The use of deer antler velvet extract with IGF-1 represents a new approach to boosting muscle strength and creating a strong, lean physique.
While there is no substitute for time spent exercising in the gym, the smart use of supplements which promote muscle growth can maximize the work you’re putting in at the squat rack.
IGF-1 on its own requires a prescription, but it can be legally supplemented through deer antler velvet extracts, a fully natural source of the same growth factor found in human blood.
The following is a complete summary of how this supplement works and what kinds of benefits you can expect if you use it.



- Source of IGF-1 for Muscle Growth
- Supports joint health & functionality
- May aid sexual function & anti-aging
How IGF-1 Naturally Works
Related Topics
IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1) is a natural hormone which is comprised of 70 amino acids.
After IGF is processed by the liver, it starts to generate powerful growth results at the cellular level. Binding with special IGF receptors, it exerts anabolic properties, promoting the action of Growth Hormone and transforming tissue into new muscle.
Small tears in muscle which are created by lifting weights or heavy exercise are repaired by IGF, growing larger and more complex as a result. For a more detailed info about IGF-1 claims, click here.
Why IGF-1 Supplements are often Ineffective:
The problem with supplementing IGF-1 is its low bioavailability. IGF cannot simply be ingested in pill form, as stomach acids destroy the sensitive hormone.
In order to deliver this drug to the blood, it normally must be injected intra-muscularly, at the site of desired muscle growth. In addition to requiring a prescription, this compound would need to be injected, several times a week, at various places on the body.
Deer antler velvet extract with IGF-1 in spray form is the only known way of supplementing IGF without injection.
Deer Antler Velvet Extract with IGF-1 Benefits
Deer antler velvet extracts have been used historically for a broad assortment of health benefits. The extract is said to improve kidney function, lower cholesterol, reduce high blood pressure, improve various skin conditions, and promote an overall sense of vitality and energy throughout the body.
However, there are two key benefits which have been noted historically which are predominantly sought after today with use of the supplement. They are as follows:
Deer antler velvet and bodybuilding – The supplement is most widely used in the U.S. as an aid for fitness, weight loss, and muscle gain. It is a popular alternative in gyms to illegal and dangerous anabolic steroids, which present very severe side effects risks such as shrinkage of tested and tumor growth.
Deer antler velvet with IGF-1 is legal to use and has been noted to produce visible muscle gains within a few weeks of starting daily use. It is not connected to the side effects found with steroid use.
Deer antler velvet and sexual health – One of the original uses of deer antler velvet in Chinese medicine was as a cure for impotence. Today, we understand that deer antler extract’s effects upon the contractile protein myosin can improve sexual stamina and sensitivity dramatically.
This effect combines with deer antler’s known effect upon endurance and muscle strength to make it a powerful sexual health supplement. Check out our article on the supplement’s impact upon sexual fitness.
Is Deer Antler Velvet Extract with IGF-1 Safe?
Safety concerns about deer antler velvet supplements largely relate to an overloading of the hormone estrogen. While deer antler is powered by IGF-1, which is not the same as estrogen, it can activate estrogen receptors to produce similar effects.
If too much IGF-1 is taken, this could potentially lead to estrogen-related side effects.
These might present in men as development of female secondary sexual characteristics (a phenomenon which is somewhat common with steroid use), and in women as reproductive cancers of the uterus and ovaries.
It is highly debatable whether deer antler velvet extract with IGF-1 supplies enough of the hormone to generate any negative effects at all. So far, studies like one conducted at the NYU Langone Medical Center have not found sufficient evidence to connect deer antler extracts to these effects. For a full review of the NYU findings, click here.
As a general supplement for muscle growth, deer antler velvet extract with IGF-1 is a legal, effective alternative to anabolic steroids. There is some debate over the amount of IGF-1 which can be delivered via this method, however spray forms seem to be an effective way to supplement.
The compound is also widely understood to be a sexual health enhancer. We often see the extract paired with additional herbs which amplify this effect. Both uses appear to be a safe and side-effect free way to improve physical wellness as opposed to buying IGF-1.
- Chen FB, Yin JY, Liu JY, Yang YX, Sun DD, Liu JH. [Preparation and Determination of Insulin-like Growth Factor I in Deer Antler, Heart and Blood]. Zhong Yao Cai. 2014
- Lin DY, Huang XN, Ke LJ, Chen XC, Ye XY, Huo YS, Rao PF. [Purification and characterization of the proliferation of rat osteoblast-like cells UMR-106 from pilose antler]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2005
- Wang BX, Zhao XH, Qi SB, Kaneko S, Hattori M, Namba T, Nomura Y. Effects of repeated administration of deer antler extract on biochemical changes related to aging in senescence-accelerated mice. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1988
- Kuo CY, Wang T, Dai TY, Wang CH, Chen KN, Chen YP, Chen MJ. Effect of the Velvet Antler of Formosan Sambar Deer (Cervus unicolor swinhoei) on the Prevention of an Allergic Airway Response in Mice. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012
- Aleksandrov VV, Bidenko IA, Maslov DG. [Health improving and rehabilitation techniques of using a water extract preparations made of deer antlers in chronic prostatitis]. Vopr Kurortol Fizioter Lech Fiz Kult. 2004
- Jang S, Park ED, Suh HJ, Lee SH, Kim JS, Park Y. Enhancement of exercise endurance capacity by fermented deer antler in BALB/c mice. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2014
- Kim JH, Yang YI, Ahn JH, Lee JG, Lee KT, Choi JH. Deer (Cervus elaphus) antler extract suppresses adhesion and migration of endometriotic cells and regulates MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. J Ethnopharmacol. 2012
- Sui Z, Zhang L, Huo Y, Zhang Y. Bioactive components of velvet antlers and their pharmacological properties. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2014
- Shi B, Li G, Wang P, Yin W, Sun G, Wu Q, Yu G. Effect of antler extract on corticosteroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010
Article last updated on: April 29th, 2018 by Nootriment