Follistatin
A naturally occurring protein that inhibits myostatin (the muscle growth limiter), studied for dramatic muscle growth potential.
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This information is for educational purposes. Peptide therapy should be guided by a licensed healthcare provider. Connect with a Noho clinician
What is Follistatin?
Follistatin is a naturally occurring glycoprotein that binds and neutralizes myostatin, activin, and other TGF-beta superfamily members. Myostatin is the body's primary brake on muscle growth. By inhibiting myostatin, follistatin allows enhanced muscle development. Gene therapy approaches using follistatin have shown dramatic results in animal models and early human trials for muscular dystrophy.
Why People Talk About It
Myostatin inhibition for muscle growth
EmergingPotential muscular dystrophy treatment
EmergingBody composition improvement
PreliminaryHow It Works
Your body has a built-in limit on how much muscle you can build, controlled by a protein called myostatin. Follistatin acts as myostatin's natural off-switch, removing the brake and allowing greater muscle growth.
Common Questions
Safety Information
Common Side Effects
Cautions
- • Not FDA-approved
- • May affect reproductive hormones
- • Protein is rapidly cleared, limiting practical use of injected forms
- • Gene therapy approaches carry their own risks
What We Don't Know
Long-term effects of chronic myostatin inhibition in humans are unknown. Reproductive and cardiac effects need more study.
Published Research
32 studiesFrequently Reported Blood Biomarkers in Sarcopenia Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Effectiveness of resistance training on body composition, muscle strength, and biomarker in sarcopenic older adults: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
The Association between Serum Follistatin-like Proteins and Cardiovascular Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
The effects of resistance training on myostatin and follistatin in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Exercise training-induced changes in exerkine concentrations may be relevant to the metabolic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Gene variants associated with acne vulgaris presentation and severity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Circulating resistin and follistatin levels in obese and non-obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Effects of liraglutide treatment for 35-days on total and regional fat free, lean, and bone mass, and on the Myostatin-Activin-Follistatin-IGF-1 axes: a secondary analysis of a randomized placebo-controlled crossover study
Adipo-Myokine Modulation in Obesity: Integrative Effects of Spinach Thylakoids and Functional Training in Men with Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
The Effect of Exercise on Spexin and Follistatin in Elderly Individuals
Effects of 12-week whole-body vibration training versus resistance training in older people with sarcopenia
Effects of Resistance Training on Muscular Adaptations and Inflammatory Markers in Overweight and Obese Men
Effectiveness of low-load resistance training with blood flow restriction vs. conventional high-intensity resistance training in older people diagnosed with sarcopenia: a randomized controlled trial
Supplementing With Which Form of Creatine (Hydrochloride or Monohydrate) Alongside Resistance Training Can Have More Impacts on Anabolic/Catabolic Hormones, Strength and Body Composition?
Pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila HB05 (HB05P) Improves Muscle Strength and Function: A 12-Week, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Exploring the Impact of Astaxanthin Supplementation in Conjunction with a 12-Week CrossFit Training Regimen on Selected Adipo-Myokines Levels in Obese Males
Circulating follistatin concentrations in adolescent PCOS: Divergent effects of randomized treatments
The impact of mild hypoxia exposure on myokine secretion in human obesity
Effects of Icelandic yogurt consumption and resistance training in healthy untrained older males
Spirulina supplementation during gradual weight loss in competitive wrestlers
Intensity Dependent Effects of Interval Resistance Training on Myokines and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Males With Obesity
Effects of Soy Milk in Conjunction With Resistance Training on Physical Performance and Skeletal Muscle Regulatory Markers in Older Men
Effects of 16 Weeks of Resistance Training on Muscle Quality and Muscle Growth Factors in Older Adult Women with Sarcopenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Effects of Oral Contraception and Lifestyle Modification on Incretins and TGF-ß Superfamily Hormones in PCOS
Effects of branched-chain amino acid supplementation and resistance training in postmenopausal women
The effect of Korean Red Ginseng on sarcopenia biomarkers in type 2 diabetes patients
Comparable endocrine and neuromuscular adaptations to variable vs. constant gravity-dependent resistance training among young women
The effects of concurrent training order on body composition and serum concentrations of follistatin, myostatin and GDF11 in sarcopenic elderly men
Short-term treatment with high dose liraglutide improves lipid and lipoprotein profile and changes hormonal mediators of lipid metabolism in obese patients with no overt type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over, double-blind clinical trial
Effects of upper-body, lower-body, or combined resistance training on the ratio of follistatin and myostatin in middle-aged men
Follistatin induces muscle hypertrophy through satellite cell proliferation and inhibition of both myostatin and activin
Myostatin inhibition by a follistatin-derived peptide ameliorates the pathophysiology of muscular dystrophy model mice
Always consult a qualified clinician
This information is for educational purposes. Peptide therapy should be guided by a licensed healthcare provider. Connect with a Noho clinician
Related Peptides
Quick Facts
- Class
- Activin-Binding Protein
- Evidence
- Emerging
- Safety
- Limited Data
- Updated
- Mar 2026
- Citations
- 32PubMed
Also known as
Tags
Related Goals
Evidence Score
Clinical Trials
View Clinical TrialsLinks to ClinicalTrials.gov for reference. Listing does not imply endorsement.
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