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A molecule that switches a receptor on — it binds and triggers the response the receptor normally would. Most "GLP-1" peptides are agonists of the GLP-1 receptor.
Why it matters: "agonist" tells you a peptide is pushing a signal, not blocking one.
See also: Semaglutide, Antagonist
The building blocks of peptides and proteins. A peptide is just a short chain of amino acids linked together.
Why it matters: chain length is roughly what separates a "peptide" from a full "protein."
See also: Peptide bond, Peptide basics
A lab-made molecule modeled on a natural one, tweaked to last longer or act more selectively. Sermorelin is an analog of natural GHRH.
Why it matters: analogs often behave differently from the natural version they're based on.
See also: Sermorelin, GHRH analog
The opposite of an agonist — a molecule that binds a receptor and blocks it, preventing the normal signal.
Why it matters: knowing agonist vs antagonist tells you the direction of the effect.
See also: Agonist, Receptor
Sterile water with a small amount of benzyl alcohol added to stop bacterial growth. It's the liquid used to reconstitute a freeze-dried peptide vial.
Why it matters: how much you add sets your concentration — and therefore how many units you draw.
See also: Reconstitution, Dosage calculator
The share of a dose that actually reaches your bloodstream in active form. It changes a lot by route — an injected peptide and a swallowed one are worlds apart.
Why it matters: it's why many peptides are injected rather than taken as a pill.
See also: Route of administration, Subcutaneous
A measurable signal in the body — a lab value like IGF-1 or hs-CRP — used to track what something is doing.
Why it matters: biomarkers are how research turns a vague "it works" into a number.
See also: IGF-1, hs-CRP, Tracking what you do
The ratio of fat mass to lean mass, rather than just total weight on a scale.
Why it matters: a lot of peptide claims are really about body composition, not the scale.
See also: Visceral fat, Tesamorelin
How often something is taken — daily, five-days-on, twice a week. Often called the dosing schedule or frequency.
Why it matters: cadence is usually tied to a peptide's half-life.
See also: Half-life, Cycle
A licensed pharmacy that mixes medications to order — for example, preparing a peptide at a specific strength a manufacturer doesn't stock.
Why it matters: "compounded" is not the same as "unregulated" — but quality still varies.
See also: Sourcing & safety, FDA-approved
How much peptide is dissolved per unit of liquid, usually milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL). It equals total mg ÷ total mL.
Why it matters: concentration is the number every dose calculation hinges on.
See also: Reconstitution, Dosage calculator
A defined on-then-off period of use, often followed by a break (a "washout").
Why it matters: cycling language is common in this space, though evidence for specific schedules is often thin.
See also: Washout period, Cadence
"Drug Affinity Complex" — a modification (as in CJC-1295 with DAC) that binds to albumin in the blood to dramatically extend a peptide's half-life.
Why it matters: a "with DAC" version can last days instead of minutes, changing the whole schedule.
See also: Half-life, Ipamorelin / CJC-1295
The amount of peptide taken at one time, usually in micrograms (mcg) or milligrams (mg).
Why it matters: dose is not the same as "units drawn" — the calculator converts between them.
See also: Microgram, Syringe units, Dosage calculator
A knock-on result further along a signaling pathway — for instance, a GHRH analog raises GH, which raises IGF-1 downstream.
Why it matters: many claimed benefits are downstream, several steps from what the peptide directly touches.
See also: Pathway, IGF-1
Cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a specific medical use, after review of safety and effectiveness data.
Why it matters: most peptides discussed online are not approved for the uses they're marketed for.
See also: Off-label, Indication, Sourcing & safety
Growth-Hormone-Releasing Hormone — the natural signal that tells the pituitary to release growth hormone.
Why it matters: several popular peptides are GHRH analogs that mimic this signal.
See also: GHRH analog, Sermorelin, Tesamorelin
A lab-made molecule shaped like GHRH — sermorelin, tesamorelin, and CJC-1295 all belong here.
Why it matters: these are often paired with a GHRP for a bigger combined GH pulse.
See also: GHRP, Stacks
Growth-Hormone-Releasing Peptide — a class (GHRP-2, GHRP-6, ipamorelin, hexarelin) that triggers GH release through a different receptor than GHRH.
Why it matters: GHRP + GHRH is the logic behind the classic "CJC + Ipamorelin" pairing.
See also: GHRP-2, Ipamorelin / CJC-1295
Any compound that prompts the body to secrete more growth hormone — includes GHRPs and oral agents like MK-677.
Why it matters: "secretagogue" nudges your own GH rather than adding GH directly.
See also: Secretagogue, MK-677
Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide — a gut hormone involved in insulin and metabolism. Tirzepatide acts on GIP and GLP-1 receptors.
Why it matters: the "dual agonist" story is about hitting GIP and GLP-1 together.
See also: GLP-1, Tirzepatide
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 — a hormone that boosts insulin, slows stomach emptying, and reduces appetite. The receptor behind semaglutide and liraglutide.
Why it matters: "GLP-1" is the whole category behind the weight-loss headlines.
See also: Semaglutide, Liraglutide, Satiety
A hormone that raises blood sugar — the mirror image of insulin. Some newer molecules deliberately hit the glucagon receptor too.
Why it matters: "triple agonist" candidates add glucagon to the GLP-1 + GIP combo.
See also: Retatrutide, Survodutide
The time it takes for half of a dose to clear from the body. A short half-life means more frequent dosing.
Why it matters: half-life drives the schedule — it's why some peptides are daily and others weekly.
See also: Cadence, DAC
High-sensitivity C-reactive protein — a blood marker of inflammation.
Why it matters: it's one of the lab values people track to gauge an anti-inflammatory effect.
See also: Biomarker, Tracking what you do
Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 — a hormone made mostly in the liver in response to growth hormone. It's the downstream signal for a lot of GH-related effects.
Why it matters: IGF-1 is a common blood test for whether GH-adjacent peptides are doing anything.
See also: IGF-1 LR3, Downstream effect
The specific condition a drug is officially approved to treat.
Why it matters: using a drug outside its indication is "off-label," which changes the evidence picture.
See also: Off-label, FDA-approved
A measure of biological activity rather than mass — used for some hormones where "how much it does" matters more than "how many milligrams."
Why it matters: IU and mg are not interchangeable; don't convert one to the other by guesswork.
See also: Syringe units, U-100
Delivered as a spray or drops into the nose, absorbed through the nasal lining. Common for Selank and Semax.
Why it matters: route changes dose and bioavailability — intranasal isn't the same as injected.
See also: Route of administration, Selank
Freeze-dried into a stable powder. Most research peptides ship lyophilized and must be reconstituted before use.
Why it matters: lyophilized powder is why you need bacteriostatic water and the whole mixing step.
See also: Reconstitution, handling guides
A signaling system involved in skin pigment, appetite, and sexual arousal. Melanotan II and PT-141 act on melanocortin receptors.
Why it matters: one system, several very different effects — which is why side effects overlap.
See also: Melanotan II, PT-141
One-thousandth of a milligram. 1 mg = 1,000 mcg.
Why it matters: mixing up mcg and mg is one of the most common — and biggest — dosing errors.
See also: Milligram, Dosage calculator
One-thousandth of a gram; the unit most vials are labeled in (e.g. a "5 mg vial").
Why it matters: vial size in mg plus your water volume gives concentration.
See also: Microgram, Concentration
Using an approved drug for a condition, dose, or group it wasn't approved for. Legal for clinicians, but the evidence bar varies.
Why it matters: a lot of peptide use is off-label — worth knowing what that does and doesn't imply.
See also: Indication, FDA-approved
A chain of signaling steps inside the body that leads from a trigger to an effect.
Why it matters: understanding the pathway explains why an effect is direct or several steps removed.
See also: Downstream effect, Receptor
The chemical link joining one amino acid to the next. Enough of them in a row make a peptide.
Why it matters: it's the literal definition of what makes a peptide a peptide.
See also: Amino acid, Peptide basics
A protein a signaling molecule docks onto to produce an effect — like a lock waiting for a key.
Why it matters: which receptor a peptide hits is the core of what it does.
See also: Agonist, Antagonist
Turning a freeze-dried peptide powder back into liquid by adding bacteriostatic water.
Why it matters: how you reconstitute sets your concentration — and every unit you draw after.
See also: Bacteriostatic water, Dosage calculator
How a substance enters the body — subcutaneous injection, intranasal, oral, topical, and so on.
Why it matters: route changes dose, bioavailability, and safety all at once.
See also: Subcutaneous, Bioavailability
The feeling of fullness. GLP-1 peptides increase satiety, which is much of how they reduce food intake.
Why it matters: "satiety" is the mechanism behind a lot of the weight-loss story.
See also: GLP-1, Semaglutide
A compound that makes a gland secrete more of its own hormone, rather than supplying the hormone directly.
Why it matters: it's why GH secretagogues are framed as working "with" your body's own output.
See also: GH secretagogue, MK-677
Into the fat layer just under the skin — the most common route for peptide injections.
Why it matters: it's the route most dose math and insulin-syringe talk assumes.
See also: Route of administration, handling guides
The markings on an insulin syringe. On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL, so 1 unit = 0.01 mL.
Why it matters: you draw to a unit line, not a milligram line — the calculator bridges the two.
See also: U-100, Dosage calculator
An enzyme that maintains the protective caps (telomeres) on chromosomes. It's central to many "longevity" claims.
Why it matters: telomerase talk drives the Epithalon hype — with evidence that's mostly preliminary.
See also: Epithalon
Applied to the skin surface — a cream, gel, or serum — rather than injected.
Why it matters: topical GHK-Cu (skincare) is a very different thing from an injected dose.
See also: GHK-Cu, Route of administration
The standard insulin syringe scale: 100 units per 1 mL. U-50 and U-30 syringes hold 50 and 30 units, with finer markings for small doses.
Why it matters: the units to draw are the same on any of them — only the barrel size and readability differ.
See also: Syringe units, Dosage calculator
Fat stored deep around the organs, as opposed to just under the skin. It's more metabolically active — and riskier.
Why it matters: tesamorelin's one approved use specifically targets visceral fat.
See also: Tesamorelin, Body composition
A deliberate break with no dosing, used to let the body return to baseline between cycles.
Why it matters: washout language is common, though optimal timing is rarely well-established.
See also: Cycle, Cadence
Education only. These definitions are here to help you read and understand — they aren't medical advice or a recommendation to use anything. Always talk to a qualified clinician about your own situation.