Growth factor analogue

IGF-1 LR3 (1 mg vial) dosage protocol

Dosage chart, U-100 syringe units and supplies for a 1 mg vial of IGF-1 LR3 mixed with 3 mL. For the full research summary, see the IGF-1 LR3 page.

IGF-1 LR3 quick reference (1 mg vial)

Vial contents: 1 mg IGF-1 LR3
Final volume: 3 mL
Concentration: 333 mcg/mL
One U-100 unit: 3.33 mcg in 0.01 mL

IGF-1 LR3 dosage chart

Amounts as reported for this peptide, with the syringe measure for this vial. Reported use is not evidence that a schedule works or is safe, and none of this is medical advice.

Gradual, once daily

Subcutaneous injection, once a day
Community-reported

Reported in the research community. It has not been tested as a schedule in human trials. Worked out with a 1 mg vial + 3 mL bacteriostatic water (333 mcg/mL, 3.33 mcg per unit).

Amounts as reported, with the syringe or spray measure for the vial below. Not a recommendation.
Period	Amount each time	U-100 units	Volume
Weeks 1-2	20 mcg	6	0.06 mL
Weeks 3-4	40 mcg	12	0.12 mL
Week 5 on	50 mcg	15	0.15 mL

Reconstitution steps

Draw 3 mL of bacteriostatic water with a sterile syringe.
Inject it slowly down the inside wall of the vial, not onto the powder, to avoid foaming.
Swirl or roll the vial gently until the powder dissolves. Do not shake it.
Label it with the date and the volume of water, and refrigerate at 2-8 °C (36-46 °F), away from light.

Supplies needed

Minimum supplies for each length of the schedule above, with 1 mg vials and 3 mL of water per vial. One new syringe per injection (two if over 1 mL), two alcohol swabs per injection, 10 mL water bottles.

Gradual, once daily

Subcutaneous injection, once a day
Community-reported

Minimum supplies, worked out from the amounts above. Add a margin for losses.
Item	8 weeks	12 weeks	16 weeks
Injections	56	84	112
Total peptide	2.24 mg	3.64 mg	5.04 mg
IGF-1 LR3 vials (1 mg)	3	4	6
Bacteriostatic water	9 mL	12 mL	18 mL
Water bottles (10 mL)	1	2	2
U-100 insulin syringes	56	84	112
Alcohol swabs (boxes of 100)	112 (2)	168 (2)	224 (3)

Research supplier

For laboratory research use only.

Codex Research LabShips from Panama City · US domestic shipping

Peptide reconstitution

Try other volumes of water: the concentration and the units per amount change with it.

Reconstitution calculator

Arithmetic only. It assumes the vial holds exactly what the label says.

Peptide in the vial (mg)Liquid added (mL)Amount to measure (mcg)

Concentration: 333 mcg/mL
Per U-100 unit: 3.33 mcg
Volume for your amount: —

Concentration of a 1 mg vial after adding the liquid, and peptide per U-100 unit (0.01 mL).
Liquid added	Concentration	Per unit
1 mL	1,000 mcg/mL	10 mcg
2 mL	500 mcg/mL	5 mcg
3 mL	333 mcg/mL	3.33 mcg

IGF-1 LR3 vial and research context

Reconstitute: add 3 mL of bacteriostatic water for a 333 mcg/mL solution.
Amounts in the chart: 20 mcg-50 mcg each time, by subcutaneous injection, once a day.
Easy measuring: at 333 mcg/mL, one unit (0.01 mL) on a U-100 insulin syringe holds about 3.33 mcg.
Storage: freeze-dried, keep it sealed, cold and away from light (frozen for long storage). Once mixed, refrigerate at 2-8 °C and avoid freezing and thawing.

IGF-1 LR3 is a modified, longer-acting version of insulin-like growth factor 1, made for laboratory cell culture. It has never been tested in published human trials and is not FDA-approved.

IGF-1 LR3 1 mg protocol overview

Primary calculation: 1 mg made up to 3 mL equals 333 mcg/mL.
Amounts shown: 20 mcg-50 mcg per administration. Reported in the research community. It has not been tested as a schedule in human trials.
Route and frequency: subcutaneous injection, once a day.
Evidence ceiling: all 7 studies with a dose in our library were done in animals or cells; none in people.
Regulatory status: Not FDA-approved for any use. WADA: Prohibited at all times (IGF-1 and its analogues).

How to read the IGF-1 LR3 dosage chart

A 1 mg vial holds 1,000 mcg of IGF-1 LR3. Adding 3 mL gives 333 mcg/mL, so one U-100 unit (0.01 mL) holds 3.33 mcg. To get the units for an amount, divide it by 3.33 mcg. The units are a volume mark on the syringe, not a measure of potency.

20 mcg: 0.06 mL, or 6 U-100 units.
40 mcg: 0.12 mL, or 12 U-100 units.
50 mcg: 0.15 mL, or 15 U-100 units.

Vial coverage by mass: 50 full amounts of 20 mcg, 25 full amounts of 40 mcg, 20 full amounts of 50 mcg per vial, before any handling loss.

If a different volume of water is used, every unit figure changes: recalculate with the calculator above.

Human IGF-1 LR3 dosage evidence

We could not find any published study in which IGF-1 LR3 was given to people. Its effects, safe exposure and side effects in humans are unknown. Human data on natural IGF-1 or on mecasermin cannot be transferred to it, because LR3 behaves differently in the body (it escapes the binding proteins that limit IGF-1).

Every study dose, including animal and cell studies, is in the IGF-1 LR3 dose table.

IGF-1 LR3 safety, side effects and evidence limits

There are no human safety data. Everything known about its effects comes from rats, mice, pigs and cells.

Low blood sugar: in pigs it caused stronger and longer-lasting drops in blood sugar than IGF-1 (Tomas 1997). Severe low blood sugar is a listed risk even for the approved IGF-1 drug mecasermin.
Cell growth: IGF-1 is a growth signal for many cells, including some cancer cells. The long-term effects of a more potent, unregulated IGF-1 analogue are unknown.
Product quality: a doping control lab found a black market vial containing a laboratory form of Long R3 IGF-1 with a purification tag still attached, a version made for research use whose effects in people are unknown (Kohler 2010).
Injection risks: any injected product that is not sterile can cause infection or abscesses.
Sport: IGF-1 and its analogues are on the WADA prohibited list at all times.

FDA: Not FDA-approved for any use.
WADA: Prohibited at all times (IGF-1 and its analogues).
Evidence limits: reported use is not evidence that a schedule works or is safe. Animal doses do not convert to people, and research products are not made or checked for use in people.
Status checked on: Oct 26, 2026.

Questions about the IGF-1 LR3 1 mg vial

How much bacteriostatic water goes into a 1 mg IGF-1 LR3 vial?

There is no single correct volume: it only changes the concentration. For a 1 mg vial, 1 mL gives 1,000 mcg/mL, 2 mL gives 500 mcg/mL, 3 mL gives 333 mcg/mL. More water makes small amounts easier to measure; less water keeps volumes small. Whatever volume is used, write it on the label.

What does one unit on an insulin syringe mean?

On a U-100 syringe, 100 units = 1 mL, so one unit is 0.01 mL. How much peptide that holds depends on the concentration of the vial, which depends on how much water was added.

Can doses from animal studies of IGF-1 LR3 be converted to people?

No. Animal doses are reported per kilogram for a different species, and scaling them to people is not reliable. That is why Upzo shows each study dose next to its study, unconverted.

Research and education only. Not medical advice. Many peptides on this site are not approved by the FDA for human use. Doses shown are the ones used in published studies and are not a recommendation. Talk to a licensed clinician before using any of them. Read the full disclaimer.