Happy Monday!
I got a really good question from a reader this week, and I want to open this email by reading it almost verbatim, because I know a lot of you are thinking the same thing.
“Hunter, I keep seeing people talk about stacking tesamorelin and ipamorelin together. Is that actually a good idea, or is it just overkill? Wouldn’t one growth hormone peptide be enough?”
This is one of those questions that sounds simple on the surface, but once you actually understand how growth hormone is regulated in the body, it opens up a much deeper conversation.
Because the real question isn’t “can you stack them?”
The real question is:
Do they do different things, and does stacking them respect how the body is designed to release growth hormone?
When people get into trouble with peptides, it’s usually because they’re chasing outcomes instead of physiology.
They want more GH, more fat loss, more recovery, more everything, without asking whether the signal they’re creating makes biological sense.
In this email, I want to walk you through the logic behind stacking tesamorelin and ipamorelin.
GHRH vs GHRP
To understand why stacking tesamorelin and ipamorelin works so well, you have to understand how growth hormone is released in the first place.
Growth hormone secretion is controlled by two primary signaling systems:
GHRH (Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone)
GHRP (Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide)/ Ghrelin signaling
Tesamorelin is a GHRH analog. That means it directly stimulates the pituitary to produce and release more growth hormone. Think of it as the accelerator pedal. You’re telling the pituitary, “Hey, we want a stronger GH pulse.”
Ipamorelin, on the other hand, is a GHRP. It works through the ghrelin receptor, and instead of forcing GH output, it removes inhibitory signals that normally suppress GH release. This is more like removing the parking brake.
These pathways are meant to work together.
When you only use a GHRH, you’re pushing production without fully removing inhibition.
When you only use a GHRP, you’re allowing release without maximizing production.
When you stack them, you’re doing what the body already does naturally, just more efficiently and more consistently.
Stacking
When people ask me what they can expect from stacking tesamorelin and ipamorelin, I always explain it by first looking at what happens when you use them in isolation.
Tesamorelin alone tends to shine in:
Visceral fat reduction
Metabolic health
Insulin sensitivity
IGF-1 normalization in deficient individuals
In contrast, ipamorelin alone is great for:
Sleep quality
Recovery
Mild lipolysis
GH pulsatility without cortisol or prolactin spikes
But on its own, it doesn’t always move the needle much on body composition.
Now here’s what changes when you stack them.
When used together, people consistently report:
Deeper, more restorative sleep
Faster recovery between training sessions
Lean mass preservation during fat loss
A visible reduction in waist circumference over time
Better joint, tendon, and connective tissue resilience
Importantly, this doesn’t feel stimulatory. There’s no “on edge” feeling. No wired-but-tired state. It feels supportive, which is exactly what you want from a longevity-aligned GH strategy.
Who Is a Good Candidate
The tesamorelin + ipamorelin stack is best suited for people who care about healthspan, not just short-term aesthetics.
Great candidates include:
Men and women over 35 noticing slower recovery and body recomposition resistance
Perimenopausal and menopausal women dealing with visceral fat gain
People using GLP-1s who want to protect lean mass
Athletes dealing with joint or connective tissue wear and tear
Longevity-focused individuals who want GH benefits without pharmaceutical HGH (I am a proponent of HGH therapy, but I understand it’s not for everyone)
This stack is not ideal if your primary goal is:
Extreme hypertrophy
Rapid size gain
Aggressive IGF-1 elevation
In those cases, pharmaceutical HGH makes more sense, but it also comes with trade-offs.
For most people trying to feel better, move better, recover better, and age better, this stack hits a really clean middle ground.
How I Dose It
Over time, I’ve found that a 3:1 ratio of tesamorelin to ipamorelin creates the cleanest signal with the fewest side effects.
My preferred protocol looks like this:
Tesamorelin: 600 mcg
Ipamorelin: 200 mcg
Frequency: 5 days per week
Duration: 8–12 weeks
Why this ratio?
Because tesamorelin is doing the heavy lifting on GH production, while ipamorelin is simply enhancing the release environment.
When ipamorelin is dosed too high relative to tesamorelin, people sometimes chase diminishing returns.
I prefer:
Fasted administration
Either pre-bed or post-training (if still fasted)
Avoiding food for at least 30–60 minutes afterward
This keeps the GH pulse clean and physiologic.
You don’t need more than this. More is not better here. Consistency and signal quality beat dose escalation every time.
You can also check out my peptide cheat sheet for mixing instructions here.
Final Thoughts
So let’s bring this all together.
Stacking tesamorelin and ipamorelin works because:
They activate different but complementary pathways
They preserve natural GH pulsatility
They avoid many of the downsides of HGH abuse
They support fat loss, recovery, sleep, and connective tissue health
They align with longevity rather than fighting physiology
That’s why I like this stack.
That’s why I use conservative dosing.
And that’s why I prefer an intentional ratio instead of throwing peptides together randomly.
If you want better recovery, better body composition, and better long-term outcomes without overstimulating your system, this is one of the cleanest GH tools available.
And if you’ve got more questions like this, keep sending them to my question box. These are my favorite emails to write.
Best,
Hunter Williams
P.S. You can get the Tesamorelin/Ipamorelin Blend from BioLongevity Labs for 40% off, plus an additional 15% off when you use code HUNTERW at checkout. And right now, the blend is buy 3, get 1 free! (It comes out to $49.28 per bottle when you get 4 and use the coupon code)