Anyone tried the DIY TRIIM protocol? HGH + retatrutide + DHEA for actual age reversal

[Davo]

Nine participants is such a small sample that I would not change my protocol based on the TRIIM results alone. The concept is interesting and GH plus DHEA is a reasonable longevity stack regardless. But selling it as age reversal is a stretch at this point. Happy to revisit when there is more data.

[Marc NL]

This is fascinating. I had not heard of the TRIIM study before. So the basic protocol is GH plus DHEA and they saw measurable changes in epigenetic age markers? What was the metformin doing in the original study - insulin sensitisation while on GH?

[Jock]

GH plus DHEA I can get behind as general health support. The epigenetic clock angle I am more sceptical about - the clocks themselves are still being validated. But the compounds are well tolerated so the downside risk is low. I run GH year round anyway at 1-2IU so DHEA is not much of an addition.

[Dutchman]

Yes - metformin was included to counteract the insulin resistance that exogenous GH induces. The retatrutide substitution makes sense mechanistically because it handles insulin sensitivity through a different pathway while also contributing to fat loss. The data on retatrutide for this specific use case does not exist yet but the reasoning is sound.

[FLbodybuilder]

I added DHEA at 50mg about 3 months ago alongside my GH protocol. Cannot say I notice a dramatic difference but my sleep quality has improved and recovery feels slightly better. Probably too many variables to attribute it to the DHEA specifically but I am going to keep running it.

[Jock]

TRIIM study is 9 participants. That is a pilot result, not a study. Interesting enough to follow up on, not enough to rebuild a stack around. The epigenetic clock tech is promising but the sample size means nothing is proven. GH and DHEA together are nothing new here. The retatrutide substitution for metformin is the only genuinely new angle worth discussing.

[TEXMEX]

Running GH plus DHEA already for other reasons. The TRIIM framework just puts a label on what a lot of guys here are already doing. The retatrutide swap for metformin is the interesting part - better insulin sensitivity profile and no gut issues. Wouldnt start a longevity protocol just for epigenetic clock numbers but if you are running GH already the additions are minimal effort.

[Chi Guy]

The injection fatigue from stacking GH plus a GLP-1 plus DHEA is real. Tried running all three at once for 12 weeks. GH morning, GLP-1 twice weekly, DHEA oral. It is manageable but you have to actually want to do it. The epigenetic clock data is interesting but I need to see a bigger trial before I call it age reversal.

[Paris GH]

I follow this with interest. The protocol appeals to me for the GH component which I run already. The Horvath clock measurement requires access to private testing services in France that are expensive to access properly. Anyone here actually tracking biological age markers and seeing movement over 6-12 months? The scientific basis is reasonable in principle even with the small trial size.

[Jock]

Nine participants. That is not a study, that is a case report. Epigenetic clocks measuring meaningful change in a group that small is not a result you build a protocol around. People have been injecting DIY nonsense based on far worse though, so crack on.

[FLbodybuilder]

The TRIIM trial was designed by Greg Fahy out of UCLA - nine participants, all male, 51-65, HGH plus DHEA plus metformin for a year. The epigenetic clock reversal finding got a lot of traction but the number one issue is that the Horvath clock has significant individual variation even in the same person on the same day depending on what tissue you sample. The retatrutide substitution makes pharmacological sense for insulin sensitization since metformin is essentially competing with the same pathway at lower efficacy. Retatrutide hits GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors - the net insulin sensitizing effect is stronger and the glucagon component adds fat oxidation that metformin cannot. Worth watching but I would not call this proven longevity medicine yet.

[CaliBro]

Been following Fahy's work for a couple years now. The epigenetic reversal data is real but the sample size makes it hard to know what actually caused it. Subbing reta for metformin is clever and makes sense, reta just does more. DHEA sourcing is easy, it's OTC in the US at basically any supplement shop. Running this long-term without regular bloodwork is asking for trouble though, you need to know where your DHEA metabolites are sitting.

[Chi Guy]

Fahy has been working on this for 20 years. The 2019 publication got a lot of attention but longevity medicine is still basically where bodybuilding science was in the 80s - lots of anecdote and not much controlled data. That said, half of what we've been doing for 30 years in this community ended up being right eventually. DHEA at 100mg daily is worth the experiment if your hormone panel can absorb the DHT load. The injection stacking problem is real for anyone already pinning GH twice a day.

[FrankfurtFit]

I ran a version of this for six months last year. DHEA 50mg daily, GH at 2 IU fasted AM, metformin 500mg twice daily. My IGF-1 at baseline was 148 ng/ml, after six months it was 167 ng/ml. Subjectively I noticed better sleep within four weeks. I did not use retatrutide because the supply here in Germany was inconsistent at the time. My concern with epigenetic clock measurements is the cost - a Horvath clock test is not cheap and you need multiple data points over time to draw any conclusions. Running bloodwork every three months minimum if you attempt this.

[Dutchman]

The triple receptor agonism of retatrutide versus metformin's AMPK pathway activation is an interesting substitution from a pharmacological standpoint. Retatrutide hits GLP-1, GIP and glucagon receptors - the net insulin sensitizing effect is stronger and the glucagon component adds fat oxidation that metformin cannot. The concern is GLP-1-mediated IGF-1 suppression at higher retatrutide doses, which could potentially work against the GH component of the protocol. Low dose Reta at 0.5-1mg weekly probably avoids this problem. DHEA 50mg daily is the sensible starting point, escalate to 100mg based on labs.

[OsloFit]

I read the original TRIIM paper and found it interesting but I cannot work out how to measure whether it is actually doing anything without running expensive tests every few months. Has anyone tracked this properly using commercial epigenetic tests? For someone who has not run GH yet, is this something to consider later or is it basically only relevant for people already deep into the stack?

[Paris GH]

The aesthetic approach to longevity appeals to me more than the polypharmacy approach. GH at a therapeutic dose, DHEA in the physiological range, good diet and bloodwork twice yearly. I am skeptical of adding retatrutide to a longevity stack unless body composition is the primary goal. Sleep quality improvement on low-dose GH is real and well-documented, that alone justifies the protocol for me without adding further compounds.

[SydneyFit]

Had no idea Fahy had been working on this for so long. The DHEA thing is interesting because it's basically easy to source here in Australia. Anyone using an at-home epigenetic test kit to track this? Keen to understand how you would actually know if the protocol is working beyond just bloodwork.

[CapeTown CT]

Running GH for recovery already and the idea of stacking DHEA on top is interesting. Getting consistent GH supply here takes effort so I wouldn't want to add more layers without knowing what to measure. The injection frequency with reta plus GH twice daily would be a lot for me personally. Good thread though, learned a few things I didn't know about the Fahy work.

[MunichMarc]

I knew about the TRIIM study but didn't understand the retatrutide substitution until this thread. Makes sense from a mechanism standpoint now that it's been explained. DHEA at 50mg I could start tomorrow, it's easy to get here. The metformin side effect profile I don't enjoy so reta as a substitute would actually suit me better personally.

[Geoff K]

Interesting thread. I've been on GH for about 18 months for recovery and sleep and hadn't thought about the longevity angle at all. DHEA is something my doctor has mentioned before for my age. Would be curious whether adding it on top of GH makes a noticeable difference or whether it's too subtle to detect without proper tests.

[Mick AU]

Been down the rabbit hole on the TRIIM study lately and figured I'd see who else is actually running this or something similar.

For those who haven't read it - 9 guys ran HGH + metformin + DHEA for a year and showed roughly 2.5 year biological age reversal on the GrimAge epigenetic clock. Thymus regeneration was the standout finding, immune markers improved, and insulin sensitivity held up throughout. Small sample but the mechanism stacks up.

Most people running the DIY version now are swapping metformin for retatrutide anyway. Better insulin sensitisation and you get the fat loss on top, which makes more sense for our context than straight metformin does.

Anyone else running HGH alongside a GLP-1 in a longevity context rather than just for prep? Curious what DHEA dose people are landing on too - I've seen everything from 50mg to 100mg per day thrown around.

[BERLINER]

The epigenetic clock data is interesting but 9 participants is barely a case series, let alone a study you can draw conclusions from. Horvath clocks have shown variance even in much larger trials and a lot of researchers in the longevity space are cautious about treating the reversal numbers as literal biological age. I think the honest read is we don't know yet.

That said, I'm running GH at 2 IU fasted AM regardless, so adding 50mg DHEA in the morning is not exactly a leap. Sourced mine from a standard supplement brand, nothing fancy. The retatrutide piece is the one I'd want more community data on before committing to it long term.

[GODZILLA]

interesting thread. the injection frequency fatigue is a real thing when you start stacking HGH with multiple peptides on top - I have seen guys drop protocols midway just because the daily pin schedule became unsustainable. worth factoring in before committing to the full stack.

[Beantown Rick]

the 9-participant study is what trips me up every time someone brings this up. statistically it means basically nothing, and whether GrimAge accurately predicts actual lifespan extension is still debated even by the researchers who ran it. the thymus regeneration finding is harder to dismiss though - that is measurable immune output, harder to wave away than epigenetic clocks. my issue with the full DIY stack is the injection burden. if you are already running test plus GH nightly, adding reta twice weekly on top puts you at 10+ pins a week minimum. at some point it stops being a longevity protocol and starts being a part-time job.

[BIGDADDY]

Interesting stuff. We've had a few customers running similar DIY versions - the main thing I hear is injection fatigue when they stack too many peptides together. The skepticism about the sample size is fair but the mechanism is sound. Curious to see where this goes over the next few years.

[SWE LIFTS]

The 9-participant study thing is always the first thing skeptics bring up and honestly they're not wrong to flag it. GrimAge as a lifespan predictor hasn't been validated in anything close to a serious sample size. That's just the reality.

But the thymus regeneration data is harder to dismiss. T-cell production improving is measurable and has actual immune function consequences, not just a number on a clock shifting. That part of the study stacks up better when you dig into it.

For me the calculation is simple - HGH, DHEA and reta are compounds most of us are already comfortable running. If the downside is that the longevity angle turns out to be overblown, I've still been running GH at 3IU fasted AM which I'd be doing anyway. The DHEA and reta are just on top. Not exactly a massive leap of faith.

[Mick AU]

Been following this one. The thymus regeneration finding interests me more than the GrimAge headline. Nine participants is barely a pilot study and epigenetic clocks have their own methodological critics. Still, plenty of guys here were running HGH plus DHEA long before that paper came out, so the stack itself is not exactly new territory. Swapping metformin for reta makes sense for the insulin sensitiser piece, and the injection load is the honest concern - once you are pinning GH, reta twice a week, and anything else on top it starts feeling like a part-time job.

[GODZILLA]

The skepticism around the TRIIM study is fair given the sample size. Nine participants is not enough to draw firm conclusions from. That said, the components individually are well-studied and the stack carries a reasonable safety profile at the doses being discussed. Worth monitoring the longer-term data as it comes in.

[BERLINER]

The skepticism around epigenetic clocks is fair but I think people are missing the point when they use it to dismiss the whole protocol. Even if the clock validity is contested, the actual markers from the TRIIM study were solid - thymus regeneration, improved T-cell counts, maintained insulin sensitivity. That stuff is measurable and not dependent on whether the biological age calculation is accurate. Running 3 IU HGH pre-bed plus 50mg DHEA and using reta instead of metformin - the injection burden is there but compared to a full blast it's nothing. Happy to track markers over 6 months if others are doing the same.

[Beantown Rick]

The injection schedule is honestly the part that gets me with the full TRIIM stack. Running GH, reta twice a week, and DHEA on top - you're halfway through your morning just managing vials and pins. I dropped Mots-C a while back for exactly this reason, benefit wasn't clear enough to justify another jab. Anyone doing the full protocol, what timing are you using for the GH? Switched mine to pre-bed and fasted glucose on my bloods came back clean - was getting flagged before on fasted AM shots.

[BIGDADDY]

Good thread. The skepticism around epigenetic clocks is fair given the sample sizes but I'd rather be running this stack than not while we wait for bigger trials.

[SWE LIFTS]

Running the DIY version myself right now - 3IU HGH pre-bed, reta at 1mg/week split Mon/Thu, 50mg DHEA daily. Only 8 weeks in so nothing dramatic to report on the epigenetic side but sleep quality has noticeably improved and body comp is slowly shifting without touching my diet.

The injection burden is real though. GH every night plus reta twice a week on top of whatever else you're already pinning - after a while you're doing a mental tally of how many jabs you're running. DHEA is at least just a capsule, grab it from any health store, no issues there.

The study skepticism is fair - 9 people is statistically nothing. But the mechanism makes sense and if you're already running GH the marginal cost of adding reta and DHEA is pretty low. Worst case you learned something.

[Mick AU]

Similar stack here last year - HGH 3iu before bed plus DHEA 75mg, no reta at that point. Adding reta this year and the injection schedule is getting real. GH daily plus twice weekly reta adds up more than you think going in, and if you're running any other peptides on top you're pinning constantly. At least DHEA is caps, one less thing to draw up. Mildly skeptical on the epigenetic clock stuff too - 9 participants is basically a case series and GrimAge as an actual lifespan predictor has real limitations the paper acknowledges.

[GODZILLA]

Good discussion in here. The injection burden point is real and gets underestimated when people first map out a longevity stack on paper. HGH plus reta plus DHEA plus whatever else is already 3-4 compounds before you add anything for training. Worth being honest with yourself about what you will actually sustain for 12 months versus what looks good in a spreadsheet.

[BERLINER]

The 9-participant thing bothers me every time I look at this study. Still running a version anyway - 3IU GH pre-bed, 1mg reta split Mon/Thu, 50mg DHEA daily. Risk profile is reasonable and the compounds make sense independently of the aging claims. The epigenetic clock data is interesting but those clocks aren't validated as actual lifespan predictors. Biological age on paper and how long you actually live aren't the same number.

[Beantown Rick]

The injection fatigue is real on these longevity stacks. GH twice daily plus a GHRP plus retatrutide plus DHEA oral - you're adding 4-5 more decisions and prep steps to every day. I cut it back to 3 IU GH pre-bed plus 50mg DHEA and dropped the rest for now. Running it properly for the full year like the TRIIM study takes more discipline than most people expect.

[BIGDADDY]

Reading along on this one. The thymus regeneration finding is what I keep coming back to, the rest is interesting but that one has practical implications well beyond bodybuilding. Good to see the community running it sensibly.

[SWE LIFTS]

Started my own version of this 6 weeks ago, 3IU GH pre-bed, 1mg reta weekly, 75mg DHEA. The reta replacing metformin makes practical sense, you get the insulin sensitivity plus 4kg off in the first month I wasn't planning for. Skeptical about the GrimAge numbers being meaningful for actual lifespan but the bloodwork shifts are real, fasting glucose 79 from 92, IGF-1 climbing to 290, lipids cleaned up. Worth running for 12 months and seeing what the second panel says.

[Mick AU]

Been running a version of this since February. 3IU pre-bed instead of fasted AM, 1mg reta split twice weekly, 75mg DHEA first thing. The injection load honestly is not the problem people make it out to be. Sleep is noticeably better and recovery between sessions has shifted, hard to put a number on it but something is different. I am not pulling epigenetic clocks to validate it, if the quality of life markers are moving the right direction that is enough to keep going.

[GODZILLA]

The skepticism about the epigenetic clock data is fair given the sample size but the DIY variations people are running here are interesting to follow. Keep the bloodwork coming if anyone is tracking IGF-1 or other markers alongside.

[BERLINER]

The injection fatigue argument is the one I keep coming back to. If you're already running test, GH, and reta - adding HGH pulses from CJC/Ipa on top of that is another 2-3 subq shots a day. At some point the protocol becomes its own full-time job. I backed off the GHRP stack specifically because of that. Running the retatrutide instead of metformin makes more practical sense for most people who are already pinning for bodybuilding reasons.

[Beantown Rick]

The epigenetic clock skepticism is fair but I think people miss the point arguing about whether GrimAge predicts lifespan to the year. The interesting part is the thymus regeneration data - actual measurable T-cell production improvement in a 9-person study. That's not placebo territory. Running 3 IU pre-bed, 50mg DHEA daily, and 1mg reta twice a week. 14 weeks in. Sleep has been noticeably better from about week 6. Bloodwork at week 16 to see what IGF-1 is doing.

[SWE LIFTS]

The injection fatigue point is real and it's the thing that kills most of these longevity stacks before anyone gets useful data. GH twice a day, reta twice a week, BPC near an injury site, maybe slin peri-workout - you're looking at 15 plus pins a week before adding anything else. At some point the compliance falls apart not because the compounds stop working but because people get sick of pinning.

The ones who stick with it long-term tend to consolidate wherever possible. Reta twice weekly is fine. GH once daily AM instead of split. BPC only when there's an active injury, not year-round. Trim the protocol to what's sustainable and you actually get the data.

[BIGDADDY]

The epigenetic clock skepticism is valid but the TRIIM study got replicated with larger cohorts since then. 9 participants made it easy to dismiss at the time. The DIY versions are where the real-world data is building now - not waiting for a pharma-sponsored trial that is never coming.