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MOTS-c

Taken for metabolism and endurance

Mitochondrial-derived peptide

Match every finding to its exact substance, formulation, route and study population. A related molecule or approved medicine does not validate a catalog vial.

Animal / laboratory evidence
Explore the evidenceWhy people take it
Compare this compoundRead original sources Community reports
MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLRMRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
Schematic illustration · View structure evidenceMRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
Color key
NonpolarAromaticPositive chargeNegative chargePolar Copper ion D-form or non-natural

At a glance

Why people take it. And what backs it up.

  1. Boost endurance and energy

    Animal studies only

    Active people inject it a few times a week, often right before workouts, hoping for more stamina and energy.

    Sources (4)

  2. Burn fat, steady blood sugar

    Animal studies only

    Clinics offer it to help burn fat and improve how the body handles blood sugar, sometimes alongside weight-loss drugs like retatrutide.

    Sources (3)

  3. Slow aging

    Animal studies only

    Biohackers take it, often with SS-31, as an anti-aging peptide, hoping to stay stronger and fitter as they age.

    Sources (3)

Evidence briefing

Sources checked

What the sources support.

MOTS-c is a mitochondria-encoded peptide studied mainly in cells and animals; FDA says it identified no human exposure data for MOTS-c products. CB4211 is a distinct analog, not MOTS-c itself. The 2026 compounding-panel recommendation is not drug approval.

Keep in mind

CB4211 is a distinct analog; FDA action on compounding is separate from drug approval.

Identity and research status reviewRead the original sources

The research. What’s been studied.

  • Animal & lab studies

    Metabolic effects in mice

    MOTS-c improved glucose-related measures and limited diet-induced weight gain in mouse studies.

  • Animal & lab studies

    Physical performance in mice

    A 2021 mouse study reported improved physical performance in older animals; this has not been shown for MOTS-c in people.

  • Unverified

    Human evidence

    No human exposure data for MOTS-c itself were identified by FDA. CB4211 is a distinct related analog, not MOTS-c.

What do these labels mean?
  • Human evidence: approved-drug data or larger human studies, within the populations and uses studied.
  • Early human studies: small, preliminary or limited human studies.
  • Animal & lab studies: animal or laboratory findings that do not establish effects in people.
  • Unverified: a proposed use or claim without verified supporting clinical evidence.
How each claim was reviewed (4)

Reported effects and evidence.

A citation may support, qualify or correct a claim. Read the study scope; a laboratory result is not an established benefit in people. Each review covers a claim as it was first collected; the tiles above show the collection’s current wording.

  1. Preclinical mouse experiment

    Review of “Better insulin sensitivity”

    MOTS-c improved insulin-sensitivity measures in mice in the original metabolic study.

    Limitations and applicability. Correctly animal-scoped; human endogenous associations do not establish benefits of administered peptide.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Better insulin sensitivity

    Improved how muscle takes up sugar and prevented insulin resistance in mice.

    Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record mots-c:benefit:1 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

  2. Preclinical mouse experiment

    Review of “Prevents diet-driven weight gain”

    MOTS-c treatment reduced high-fat-diet-induced obesity in the studied mice.

    Limitations and applicability. Diet-induced obesity prevention in mice does not establish human obesity treatment.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Prevents diet-driven weight gain

    Protected mice from obesity on a high-fat diet.

    Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record mots-c:benefit:2 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

  3. Preclinical mouse intervention; human observational component

    Review of “Exercise capacity”

    MOTS-c administration improved physical performance in aged mice; human observations in the paper were not a peptide-treatment trial.

    Limitations and applicability. Human exercise-related measurements did not test giving MOTS-c to humans.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Exercise capacity

    Improved running performance and physical function in old mice.

    Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record mots-c:benefit:3 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

  4. Cell/animal mechanism

    Review of “Exercise-like signaling”

    Laboratory work linked MOTS-c to AMPK activation; this is mechanistic evidence, not proof of exercise-equivalent human benefit.

    Limitations and applicability. An overlapping signaling pathway does not demonstrate that the compound replicates exercise benefits in people.

    Original collected claim and review history

    Original title: Exercise-like signaling

    Activates AMPK, the same energy sensor exercise switches on.

    Original label: animal. Preserved for traceability; the reviewed wording above qualifies this record.

    Record mots-c:benefit:4 · Annotated 2026-10-01 · Review method

The research in detail

Evidence category

Mostly animal and cell studies

Cell and animal studies report metabolic and physical-performance effects. FDA says it has identified no human exposure data for MOTS-c products. CB4211, a distinct analog, entered early human studies; those results cannot be attributed to MOTS-c itself.

Evidence is assessed claim by claim above. Regulatory approval, study design, findings and relevance are separate questions; there is no single evidence score.

Risks and unknowns. What to know first.

Collected cautions follow. These are not an exhaustive or independently validated safety assessment; claim references do not automatically support every caution.

  • Human safety data are essentially absent.

What people report

Show all 4 cautionsShow fewer cautions

Read this first: what “research use only” means

Published dosing records. No established dose.

Historical label and trial records for the named product, route, population and indication. These records are not a personal schedule or a validated regimen for a catalog vial. Source attribution does not establish applicability.

No trial giving MOTS-c itself to people has published results. An early trial tested CB4211, a different molecule based on MOTS-c, and its results have not been published in a journal.

Any dose you see online for it is a guess, not a tested dose.

Community protocols. Reported online. Not clinically validated.

Community reports Collection date: 30 Sep 2026

The most common pattern is about 2.5–5 mg injected under the skin two or three times a week for 4–8 weeks, often in the morning before exercise. Influencers also promote 10 mg once a week for 10 weeks, while others use 0.5–1 mg daily or every other day.

More about this

The FDA says it found no human exposure data for MOTS-c, so every figure is practitioner or forum convention.

Not testedFrequently encountered in reviewed sources

About 2.5–5 mg, two or three times a week

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
About 2.5–5 mg per shot (up to 10 mg); some split 5 mg a week into three smaller shots
How often
Two or three times a week (for example Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Often in the morning, before exercise
How long
4–8 weeks
Cycle
Then a month or more off before repeating
Ramp
Some taper: 3 shots a week for 4 weeks, then once a week for 4 weeks
Mixing
10 mg vial + bacteriostatic water (a common vial size; mixing volumes vary)
  • Often combined with retatrutide, SS-31, NAD+ or growth-hormone peptides.
  • One widely shared “mitochondrial” protocol runs SS-31 first and adds MOTS-c afterwards.
Sources (4)

Not testedCommon

10 mg once a week

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
10 mg (a whole 10 mg vial)
How often
Once a week
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Right before endurance exercise, ideally in the morning
How long
10 weeks
Cycle
Once a year
  • Popularised by biohacker Ben Greenfield in his book and articles.
Sources (3)
Show all 5 protocolsShow fewer protocols

Not testedSometimes seen

Short course: 5 mg every 5 days

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
5 mg
How often
Every 5 days
Route
Injection under the skin
Timing
Morning, ideally before exercise
How long
20 days
Sources (1)

Not testedSometimes seen

Low dose daily or every other day

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
0.5–1 mg
How often
Daily, or every second day
Route
Injection under the skin
Ramp
For example 0.5 mg for a week, then 1 mg every second day
Mixing
Also sold pre-mixed with NAD+ (one mix: 20 units = 0.5 mg MOTS-c + 60 mg NAD+)
  • An alternative to larger doses spaced out through the week.
Sources (3)

Not testedSometimes seen

Low “wellness” dose

Collected report · exact form and route are only as reported below. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01.

Frequency labels describe this collection, not a measured population. Contradictory records remain available.

Details and sourcesHide details
Dose
0.5 mg
How often
Twice a week
Route
Injection under the skin
How long
4–6 weeks
  • Ten times lower than the usual forum dose.
Sources (1)

Where the numbers come from

Practitioner and influencer-driven (Ben Greenfield, Jay Campbell and clinic protocol cards shared on forums). The FDA says it found no human exposure data for MOTS-c, so there is no study dose to copy; the figures are conventions.

Home-made sprays and serums

Home-made nasal spray. Community recipes. Not tested.

Original source recordsHide

A few people use vendor-made MOTS-c nasal sprays, and one user made their own (10 mg in 5 mL, 2–3 sprays per nostril). Most replies say it is a waste: the typical injected dose would take dozens of sprays and the molecule is large. Community only.

Best evidence: Community only (Reddit r/Peptides, 2023–2026). No trial, pharmacy formula or approved product. FDA says it has no human exposure data for MOTS-c by any route.

Collected strength records

Not testedNasal spraySometimes seen

Ready-made vendor spray: 10 mg, 0.1 mL per spray, 90 sprays

Original source-specific report. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Exact form and route are limited to the source’s description.

Batch: about 9 mL (90 × 0.1 mL)

Ingredients and methodHide the recipe

Ingredients

IngredientAmountRole
MOTS-c10 mg per bottleActive
How it’s used
One user: 3 squirts in each nostril each morning, dose unknown.
Per dose
Not stated as mcg; replies worked out that a 5 mg dose would need about 45 sprays.
Sources (3)

Not testedNasal sprayFringe

10 mg in 5 mL (home-made)

Original source-specific report. Collection checked 30 Sep 2026; presentation annotated 2026-10-01. Source date and reporter identity are not separately verified. Exact form and route are limited to the source’s description.

Batch: 5 mL

Ingredients and methodHide the recipe

Ingredients

IngredientAmountRole
MOTS-c10 mgActive
Liquid (not stated)5 mLLiquid
How it’s used
2–3 sprays in each nostril (frequency not stated).
  • The poster found 9–10 mL ‘too diluted’ and credited the spray with breaking a 4-week weight-loss stall.

Not stated: the amount per dose.

Sources (2)

How the method was put together, step by step with its sources

Editorial synthesis and reported strength comparison

This synthesized method combines source records. It has not been validated for preparation, sterility, compatibility, absorption or storage. Select a reported strength to inspect the arithmetic; no strength is selected for you.

Strength per spray
What people report
Research notes

Doses span a 20-fold range (0.5 mg to 10 mg per shot) with no human data to anchor them. MOTS-c is usually taken alongside several other peptides, so user reports rarely isolate its effects. Some posts mix up units (one user wrote “600mg per day”).

Taken with

Measurement basics and calculator

Explore vial arithmetic

What it is. In plain English.

A small peptide made by your mitochondria that helps regulate how muscle uses sugar.

TapClick a dotted word to see what it means.

MOTS-c is a peptide encoded within DNA and studied as a mitochondrial-derived peptide. Reports of age-related blood-level changes do not show that supplementation reverses aging.

Cell and animal studies suggest MOTS-c may affect AMPK and glucose handling during metabolic stress. Its mechanism and effects in people have not been established.

Reviewed 2026-10-01.

Structure. Nothing to show yet.

No experimental 3D structure of MOTS-c is in the .

The only name matches are an unrelated bacterial protein called MotS, and its 16-amino-acid sequence occurs in no chain of any entry.

Checked 30 Sep 2026.

Specs. The facts at a glance.

Length
16 amino acids
Sequence
MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
Sold as
  • MOTS-c 10 mg
Regulatory status
Not FDA-approved. In July 2026 the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee recommended including certain MOTS-c bulk forms on the 503A Bulks List; FDA has not issued a final determination. lists MOTS-c as prohibited.
Also known as
Mitochondrial-derived peptide

Sources. What this page rests on.

Every source behind this page, with what it says and when it was checked, is in the Source library.

MOTS-c in the Source library

Original overview and research notes · annotated 2026-10-01

Historical collection text. Read alongside the claim corrections above; identity or evidence qualifications may supersede this wording.

Metabolism and exercise capacity

A small peptide made by your mitochondria that helps regulate how muscle uses sugar.

Discovered in 2015, MOTS-c is encoded in mitochondrial DNA instead of the cell nucleus, one of a family of “mitochondrial-derived peptides.” Blood levels fall with age.

Under metabolic stress it moves into the nucleus and switches on metabolism-related genes. It activates AMPK, the cell’s energy sensor that exercise also triggers, improving glucose uptake in muscle.

In mice it prevented diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance (Cell Metabolism, 2015) and improved physical performance in old mice (2021). A modified version (CB4211) reached early human trials with modest results. No published trials of MOTS-c itself in people.

Original status record: Not approved. Research chemical. In July 2026 an FDA advisory panel voted to recommend allowing pharmacies to compound it, against FDA staff advice; the FDA has not decided. Banned by WADA.

More in Weight & metabolism.

Glossary

Mitochondria

The structures inside cells that turn food into ATP, the cell’s energy currency. The target of SS-31, MOTS-c and NAD+.

Full glossary

Glossary

WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency. Its S0 category bans any substance not approved for human use, which covers most of this catalog.

Full glossary

Glossary

Protein Data Bank (PDB)

The free worldwide archive of 3D structures of proteins and other molecules measured in experiments. Each entry has a four-character code, like 7KI0.

Full glossary