CJC-1295 DAC Guide: What You Need to Know

The Recovery Problem We’re Trying to Solve

Aging shows up in the gym and in the mirror. Slower recovery. Harder-to-keep muscle. Softer midsections even when the workouts stay honest. That’s one reason peptides have moved from bodybuilding subculture to cocktail-party conversation.

CJC-1295 DAC sits in the middle of that buzz. It’s designed to nudge your own growth hormone and IGF-1, not replace them. The promise is support for lean mass, recovery, and sleep quality when the basics are already in place, but human evidence for sleep and recovery is still early and often self-reported.

But does a longer hormone pulse translate to everyday wins you can feel and measure?

Meet CJC-1295 DAC

CJC-1295 DAC is a 30-amino-acid analog of growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) engineered to last longer in the bloodstream. The DAC, or Drug Affinity Complex, binds to albumin and stretches the half-life from minutes to roughly a week.

Early phase trials showed single doses can raise IGF-1 for one to two weeks, which is unusually durable for a peptide. That long tail is what differentiates it from short-acting GHRH fragments.

Regulatory reality matters. CJC-1295 DAC is not FDA-approved and is generally sold as a research-only compound in the U.S. Availability, compounding, and quality standards vary. So how does that extended half-life shape what happens inside your body?

Inside the Pathway

Think of growth hormone as a night-shift foreman. It peaks in pulses after you fall asleep, directing repairs, remodeling, and fuel shifts. CJC-1295 doesn’t deliver GH; it taps the intercom by activating the GHRH receptor on pituitary cells.

Because CJC-1295 rides on albumin, it hangs around long enough to amplify multiple physiological GH pulses over several days. GH then cues the liver to produce insulin-like growth factor 1, a steadier, trackable readout of the axis.

What might that mean for daily life? More efficient protein synthesis, a nudge toward fat use, and connective tissue turnover that favors recovery. Some people also report deeper slow-wave sleep, though controlled data in healthy adults are limited and more research is needed.

There’s guardrail biology here. GHRH signaling boosts the size of GH pulses while still respecting somatostatin, the system’s brake. Effects vary with age, baseline GH tone, sex hormones, sleep, nutrition, and insulin sensitivity. Curious how dosing takes advantage of that long signal?

How It’s Used: Dosing and Delivery

Most dosing chatter comes from research protocols and clinic experience, not approved labels. The long half-life shifts the rhythm from daily micro-doses to less frequent injections.

Typical research practices describe subcutaneous injections in the lower abdomen or thigh at 0.5 to 2.0 mg once weekly, or 1.0 to 2.0 mg every two weeks, for 8 to 12 weeks. Oral delivery isn’t viable because digestive enzymes break peptides apart. Nasal sprays are marketed in some settings, but bioavailability is inconsistent and formal data are sparse.

People sometimes cycle for several weeks, then pause to let IGF-1 normalize and to judge whether sleep, body composition, or recovery actually budged. Some pair a GHRH analog with a ghrelin receptor agonist like ipamorelin to co-activate pituitary receptors, a strategy aimed at larger physiologic pulses with lower individual doses. With a week-long half-life, timing matters less than consistency, though some still prefer evenings to align with natural peaks.

So what are the trade-offs to watch?

Safety Signals and Who Should Skip It

No peptide is side-effect free, especially ones that tune an anabolic axis. Short-term data in healthy adults are generally reassuring, but long-term safety in non-deficient adults is not established.

Common side effects reported

• Transient flushing or warmth after injection
• Injection-site redness or itching
• Mild water retention with puffy fingers or morning stiffness
• Tingling or numbness in hands suggestive of carpal tunnel like symptoms
• Headache or fatigue in the first week

Less common but important

• Increases in fasting glucose or reduced insulin sensitivity
• Joint aches or edema with higher or more frequent dosing
• Mood or sleep changes (direction can vary)

Who should avoid or use extreme caution

• Current or recent cancer, or strong family history of hormone-sensitive tumors
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Uncontrolled diabetes or significant insulin resistance
• Severe, untreated obstructive sleep apnea
• Children and adolescents with open growth plates
• Proliferative retinal disease

Monitoring adds guardrails. IGF-1 reflects average GH activity over days and moves slowly, and age- and sex-adjusted Z-scores help gauge exposure. Fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c can flag insulin sensitivity shifts. Lipids, particularly triglycerides, may move with GH axis modulation. GH can influence peripheral thyroid hormone conversion, so check TSH and free T4 if symptoms emerge. Context matters here: oral estrogen often lowers liver IGF-1 production, sleep loss blunts GH pulses, and high-carb late-night eating can mute nocturnal peaks. Want to see where CJC-1295 sits in the peptide crowd?

Where It Fits Among Peptides

Zoom out and the categories snap into focus. CJC-1295 DAC lives in the growth hormone secretagogue family, specifically the GHRH analog corner.

Sermorelin (GHRH 1-29) and MOD-GRF 1-29 are short-acting and typically require multiple daily doses to sustain effect. Ghrelin receptor agonists like ipamorelin work through a different switch, and pairing them with a GHRH analog can produce larger physiologic pulses, though outcome data in healthy adults remain limited. Tesamorelin is a distinct GHRH analog with FDA approval for reducing visceral fat in HIV-associated lipodystrophy and is taken daily without albumin binding.

Other popular peptides target tissue repair more than endocrine signaling. BPC-157, TB-500, and GHK-Cu aren’t interchangeable with GH-axis tools. Wondering how regulators and sports bodies view this category?

Rules, Supply, and the Fine Print

CJC-1295 DAC is not FDA-approved for any indication. In the U.S., it’s generally considered a research chemical and cannot be marketed to treat or prevent disease. Compounding access is constrained by evolving FDA guidance, and quality control varies outside regulated supply chains.

Sport is clear: the World Anti-Doping Agency prohibits growth hormone and agents that stimulate its release, including GHRH analogs and ghrelin receptor agonists. Competitive athletes should steer clear.

Sourcing quality is the unglamorous variable. Peptides are sensitive to synthesis fidelity, purity, and storage. Endotoxin contamination, mis-sequenced product, or degradation can happen with gray-market vials. Pharmacy-grade formulations with lot testing are safer when available. How do you separate marketing hype from a real physiologic effect?

Labs That Matter

Peptides tell their story in data. With CJC-1295 DAC, a handful of markers carry most of the signal.

IGF-1 sits at the center. It reflects average GH activity, has age- and sex-specific ranges, and responds over days rather than hours. Z-scores are the cleanest way to compare results by age and sex. A meaningful response often looks like a shift within your age range, not an out-of-range spike. Because assays differ across labs, stick with the same lab and method when comparing.

Growth hormone itself is pulsatile and usually unhelpful as a single random draw. Unless you’re doing a formal stimulation test, it won’t clarify much.

Glucose metabolism deserves a look. Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and hemoglobin A1c can capture shifts in insulin sensitivity. Some clinicians calculate HOMA-IR from fasting values to flag early changes. Lipids can move, particularly triglycerides. Thyroid markers may drift via altered peripheral deiodination; check if symptoms suggest it.

Context sharpens interpretation. Draw fasting, at a similar time of day, and keep training load, sleep, and diet relatively steady for a week before testing. Oral estrogen can lower hepatic IGF-1, heavy training blocks can raise it, and poor sleep can suppress GH pulses. Want the big-picture view before you chase a peptide promise?

Putting It All Together

CJC-1295 DAC is a long-acting GHRH analog that amplifies growth hormone pulses and elevates IGF-1 in a sustained, physiologic pattern. In the right context, that may support lean mass, modest fat shifts, and faster recovery, but claims around sleep and recovery remain preliminary. Long-term safety data in healthy, non-deficient adults are lacking, and unknowns should be part of the decision-making.

At Superpower, we start with clarity. Our single panel measures over 100 biomarkers across hormones, metabolism, inflammation, and recovery. With a dedicated healthcare team, we offer non-diagnostic tracking and interpretation to spot trade-offs and decide whether peptide strategies align with your goals and risk tolerance. Ready to see what your data say before you decide what’s next?