Krios
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The Ultimate Guide to MK-677: My Journey, Results, and Everything You Need to Know
Before diving into the guide, I want to summarize what I've learned over the past 8 months running MK-677. I went from 5'7" to 5'9.5", put on 12lbs of mostly lean mass, had insane recovery boost, and my skin cleared up. Had some sides like hunger and water retention but managed them. This guide covers everything from science to how to run it safely as a teen, based on actual experience and research.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction: Why I Decided to Try MK-677 |
2. What is MK-677? The Science Behind It |
3. My 8-Month Experience and Results |
4. Getting MK-677: Sources and What to Look For |
5. Affording It on a Teen Budget |
6. Dealing with Parents and Keeping It Low-Key |
7. Dosing, Timing, and Administration |
8. Stacking: Should You? My Experience with RAD-140 |
9. Side Effects Management and Health Markers |
10 Conclusion: Was It Worth It? |
Introduction: Why I Decided to Try MK-677
I've always been that skinny kid. Not just regular skinny, but "are your parents fucking feeding you" skinny. At 14, I was 5'7" and 120lbs soaking wet. My older brother is 6'1" and my dad is 6'2", but I felt like I was getting left behind. I was doing everything right - lifting 4x a week, eating 3000+ calories (which was torture btw), sleeping 8+ hours, but gains were slow af.I started researching ways to maximize my growth while my growth plates were still open. I spent months lurking on this forum, reading about different compounds, listening to MPMD and other YouTubers, and eventually decided MK-677 was the safest option with the best risk/reward profile for someone my age.
Why MK-677? Because it's not a SARM or steroid. It doesn't shut down your natural hormone production. It just boosts your body's own GH pulses. For a teen still growing, this seemed like the golden ticket - more growth hormone = more height potential and better gains, without the crazy sides of gear.
What is MK-677? The Science Behind It
MK-677 (Ibutamoren) is a growth hormone secretagogue. In english, it makes your body release more of its own growth hormone by mimicking the hormone ghrelin. It binds to ghrelin receptors in your brain, telling your pituitary gland to release more GH.Why does this matter? Growth hormone is crucial for:
- Height (as long as growth plates are open)
- Muscle growth
- Fat loss
- Skin quality
- Recovery
- Sleep quality
The research shows MK-677 can increase GH levels by up to 82% and IGF-1 by up to 51%1. These are the two main hormones responsible for growth and recovery. The half-life is ~24 hours, meaning you only need to dose once a day.
One important thing I learned is that MK-677 can impact insulin sensitivity and blood glucose. This isn't talked about enough in most guides, but I'll cover how I managed this later.
My 8-Month Experience and Results
Starting stats:- Age: 15
- Height: 5'7"
- Weight: 120lbs
- BF%: ~12%
- Training experience: 1.5 years consistent
- Age: 15 (almost 16)
- Height: 5'9.5"
- Weight: 132lbs
- BF%: ~11%
- Strength: Bench 165lbs, Squat 225lbs, Deadlift 275lbs (all increased ~40%)
First month: The hunger hit HARD. I was literally waking up at 3AM starving. But this actually helped me eat more, which had been a struggle. Water retention was noticeable - my face looked a bit bloated. Sleep was deeper than ever before. I'd fall asleep within minutes and wake up feeling recovered. Gained 4lbs that first month, mostly water.
Months 2-3: Hunger became manageable. I grew 0.5" in height which was crazy since I'd been stalled for 6 months before. My recovery between workouts was noticeably better. Could hit the same muscle group twice as often. Vascularity improved. Started getting comments about looking "fuller."
Months 4-6: This is when I really noticed the skin benefits. My mild acne cleared up completely. My skin looked "thicker" and healthier. Grew another 0.75" in height. Strength was consistently going up every week. My injured shoulder from basketball completely healed.
Months 7-8: The most dramatic height increase of 1.25" happened here. I think the cumulative effects of elevated GH for months really kicked in. Muscles looked more 3D and full even when not pumped. Recovery was still insane.
Side effects I experienced:
- Intense hunger (manageable after first month)
- Water retention (controlled by lowering sodium and using dandelion root)
- Occasional lethargy (fixed by taking it before bed)
- Slight numbness in hands occasionally (went away by itself)
- Higher fasting blood glucose (managed with berberine)
Getting MK-677: Sources and What to Look For
I'm not gonna link directly where I got mine since that could get the forum in trouble, but I'll tell you what to look for.First, avoid sketchy sites with dirt cheap prices. Real MK-677 isn't super expensive but it's not cheap either. Expect to pay $40-70 for a month's supply.
Look for:
- Third-party testing (actual lab reports, not just claiming they test)
- Reviews on forums like this one (search for the source name)
- Either liquid or capsule form (both are fine, I preferred liquid for dosing flexibility)
The best way to find sources is through trusted forum members. I spent weeks researching before ordering. Paid with Bitcoin for privacy.
When it arrives, real MK-677 liquid tastes HORRIBLE. Like chemical ass. If it doesn't taste awful, be suspicious.
Affording It on a Teen Budget
As a 15-year-old, I don't exactly have a full-time job. Here's how I afforded it:- Lawn mowing and yard work - $20-30 per yard, could do 2-3 in a weekend
- Helping neighbors with tech problems - easy $20 for fixing Karen's WiFi
- Reselling stuff on eBay - bought underpriced items locally and flipped them
- Birthday/Christmas money - saved instead of wasting on games
- Cut out all other supplements except creatine and protein - no need for pre-workout and other BS when on MK
Dealing with Parents and Keeping It Low-Key
This part isn't easy. I'm not gonna say lie to your parents, but I'm also realistic about teen life.I kept my MK in a liquid melatonin bottle. They're similar consistency and both are taken before bed. The taste is different, but who's going to taste test your "melatonin"?
For the changes in my body, I attributed them to:
- "Growth spurt" (technically not a lie)
- "Finally got my nutrition dialed in"
- "New training program is working well"
- "Been sleeping better"
If you have chill parents, consider having an honest conversation. Show them research. Explain why you're interested. Compare it to much more dangerous alternatives. If they're educated on it, they might surprise you.
Dosing, Timing, and Administration
After experimenting, here's what worked best for me:Dose: 12.5mg daily. Started with 25mg but the hunger and water retention were too much. Lower dose gave 80% of the benefits with 50% of the sides.
Timing: Right before bed. This way:
- You sleep through the worst hunger
- GH pulses most during sleep anyway
- Any lethargy happens while you're sleeping
- It helps deepen sleep quality
Cycle length: I've been on for 8 months with no breaks. Some recommend cycling (2 months on, 1 month off), but I wanted to maximize height gain while my growth plates were open.
Supporting supplements:
- Berberine (500mg with carb-heavy meals) for insulin sensitivity
- Magnesium before bed (helps with sleep and occasional cramping)
- Dandelion root (when water retention got bad)
- Zinc (15mg daily) for immune support and hormone optimization
Stacking: Should You? My Experience with RAD-140
I'm gonna be honest - I tried adding RAD-140 (a SARM) at month 6 at a low dose (5mg). This was probably stupid and I don't recommend it.The good: Strength went through the roof. Added 30lbs to my bench in just 4 weeks.
The bad: Felt suppressed by week 3 (low energy, libido dropped). Had to stop and do a mini PCT. Not worth it at my age. MK-677 alone was giving great results without messing with my hormones.
For teens, stacking ANYTHING with actual suppressive compounds is asking for trouble. Your natural testosterone levels are already increasing year by year. Don't fuck with that.
If you insist on stacking with MK-677, safer options would be:
- Creatine (5g daily) - this is a no-brainer
- Ashwagandha for cortisol management
- EAAs/BCAAs intra-workout
- Turkesterone (though it's mostly overpriced BS in my experience)
Side Effects Management and Health Markers
As mentioned earlier, the main sides I dealt with were:1. Increased appetite
- Solution: Intermittent fasting (16:8) to control eating window
- Lots of high-volume, low-calorie foods (vegetables, popcorn)
- EC stack when cutting (not recommended for most teens though)
- Solution: Dandelion root supplement
- Reduced sodium intake
- Stayed well hydrated (actually reduces water retention)
- Took dose before bed so most retention happened overnight
- Solution: Berberine 500mg with carb-heavy meals
- Monitored blood glucose weekly with cheap meter
- More cardio (30 mins 3x/week)
- Limited simple sugars
- Solution: Dosing before bed instead of morning
- Caffeine when needed
Conclusion: Was It Worth It?
For me personally, yes. The height gain alone (2.5" in 8 months when I was barely growing before) made it worth it. The muscle gains, recovery, and skin benefits were amazing bonuses.Would I recommend it to other teens? That's complicated. I can't in good conscience say yes without caveats. You need to:
- Understand the risks (different for everybody)
- Have your training and diet dialed in first
- Be mature enough to research and monitor your health
- Consider your own growth status (if you're already 6'2" at 15, you probably don't need help growing taller)
The biggest concern with MK-677 is the insulin sensitivity issue. This is real and you need to monitor it. Diabetes is no joke.
If I could go back, would I do it again? Yes, but I would have started with 12.5mg instead of 25mg, and I would have used berberine from day one.
Finally, remember that this is my personal experience. Your results may vary. Genetics play a huge role in how you respond to anything. What worked for me might not work the same for you.
Stay safe, do your research, and always prioritize long-term health over short-term gains.
