Is chiseling a ripped body as easy as taking a few drops of IGF-1 spray every day? Bodybuilding magazines and websites are full of ads which promote one hyped product after another promising instant muscle gains in the gym.
The truth is, no product is a substitute for the food you eat and the work you put in at the gym or sport of your choice. However, the body’s own natural resource for building muscle and repairing injury, growth factor, can be harnessed to improve performance and speed up athletic gains.
Formerly only available as a prescription injectable medicine, IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor) can now be effectively taken as an oral spray known as deer antler extract. The following is a quick guide for how and why to use this natural muscle-builder.



- Involved in muscle protein synthesis
- Supports joint health & functionality
- May aid sexual function & anti-aging
How Muscles Grow
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Before you try an IGF-1 spray or any kind of growth hormone, it’s important to understand how muscles are formed. There are actually several theories about this process, none of which is conformed conclusively.
Hypertrophy – This kind of muscle growth occurs when growth factor causes existing individual muscle fibers to expand.
Hyperplasia – This kind of muscle growth is the result of the accumulation of additional, new muscle fibers.
Protein synthesis – This idea posits that as muscle fibers are torn apart from exercise, more blood and oxygen is sent to the area, spurring increased protein manufacturing. The body does this to “protect” the area from future damage. The result are larger, stronger muscles.
The hormones IGF-1 and testosterone are among the chemical signalers which instruct muscles to grow, as well as protecting against the breakdown of muscle tissue at the cellular level. It would follow that adding these hormones as supplements into the body could aid the process of muscle growth and retention.
This article explains why many bodybuilders want to supplement with IGF-1.
Problems with Supplementing IGF-1
Unfortunately, we cannot simply swallow a growth factor pill every day to achieve these results. Strong acids in the stomach will destroy the bioavailability of these hormones rendering them useless. This presents a significant hurdle for supplementation and muscle support.
Injections – The primary way for supplementing growth hormones is via local injections directly into each muscle. This method is impractical for all but the most serious (and doctor-supervised) weight training regimens.
Side effects – Growth hormones are difficult to supplement in balanced levels. Too many hormones can result in serious side effects, like mood disorders, growth of unwanted sexual characteristics, and even cancers and tumors. For this reason, these substances are generally considered Schedule III controlled substances by the FDA.
Abuse – Intense muscle gains via growth hormones and steroids can be highly addictive psychologically. Often, desire for muscle gains becomes so strong that safe usage of hormones is ignored.
Deer Antler Sprays on Bodybuilding Websites
One new method for safely supplementing manageable amounts of growth factor comes in the form of deer antler extract sprays.
A new mainstay on bodybuilding websites, these sprays are derived from animal-based IGF-1 compounds. By distilling the growth factor into a micro-fine spray, IGF can be delivered effectively under the tongue.
The resulting benefits begin to develop over a few weeks of routine use. They include:
- Lean muscle gains
- Endurance for runners and swimmers
- Fat burning
- Injury recovery
IGF-1 spray in the form of deer antler extract is legal, does not require a prescription, is non-addictive, and is not associated with serious steroid side effects. For these reasons, it’s a promising new way to enhance muscle growth without the risk of hormone therapy.
For an additional perspective on supplementing with growth hormones, read this review.
Incorporating IGF-1 Spray into a Daily Regimen
As any serious bodybuilder will tell you, there is no magic wand or magic potion which instantly creates a ripped physique. Neither does excellent physical fitness only stem from great genes. Great muscle gains are not a mystery, they are the result of three things:
Diet – While there will always be debate about the best diet for bodybuilding, most fitness plans encourage lean animal proteins, plenty of vegetables, and reduced carbs and fats. In modern paleo diets, sugar and all white flour are out.
Exercise – Whether you build a program designed to build bulk or burn fat, regular very intense exercise is essential to muscle gains and tight physiques. It is crucial to alternate workouts with significant periods of rest. It is during rest periods that all muscle grows.
Supplementation – The final component of any bodybuilding plan is supplementation. Protein is the go-to for most casual bodybuilders, but that’s just the start. A great fitness plan should include greens, aminos, omegas, and basic mineral supplements. To ramp up muscle gains, a growth factor in the form of and IGF-1 spray could greatly accelerate progress.
An IGF-1 spray is not enough on its own to create ripped lean muscle. But when it is combined with sensible diet and a ferocious workout schedule, these sprays can lead to tremendous gains. Injury recovery is faster, endurance is increased, and overall immunity is boosted. These benefits make IGF products like deer antler spray worth exploring for anyone serious about improving their form in the gym.
You can continue reading about the use of IGF-1 in a workout context here.
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- Kniess A, Ziegler E, Thieme D, Müller RK. Intra-individual variation of GH-dependent markers in athletes: comparison of population based and individual thresholds for detection of GH abuse in sports. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2013
- Gruodyte R, Jürimäe J, Saar M, Jürimäe T. The relationships among bone health, insulin-like growth factor-1 and sex hormones in adolescent female athletes. J Bone Miner Metab. 2010
- Hamarneh SR, Murphy CA, Shih CW, Frontera W, Torriani M, Irazoqui JE, Makimura H. Relationship between serum IGF-1 and skeletal muscle IGF-1 mRNA expression to phosphocreatine recovery after exercise in obese men with reduced GH. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015
Article last updated on: April 29th, 2018 by Nootriment