GHRP-2 Found at 50 µg Per Tablet in Over-the-Counter Nutritional Supplement
Background
Black market and over-the-counter nutritional supplements containing undisclosed pharmaceutical compounds pose serious health and anti-doping risks. GHRP-2 is a synthetic peptide with well-established growth-hormone-releasing properties acting on the GHSR (ghrelin receptor), directly stimulating the hGH/IGF-1 axis. Its illicit use in elite sports has long been suspected, and WADA has placed it on the prohibited substances list. Despite this, no routinely validated assay existed for detecting GHRP-2 or related peptides in biological fluids from competing athletes, creating a significant enforcement gap. The uncontrolled oral use of such potent, non-approved peptides in healthy individuals — including non-competing users — represents a foreseeable and considerable danger.
Study Design
In a case report design, investigators obtained commercially available tablets marketed as an over-the-counter nutritional supplement and extracted the tablet matrix for analysis. Qualitative identification of GHRP-2 was performed by high-resolution/high-accuracy mass spectrometry (HR-MS) following liquid chromatographic (LC) separation, using accurate masses and isotope ratios of protonated molecules and fragment ions generated by collisionally induced dissociation (CID). Quantification was achieved via LC-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-QqQ-MS) with linear regression against an external calibration curve prepared from a GHRP-2 reference compound, adjusted using Hexarelin as an internal standard.
Results
GHRP-2 was unambiguously identified in the tablet matrix through characteristic accurate masses and CID fragment ion ratios consistent with the authentic reference compound. Quantitative analysis by LC-QqQ-MS determined the GHRP-2 content of the supplement.
GHRP-2 content was determined at approximately 50 µg per tablet — a pharmacologically relevant oral dose of a WADA-prohibited, growth-hormone-releasing peptide sold without prescription.
The analytical data established both liquid chromatographic retention behavior and mass spectrometric fragmentation fingerprints for GHRP-2, providing a foundational reference dataset. The peptide's oral activity and its direct impact on the hGH/IGF-axis were noted as previously established, making its presence in an OTC product a concrete anti-doping and public health concern. The internal standard Hexarelin — a structurally related growth-hormone-releasing peptide — was used to validate the quantitative workflow, confirming the method's specificity within this peptide class.
Key Findings
- GHRP-2 confirmed present in an OTC nutritional supplement tablet by HR-MS and LC-QqQ-MS
- Quantified at approximately 50 µg of GHRP-2 per tablet
- Hexarelin used as internal standard for validated LC-QqQ-MS quantification
- Analytical LC-MS/MS fingerprint established to enable future anti-doping screening assays
- GHRP-2 is WADA-prohibited; its presence in OTC supplements was previously undetected by routine assays
Why It Matters
Any consumer purchasing this supplement was unknowingly ingesting a WADA-prohibited peptide capable of stimulating the hGH/IGF-1 axis, with no dosing guidance, safety oversight, or disclosure. For athletes, a positive doping test could result from supplement use alone — a severe regulatory and career risk. For biohackers and non-competing users, the uncontrolled intake of a potent, non-approved GH secretagogue at unknown cumulative doses introduces unpredictable endocrine consequences. The LC-HR-MS and LC-QqQ-MS data reported here directly enable anti-doping laboratories to implement routine screening assays for GHRP-2 and related peptides in athlete urine and plasma — closing a long-standing detection gap flagged by WADA.
