BPC-157 Dosage Guide: Oral vs Injectable, Loading vs Maintenance

Why BPC-157 Dosing Gets Confusing

BPC-157 (Body Protection Compound-157) is a 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a protective protein found in human gastric juice. It is one of the most widely studied peptides for tissue repair, with over 100 published studies — yet nearly all of that research was conducted in animals. This creates the central challenge of BPC-157 dosing: translating rodent study doses to human protocols requires careful allometric scaling, not simple weight conversion.

Adding to the confusion, BPC-157 can be administered by injection (subcutaneous or intramuscular) or orally, and the two routes have meaningfully different bioavailability. Most online "dosing guides" present a single number without explaining the reasoning behind it. This article traces the dosing logic back to the published research so you can make informed decisions.

If you are new to peptides entirely, start with our What Are Peptides? overview and Peptide Dosage Guide before diving into BPC-157 specifics.

What the Research Uses

In published animal studies, BPC-157 is typically dosed at 10 mcg/kg body weight, though doses ranging from 1 mcg/kg to 50 mcg/kg appear in the literature. The most commonly cited effective dose in rat studies is 10 mcg/kg administered intraperitoneally (IP) or subcutaneously.^[1]

Allometric Scaling: Rat to Human

Direct weight-based conversion from rats to humans does not work because rodents have much faster metabolic rates per unit of body weight. The FDA-recommended human equivalent dose (HED) calculation uses a body surface area (BSA) conversion factor:

Human dose (mcg/kg) = Rat dose (mcg/kg) x 0.162

Applying this to the standard 10 mcg/kg rat dose:

• 10 mcg/kg x 0.162 = 1.62 mcg/kg for a human
• For an 80 kg person: 1.62 x 80 = approximately 130 mcg
• For the higher end (50 mcg/kg rat): 50 x 0.162 x 80 = approximately 648 mcg

This is why the commonly cited human dosing range of 200-500 mcg per injection falls within the allometrically scaled window. It is not an arbitrary number — it traces directly back to the animal data.

Injectable BPC-157 Dosing

Subcutaneous and intramuscular injection are the most studied routes of administration. Injectable BPC-157 has significantly higher bioavailability than oral administration because it bypasses first-pass metabolism in the liver.

Standard Protocol

Parameter	Range	Most Common
Dose per injection	200-500 mcg	250-300 mcg
Frequency	1-2x daily	2x daily
Total daily dose	200-1,000 mcg	500-600 mcg
Injection site	Subcutaneous, near injury site preferred	Subcutaneous
Cycle length	4-12 weeks	6-8 weeks

Local vs Systemic Injection

One distinctive feature of BPC-157 dosing is the concept of local injection. Several animal studies show enhanced effects when BPC-157 is injected near the site of injury rather than systemically.^[2] For a knee tendon issue, subcutaneous injection in the tissue overlying the affected area may produce better local tissue concentrations than an abdominal injection.

That said, BPC-157 also shows systemic effects when injected anywhere — the "local vs systemic" distinction likely involves concentration gradients rather than an all-or-nothing difference. If local injection is impractical, systemic subcutaneous injection is still used in research protocols.

For injection technique fundamentals, see our Reconstitution and Injection Guide.

Oral BPC-157 Dosing

Oral BPC-157 is one of the more interesting aspects of this peptide. Unlike most peptides, which are destroyed by stomach acid and digestive enzymes, BPC-157 was originally isolated from gastric juice and appears to retain meaningful activity when taken orally — at least in animal studies.^[1]

Oral Bioavailability Considerations

Oral peptides face three barriers: enzymatic degradation in the stomach, enzymatic degradation in the intestine, and first-pass metabolism in the liver. BPC-157 appears unusually resistant to the first barrier, likely because it evolved in the gastric environment. However, oral bioavailability is still lower than injectable delivery, which is why oral doses are typically higher.

Oral Protocol

Parameter	Range	Notes
Dose per serving	250-500 mcg	Often taken as capsules or sublingual
Frequency	1-2x daily	On an empty stomach for better absorption
Total daily dose	250-1,000 mcg	Higher end for gut-specific targets
Timing	30 min before meals	Empty stomach maximizes absorption

When to Choose Oral vs Injectable

Oral is preferred for: Gut-related issues (gastric ulcers, intestinal inflammation, NSAID damage, IBS symptoms). The peptide makes direct contact with GI tissue during absorption, providing both local and systemic effects. See our deep dive on BPC-157 for Gut Healing for the research.

Injectable is preferred for: Musculoskeletal injuries (tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints), especially when local injection near the injury site is feasible. Higher systemic bioavailability supports tissue repair throughout the body.

Loading vs Maintenance Protocols

Some practitioners use a two-phase approach:

Loading Phase (Weeks 1-2)

Higher dose to establish tissue levels quickly:

• Injectable: 300-500 mcg twice daily (600-1,000 mcg/day)
• Oral: 500 mcg twice daily (1,000 mcg/day)

Maintenance Phase (Weeks 3-8+)

Reduced dose to sustain effects:

• Injectable: 200-300 mcg once or twice daily (200-600 mcg/day)
• Oral: 250-500 mcg once daily

The rationale is that initial higher doses may accelerate the establishment of therapeutic tissue concentrations, after which lower doses can maintain the effect. This approach has some precedent in other peptide protocols (e.g., PT-141 uses a similar loading concept), though it has not been specifically validated for BPC-157 in controlled studies.

An alternative approach is to simply use a consistent dose throughout the cycle — the "loading" concept is theoretical and some practitioners find no practical difference.

Does Body Weight Matter?

Given that the original research doses are expressed in mcg/kg, it follows that body weight should influence dosing. A 60 kg individual and a 120 kg individual have meaningfully different tissue volumes and metabolic rates. For a comprehensive explanation of weight-based peptide dosing, see our Peptide Dosing by Body Weight guide.

Practical scaling:

• Under 70 kg: 200-250 mcg per injection is typically sufficient
• 70-90 kg: 250-300 mcg per injection (the most common range)
• Over 90 kg: 300-500 mcg per injection may be appropriate

These ranges are derived from applying the allometric HED calculation across different body weights.

Practical Reconstitution Math

BPC-157 typically comes in 5 mg (5,000 mcg) vials. Here is how to set up convenient dosing:

• Add 2 mL bacteriostatic water to a 5 mg vial = 2,500 mcg/mL concentration
• 250 mcg dose = 0.1 mL (10 units on an insulin syringe)
• 500 mcg dose = 0.2 mL (20 units)

At 250 mcg twice daily, one 5 mg vial lasts 10 days. At 500 mcg twice daily, one vial lasts 5 days.

Use our Reconstitution Calculator to calculate exact volumes for any vial size and desired dose.

BPC-157 in Stacks

BPC-157 is most commonly stacked with TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4) for healing applications. The combination targets complementary pathways — BPC-157 promotes angiogenesis and growth factor upregulation while TB-500 enhances cell migration and reduces inflammation. See our detailed BPC-157 + TB-500 research article and the Healing Stack protocol page.

When stacking, each compound is typically dosed at its standard individual dose. BPC-157 at 250-300 mcg plus TB-500 at 2-2.5 mg (TB-500 is dosed in milligrams, not micrograms) is the most common combination. For broader stacking principles, see our Peptide Stacking Guide.

Safety Profile and Side Effects

BPC-157 has a remarkably clean safety profile in animal studies. No LD50 (lethal dose) has been established because researchers have been unable to find a toxic dose in rodents — even at doses thousands of times above the effective range.^[1]

Reported side effects in human use are rare and typically mild:

• Injection site redness or irritation
• Mild nausea (more common with oral dosing)
• Lightheadedness (occasionally reported at higher doses)
• Fatigue during the first few days

For a broader safety overview, see our Are Peptides Safe? guide and BPC-157 Side Effects page.