MGF (Mechano Growth Factor) is a synthetic peptide that belongs to the family of growth factors, particularly those associated with muscle growth and repair. MGF is a variant of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) that is produced primarily when muscles are mechanically stimulated. It plays an important role in promoting the proliferation and recovery of muscle cells.

What is the main use of MGF by Bodybuilders?

In the field of bodybuilding and fitness, Mechano Growth Factor (MGF) is an insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) variant bound by heparin that has a powerful role in promoting muscle recovery and growth. It is commonly used to enhance muscle hyperplasia, improve recovery speed and promote the recovery and proliferation of muscle fibers.

Here are the main uses of MGF in bodybuilding:

Promotes muscle recovery and growth: MGF is produced naturally after muscle damage or strenuous exercise. It accelerates muscle recovery by increasing the activity of muscle stem cells and promoting the formation of new muscle fibers, thereby helping bodybuilders recover faster and gain muscle gain.

Enhanced protein synthesis: MGF stimulates protein synthesis in muscle tissue, increasing the growth and division of muscle cells. This is especially important for bodybuilders who are looking for rapid muscle growth after training.

Improve endurance and strength: By accelerating the recovery of muscle tissue, MGF helps to increase the endurance and strength of athletes, enabling them to recover quickly after high-intensity training and maintain the efficiency of training.

Reduce muscle fatigue after training: Due to the recovery ability of MGF, it can reduce delayed onset soreness (DOMS) in the muscles after strenuous exercise, helping athletes move faster into the next training cycle.

Local muscle gain: Some bodybuilders choose to inject MGF locally, hoping to target specific muscle groups in this way and promote the growth and strengthening of those areas.

It is important to note that while MGF has many potential benefits in theory, its practical effects are related to individual differences. When using MGF, the dosage and cycle should be controlled to avoid serious side effects.

How does MGF work?

MGF (Mechanical Growth Factor, Mechano Growth Factor) is an isomer of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) that is activated when muscles are damaged or subjected to mechanical stimulation, such as exercise. MGF promotes muscle recovery and growth by promoting the activity of muscle stem cells, called satellite cells. Its mechanism of action is mainly divided into the following steps:

Muscle injury and expression of MGF

MGF is produced by the body when muscle fibers are subjected to intense mechanical load or damage. Intense training or exercise causes microscopic damage to muscle fibers, and this damage signal activates MGF synthesis. MGF expression helps initiate the recovery process.

Activate muscle stem cells (satellite cells)

One of the main functions of MGF is to activate satellite cells, which are adult stem cells located in the outer layer of muscle fibers. MGF promotes muscle recovery and growth by stimulating these stem cells to divide, proliferate, and differentiate into new muscle fibers.

Promote muscle fiber recovery and proliferation

Under the action of MGF, muscle stem cells are activated and begin to recovery damaged muscle fibers and generate new muscle fibers. MGF not only speeds up repair, but also increases the number and size of muscle fibers, which is particularly important for muscle growth.

Promote protein synthesis

MGF is also able to promote protein synthesis within muscle cells, which helps accelerate the recovery and growth of muscle fibers. By stimulating protein synthesis, MGF is able to make muscle fibers thicker and stronger.

Reduces apoptosis (cell death)

During the recovery phase after strenuous exercise, MGF can help reduce apoptosis of muscle cells and keep more healthy cells involved in the recovery process. This further improves the efficiency of muscle recovery and regeneration.

Local action

MGF is a growth factor mainly expressed locally. It is usually produced locally in the injured muscle area and mainly acts on that area. It is this local effect that leads some bodybuilders to opt for a topical injection of MGF in the hope of increasing growth in specific muscle groups.

Sum up

The working principle of MGF can be summarized as follows: it promotes the recovery and regeneration of muscle fibers by stimulating the activity of muscle stem cells, while accelerating protein synthesis and reducing apoptosis. These combined effects make MGF a key factor in promoting muscle growth and accelerating recovery.

Relationship between MGF and IGF-1

MGF (mechanical growth factor) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1) are closely related, and MGF is actually a variant or splice isomer of IGF-1. They differ in function and duration of action, but all are involved in muscle growth and recovery processes. Here are their relationships and the main differences:

Homology and splicing isomers

IGF-1 is a growth factor encoded by a single gene, but in different tissues and conditions, the IGF-1 gene can produce different protein variants through different splicing methods.

MGF is one of the splicing variants of the IGF-1 gene and is produced mainly after muscle damage or mechanical stress stimulation. Therefore, MGF is a specific form of IGF-1 with specific functions, especially in promoting muscle recovery and cell proliferation.

Timing of action

The effects of IGF-1 are long-lasting and it plays a key role in overall muscle growth and development, promoting protein synthesis, muscle cell growth, and maintaining metabolic balance. IGF-1 is usually present throughout recovery, helping muscles gradually recovery and grow after damage.

MGF mainly plays a role in the early stages of muscle damage. Its expression usually occurs after strenuous exercise or muscle injury and plays a role in initiating the recovery process. MGF is mainly short-term and local, which plays a function of rapidly initiating cell recovery and activating satellite cells.

Functional difference

IGF-1 is a systemic growth factor with a wide range of effects, affecting multiple organ systems such as muscle, bone and liver. It not only plays a role in repairing muscle damage, but also promotes the long-term growth of muscle and the regulation of cell metabolism.

MGF is more focused on local muscle repair. When muscle fibers are damaged due to mechanical stress (such as training), MGF is first activated, initiating the division and proliferation of muscle stem cells (satellite cells), driving the generation of new muscle fibers, thereby speeding up the recovery of the damage.

Activated satellite cell

MGF has a stronger role in activating muscle satellite cells. Satellite cells are the key to muscle regeneration, and MGF can effectively promote the activity of these cells, so that they divide and proliferate, and differentiate into new muscle cells. This role is unique to MGF in muscle repair, and IGF-1, although it also has this function, has a broader role involving the growth and regeneration of other cell types.

Locality of expression

The expression of MGF is mainly local, and it is highly expressed in specific damaged muscle areas. Therefore, MGF is often considered to be a local recovery factor. In contrast, IGF-1 is secreted throughout the body, and it not only affects local muscle repair, but also has broader effects on other systems.

Time window

After muscle injury, MGF is usually expressed rapidly in the early stages, initiating recovery and regeneration processes. After that, the role of IGF-1 gradually increases, maintaining and promoting long-term muscle growth and metabolic balance.

In bodybuilding

In bodybuilding, IGF-1 and MGF are often used as a means to enhance muscle growth and recovery. However, IGF-1 is more commonly used for long-term muscle mass gain, while MGF is better suited for accelerated recovery after training.

Sum up

MGF, a variant of IGF-1, is primarily responsible for initiating the recovery process in the early stages after muscle injury, activating the proliferation of satellite cells and the regeneration of muscle fibers.

IGF-1 maintains and promotes long-term muscle growth throughout recovery, and its effects are not limited to muscles, but also other organs and tissues throughout the body.

The two are related but function and act for different periods of time and work together to maintain muscle health and growth.