Peptide Library / Weight & Metabolic
MOTS-c
Also known as: Mitochondrial-derived peptide
The "exercise in a vial" research peptide — encoded in mitochondrial DNA, studied for insulin sensitivity, endurance, and metabolic flexibility.
| Typical research dose | 5–10 mg/week (e.g. 2.5 mg, 2–3× weekly) |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 2–3× weekly |
| Route | Subcutaneous injection |
| Cycle length | 4–8 weeks |
Figures reflect protocols commonly reported in the research community — not a prescription or a recommendation.
What it is
MOTS-c is unusual: it's a peptide encoded inside mitochondrial DNA — the power plants of your cells carry the blueprint for it. Your body releases more of it during exercise, and levels decline with age, which is why it gets framed as an exercise-mimetic and studied for metabolic aging.
What the research looks at
- Insulin sensitivity — the core finding: improved glucose handling in animal models, including reversing diet-induced insulin resistance.
- Endurance — treated aged mice outperformed controls on running tests; human muscle biopsies show MOTS-c moving into the nucleus during exercise.
- Fat metabolism — reduced fat gain on high-fat diets in rodent work.
- What's missing — human trials are tiny and early; this is a young research area.
How protocols are commonly structured
Research-community protocols cluster around 5–10 mg per week, split as 2.5 mg two to three times weekly, subcutaneous, for 4–8 week runs — often timed before training on the exercise-mimetic logic. It shows up in Over-40 vitality protocols as the metabolic leg beside the GH-axis pair.
Reconstitution & storage
Lyophilized powder; bacteriostatic-water reconstitution (calculator), refrigerate after mixing, ~4 weeks.
Research protocols, not a prescription — talk to a physician before touching anything.