Evidence: Level 2 · experimental
Type
Single peptide
Category
Mitochondria & Energy
Vial code
MS
Vial sizes
10, 20, 40 mg
Half-life
experimental
At a glance
- Mechanism of action
- Mitochondrial peptide: activates the energy sensor AMPK - the same state as intense exercise or fasting - and signals the cell to burn fat and produce new ATP.
- Benefits & use
- Said to improve endurance, metabolic flexibility and insulin sensitivity; nicknamed "exercise in a bottle" in biohacking.
- Study status
- Level 2: The most striking effects still come from animal models. In humans, only the MOTS-c analog CB4211 has been tested to date in a completed Phase 1a/1b trial (n=88). In 2024-2025 the preclinical scope expanded significantly (diabetic heart, neuropathy, liver fibrosis, inflammation, bone pain, ovarian cancer progression).
- Dosing note
- Experimental, vials 10-40 mg, subcutaneous. No dosing instructions - information only.
Use in the injection calculator
MOTS-c is a mitochondrial peptide that activates the energy sensor AMPK - the same state as intense exercise or fasting. It is therefore nicknamed "exercise in a bottle". Evidence level 2 (experimental).
How does MOTS-c work?
Unlike the GLP-1 injections, MOTS-c acts directly inside the mitochondria, the "power plants" of the cell. It switches on AMPK, which signals the cell to burn fat and build new ATP. The focus is on cellular energy efficiency, not on appetite.
What is MOTS-c used for?
Experimentally, it is used to boost endurance,
How far has the research come?
- CB4211 (analog): Phase 1a/1b human trial completed (n=88) - currently the only clinical study in humans.
- Preclinical 2024-2025: Protects the diabetic heart (Frontiers in Physiology 2025), shows benefit in diabetic neuropathy (Mol Pain 2024), liver fibrosis (Sci Rep 2025) and cancer-induced bone pain (Acta Biochim Biophys Sin 2024); signals of anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activity.
- Endogenous levels: decline with age and in metabolic dysfunction - more pronounced in men; pre-menopausal women appear partly protected via oestrogen-related mitochondrial biogenesis.
- Molecule: 16 amino acids (MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR), MW 2,174.6 g/mol; does not cross the blood-brain barrier.
Related peptides
Sources
- MOTS-c - Cognitive Vitality Report (ADDF)
- Mitochondria-derived peptide MOTS-c restores mitochondrial respiration in type 2 diabetic heart (Frontiers in Physiology, 2025)
- Mitochondrial-Encoded Peptide MOTS-c, Diabetes, and Aging-Related Diseases (Diabetes & Metabolism Journal)
- MOTS-c - ClinicalTrials.gov (NIH)