Carl read the papersWhat it actually is
Follistatin binds and blocks myostatin (and activin), releasing the natural cap on muscle growth.
The dramatic data comes from follistatin gene therapy in animals — the injected peptide is local at best and short-acting.
How it’s thought to work
- Myostatin sequestration — releases the cap on muscle hypertrophy.
- Activin binding — affects muscle and other tissues.
- Local effect — the peptide acts largely at the injection site (not systemic like gene therapy).
- Short-lived — brief signalling as an injected peptide.
What the research says
NOT approved. The impressive muscle results are from gene therapy in mice, not injectable peptide in humans. Real-user injectable dosing is thin, expensive and unvalidated — treat logs with heavy skepticism.
- Muscle growth (mouse gene therapy, not human peptide).
- Real injectable data is sparse.
- Community verdict: often ‘not worth it’.
Reported protocols
These are the doses the peptide community actually reports running (Reddit & forums), alongside published research — logged for education, not as a recommendation to use.
| Parameter | Commonly reported range |
|---|---|
| Community dose | 100 mcg/day (logs run 100–300; a few push ~1 mg) |
| Frequency | Daily |
| Route | IM (into/near target muscle for local effect); some subQ |
| Cycle | Short bursts — ~10–30 days on, 3–4 wks off |
| Community tip | Forum consensus is skeptical — ‘without a viral vector it’s local at best’, with real PIP and temp spikes |
Common use cases
| Goal | Community protocol notes |
|---|---|
| Muscle growth (experimental) | 100–300 mcg/day IM, 10–30 days |
| (Reality) | results disputed vs the gene-therapy hype |
| (Caution) | PIP, fever, unknown long-term effects |
Mixing it (reconstitution)
Freeze-dried peptides must be reconstituted with bacteriostatic water before they can be measured. Carl’s calculator turns “mg in the vial + ml of water + target dose” into “units on the syringe” — and tells you how long the vial lasts.
→ Open the Reconstitution Calculator
Injection & handling
IM into or near the target muscle (community believes in a local effect), or subQ; short 10–30 day bursts. Expect post-injection pain and possible low-grade fever. Refrigerate; COA-check hard — high counterfeit rate.
Stacks it appears in
- Used alone — Follistatin is run solo in short bursts — not a beginner or stack staple.
