How to Use BPC-157: Routes, Dosing, and Protocols

BPC-157 is a 15-amino-acid peptide fragment derived from a larger protein found in human gastric juice. Since the early 1990s, it has been studied in over 100 animal experiments and a handful of human trials for its ability to accelerate tissue repair — from severed Achilles tendons and torn muscles to gastric ulcers and damaged intestinal lining. The research is compelling enough that clinicians, athletes, and biohackers have adopted it widely, despite its lack of FDA approval.

But the practical questions are where people get lost. Inject it or take it orally? How much? Where do you inject? How long do you run it? This guide answers those questions using the best available research and clinical observations.

How BPC-157 Works: A Quick Primer
Routes of Administration
Dosing Protocols
Cycle Length and Scheduling
Reconstitution and Storage
Stacking BPC-157 with TB-500
Stacking With Other Peptides
Safety Profile and Side Effects
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
References

How BPC-157 Works: A Quick Primer

Understanding the mechanism helps you make better decisions about routes and dosing. BPC-157 doesn't work through a single pathway — it activates a cascade of repair processes simultaneously.

Angiogenesis. BPC-157 promotes new blood vessel formation by activating the VEGFR2–PI3K–Akt–eNOS signaling pathway. In plain language: it tells your body to build new blood supply routes to the damaged area. More blood flow means more nutrients, oxygen, and immune cells reaching the injury site (Seiwerth et al., PMC, 2018).

Cell migration and survival. In tendon fibroblast studies, BPC-157 significantly accelerated cell migration in a dose-dependent manner and improved cell survival under oxidative stress (H₂O₂). It also activated the FAK-paxillin pathway — the molecular machinery cells use to grip, crawl, and remodel tissue (Chang et al., J Appl Physiol, 2011).

Growth hormone receptor upregulation. BPC-157 increased growth hormone receptor gene and protein expression in cultured tendon fibroblasts, suggesting it primes healing tissues to respond more strongly to your body's own GH (Staresinic et al., PMC, 2018).

Nitric oxide modulation. The peptide upregulates nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and boosts NO production, supporting vasodilation and blood flow to injured areas. It also engages both VEGF-dependent and VEGF-independent pathways to NO production.

Anti-inflammatory effects. BPC-157 modulates inflammation through multiple mechanisms, including reduction of TNF-alpha-driven IL-6 secretion and upregulation of cytoprotective factors like heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and heat shock proteins.

For a deeper look at the science, see our complete BPC-157 scientific guide.

Routes of Administration

This is the most important decision you'll make with BPC-157. The route you choose depends on what you're trying to treat.

Subcutaneous Injection

Best for: Musculoskeletal injuries (tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints), systemic healing support

Subcutaneous injection delivers BPC-157 into the tissue layer between skin and muscle. From there, it absorbs into systemic circulation gradually, producing predictable blood levels.

Pharmacokinetics: Studies document plasma detection within 15–30 minutes of injection, with peak concentrations around 60–90 minutes post-administration. The half-life is short — less than 30 minutes — which is why once- or twice-daily dosing is typical.

Advantages:

Highest bioavailability of any route
Precise, measurable dosing
Most extensively studied administration method
Sustained-release absorption profile

Disadvantages:

Requires reconstitution and injection technique
Mild injection site irritation possible
Not as convenient as oral forms

Injection sites: The lower abdomen is the most common site for subcutaneous injection. For localized injuries, many practitioners inject as close to the injury as practical — for example, subcutaneously near an injured shoulder or knee. Rotate injection sites to prevent tissue irritation.

For injection technique, see our subcutaneous injection guide.

Oral Administration

Best for: Gut health, GI repair, intestinal permeability, ulcers, systemic convenience

Oral BPC-157 is an unusual case in the peptide world. Most peptides are destroyed by stomach acid and digestive enzymes. BPC-157 is remarkably stable in gastric juice — which makes sense, given that it's derived from a gastric protein.

A 2022 study compared oral versus subcutaneous BPC-157 in a gastric ulcer model and found that oral administration provided superior local protective effects on the GI lining while still delivering measurable systemic benefits.

Advantages:

Convenient (capsules or liquid)
No injection required
Direct contact with GI tissues (ideal for gut issues)
Demonstrated stability in stomach acid

Disadvantages:

Lower systemic bioavailability than injection
Higher doses required (typically 2–3x injectable doses)
Less predictable absorption for systemic targets
Less studied for musculoskeletal applications

Oral forms: BPC-157 is available as capsules and sublingual liquids. Sublingual (under the tongue) administration may improve systemic absorption compared to swallowed capsules, though direct comparative data is limited.

Local vs. Systemic Injection

This distinction matters for injury protocols.

Local injection means injecting subcutaneously as close to the injury as you can get — within a few centimeters. The idea is to achieve the highest possible peptide concentration right where healing is happening.

Systemic injection means injecting in a standard site (typically the abdomen) and letting the peptide distribute through the bloodstream. This is simpler and still effective, since BPC-157 appears to have tissue-homing properties — it preferentially accumulates in damaged tissue regardless of injection site.

Practical recommendation: For a specific, localized injury (torn rotator cuff, Achilles tendinitis, MCL sprain), injecting near the injury likely provides the most benefit. For generalized recovery, gut issues, or when you're not sure exactly what to target, abdominal injection works well.

Dosing Protocols

General Dosing Ranges

Route	Typical Daily Range	Most Common Dose	Notes
Subcutaneous	200–800 mcg/day	500 mcg/day	Split into 1–2 doses
Oral (capsule)	500–1,000 mcg/day	500 mcg 2x/day	Higher doses compensate for lower bioavailability
Sublingual	250–500 mcg/day	500 mcg/day	Absorption between oral and injectable

Beginner Protocol

Parameter	Detail
Route	Subcutaneous injection
Dose	250 mcg once daily
Timing	Morning, fasted
Duration	4 weeks
Purpose	Assess tolerance, establish baseline response

Start here regardless of your goal. Two hundred fifty micrograms is a well-supported starting dose with minimal risk. After 1–2 weeks, if you're tolerating it well and want a stronger response, increase to the standard protocol.

Standard Protocol

Parameter	Detail
Route	Subcutaneous injection
Dose	250–500 mcg twice daily
Timing	Morning and evening, both on empty stomach
Duration	4–8 weeks
Purpose	Active injury recovery, tissue healing

This is the workhorse protocol for most musculoskeletal injuries. Twice-daily dosing (morning and evening) accounts for BPC-157's short half-life and maintains more consistent tissue levels. The total daily dose of 500–1,000 mcg falls within the range most commonly reported as effective.

Advanced Protocol

Parameter	Detail
Route	Local subcutaneous injection near injury
Dose	500 mcg twice daily (near injury site)
Timing	Morning and evening
Duration	6–8 weeks
Purpose	Severe tendon/ligament injuries, post-surgical recovery

Local injection at higher doses is reserved for significant injuries. A pilot study of 12 patients using intraarticular BPC-157 injection (2 cc of 2,000 mcg/mL solution) for joint issues found that 7 of 12 patients reported subjective improvement lasting more than 6 months.

Oral Protocol (for Gut Issues)

Parameter	Detail
Route	Oral (capsule or liquid)
Dose	500 mcg twice daily
Timing	On empty stomach, 30 minutes before meals
Duration	4–8 weeks
Purpose	Gut healing, intestinal permeability, GI repair

For gut-specific issues — leaky gut, gastric ulcers, inflammatory bowel conditions, or post-antibiotic GI recovery — oral administration makes the most sense. It delivers the peptide directly to the GI lining where it can act locally.

Weight-Based Dosing

Animal research typically uses 10 mcg/kg body weight as a standard dose. Scaled to humans, this translates to roughly:

60 kg (132 lbs): ~600 mcg/day
80 kg (176 lbs): ~800 mcg/day
100 kg (220 lbs): ~1,000 mcg/day

These figures provide a reference point, but most practitioners default to the 250–500 mcg per dose range regardless of body weight, adjusting based on response rather than strict weight calculations.

Cycle Length and Scheduling

Standard Cycle

Duration: 4–8 weeks of daily use, followed by a 2–4 week break.

Unlike GH secretagogues, BPC-157 doesn't appear to cause receptor desensitization in the traditional sense. The off-period serves as a precaution — allowing your body's natural repair systems to consolidate gains and avoiding theoretical risks from sustained peptide exposure.

Extended Protocols

Some practitioners run BPC-157 for 8–12 weeks for chronic or severe injuries. This is less common and should be done under medical supervision with periodic assessment.

Acute vs. Chronic Injury Approach

Acute injuries (fresh sprains, post-surgery, new tears): Start BPC-157 as soon as possible. Run for 4–6 weeks. The earlier you begin, the more the peptide can support the critical inflammatory and regenerative phases of healing.

Chronic issues (old tendinopathy, persistent joint pain, long-standing gut problems): Expect to run a full 6–8 week cycle, possibly two consecutive cycles with a 2-week break between, before assessing results.

Timing Within the Day

BPC-157 is typically taken on an empty stomach — at least 30 minutes before eating or 2 hours after a meal. For twice-daily dosing, morning (upon waking, before breakfast) and evening (before bed) work well. The fasted state may improve absorption, though BPC-157's stability in gastric juice makes this less critical than with other peptides.

Some practitioners prefer splitting doses to bookend the day: one injection in the morning to support daytime activity and recovery, one in the evening to align with the body's nighttime repair processes.

What to Expect: A Realistic Timeline

The effects of BPC-157 unfold gradually. Tissue repair is a biological process, not a light switch.

Days 1–3: Most people notice nothing. The peptide is beginning to activate signaling pathways — VEGF upregulation, FAK-paxillin activation, fibroblast recruitment — but these molecular events don't produce sensations.

Days 4–7: Subtle changes may begin. Reduced inflammation at the injury site, slightly improved comfort during movement, and decreased swelling are common early reports. Gut-focused users often notice reduced bloating or digestive discomfort.

Weeks 1–2: More noticeable improvement. Pain during specific movements decreases. Range of motion may improve. Sleep quality sometimes improves as the body's repair processes become more active.

Weeks 2–4: The most significant window for many users. Injuries that have been stalled in their healing process often show a clear inflection point. Tendon and ligament issues respond more slowly than muscle injuries, but progress becomes measurable.

Weeks 4–8: Continued remodeling. The biomechanical strength of repaired tendons continues to increase. In rat studies, BPC-157-treated tendons showed improved strength through day 72 of observation. Human users typically report their greatest subjective improvement by the end of this window.

After stopping: The structural repairs BPC-157 supported don't reverse when you discontinue the peptide. New blood vessels, repaired collagen, and remodeled tissue persist. What stops is the additional peptide-driven acceleration — your body continues healing at its normal rate.

Reconstitution and Storage

BPC-157 is sold as a lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder that must be reconstituted before injection.

Step-by-step:

Clean the vial stopper with an alcohol swab
Draw bacteriostatic water into a syringe (use the dosing math below)
Inject the water into the vial slowly, aimed at the glass wall — don't blast it directly onto the powder
Swirl gently until dissolved. Never shake vigorously.

Dosing math example:

Vial contains 5 mg (5,000 mcg) of BPC-157
Add 2 mL of bacteriostatic water
Concentration = 2,500 mcg/mL
For a 250 mcg dose, draw 0.1 mL (10 units on a standard insulin syringe)

For detailed reconstitution instructions, see our complete reconstitution guide.

Storage:

Unreconstituted powder: -20°C (freezer) for long-term, 2–8°C (refrigerator) for short-term
Reconstituted solution: 2–8°C (refrigerator), use within 2–3 weeks
Keep away from light and heat
Never freeze reconstituted peptide

Stacking BPC-157 with TB-500

The BPC-157 and TB-500 combination — sometimes called the "Wolverine stack" — is one of the most discussed peptide pairings in regenerative contexts. The rationale is mechanistic complementarity.

Why They Work Together

BPC-157 builds new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and stabilizes the extracellular matrix. TB-500 drives cell migration by regulating actin dynamics and reduces fibrosis. Together:

BPC-157 creates the vascular infrastructure → TB-500 sends repair cells through it
BPC-157 promotes collagen production → TB-500 helps align those collagen fibers correctly
Both reduce inflammation, but through different molecular pathways

Preclinical evidence suggests the combination may reduce recovery times by up to twice what either peptide achieves alone, though this claim requires more rigorous study.

Combined Dosing Protocol

Peptide	Dose	Frequency	Route
BPC-157	250–500 mcg	1–2x daily	Subcutaneous (near injury)
TB-500	2–5 mg	2x per week (loading), 1x per week (maintenance)	Subcutaneous (anywhere)

Loading phase (weeks 1–4): Run both peptides at full dose. TB-500 is typically front-loaded at higher doses during this phase.

Maintenance phase (weeks 5–8): Continue BPC-157 at full dose. Reduce TB-500 to once weekly.

For detailed TB-500 guidance, see our TB-500 administration guide.

Stacking With Other Peptides

With CJC-1295/Ipamorelin

BPC-157 pairs well with GH secretagogue stacks because it targets tissue repair while the GH stack supports recovery and body composition through elevated growth hormone. There's no mechanistic conflict. Dose each peptide at its standard levels.

With GHK-Cu

GHK-Cu complements BPC-157 for skin and superficial tissue repair. BPC-157 drives deeper tissue regeneration while GHK-Cu supports collagen remodeling and reduces inflammation in the extracellular matrix.

What NOT to Stack

Avoid running BPC-157 with other gastric peptides or compounds that aggressively modulate nitric oxide without understanding the interaction. While BPC-157 has a broad safety profile in preclinical research, polypharmacy increases unpredictability.

Safety Profile and Side Effects

BPC-157 has demonstrated a remarkably clean safety profile across hundreds of animal studies and limited human data.

Genotoxicity Testing

BPC-157 showed no mutagenic or genotoxic effects across three standard assays: the Ames test, chromosomal aberration assays, and micronucleus assays. These are the standard battery of tests used to screen compounds for cancer-causing potential.

Human Clinical Data (Limited)

A pilot study in 12 women with treatment-resistant interstitial cystitis found that intravenous BPC-157 produced complete symptom resolution in 10 of 12 patients, with the remaining two experiencing 80% symptom reduction. No adverse events were reported.

An orthopedic study of 12 patients receiving intraarticular BPC-157 for joint issues reported 7 of 12 with symptom improvement lasting 6+ months, with no significant adverse effects.

Reported Side Effects

Most users report minimal side effects. When they occur, they tend to be mild:

Nausea (uncommon, more frequent with oral dosing)
Mild headache (usually transient, first few days)
Fatigue (typically resolves within a week)
Injection site irritation (redness, mild swelling)
Dizziness (rare)

Important Caveats

BPC-157 is not FDA-approved for any human use
It is banned by WADA and most professional sports organizations
Long-term human safety data does not exist
Theoretical concern: any peptide that promotes angiogenesis could theoretically support tumor blood supply, though no evidence of this has been reported with BPC-157
Always use under medical supervision

Frequently Asked Questions

Oral or injectable — which is better overall?

Neither is universally "better." For musculoskeletal injuries, injectable provides higher bioavailability and more predictable tissue levels. For gut healing, oral delivery puts the peptide right where it's needed. Some practitioners use both simultaneously — oral for gut support plus injectable near an injury.

Can I inject BPC-157 intramuscularly?

Yes, though subcutaneous is more common and easier for self-administration. Intramuscular injection delivers the peptide deeper and may be preferred for deep muscle injuries. The pharmacokinetics are similar.

Should I take BPC-157 on rest days?

Yes. Tissue repair is a continuous process. Taking days off from BPC-157 (unlike with GH secretagogues) doesn't appear to be necessary, though some protocols use a 5-on/2-off schedule out of an abundance of caution.

How quickly will I notice results?

For acute injuries, many people report noticeable improvement within 1–2 weeks. Chronic conditions typically require 4–6 weeks before meaningful changes are apparent. Gut healing often shows initial improvement (reduced bloating, better digestion) within 7–10 days.

Is BPC-157 the same as BPC-157 Arginate/Acetate?

BPC-157 comes in two salt forms: acetate and arginate. The acetate form is more common and better studied. The arginate form is sometimes marketed as more stable, but direct comparative data is limited.

Can I use BPC-157 long-term?

There is no long-term human safety data. Most protocols recommend cycling (4–8 weeks on, 2–4 weeks off) as a precaution. Continuous long-term use is not recommended without medical oversight.

The Bottom Line

BPC-157 is one of the most versatile peptides in the regenerative toolkit. Its dual applicability — injectable for musculoskeletal repair, oral for gut healing — gives it a flexibility that few other peptides match.

For most people, the standard protocol is straightforward: 250–500 mcg subcutaneously once or twice daily, near the injury site when possible, for 4–8 weeks. For gut issues, switch to oral dosing at 500 mcg twice daily on an empty stomach.

The BPC-157/TB-500 stack adds another dimension for serious injuries, combining BPC-157's angiogenic and matrix-stabilizing effects with TB-500's cell migration and anti-fibrotic properties.

What the research consistently shows is that BPC-157 is well-tolerated, mechanistically well-understood at the preclinical level, and effective across a wide range of tissue types. What it still lacks is robust Phase III human clinical trial data. Until that changes, it remains an investigational compound — one with a strong preclinical foundation, but investigational nonetheless.

Work with a healthcare provider who understands peptide therapy. Get the dosing right. Be patient. And understand that peptides support your body's healing — they don't replace the fundamentals of rest, nutrition, and rehabilitation.

References

Chang CH, Tsai WC, Lin MS, Hsu YH, Pang JH. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration. J Appl Physiol. 2011;110(3):774-780. PubMed
Staresinic M, Petrovic I, Novinscak T, et al. Pentadecapeptide BPC 157 enhances the growth hormone receptor expression in tendon fibroblasts. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2018;40:40-47. PMC
Seiwerth S, Brcic L, Vuletic LB, et al. BPC 157 and blood vessels. Curr Pharm Des. 2014;20(7):1033-1042.
Vasireddi N, Hahamyan H, Salata MJ, et al. Emerging use of BPC-157 in orthopaedic sports medicine: a systematic review. Am J Sports Med. 2025. PMC
Regeneration or risk? A narrative review of BPC-157 for musculoskeletal healing. PMC. 2025. PMC
Gwyer D, Wragg NM, Wilson SL. Gastric pentadecapeptide body protection compound BPC 157 and its role in accelerating musculoskeletal soft tissue healing. Cell Tissue Res. 2019;377(2):153-159.
Sikiric P, Rucman R, Turkovic B, et al. Novel cytoprotective mediator, stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157. Curr Pharm Des. 2018;24(18):2012-2032.

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