Metabolic
MOTS-c
Unusual among peptides because it isn't made from instructions in your regular DNA — it comes from the separate genetic code inside your mitochondria, the parts of your cells that produce energy. It rises naturally when you exercise, which is why it's studied as an "exercise in a vial" for insulin sensitivity, muscle ageing and endurance. The FDA's own scientists recommended against including it in this year's compounding review — the advisory panel overruled them anyway — and there's still no completed human trial testing MOTS-c itself, only a related but different compound.
Mitochondrially-encoded 16-amino-acid that activates AMPK and regulates antioxidant gene expression, studied as an exercise-mimetic for metabolic and muscle-ageing biology.
How well studied
Tier Guide: A = Well studied, B = Some good studies, C = Early evidence & D = Barely studied
Mostly animal studies or very small early trials in humans. We don't really know yet how it behaves in people.
Heightened caution: this compound carries unresolved regulatory, safety or supply-chain concerns in the UK. Nothing here is a recommendation to use it.
How it works
Made inside your energy-producing cell structures and released when they're under stress — it flips an energy-sensing switch (AMPK) that tells cells to pull in more sugar for fuel and turn on their own antioxidant defences.
Activates AMPK via folate-cycle inhibition, promotes GLUT4 translocation for uptake, and translocates to the nucleus under metabolic stress to regulate antioxidant-response-element genes including NRF2 targets.
Reported benefits
- Improved insulin sensitivity and endurance performance in animal studies
- Rises naturally with exercise, studied as a link between physical activity and metabolic adaptation
Who it's typically used for
Timeline to results
Dosage
No established human dose — no completed efficacy trial of native MOTS-c exists; the one related human data point used a modified analogue, not this compound.
Side effects
- Injection site pain, redness or swellingreported
- Manufacturing impurity/aggregation concerns flagged by FDA for injectable productsregulatory concern, not a clinical trial finding
- Affects glucose regulation — real caution for those with diabetes or on glucose-lowering medicationmechanism-based caution
Getting it in the UK
Still legal for a doctor to prescribe, but it hasn't been officially approved for this specific use. Uncommon, and comes down to a specialist's own judgement.
MHRA: the UK government body that checks a medicine is safe and actually works before doctors are allowed to prescribe it.
Content freshness
- Last reviewed
- 15 Aug 2026
- Regulatory status last checked
- 15 Aug 2026