH. This is because they are better at causing your body to secrete more growth hormone levels in the body. 

The biggest benefit of using peptides from the category of GHRP is that you do not have to time your intake and cycles, as they produce HGH at basically any time you decide to take them. 

Ipamorelin

Ipamorelin is a great choice for those who desire a gentler approach with peptides. This is because it does not affect your cortisol levels, nor does it stimulate your appetite like other HGH stimulating peptides.

GHRP-6

GHRP-6 is a great peptide for anti-aging, weight loss, and muscle-building results. This peptide inhibits the release of s somatostatin which can get in the way of the secretion of HGH. This is also a great peptide for lowering inflammatory markers in the body, in addition to speeding up the muscle recovery process.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)

IGF-1 is another group of peptides that are very popular with bodybuilders, because of their ability to target specific muscle groups. These peptides have been used by professional bodybuilders for over 10 years, including the 6-time Olympian Dorian Yates.

IGF-1 LR3

This peptide has over 13 extra amino acids than is required to create a complete protein, which makes it fall into the polypeptide category. IGR-1 LR3 has a half-life of over 30 hours, which makes it great for back-to-back bodybuilding routines.

Learn More About Peptides for Bodybuilding

By following this complete beginner guide on peptides for bodybuilding, you are more likely to find the right peptide that matches your specific goals.

To learn more about how to use peptides, check out this great guide on sublingual application.