Glossary
Intramuscular injection
Also called IM injection, IM shot, Intramuscular
A shot into muscle, such as the thigh, shoulder or glute. It needs a longer needle than a subcutaneous shot and is less common for peptides.
In more detail
Muscle has a richer blood supply than fat, so many drugs are absorbed faster from an intramuscular shot. That route is standard for many vaccines and some hormones.
Most peptide protocols on this site are written for subcutaneous use. Some community protocols mention intramuscular shots near an injured area, but that practice rests on anecdote, not trials. Insulin injection recommendations go the other way and try hard to avoid accidental intramuscular shots, which is one reason they favor short needles.
Why it matters
The route changes how fast a dose hits and what needle you need. Use the route the protocol was written for.
Related terms
- Subcutaneous injectionA shot into the fat layer just under the skin. It is the route most injectable peptides use, usually with a short, fine insulin needle.
- Needle gaugeA number for needle thickness. Higher gauge means a thinner needle: a 31G needle is finer than a 29G.
- Sterile techniqueThe set of habits that keep germs out of a vial, syringe and injection site: clean hands, swabbed stoppers and skin, new needles, and never touching anything that should stay sterile.
Peptides where this comes up
Sources
Each source is labeled by where the information comes from. How we label sources
- Reference workIntramuscular injection(opens in a new tab)
Wikipedia · checked
- Reference workFrid AH et al. 2016, New insulin delivery recommendations (FITTER), Mayo Clin Proc(opens in a new tab)
PubMed · checked
Updated