How much water do I add to a 5 mg MGF vial?

There is no single correct amount: water changes how many units a dose is, not how many doses the vial holds. With 1 mL the vial is 5 mg/mL and 250 mcg is 5 units (0.05 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. The units table gives 1, 2, 5 mL.

How many doses are in a 5 mg MGF vial?

50 doses at 100 mcg, 20 doses at 250 mcg, 12 doses at 400 mcg.

How long does a 5 mg MGF vial last?

At 250 mcg a dose and Immediately post-workout, about 6.7-10 weeks. How long a mixed vial keeps is a separate limit; see storage below.

How many 5 mg vials do I need for a cycle?

1 vial at 100 mcg 2 times a week for 4 weeks; 2 vials at 400 mcg 3 times a week for 8 weeks.

What does 1 unit equal in a 5 mg MGF vial?

50 mcg with 1 mL, 25 mcg with 2 mL, 10 mcg with 5 mL of bacteriostatic water, on a U-100 syringe.

Research use only · common protocol

MGF 5 mg vial dosage

A 5 mg MGF vial mixed with 1 mL of bacteriostatic water gives 5 mg/mL, so 250 mcg is 5 units (0.05 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. At 250 mcg a dose, one vial holds 20 doses.

Email me this plan, with a reminder before the vial's 28-day mark →

The common MGF protocol is 100-400 mcg, Immediately post-workout, 2-3 times a week (training days only) - common practice, not a dose established in trials. Evidence, side effects and legal status are on the full MGF dosing page.

MGF 5 mg vial at a glance

Vial: 5 mg of MGF per vial
Common dose: 100-400 mcg
How often: Immediately post-workout, 2-3 times a week (training days only)
Mixing example: 1 mL bacteriostatic water = 5 mg/mL; 1 unit = 50 mcg
Doses per vial: 50 at 100 mcg · 20 at 250 mcg · 12 at 400 mcg
Cycle: 4-8 weeks

What MGF is

Class:: Synthetic peptide corresponding to a splice variant of the IGF-1 gene, without the PEGylation used in the related product PEG-MGF
Also called:: Mechano Growth Factor, IGF-1Ec, Non-pegylated MGF
Used for:: Marketed to consumers as a peptide injected directly into a trained muscle immediately after exercise, for local muscle repair and growth. No completed human trial has tested it for this or any outcome.
Human evidence:: Animal / lab only. The evidence base is animal and cell-culture research into a natural splice variant of IGF-1, not a human trial of the synthetic peptide sold as MGF. The cell findings conflict: early work reported that the MGF E peptide boosted muscle precursor cell growth (Yang 2002; Kandalla 2011), but an independent two-company attempt found no effect on myoblasts or muscle stem cells (Fornaro 2014). Animal work includes heart-attack models in sheep (Carpenter 2008). No completed human trial has tested injected MGF for muscle growth, recovery or any outcome. That places it at "preclinical" - the same tier as PEG-MGF, its longer-acting relative.
Half-life:: Described by vendor and community sources as on the order of minutes, unlike the PEGylated version; no published human pharmacokinetic study establishing a figure was located.
US status:: Research use only. Not an FDA-approved drug. Sold to consumers as an unverified research chemical, typically labelled not for human use. PEG-MGF was nominated to FDA's list of bulk drug substances that may present significant safety risks for compounding, over a possible immunogenicity risk by certain routes of administration, but that nomination was later withdrawn rather than finalized - so it is not currently on the active restricted list. WADA's Prohibited List names "Mechano growth factors (MGFs)" explicitly under section S2.3, Growth Factors and Growth Factor Modulators, prohibited at all times - the same listing that covers PEG-MGF.

The full picture, with every study: MGF guide.

Units per dose: MGF 5 mg vial

Water added	Concentration	1 unit =	100 mcg	250 mcg	400 mcg
1 mL	5 mg/mL	50 mcg	2 units	5 units	8 units
2 mL	2.5 mg/mL	25 mcg	4 units	10 units	16 units
5 mL	1 mg/mL	10 mcg	10 units	25 units	40 units

U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL), to the nearest half unit. Water volumes are examples. Other numbers: dosage calculator.

Every dose from 100 mcg to 400 mcg, in units

With 1 mL of water in a 5 mg vial (5 mg/mL). Every dose across the common range, so you can read off any dose. The sources give a range, not a week-by-week schedule.

Dose	Draw on a U-100 syringe	Volume	Doses per vial
100 mcg	2 units	0.02 mL	50
150 mcg	3 units	0.03 mL	33
200 mcg	4 units	0.04 mL	25
250 mcg	5 units	0.05 mL	20
300 mcg	6 units	0.06 mL	16
350 mcg	7 units	0.07 mL	14
400 mcg	8 units	0.08 mL	12

How many doses a 5 mg vial holds

Dose	Doses per vial	Weeks per vial
100 mcg	50	16.7-25
250 mcg	20	6.7-10
400 mcg	12	4-6

Weeks per vial at the common frequency (Immediately post-workout, 2-3 times a week (training days only)). Doses per vial do not depend on how much water you add.

Email me my MGF 5 mg vial plan

Pick your water volume and dose and I will email you the numbers for this vial - units, volume, doses per vial and how long it lasts - plus the mixing and storage steps, and a reminder before the mixed vial reaches 28 days.

The common MGF protocol

Dose	100-400 mcg per injection
How often	Immediately post-workout, 2-3 times a week (training days only)
Timing	Injected directly into or near the trained muscle within minutes of finishing a workout, because sources describe unmodified MGF as cleared within minutes.
Route	Intramuscular injection
Cycle	4-8 weeks
Break	No break length is stated consistently by the sources
Often paired with	PEG-MGF, CJC-1295
Sources agree?	Partly - the sources differ, and the ranges above cover them

Common practice from the vendors and clinics that publish it, not a dose tested in trials. Where it comes from: [1], [2]. I do not give week-by-week titration: none of these sources states one.

Supplies for one cycle with 5 mg vials

Counted for the low and high ends of the common protocol, mixing each vial with 1 mL of water. One new syringe per injection.

Plan	Injections	5 mg vials	Insulin syringes	Bacteriostatic water
100 mcg, 2×/week, 4 weeks	8	1	8	1 mL (1 × 10 mL bottle)
400 mcg, 3×/week, 8 weeks	24	2	24	2 mL (1 × 10 mL bottle)

Arithmetic on the protocol and this vial size. An opened multi-dose vial has a use-by date (see storage), which on a slow schedule can matter more than the dose count. Plan your own numbers with the protocol builder.

How to mix a 5 mg MGF vial

For this vial: 1 mL of bacteriostatic water makes 5 mg/mL, so 250 mcg is 5 units (0.05 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. Pick a different volume from the units table if you want bigger or smaller draws; the number of doses stays the same.

Wipe the rubber stoppers of both the peptide vial and the bacteriostatic water vial with an alcohol swab and let the alcohol dry. ^[3][4]
With a new sterile needle and syringe, draw up the amount of bacteriostatic water you have chosen for the dilution. ^[3][4][5]
Inject the water into the peptide vial by aiming the stream against the inside glass wall, which helps prevent foaming. ^[6]
Swirl or roll the vial gently until the powder has fully dissolved; do not shake it. Do not inject the solution if it is cloudy or has particles in it. ^[3][4][6]
Label the vial with the date and time it was mixed, the amount of water added and how long it can be used after mixing. ^[3]
Store the mixed vial in the refrigerator at 2-8°C (36-46°F) and do not freeze it. ^[6]

Step by step with pictures: how to reconstitute peptides. About the water itself: bacteriostatic water.

Storing MGF vials

Freeze-dried (lyophilized) peptide keeps far longer than peptide in solution; peptide suppliers advise storing the powder at -20°C away from bright light. ^[7]
Protect peptide vials from heat and light. ^[7][8]
Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles; a prescription peptide label also says not to freeze a vial once it has been mixed. ^[6][7]
Once a multi-dose vial, such as bacteriostatic water, has been opened (needle-punctured), date it and discard it within 28 days unless its manufacturer states another date. ^[9][10]

More detail: peptide storage and shelf life.

Injecting safely

The common MGF protocol is an intramuscular injection, so the subcutaneous technique used for most peptides does not apply here; see the full MGF dosing page.

Hygiene and warning signs

Use a new sterile needle and syringe for every injection and every time you enter a vial; never reuse them. ^[5][9][11]
Never share needles, syringes or pens with anyone, even if the needle is changed; unsafe injection practices spread hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. ^[5][8][9]
Put used needles and syringes in a sharps disposal container straight away (FDA-cleared if possible), never loose in the trash, recycling or toilet, and dispose of the container following your community's guidelines. ^[12][13]
Contact a health care provider if the injection site shows signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, red streaks or a fever. ^[11]

How MGF works

Mechano growth factor (MGF) comes from a splice variant of the IGF-1 gene, called IGF-1Ec in humans (IGF-1Eb in rodents). An extra 49-base stretch in the human gene shifts the reading frame, giving the protein a distinct E domain. ^[14]
The peptide studied as MGF is the 24-amino-acid piece at the C-terminal end of this unprocessed IGF-1 form, which is cut away from the 70-amino-acid mature IGF-1. ^[15]
In a 2002 cell study, the MGF E domain increased myoblast multiplication and held back their maturation. Blocking the IGF-1 receptor did not stop this, suggesting it acts through a different receptor. ^[16]

What the MGF research found

Human evidence: animal / lab only. Each result says what was studied.

Human studyIn a 2003 study of 8 young (25-36) and 7 older (70-82) people, heavy knee-extensor exercise raised MGF messenger RNA in the thigh muscle of the young group but not the older group. This measured the body's own MGF, not an injected peptide. ^[17]
Lab studyIn cultured human muscle cells, the 24-amino-acid MGF E peptide extended the proliferative life span and delayed senescence of satellite cells from newborn and young adult muscle, but not from older adult muscle. ^[14]
Lab studyA null result: researchers at two pharmaceutical companies could not reproduce MGF's reported effects. Concentrations up to 500 ng/mL did not increase multiplication of mouse or human myoblasts, did not slow their maturation, and had no effect on mouse muscle stem cells. ^[15]
Animal studyIn sheep with an induced heart attack, treatment with the MGF E domain preserved heart function, with 35% less compromised heart muscle than controls after 8 days. ^[18]
Lab studyMGF peptide released from injectable microrods for 2 weeks increased migration of human stem cells and reduced oxygen-starvation cell death in rat heart muscle cells in culture. ^[19]

MGF side effects and risks

No study has given synthetic MGF peptide to people, so there is no published human safety data, and the animal and cell studies I read did not report adverse effects.

No completed human trial has tested MGF for muscle growth, recovery or any other outcome it is marketed for. The one human study usually cited (Hameed 2003) measured the MGF gene switched on by exercise in people's own thigh muscle; nobody was injected with anything.
Described as clearing within minutes without PEGylation, which is the reason vendors developed and sell the separate, longer-acting PEG-MGF product instead.
Sold as an unregulated research chemical: no verified purity, content or sterility.
Targets the same IGF-1 signalling pathway as PEG-MGF, carrying the same class-level, unstudied-in-humans concern around insulin sensitivity and growth signalling.
FDA's own review of a nomination for PEG-MGF flagged a possible immunogenicity risk by certain routes of administration, before that nomination was withdrawn rather than finalized.
Prohibited at all times in sport under the WADA Prohibited List, S2.3 (Mechano growth factors).

Reported side effects and what the studies measured: MGF side effects.

Where this vial size comes from

MGF is sold as a 5 mg vial by the pages below, each checked on the date shown. I list them as evidence that this size exists, not as a recommendation to buy from them.

Pure Lab PeptidesvendorLists it as: "Mechano growth factor (MGF) 5mg" · checked 2026-09-28
Biotech PeptidesvendorLists it as: "MGF (Mechano-Growth Factor) (5mg)" · checked 2026-09-28

The doses come from the sourced common protocol on the MGF dosing page, and every number on this page is arithmetic on those doses and this vial size.

Other MGF vial sizes

2 mg vial
5 mg

Where to buy MGF for research

Sold for research use only. Listed by Next Level Pharm; compare them on my vendors page or see the listing on the MGF page.

Questions

How much water do I add to a 5 mg MGF vial?: There is no single correct amount: water changes how many units a dose is, not how many doses the vial holds. With 1 mL the vial is 5 mg/mL and 250 mcg is 5 units (0.05 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe. The units table gives 1, 2, 5 mL.
How many doses are in a 5 mg MGF vial?: 50 doses at 100 mcg, 20 doses at 250 mcg, 12 doses at 400 mcg.
How long does a 5 mg MGF vial last?: At 250 mcg a dose and Immediately post-workout, about 6.7-10 weeks. How long a mixed vial keeps is a separate limit; see storage below.
How many 5 mg vials do I need for a cycle?: 1 vial at 100 mcg 2 times a week for 4 weeks; 2 vials at 400 mcg 3 times a week for 8 weeks.
What does 1 unit equal in a 5 mg MGF vial?: 50 mcg with 1 mL, 25 mcg with 2 mL, 10 mcg with 5 mL of bacteriostatic water, on a U-100 syringe.

References (19 sources)

[1] Peptide Mind: 100-400 mcg per administration, featured protocol 300 mcg twice weekly (Mon/Thu) post-exercise, subcutaneous (abdomen/thigh) or intramuscular into trained muscle, 4-8 week cycles then an off period (other, checked 2026-09-28)
[2] Peptide Patterns: 100-200 mcg intramuscular into target muscle immediately post-workout (400 mcg-1.2 mg weekly total across sites), 4-6 week cycles, must be used immediately after reconstitution (other, checked 2026-09-28)
[3] OpenStax, Rice University: 12.3 Preparing Unit-Dose Packaged Medications - Clinical Nursing Skills
[4] East Carolina University College of Nursing: Reconstitution of Medication
[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Considerations for Blood Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Administration
[6] DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: SEROSTIM (somatropin) for injection - prescribing information and instructions for use
[7] GenScript: Peptide Storage and Handling Guidelines
[8] DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection - prescribing information
[9] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Preventing Unsafe Injection Practices
[10] Pfizer: Bacteriostatic Water for Injection, USP - prescribing information
[11] MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine: Subcutaneous (SQ) injections
[12] US Food and Drug Administration: Best Way to Get Rid of Used Needles and Other Sharps
[13] US Food and Drug Administration: DOs and DON'Ts of Proper Sharps Disposal
[14] Kandalla PK, Goldspink G, Butler-Browne G et al. Mechano Growth Factor E peptide (MGF-E), derived from an isoform of IGF-1, activates human muscle progenitor cells and induces an increase in their fusion potential at different ages. Mech Ageing Dev. 2011;132(4):154-62.
[15] Fornaro M, Hinken AC, Needle S et al. Mechano-growth factor peptide, the COOH terminus of unprocessed insulin-like growth factor 1, has no apparent effect on myoblasts or primary muscle stem cells. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2014;306(2):E150-6.
[16] Yang SY, Goldspink G. Different roles of the IGF-I Ec peptide (MGF) and mature IGF-I in myoblast proliferation and differentiation. FEBS Lett. 2002;522(1-3):156-60.
[17] Hameed M, Orrell RW, Cobbold M et al. Expression of IGF-I splice variants in young and old human skeletal muscle after high resistance exercise. J Physiol. 2003;547(Pt 1):247-54.
[18] Carpenter V, Matthews K, Devlin G et al. Mechano-growth factor reduces loss of cardiac function in acute myocardial infarction. Heart Lung Circ. 2008;17(1):33-9.
[19] Doroudian G, Pinney J, Ayala P et al. Sustained delivery of MGF peptide from microrods attracts stem cells and reduces apoptosis of myocytes. Biomed Microdevices. 2014;16(5):705-15.