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Where These Numbers Come From
Follistatin-344 has unusually robust preclinical and early clinical evidence:
Mouse studies (Haidet et al., 2008): Single AAV-delivered follistatin-344 produced sustained muscle mass increases of over 20% in both normal and dystrophic mice, lasting 2+ years. FS344 outperformed all other myostatin inhibitors tested.
Nonhuman primates (Kota et al., 2009): AAV1-delivered FS344 increased muscle size and strength in macaques with no adverse immune response and no effect on reproductive hormones.
Human clinical trial (Mendell et al., 2015): Phase 1/2a AAV1.CMV.FS344 gene therapy in Becker muscular dystrophy patients improved 6-minute walk test distance with no serious adverse events and no reproductive hormone changes.
Porcine model (Guo et al., 2017): Transgenic pigs expressing human follistatin-344 showed significantly increased skeletal muscle mass via myofiber hypertrophy.
Stacking Protocols
GH + Myostatin
FS-344 50 mcg + CJC-1295/Ipamorelin
Myostatin inhibition + GH/IGF-1
Growth Factor
FS-344 50 mcg + IGF-1 LR3
Myostatin block + direct IGF-1 receptor activation
Connective Tissue Support
FS-344 50 mcg + BPC-157 + TB-500
Muscle growth + tendon/ligament adaptation
Stacking tips: No clinical data validates any combinations. Documented starting doses begin around FS-344 alone for at least one cycle before adding partners. BPC-157 and TB-500 are popular protective additions to help tendons/ligaments adapt to increased muscular loading.
Side Effects & Safety
Injection site reactions -- redness, swelling, itching (most common)
Transient fatigue -- some users report mild fatigue in first 2-3 days
Joint stiffness -- occasionally reported, typically mild
Elevated appetite -- consistent with increased metabolic demand
Reproductive concerns (theoretical) -- follistatin is involved in FSH regulation, though FS344 has lower FSH-suppressing activity than FS288. No reproductive hormone changes observed in the Mendell clinical trial
Tendon/ligament adaptation lag -- rapid muscle growth without proportional connective tissue strengthening may increase injury risk
Commonly excluded populations: Trial protocols and community usage guidelines commonly exclude subjects with active malignancy, pregnancy or breastfeeding, autoimmune conditions, or age under 18
mg to Units Conversion
On a standard 100-unit insulin syringe, each "unit" equals 0.01 mL (so 100 units = 1 mL). Once Follistatin-344 is reconstituted, the conversion from a target dose to syringe units depends on the chosen dilution.
The two reconstitution ratios most often described in community protocols are below.
Reconstitution A: 1 mg vial + 2 mL BAC water (500 mcg/mL) — the standard dilution from the Quick Reference above.
25 mcg
0.05 mL
5 units
50 mcg
0.1 mL
10 units
75 mcg
0.15 mL
15 units
100 mcg
0.2 mL
20 units
Reconstitution B: 1 mg vial + 3 mL BAC water (333 mcg/mL) — more BAC water for larger, easier-to-measure draws.
0.075 mL
7.5 units
0.225 mL
22.5 units
0.3 mL
30 units
These conversions reflect the dilutions documented in community reconstitution protocols. They report how the math is described, not a recommended dosing schedule.
Core Supplies for This Protocol
The three essentials for running any reconstituted injectable: cold storage, accurate syringes, and metabolic tracking.
Cooluli Classic 4L Mini Fridge
Compact thermoelectric mini-fridge with heat/cool toggle. The most-mentioned dedicated peptide-storage fridge in research community sources — fits ~20 vials and runs quietly.
BD Ultra-Fine 31G 0.3cc 5/16" Insulin Syringes (Box of 90)
0.3cc 31G syringes — each gradation marks 1 unit (vs 2 units on 1cc), making sub-50-unit peptide doses accurate. BD Ultra-Fine is the most widely-cited brand in peptide community sources.
CONTOUR NEXT GEN Glucose Meter All-In-One Kit
Ascensia's CONTOUR NEXT GEN — the most clinically-validated home glucose meter. Includes 20 test strips + lancing device. Tracks the blood-sugar response GLP-1 users care about, especially during dose escalation.
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