Glossary
Cycle
Also called Peptide cycle, On cycle, Cycling, On/off cycle
A set period of taking a compound, usually followed by a planned break. A protocol might say 8 to 12 weeks on, 4 weeks off.
In more detail
Cycling is a convention from bodybuilding and peptide forums. The usual reasons given are to avoid tolerance (for growth hormone secretagogues in particular), to judge results against a baseline, and to limit long-term exposure to compounds with little human data.
The approved GLP-1 drugs are not cycled on label. They are prescribed long term, and trials that stopped them saw much of the lost weight return.
Why it matters
Cycle lengths for research peptides are mostly community and guide conventions, not trial results. Our Peptide cycling and rest periods guide shows the figures we have and where each one came from.
Related terms
- WashoutTime off a compound so it clears the body before you start something else or measure your baseline. In trials it separates one treatment from the next.
- Loading doseA higher dose at the start of a course to reach a working level faster, followed by a lower maintenance dose.
- TitrationStarting at a low dose and raising it in steps over weeks, so the body adapts and side effects stay manageable.
- SecretagogueAnything that makes a gland secrete a hormone. In peptide talk it almost always means a growth hormone secretagogue: a compound that prompts your own pituitary to release growth hormone.
Peptides where this comes up
Sources
Each source is labeled by where the information comes from. How we label sources
- Competitor guidePeptide cycling guide: when to take breaks(opens in a new tab)
peptiq.io · checked
- Clinical studyWilding JPH et al. 2022, Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: the STEP 1 trial extension, Diabetes Obes Metab(opens in a new tab)
PubMed · checked
Updated