Does Sermorelin Increase Testosterone? What to Know

Key Takeaways:

• Sermorelin is a synthetic version of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH).

• It stimulates the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland.

• Sermorelin therapy was previously used to treat children with low growth hormone. It’s currently not FDA-approved but sometimes prescribed off-label and made by compounding pharmacies.

• Sermorelin doesn’t directly increase testosterone levels, but it might mimic some of the effects of the hormone.
  

When it comes to men’s health, you’ve likely heard a lot about testosterone, but growth hormone isn’t as well-known.

Growth hormone does what the name suggests: It stimulates the growth and repair of tissue in your body, such as bone and muscle.

Does sermorelin increase testosterone, though? Despite some internet claims that it does, there isn’t compelling evidence that the synthetic peptide boosts testosterone levels in men.

Keep reading as we dive deeper into sermorelin therapy, including what it is, what it’s used for, and its rumored effect on testosterone.

Sermorelin is a synthetic peptide. It’s designed to mimic growth hormone–releasing hormone (GHRH), a naturally occurring hormone made by your hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that regulates various bodily functions, including releasing hormones through the pituitary gland.

What Does Sermorelin Do?

Sermorelin basically tells your pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone. 

After sermorelin enters your bloodstream and eventually reaches your anterior pituitary (the front lobe of your pituitary gland), it binds to and acts like GHRH. This leads to the release of more growth hormone.

Growth hormone stimulates the release of another hormone from your liver called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). And IGF-1 stimulates tissue growth.

Sermorelin Medical Uses

Peptides that mimic GHRH are mostly used in children with growth hormone deficiency to support normal height development.

Sermorelin acetate was first produced by the biopharmaceutical company EMD Serono under the brand name Geref, but it’s no longer commercially available in the United States.

Some people are able to access an off-label sermorelin. It can be prescribed by healthcare professionals and made in compounding pharmacies.

Sermorelin is taken as a subcutaneous injection, meaning you (or a healthcare provider) inject it into the fatty tissue just under your skin.

Sermorelin doesn’t increase testosterone. Sermorelin primarily works by stimulating the body to produce more growth hormone. Growth hormone and testosterone are both anabolic hormones, meaning they’re involved in tissue growth.

Growth hormone and testosterone have similar actions but different pathways in your body. There’s no compelling evidence that taking sermorelin will directly change your testosterone levels.

It could, theoretically, help you increase testosterone if taking it helps motivate you to exercise more. But this isn’t a direct effect of the medication itself.

Increasing growth hormone through taking sermorelin may help with overall hormonal balance. This could indirectly help prevent muscle wasting and, by extension, help maintain testosterone levels and improve your body composition.

→ Related: Hormonal Balance: Why It Matters and Ways to Achieve It

Lack of Research on Sermorelin and Testosterone

Evidence that sermorelin could boost testosterone in humans is very limited and not high-quality.

In a very small study, 14 people on testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) who took sermorelin and other medications related to growth hormone had improvements in testosterone over 9 months.

There were many uncontrolled variables in the study, and the results don’t really offer any evidence that sermorelin is beneficial for improving testosterone.

→ Read next: Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Benefits, Side Effects, and More

Sermorelin acetate was FDA-approved in 1997 and sold as Geref in the U.S. It’s no longer FDA-approved. It was discontinued in 2008 due to problems with manufacturing the active ingredient, rather than safety or efficacy concerns.

When it was FDA-approved, sermorelin was used for growth hormone deficiency in children to help them achieve a normal height.

One of the most famous cases of childhood growth hormone deficiency is Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the best soccer players of all time. He reportedly underwent growth hormone treatment to help him reach a normal stature.

Sermorelin was also used in provocative tests — a type of clinical trial where participants are given a substance to provoke an expected response. In this case, they were given sermorelin to see if it would increase growth hormone levels and confirm a diagnosis of low growth hormone.

What Some Adults Use Sermorelin For

Some rejuvenation clinics use sermorelin for anti-aging, hormone optimization, and general wellness. But none of these supposed benefits of sermorelin have been proven.

Sermorelin is also sometimes abused to stimulate growth hormone production and its muscle-building potential.

Growth hormone’s ability to help you gain lean muscle mass is well-established. So some people use it to boost athletic performance or optimize their body composition.

→ Read: How to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle

Possible side effects of sermorelin include:

• Swelling in the legs, arms, and face

• Joint pain

• Nerve pain

• Insulin resistance and increased risk of diabetes

• High blood pressure (hypertension)

• Heart enlargement (cardiac hypertrophy)

• Chronic disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy)

Any time you’re injecting a medication, there’s a possibility of redness or irritation at the injection site.

Also, since sermorelin isn’t currently FDA-approved, it’s frequently traded on the black market, especially for its potential use to help with muscle growth. These illicit sources haven’t gone through rigorous quality control and could contain other ingredients that might be harmful to your body.

Trying to change your GH levels is unlikely to significantly affect your testosterone levels. A better strategy is to target testosterone directly.

If you think your testosterone levels are low, ask your healthcare provider about ways to increase your levels. Sometimes, testosterone levels can improve from lifestyle changes alone, like weight loss, healthy eating, regular exercise, or better sleep quality.

→ Learn more: How to Increase Testosterone Naturally

Medication for Low Testosterone

Lifestyle changes alone aren’t always enough to improve testosterone levels. For instance, people with medical conditions like Klinefelter syndrome may need to take medications for life.

One of the most common medical treatments is TRT. This is a type of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) where you supplement testosterone through injections, gels, creams, or patches.

TRT can help get your testosterone levels back in a normal range. This can potentially counteract some of the side effects of low testosterone, like low sex drive (libido) and fatigue.

→ Read: Normal Testosterone Levels in Men

Other Hormonal Treatments

Not everybody makes a good candidate for TRT. For example, TRT can reduce fertility and may not be appropriate for men who are planning on having children in the next few years.

In these cases, healthcare providers often recommend other hormonal treatments, like enclomiphene or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

It’s important to take any medications designed to increase your testosterone only as prescribed. Also, go to all your scheduled follow-up appointments and keep up with and lab tests your provider orders.

→ Read: Enclomiphene vs. hCG: Drug Comparison

People with low testosterone often develop signs and symptoms. These might include:

• Low energy levels or fatigue

• Reduced cognitive function

• Erectile dysfunction (ED)

• Decreased muscle mass

• Increased body fat

• Low libido

• Decreased overall quality of life

Over time, low testosterone can also cause additional problems that you can’t see, like low bone density. This could show up as reduced muscle strength.

Brand-name sermorelin is a discontinued medication in the U.S. It was originally FDA-approved to help children with low growth hormone levels achieve normal stature. Sermorelin is also sometimes abused for its potential in aiding muscle growth since it leads to the production of growth hormone.

There’s little to no evidence that sermorelin is an effective testosterone treatment for humans. If you suspect your testosterone levels might be low, reach out to a healthcare provider to get lab tests and create a treatment plan. If your testosterone levels are low, your provider might recommend TRT or other medications to help get them back to baseline.

You can start exploring your options through the Hims telehealth platform. If your testosterone levels are low, a licensed healthcare professional specializing in men’s health may prescribe TRT (if appropriate) or another treatment to help support your testosterone levels.

→ Read next: Understanding Hormonal Imbalance

Get answers to frequently asked questions about sermorelin and testosterone.

How much does sermorelin increase testosterone?

Sermorelin doesn’t directly raise testosterone production in the body. So, there’s no specific measurement or range of how much sermorelin increases testosterone. The synthetic peptide stimulates the natural production of human growth hormone (HGH). Testosterone and growth hormone have similar effects in the body.

Can sermorelin replace testosterone replacement therapy (TRT)?

No, sermorelin isn’t a replacement for testosterone replacement therapy. These treatments serve different purposes. Sermorelin stimulates natural growth hormone production, while TRT directly raises testosterone. Men with severely low testosterone might need TRT or another medical treatment to help their body produce more testosterone.

Can athletes take sermorelin?

Most professional athletes can’t take sermorelin. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) both ban sermorelin. Most professional sports are regulated by these agencies.

What are the benefits of sermorelin?

In an off-label capacity, the benefits of sermorelin might include supporting tissue growth to gain lean muscle mass and boost athletic performance. Sermorelin was FDA-approved for helping children with growth hormone deficiency achieve a normal stature, but it’s no longer FDA-approved.

→ Read next: Rex MD Review: What to Know Before Buying

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards.