@ZachMcGrew 11-compound kitchen-sink peptide stack — May 2026
My Current pep stack: Nad 100mg a day Klow 5mg 1mg 1mg 1mg a night Pinealon 2mg a day Mots-C 3mg a day VIP 250mcg 2x a day Reta 1mg eod Hcg 250 iu eod Gh 9iu a night Igf-1 lr3 50mcg post workout Glutathione 150mg post workout Semax/selank 500mcg morning
Eleven compounds, several at supratherapeutic doses, with the 9 IU/night GH crossing from anti-aging-clinic territory squarely into bodybuilder territory. The HCG 250 IU EOD strongly implies undisclosed TRT underneath, which makes the stack as listed incomplete. There's real thought in the composition — VIP, Mots-C, Semax/Selank are coherent picks — but the doses are aggressive across the board, the growth-axis stack (9 IU GH + IGF-1 LR3) is the wrong direction for longevity, and no monitoring framework is mentioned for any of it.
| Goal | Score | Grade | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | 60 | D- | 15% | Mots-C, NAD+, glutathione, and Pinealon point at longevity, but 9 IU GH/night chronically elevated is associated with insulin resistance and the inverse of the IGF-1 profile longevity research favors. The longevity ingredients are undermined by the growth-axis component. |
| Cognition | 76 | C | 15% | Semax + Selank + Pinealon is a legitimate Russian-clinical-tradition cognitive stack. Mots-C has emerging cognitive data. The composition is reasonable; Pinealon dosed daily ignores the cyclical course design Khavinson's protocols use. |
| Sleep & recovery | 68 | D+ | 10% | KLOW timing is right for tissue recovery. But 9 IU GH at night is a sleep-architecture risk (insulin resistance, edema, sometimes night sweats) and the stack contains no actual sleep-targeted intervention. |
| Energy & metabolism | 74 | C | 20% | Retatrutide 1mg EOD (~3.5mg/wk) is a real metabolic dose; Mots-C adds a mitochondrial-targeted layer. GH at 9 IU undercuts insulin sensitivity, partially offsetting the GLP-1 metabolic gains. |
| Body recomposition | 78 | C+ | 40% | GH + IGF-1 LR3 + retatrutide + KLOW + implied TRT is a bodybuilder-grade recomp stack. The effect will be real; the side-effect surface is large and the stack is silent on training, protein, and the underlying T protocol HCG implies. |
Ingredients (12)
NAD+
- Dose
- 100mg daily · daily
- Mechanism
- Direct subcutaneous administration of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, a coenzyme central to mitochondrial energy metabolism and sirtuin-mediated DNA repair. Bioavailability of intact NAD+ vs. degraded precursors remains contested.
- Take
- 100mg/day is mid-range for injection protocols (clinics run 50–200mg) and daily is more aggressive than the EOD cadence most users settle into. Whether injectable NAD+ does what enthusiasts claim is still contested — most NAD-restoration evidence is on oral NMN/NR precursors. At this dose, expect injection-site burning and the standard flushing reaction. Not the worst use of money in this stack, but not the best either.
KLOW blend
- Dose
- 5mg BPC-157 + 1mg TB-500 + 1mg GHK-Cu + 1mg KPV nightly (8mg total) · nightly
- Mechanism
- Fixed-ratio combination of BPC-157, TB-500, GHK-Cu, and KPV for systemic recovery: gut/tissue repair, angiogenesis, copper-mediated wound signaling, and anti-inflammatory effects respectively.
- Take
- Reading '5 1 1 1' in KLOW-standard order, this is a custom BPC-heavy blend rather than the typical balanced KLOW. 5mg/day of BPC-157 is more than 10x the standard research-vendor recommendation (250–500mcg/day) and well above any published animal-to-human dose translation. TB-500 1mg/day = 7mg/week is loading-dose territory held indefinitely. GHK-Cu 1mg/day and KPV 1mg/day are also high. The author isn't running KLOW; they're running 8mg/night of mixed regenerative peptides, which is a different category of decision and a substantial cost line.
Pinealon
- Dose
- 2mg daily · daily
- Mechanism
- Russian-school short-peptide 'bioregulator' targeting brain tissue. Mechanism is poorly characterized; proposed effects center on neuroprotection and cognitive function with weak human evidence outside Khavinson's own group.
- Take
- Khavinson's bioregulator protocols dose Pinealon in 10-day courses (e.g., 1–2mg/day × 10 days, 1–2x/year), not chronically. 2mg/day continuously ignores the explicitly cyclical protocol design and there's no evidence that daily indefinite dosing produces additional benefit. Wastes both the compound and the framework it sits inside.
Mots-C
- Dose
- 3mg daily · daily
- Mechanism
- Mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded in the 12S rRNA region; in animal models, activates AMPK, improves insulin sensitivity, and increases exercise capacity. Human data is preliminary.
- Take
- 3mg/day = 21mg/week is supratherapeutic for an experimental mitochondrial-derived peptide. Common research-vendor protocols are 5–10mg/wk total (≈0.7–1.4mg/day). At triple the typical dose with no human RCT to anchor against, this is purely vibes-based titration. The mechanism is interesting; the dose ignores any reasonable starting point.
VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide)
VIP (vasoactive intestinal peptide) on peptidelist.org ↗
- Dose
- 250mcg 2x/day (500mcg/day) · 2x daily
- Mechanism
- Pleiotropic neuropeptide and vasodilator with anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and pulmonary effects. Used in the Shoemaker CIRS protocol to address C4a/TGF-β1 dysregulation.
- Take
- VIP is the Shoemaker CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome) protocol peptide, canonical dose 50mcg intranasal qid (~200mcg/day) after the rest of the Shoemaker protocol has been worked. 500mcg/day is 2.5x the high end of that, and using VIP outside the CIRS protocol context is mostly speculative. Author doesn't mention route — intranasal vs. subq matters a lot for tolerability. At this dose, hypotension and flushing are predictable.
Retatrutide
Retatrutide on peptidelist.org ↗
- Dose
- 1mg EOD (~3.5mg/week) · EOD
- Mechanism
- Triple agonist of GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors. Most aggressive metabolic-receptor profile in development; phase 2 obesity data showed ~24% body weight loss at 12mg/wk.
- Take
- 1mg EOD = ~3.5mg/week is a real, moderate-aggressive retatrutide dose, sitting between phase 2 trial arms (1, 4, 8, 12mg/wk). Sensible if titrated up over months; aggressive if started cold. Not FDA approved, so research-vendor sourcing applies — no third-party HPLC, no clinical monitoring framework, dose-accuracy variability of ±15–40% in vendor surveys. The reta is one of the more defensible items in the stack on its own.
HCG
- Dose
- 250 IU EOD · EOD
- Mechanism
- LH analog binding testicular Leydig cells to maintain intratesticular testosterone production. Standard adjunct on exogenous testosterone protocols to prevent testicular atrophy and preserve fertility.
- Take
- 250 IU EOD is the standard TRT-companion dose for testicular volume and intratesticular testosterone preservation — which is the giveaway: this dose pattern almost certainly implies an undisclosed underlying testosterone protocol. HCG as a standalone HPG-stimulator runs higher (500–1000 IU 2x/wk for fertility). The dose itself is fine; the issue is what the stack isn't telling us.
Growth Hormone (HGH)
Growth Hormone (HGH) on peptidelist.org ↗
- Dose
- 9 IU nightly · nightly
- Mechanism
- Recombinant human growth hormone elevating IGF-1, driving anabolic signaling, lipolysis, and tissue repair. Dose-dependent effects: low doses (1–2 IU) approximate physiological replacement; high doses (6+ IU) produce bodybuilder-tier IGF-1 elevations and the associated side-effect profile.
- Take
- Adult GH replacement is 1–2 IU/day. Anti-aging clinics cap protocols at 2–4 IU/day. 9 IU/night is bodybuilder dosing, not longevity dosing — at this dose, expect insulin resistance, fasting glucose elevation, edema, carpal tunnel, and the cancer-signal concern associated with chronically elevated IGF-1. This is also the longest-lever financial line in the stack (~$300–600/mo). The mismatch between this dose and the rest of the stack's longevity framing is the central contradiction of the protocol.
IGF-1 LR3
IGF-1 LR3 on peptidelist.org ↗
- Dose
- 50mcg post-workout · post-workout
- Mechanism
- Long-arginine-3 IGF-1 analog with extended half-life and reduced binding to IGFBPs, producing sustained IGF-1R activation. Drives muscle protein synthesis and satellite cell proliferation; site-injection localization claims are weakly supported.
- Take
- Long-half-life IGF-1 analog. 50mcg PWO is moderate within bodybuilder protocols (which run 20–100mcg). Layered on top of 9 IU GH, the stack is hitting the IGF axis from both sides — pituitary stimulation plus exogenous receptor agonism. The site-specific hypertrophy story (intramuscular injection near worked muscles) is more enthusiast lore than human-RCT-supported. Cancer-signal concern compounds with the GH dose.
Glutathione
Glutathione on peptidelist.org ↗
- Dose
- 150mg post-workout · post-workout
- Mechanism
- Tripeptide of glutamate, cysteine, and glycine; the body's primary endogenous antioxidant. Direct administration bypasses the rate-limiting cysteine step of endogenous synthesis.
- Take
- 150mg subq glutathione PWO is a reasonable antioxidant dose; clinic protocols run 200–600mg. Reduces oxidative stress markers acutely. Whether blunting post-workout ROS affects training adaptation is a known controversy — too much antioxidant exposure can impair the hormetic adaptation. At 150mg infrequent post-workout dosing, the impact either way is probably small. Cheapest line in the stack.
Semax
- Dose
- 500mcg morning (combined with Selank) · morning
- Mechanism
- Synthetic ACTH(4-10) analog with neuroprotective, BDNF-modulating, and pro-cognitive effects. Russian clinical use for stroke and cognitive disorders; widely used as a nootropic at lower doses.
- Take
- 500mcg intranasal Semax in the morning is in-range for the Russian clinical use protocols (300–900mcg). Author lists 'Semax/Selank' together so the dose may be split or applied to each — unclear. As a stimulant-leaning nootropic, AM timing is correct. One of the most-evidenced cognitive items in the stack.
Selank
- Dose
- 500mcg morning (combined with Semax) · morning
- Mechanism
- Synthetic analog of tuftsin with anxiolytic and immunomodulatory effects. Russian-school nootropic with small-trial human data on anxiety and cognition.
- Take
- 500mcg Selank intranasal is in-range (250–900mcg typical). Often co-administered with Semax for the Semax-stimulation, Selank-anxiolysis balance. Reasonable composition; the load-bearing question is whether the author is dosing 500mcg of each or 250mcg of each — the post is ambiguous.
Risks & interactions
- 9 IU/night GH is bodybuilder dosing, not longevity dosinghigh
Therapeutic GH replacement is 1–2 IU/day. 9 IU/night puts IGF-1 well above the physiological range with predictable side effects: insulin resistance, fasting glucose elevation, edema, carpal tunnel, joint pain. Sustained high IGF-1 is one of the better-supported acceleration markers for cancer risk and is the inverse of the IGF-1 profile that correlates with exceptional longevity. The stack frames itself with longevity peptides while running a growth-axis protocol that contradicts them.
- HCG 250 IU EOD implies undisclosed TRThigh
HCG dosed at 250 IU EOD is the textbook TRT companion dose for testicular volume and intratesticular T preservation. As a standalone HPG-stimulator it would be dosed higher. The most parsimonious reading is that the author is on exogenous testosterone and didn't list it — which changes the lipid, HPTA, and hematocrit context of the whole stack and makes a copying reader vulnerable to assumptions they shouldn't make.
- No monitoring framework mentioned for 11 compoundshigh
A stack containing GH, IGF-1, retatrutide, implied exogenous T, and HCG needs a real monitoring panel: A1c, fasting glucose, IGF-1, lipids, lipase, hematocrit, estradiol, and a periodic resting ECG / blood pressure. None is mentioned. Self-running this stack without quarterly bloodwork is the single biggest avoidable risk.
- Multiple compounds at supratherapeutic doseshigh
BPC-157 5mg/day (10x typical), Mots-C 3mg/day (~3x typical), VIP 500mcg/day (2.5x Shoemaker), Pinealon 2mg/day continuously (vs. cyclical protocol). Each on its own is a tolerable choice; stacked together, the cumulative novelty risk is meaningful and there's no way to attribute any individual response to any individual compound. Reduce one at a time or you'll never know what's doing what.
- Stack opaque on training, diet, and proteinmedium
The stack's body-recomp story rests on a growth-axis protocol that only works as advertised in the context of progressive resistance training and adequate protein. Neither is mentioned. Without them, the lean-mass dividend is much smaller and the side-effect cost is unchanged.
- Retatrutide research-vendor sourcingmedium
Retatrutide isn't FDA approved — no compounding-pharmacy or LillyDirect path. All sourcing is gray-market with no third-party HPLC and dose-accuracy variability of ±15–40% in published vendor surveys.
9 IU/night is the single dose decision that pulls this stack from 'aggressive but coherent' to 'bodybuilder protocol with longevity garnish.' At 2 IU you keep the IGF-1 floor that arguably supports recovery and sleep, drop most of the insulin-resistance and edema cost, and stop running a sustained-high-IGF-1 risk profile that contradicts the rest of the stack's framing. Of every available edit — adding bloodwork, removing the under-dosed bioregulators, dropping the BPC-157 to a sane 500mcg — this is the one that changes the trajectory of the protocol most.
Estimated cost
GH 9 IU/night is the dominant line ($300–600/mo). Retatrutide gray-market 3.5mg/wk ~$200–400/mo. The supratherapeutic-dose lines (KLOW 8mg/night, Mots-C 3mg/day, Pinealon 2mg/day continuous, NAD+ 100mg/day) each run $80–200/mo individually because the volumes are high. Semax/Selank, HCG, IGF-1 LR3, glutathione fill out the remaining $200–500/mo. All gray-market sourcing; an underlying TRT protocol (likely present given HCG dose) would add ~$30–100/mo on top via compounding pharmacy.