Peptide cycling and rest periods

A cycle is a set stretch on a compound followed by a planned break, written like "8 to 12 weeks on, 4 weeks off". The idea comes from bodybuilding and peptide forums. Guides give three reasons for it: to avoid tolerance (mostly argued for growth hormone secretagogues), to check results against a baseline, and to limit long-term exposure to compounds with little human safety data.

Almost all cycle lengths for research peptides are conventions from guides and forums. They are not trial results. The tables below show what our compound pages record, with the origin of each figure.

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are approved for long-term use. Their labels have no off cycle. Trials that stopped them show why:

• STEP 1 extension: one year after stopping semaglutide 2.4 mg, participants regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost.
• SURMOUNT-4: after a 36-week lead-in on tirzepatide, people switched to placebo regained substantial weight, while those who stayed on it kept losing.

Community members do talk about tapering to a lower maintenance dose or spacing doses out. That is a community practice, and there is no trial behind a specific taper schedule.

1. Decide the length of the run and the break before you start, and write both down.
2. Use the compound's half-life to judge how long it takes to clear. Long-acting compounds keep working for a while after the last shot.
3. Do not switch straight to a similar compound if you want a clean baseline. That is what a washout is for.
4. Coming back after a break, guides restart at the usual dose rather than the last one.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

5-Amino-1MQ

• Oral, standard start (competitor guides). Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Oral, higher dose (competitor guides). Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Oral, higher dose (community). Run: 10 to 12 weeks. Community-reported.
• Subcutaneous, guide default (competitor guides). Run: About 10 to 20 days per 50 mg vial; no set cycle. Competitor guide.

AOD-9604

• Weight loss, phase 2b oral trial (METAOD006). Run: 24 weeks. Clinical study.
• Weight loss, phase 2a oral trial (METAOD005). Run: 12 weeks. Clinical study.
• Fat loss, most common start (dosing guides and community). Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Community-reported.
• Fat loss, 300 to 500 mcg ramp (dosing guides). Run: 12 weeks (8 to 16 discussed). Competitor guide.

Cagrilintide

• Weight loss, phase 2 monotherapy dose-finding (clinical trial). Run: 26 weeks, continuous. Clinical study.
• Weight loss with semaglutide 2.4 mg, phase 1b dose-ranging (clinical trial). Run: 20 weeks (16 escalating plus 4 at target). Clinical study.
• Weight loss, CagriSema (REDEFINE 1 and 2 phase 3 target dose). Run: 68 weeks, continuous. Clinical study.
• Retatrutide stack, separate vials (dosing guide). Run: 16 to 24 weeks on (a community pattern; no validated cycle exists). Break: 4 to 8 weeks. Competitor guide.

MOTS-c

• Standard intermittent. Run: 4 to 8 weeks. Break: 4 to 8 weeks off, matched to the run: 4 on and 4 off, 6 on and 4 to 6 off, or 8 on and 6 to 8. Competitor guide.
• Higher tier. Run: 6 to 8 weeks. Break: 4 to 8 weeks off, matched to the run: 4 on and 4 off, 6 on and 4 to 6 off, or 8 on and 6 to 8. Competitor guide.
• Slow start, then twice weekly. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Performance, pre-training. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Competitor guide.

Retatrutide

• Weight loss, phase 3 trial schedule (TRIUMPH). Run: 80 weeks in the trial. Clinical study.
• Weight loss, phase 2 trial (48 weeks). Run: 48 weeks. Clinical study.
• Type 2 diabetes, phase 1b trial (12 weeks). Run: 12 weeks. Clinical study.

Semaglutide

• Type 2 diabetes, FDA label titration (Ozempic injection). Run: Long term; the label has no off cycle. Regulatory.
• Weight loss, FDA label titration (Wegovy injection). Run: Long term; the label has no off cycle. Regulatory.
• Weight loss with cagrilintide, REDEFINE 1 trial dose (CagriSema). Run: 68 weeks in REDEFINE 1. Clinical study.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

BPC-157

• Starter. Run: 2 weeks, then step up to the standard plan. Competitor guide.
• Standard (most cited). Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Acute injury. Run: 2 to 4 weeks, then drop to the standard plan. Competitor guide.
• Titration. Run: 8 to 12 weeks, some run to 16. Competitor guide.

BPC-157 + TB-500 blend

• Conservative (premixed blend). Run: 2 weeks, then step up. Competitor guide.
• Standard (premixed blend, most common). Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Acute injury (premixed blend). Run: 2 to 3 weeks, then the standard dose. Competitor guide.
• Titration (premixed blend). Run: 8 weeks. Competitor guide.

GHK-Cu

• Titration. Run: 12 weeks or more. Competitor guide.
• Three times a week. Run: 12 weeks or more. Competitor guide.
• Starter. Run: 4 weeks, then reassess. Competitor guide.
• Standard. Run: 4 weeks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.

GLOW

• Starter tier. Run: 1 week. Competitor guide.
• Standard tier. Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Break: 2 to 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Recovery tier. Run: 6 to 8 weeks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Three times a week, skin. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Competitor guide.

KLOW

• Titration ladder. Run: 12 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Starter tier. Run: 2 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Standard tier. Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Break: 2 to 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Recovery tier. Run: 6 to 8 weeks at most. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.

KPV

• Titration. Run: 8 to 12 weeks, up to 16. Competitor guide.
• Conservative. Run: 2 weeks, then reassess. Competitor guide.
• Standard. Run: 4 weeks, then reassess. Competitor guide.
• Flare. Run: 2 to 4 weeks at most. Competitor guide.

TB-500

• Loading phase (standard). Run: 4 to 6 weeks, then maintenance. Competitor guide.
• Maintenance phase. Run: 4 to 8 weeks after loading. Break: 2 to 8 weeks off, depending on the guide. Competitor guide.
• Loading by experience tier. Run: 4 weeks, then 2 to 2.5 mg weekly. Break: 2 to 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Higher loading. Run: 4 to 8 weeks. Competitor guide.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

CJC-1295

• With DAC: forum convention. Run: 8 to 12 or 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Community-reported.
• With DAC: IGF-1 guided. Run: 12-week block. Break: 4-week break if IGF-1 is upper-normal. Competitor guide.
• Without DAC: forum convention. Run: 8 to 12 or 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Community-reported.
• Without DAC: three pulses a day. Run: 8 to 12 weeks on, or 5 nights a week for 8 weeks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.

CJC-1295 (no DAC) + Ipamorelin

• Forum convention (CJC amount; ipamorelin paired). Run: 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Community-reported.
• Stack guide range (amount is per peptide). Run: 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 to 8 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Three times a day (amount is per peptide). Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Conservative cycle (amount is per peptide). Run: 8 to 16 weeks. Break: 4-week breaks for long-term use. Competitor guide.

GHRP-2 and GHRP-6

• GHRP-2: forum convention. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Community-reported.
• GHRP-6: forum convention. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Community-reported.
• Standard shot (either peptide). Run: 12 to 16 weeks to judge; 5 on, 2 off for long-term use. Competitor guide.
• 5 days a week (either peptide). Run: 4 to 8 weeks. Break: 2 to 4 weeks. Competitor guide.

IGF-1 LR3

• Forum convention. Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Break: Equal time. Community-reported.
• With a meal. Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Break: Equal time. Competitor guide.
• Beginner. Run: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Standard. Run: 4 to 6 weeks at most. Competitor guide.

Ipamorelin

• Beginner. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Standard. Run: 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Forum convention. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Break: 4 to 6 weeks. Community-reported.
• Standalone start. Run: 8 weeks on is the conservative default; 8 to 16 weeks or long-term with breaks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.

Sermorelin

• Standard nightly. Run: 12 to 16 weeks minimum to judge; 4 to 6 months continuous also described. Competitor guide.
• 12-week arc with IGF-1 check. Run: 12 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Stacked with ipamorelin. Run: 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 to 8 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Performance block. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Break: 4-week washout. Competitor guide.

Tesamorelin

• Phase 3 trials (original Egrifta). Run: 26 weeks, with a 26-week extension. Clinical study.
• Forum convention. Run: 8 to 12 weeks. Community-reported.
• Tolerance-check start. Run: 12 to 16 weeks. Break: 4 or more weeks. Competitor guide.
• Morning protocol. Run: 3 to 6 months. Competitor guide.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

Epitalon

• Standard 20-day course (community convention). Run: 20 days. Break: 4 to 6 months between courses, 1 to 3 courses a year. Competitor guide.
• Condensed 10-day course (community convention). Run: 10 days. Break: 4 to 6 months between courses, 1 to 3 courses a year. Competitor guide.
• "Russian" 10-day course. Run: 10 days (100 mg a course). Break: Up to 2 courses a year, at least 4 months apart. Competitor guide.
• "Ukrainian" every-fourth-day course. Run: 17 days. Break: Up to 2 courses a year, at least 4 months apart. Competitor guide.

NAD+

• Starter (subQ). Run: 2 weeks, then move to the standard plan. Competitor guide.
• Standard (subQ, where most home plans land). Run: 8 to 12 weeks, then a break. Competitor guide.
• Daily ramp over 16 weeks (subQ). Run: 16 weeks. Competitor guide.
• IV weekly series (clinic). Run: 4 weekly infusions, then monthly maintenance. Competitor guide.

SS-31

• Barth syndrome (FDA label). Run: Continuous; the label does not cycle it. Regulatory.
• Barth syndrome trial (TAZPOWER). Run: Two 12-week crossover periods with a 4-week washout, then an open-label extension with data to week 168. Clinical study.
• Mitochondrial myopathy trial (MMPOWER-2). Run: 4 weeks, crossover with a 4-week washout. Clinical study.
• Mitochondrial myopathy trial (MMPOWER-3). Run: 24 weeks. Clinical study.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

Adamax

• Focus, 8-week subcutaneous ladder (competitor guide). Run: 8 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Extended subcutaneous ladder with equal time off (competitor guide). Run: 8 to 12 weeks, optionally 16. Break: Equal time off to the cycle length (unsourced). Competitor guide.
• Most common self-reported subcutaneous dose (community). Run: 2 to 4 weeks. Community-reported.

Selank

• Anxiety, Russian label course (nasal drops). Run: 14 days. Break: 1 to 3 weeks before a repeat course, if a doctor advises it; one guide says 1 month. Competitor guide.
• Anxiety trial dose (daily total). Run: Up to 21 days, per one guide's account of the trial work. Clinical study.
• Intranasal range (daily total, guide). Run: 14 to 21 days. Break: 1 to 3 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Subcutaneous, once daily (guide). Run: 4 weeks. Break: 4 weeks. Competitor guide.

Semax

• Mental fatigue and adaptation, Russian label (0.1%). Run: 3 to 5 days, repeated if needed. Regulatory.
• Memory and attention with vascular brain disease, Russian label (0.1%). Run: 10 to 14 days. Regulatory.
• After brain injury, neurosurgery or anesthesia, Russian label (0.1%). Run: 3 to 5 days, up to 14 days. Regulatory.
• Optic nerve disease, Russian label (0.1%, daily total). Run: 10 days. Regulatory.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

PT-141

• Daily step-up protocol (guide outlier). Run: 16 weeks. Competitor guide.

What our compound pages record for how long people run each compound and how long they break. Trial entries show how long the trial ran, which is not a recommended cycle.

DSIP

• Sleep, beginner tier (guide). Run: 2 weeks on, or 2 to 4 weeks then reassess. Break: 2 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Sleep, standard tier (guide). Run: 3 to 4 weeks. Break: 2 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Sleep, enhanced tier (guide). Run: 4 to 6 weeks. Break: 2 to 3 weeks. Competitor guide.
• Sleep, weekly step-up ladder (guide). Run: 8 or 12 weeks, sized to one vial. Competitor guide.