peptidedosing.eu
Find a peptide
Weight & metabolism

AOD-9604

A piece of the growth-hormone molecule, discussed for fat loss.

StatusNot approved (EU/UK/US); WADA prohibited
How well studied in peopleTested in clinical trials
Experts quoted5 experts

iNot medical advice. We don’t recommend any dose. Every dose below is a quote from the person named, describing their views or their own use. AOD-9604 is not an approved medicine in the EU, UK or US. WADA lists it as a prohibited growth-hormone fragment (S2.2.3).

What experts say about dosing

5 statements from 4 people. Each one is word for word: we add punctuation only and mark cuts with […]. The chips repeat the exact words used.

Vigorous SteveBodybuilding coach and YouTuber (VigorousSteve)

Own use: pre-cardio protocol

Dose
“250 micrograms”
How often
“seven administrations per week”
How long
“over the last three or four months”
When
“1 hour before fasted cardio or 1 hour before workout”

“so over the last three or four months the protocol has been as follows: I administered either 250 micrograms hch frag 176 to 191 or anti-obesity drug 9604 1 hour before fasted cardio or 1 hour before workout, so that's seven administrations per week pre-cardio”

Watch at 5:39Battle Of The Lipolytic Peptides | Growth Hormone Vs. HGH-Frag 176-191 Vs. AOD-9604 (VigorousSteve) · 25 Oct 2021

Context: His own comparison of HGH fragment 176-191 and AOD-9604 (“anti-obesity drug 9604” in the captions). He says he alternated the two and saw no difference between them.

Own use: timing he preferred

Dose
not stated
When
“right before I go to the gym”

“now what I've noticed is that this dosing protocol doesn't really work ideally. I found that it works better just to administer the H frag or aod right before I go to the gym”

Watch at 6:38Battle Of The Lipolytic Peptides | Growth Hormone Vs. HGH-Frag 176-191 Vs. AOD-9604 (VigorousSteve) · 25 Oct 2021

Context: Same video, continuing from the protocol above.

Ben GreenfieldFitness and longevity author; host of Ben Greenfield Life

Fat-loss stack

Dose
“300 mcg”
How often
“once a day”
How taken
“injected subcutaneously”
When
“in the morning while fasted”

“AOD-9604: 300 mcg injected subcutaneously once a day in the morning while fasted (ideally administer it one hour before the first meal of the day or right before doing cardio).”

Read the sourceWhat Are Peptides? Find Out the Best Peptide Stacks (bengreenfieldlife.com) · 18 Dec 2023

Context: From the “Sample Stack for Fat Loss and Getting Lean”, introduced with “I recommend the following peptide stacks for various purposes”. Published on his site 18 Dec 2023 (updated 2 Jan 2024).

Dr Jones DCDoctor of chiropractic (DC); YouTube channel on peptides and GLP-1 medications

Injection vs oral troche

Dose
“250 micrograms for the injection; 500 micrograms for the oral troche”
How long
“three to four months, then a couple of weeks off”
How taken
“injection or oral troche”

“so what is the dosage well if you're injecting about 250 50 micrograms would be each uh dose that you would give yourself that we were referring to and then if you're doing an oral Troy uh at least in my opinion doubling that dose makes sense because we know the absorption rate from oral mucosa is not as good as a subcutaneous injection so 500 micrograms for the oral shokei 250 micrograms for the injection”

Watch at 14:56AOD-9604 A Weight Loss Peptide (Dr Jones DC) · 9 Apr 2024

Context: “250 50” is a caption stutter; he restates it as 250 micrograms. “Troy” and “shokei” are how the captions render troche. Just before this he recommends three to four months on, then a couple of weeks off. In a 2025 video (6GXCdWtl634, 20:52) he says “Our doctors prescribe 600 micrograms in a troy”.

Nicholas TrigiliHuman performance specialist and coach; fitness YouTuber

As an add-on, fasted in the morning

Dose
“300 to 400 even 500 micrograms”
How often
“about 5 days a week”
How taken
“subq”
When
“in a fasted state in the morning”

“But layered on top of tesamorelin or CJC-1295 and ipamorelin it has a very specific lipolic signal that complements everything else running alongside it. The dosing is typically looking like 300 to 400 even 500 micrograms subq injected about 5 days a week ideally done in a fasted state in the morning to maximize the lipolic effect.”

Watch at 10:13Ranking the Best Peptides to Take For Fat Loss in 2026 (S Tier to F Tier) (Nicholas Trigili) · 29 May 2026

Context: Just before, he says that as a standalone fat-loss compound it is “underwhelming”; he ranks it B tier. Caption spelling of the compound name corrected: “tesmearellin” → tesamorelin; “CJC25” → CJC-1295; “hypermelon” → ipamorelin. He says in his videos that he is not a doctor.

What experts say about safety

2 statements from 2 people about risks and how strong the evidence is.

Vigorous SteveBodybuilding coach and YouTuber (VigorousSteve)

Effect on blood work

“250 micrograms of H frag or aod does not change my serum triglycerides or blood glucose levels”

Watch at 4:18Battle Of The Lipolytic Peptides | Growth Hormone Vs. HGH-Frag 176-191 Vs. AOD-9604 (VigorousSteve) · 25 Oct 2021

Context: He injected either compound 30 minutes before blood draws to compare with growth hormone. He later adds that he would have expected a rise in triglycerides: “so it was a little bit of a red flag for me”.

Dr Kent HoltorfPhysician; host of the Peptides and Longevity podcast (Big Doc Energy)

What it is

“and then aod is a fraction of growth hormone. It does not increase, um, igf1, which is how, uh, most the effects of growth hormone [… happen], but it has its own rejuvenating effects and also does boost metabolism”

Watch at 17:53Peptides 101 (Peptides and Longevity podcast / Big Doc Energy, Dr Kent Holtorf) · 5 Feb 2025

Context: From his solo introduction to peptide classes on his podcast. He gives no dose.

Go deeper

What the research used

Context, not a dosing guide. The peer-reviewed studies we could verify are in rodents, mostly using oral or intraperitoneal dosing. We found no peer-reviewed human efficacy trial in PubMed. None of this establishes a human dose.

Animal studies

StudyStudied inWhat the study usedWhat it found
Heffernan et al., 2001, EndocrinologyPubMed 11713213Obese mice and β3-receptor knock-out miceIntraperitoneal AOD9604 for 14 daysReduced body weight and fat in obese mice
Ng et al., 2000, Horm ResPubMed 11146367Obese rodentsOral 500 µg/kg/day for 19 daysBody-weight gain reduced by more than half; no adverse effect on insulin sensitivity
Heffernan et al., 2000, Am J Physiol Endocrinol MetabPubMed 10950816Obese rodents and human fat tissueOral administration of the related fragment AOD-9401Reduced weight gain in animals; lipolytic effects in human fat tissue samples
What we don’t know yet
  • No peer-reviewed human efficacy trial found in PubMed.
  • Rodent studies mostly used oral or intraperitoneal dosing, not subcutaneous injection.
  • Grey-market products are unregulated, so identity, purity and dose accuracy vary.
  • WADA prohibits AOD-9604 (S2.2.3).
Common questions

Is AOD-9604 the same as HGH fragment 176-191?

They are closely related. AOD-9604 is a modified version of the 176-191 fragment. Vigorous Steve says he saw no difference between the two in his own use.

Does AOD-9604 raise IGF-1?

Dr Kent Holtorf says it does not; see his quote.

Is AOD-9604 allowed in sport?

No. WADA lists AOD-9604 by name as a prohibited growth-hormone fragment.

Why does the protocol section only contain quotes?

We do not write our own dose ranges. The protocol cards show, word for word, what named people have publicly said, with their caveats and a link to the source.

About this page

Word-for-word statements about how AOD-9604, a fragment of growth hormone, is used for fat loss, each with a link to the source. The published research is listed separately as context.

Also known as
Anti-Obesity Drug 9604; modified hGH fragment 176-191
Type
Synthetic peptide fragment of human growth hormone
Last updated
11 Oct 2026

Last reviewed 11 Oct 2026 · Compiled by the Peptide Dosing editorial team · How we check quotes