Standard intermittent
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Animal data onlyNot FDA approved
MOTS-c
Also known as: MOTSc · Mots C · mots · MOTS-c acetate · MOTS-c free base · Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA type-c
Updated 67 sources
A 16 amino acid peptide the body makes from a gene inside mitochondria. In mice it acts like an exercise signal for metabolism, and blood levels rise with exercise in people. Users run it for fat loss, energy and longevity, often next to a GLP-1 or SS-31. Nobody has measured a human dose or half-life. The first real trial started in 2026. It is banned in sport.
Quick facts
- Half-life
- Never measured in people. FDA found no in-vivo study, only a lab study showing fast breakdown in human blood. Figures of 1 to 6 hours on other sites are unsourced estimates.
- Routes
- Subcutaneous injection
- Forms
- Vial (powder)
- Reported dose ranges
- 0.8 to 10 mg (subcutaneous injection)
- 200 to 1,000 mcg (subcutaneous injection)
- Vial sizes
- 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg
- FDA status
- Not FDA approved
- WADA
- Prohibited
What people use MOTS-c for
- Fat loss and insulin sensitivity, often added to retatrutide or tirzepatide
- Energy and fatigue, described as liquid energy in r/Peptides threads
- Endurance, workout capacity, recovery and recomposition
- Longevity and mitochondrial health, usually paired with SS-31
- Appetite control, the most selected benefit (230 votes) on one site's self-report tally, ahead of energy (47)
- Less common asks: sleep apnea, IVF and ovarian health, kidney disease
- Uses named in the FDA compounding nomination: insulin resistance, obesity, osteoporosis, vascular calcification and longevity
How it is thought to work. A 16 amino acid peptide (MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR) coded by the 12S rRNA gene in mitochondrial DNA. In mice it works mostly through AMPK, the cell's energy sensor, and under stress it can move into the nucleus. Exercise raises MOTS-c in human muscle and blood. In high-fat-diet mice it cut weight gain and improved insulin sensitivity. In a lab study it broke down fast in human blood.
MOTS-c dosing
16 protocols from studies, guides and community reports, grouped by goal. Tap a source badge to see where a number came from.
Injected16
Higher tier
Weekly total
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Slow start, then twice weekly
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Performance, pre-training
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Post-exercise
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20-day, 4-shot cycle
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Quick reference range
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Daily low-dose ladder (vial math)
Titration (5 steps) and details
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Monthly weekly block
Daily low dose
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Self-titrated every other day
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Every 3 days
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Weekly total split into 3 shots
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Low intermittent
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Load, then taper
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Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Full MOTS-c dosage guideEvery titration step in syringe units, missed doses and how to mix.Vial strengths and syringe units
Every MOTS-c vial size with the water volumes sources use. Units are what to draw on a U-100 insulin syringe, worked out exactly.
| Water | Strength | 1,000 mcgdose, units | 5 mgdose, units | 10 mgdose, units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mg vial | ||||
| 0.5 mLVendor guide† | 10 mg/mL | 100.1 mL | 500.5 mL | 1001 mLmore than the vial |
| 1 mLCompetitor guide† | 5 mg/mL | 200.2 mL | 1001 mL | 2002 mL2 draws |
| 2 mLCompetitor guide† | 2.5 mg/mL | 400.4 mL | 2002 mL2 draws | 4004 mL4 draws |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide† | 1.667 mg/mL | 600.6 mL | 3003 mL3 draws | 6006 mL6 draws |
| 10 mg vial | ||||
| 0.5 mLVendor guide | 20 mg/mL | 50.05 mL | 250.25 mL | 500.5 mL |
| 1 mLCompetitor guide | 10 mg/mL | 100.1 mL | 500.5 mL | 1001 mL |
| 2 mLCompetitor guide | 5 mg/mL | 200.2 mL | 1001 mL | 2002 mL2 draws |
| 3 mLCompetitor guide | 3.333 mg/mL | 300.3 mL | 1501.5 mL2 draws | 3003 mL3 draws |
| 20 mg vial | ||||
| 2 mLCommunity-reported | 10 mg/mL | 100.1 mL | 500.5 mL | 1001 mL |
Units are on a U-100 insulin syringe (100 units = 1 mL). U-50 and U-30 barrels read the same units.† Water volume sourced for a different vial size. The math is exact either way.Water volumes from
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
Calculate with this peptideYour vial, your water, your dose: MOTS-c in syringe units, with the math shown.What people report
What MOTS-c users write on Reddit, counted post by post. These are reports, not measured rates or advice.
Community-reportedFrom 900 Reddit posts and comments, last mined Oct 23, 2026r/Retatrutide, r/Peptides, r/Biohackers, r/Peptidesource
Doses people report for MOTS-c
Goal not stated224 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 1 mg | 51 |
| 5 mg | 51 |
| 2 mg | 35 |
| 3 mg | 23 |
| 10 mg | 20 |
Longevity and energy43 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 5 mg | 15 |
| 2 mg | 10 |
| 1 mg | 7 |
| 4 mg | 3 |
| 0.5 mg | 2 |
Metabolic health39 mentions
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 5 mg | 13 |
| 1 mg | 9 |
| 3 mg | 4 |
| 2 mg | 3 |
| 2 to 4 mg | 2 |
Left out: 2 mentions given in syringe units, which mean different doses in different mixes; 3 mentions far outside every sourced protocol, most likely vial sizes or typos.
How often
| Reported | Mentions |
|---|---|
| Three times a week | 77 |
| Once a day | 68 |
| 5 days on, 2 off | 37 |
| Twice a week | 31 |
| Once a week | 23 |
Most mentioned alongside
Side effects people mention
Fatigue32 mentions
Most common fix: stop taking it (4)
Fast heart rate10 mentions
Most common fix: stop taking it (2)
Anaphylaxis8 mentions
Most common fix: stop taking it (2)
Injection site reaction8 mentions
Histamine reaction5 mentions
Hives and welts5 mentions
Doses shown are what sources report, labelled by origin. Not medical advice.
If you miss a dose
Dosing guides say skip a missed dose and do not double up. A clinic guide for the every-5-days cycle says inject when you can and count the next 5 days from that shot.
MOTS-c side effects
What trials and labels report, kept apart from what users and guides report. Frequencies are worded as each source states them.
Reported in studies and labels3
From clinical trials and regulatory documents.
Injection-site reactions (CB4211 analog trial)
The only event seen in more than 10% of treated people in the 4-week analog trial. Transient and mild to moderate. No serious adverse events.
Fever or immune reactions
Listed by USADA from online buyer reports, local or body-wide. No rate given.
Fast heartbeat or palpitations
Listed by USADA from online buyer reports. No rate given.
Reported by users and guides6
From community reports and dosing guides. Not measured rates.
Injection-site redness, sting or swelling
The most common complaint. One tracking site logs 191 injection-site irritation reports. Users say it stings more than other peptides and fades in about an hour.
How people manage it
- Rotate sites across the belly, flanks, thighs and backs of the arms.
Allergy that builds with repeated use
Rare. One user reported a systemic allergy after 2 rounds; another an anaphylactic-type reaction after 4 months. FDA flags immune reactions as a risk for injected MOTS-c.
Heart-rate spike with chest tightness
Single r/Peptides report, about an hour after a 5 mg dose.
Trouble sleeping
Listed by USADA and commonly reported on r/Peptides, mostly after afternoon or evening doses.
How people manage it
- Dose in the morning.
Low blood sugar when stacked with a GLP-1
One user on 2 mg a day plus retatrutide saw CGM glucose drop below the measurable range within 5 days. A dosing guide lists transient low blood sugar.
How people manage it
- Watch glucose when combining with GLP-1 drugs, insulin or sulfonylureas.
Acute sickness with retatrutide
Single report: spinning head, sweats and vomiting for about 6 hours after 1 mg taken alongside retatrutide.
Who should avoid it
Glucose-lowering drugs (GLP-1s, insulin, sulfonylureas)Substance
Low blood sugar is reported when MOTS-c is stacked with a GLP-1, and a dosing guide says to watch glucose with these drugs.
Metformin and other AMPK activatorsSubstance
One guide notes MOTS-c may interact with other AMPK-activating drugs. There is no human interaction data.
Another peptide in the same syringeSubstance
A clinic guide says never mix MOTS-c with another peptide in one syringe.
Drug-tested sportCondition
Prohibited at all times by WADA under S4.4.1, with no therapeutic use exemption available.
Storage
Powder (before mixing)
- Temperature
- -20 °C
Freezer at -20 C, dry and dark, for long-term storage. FDA cites supplier data showing the freeze-dried free base is stable that way. One guide gives 18 to 24 months in the fridge; a clinic guide says room temperature is fine.
Mixed vial
- Temperature
- 2 to 8 °C
- Use within
- 21 days
Fridge, 2 to 8 C, never frozen. Claims run from 2 to 7 days (a supplier note quoted by FDA) to 30 days, with 2 to 4 weeks most common. Nobody has tested research vials.
Mixed with: Bacteriostatic water
Mixing. One guide says 1 to 2 mL per vial depending on dose. 10 mg is the most common vial. Some users report a mix turning milky white overnight, or vials arriving with no vacuum and particles after mixing. Do not share a syringe with another peptide.
Stacks people report
Combinations from guides and community posts, with the reason given.
The most common Reddit stack. The logic: SS-31 repairs mitochondria, then MOTS-c drives them. One run: SS-31 4 mg a day (5 on, 2 off) in month 1, add MOTS-c 5 mg 3 times a week in month 2, drop to 5 mg weekly in month 3, then a month off. No trial has tested the pair.
Paired for cellular energy, and a clinic guide says most of its MOTS-c patients also take NAD+. Some users alternate instead: NAD+ for 10 weeks, MOTS-c during the 8 weeks off. Others run SS-31 and NAD+ for 4 weeks, then MOTS-c for 8.
Users add 1 to 2 mg MOTS-c to a GLP-1 cut for insulin sensitivity and energy. It is also where the loudest warnings come from: low glucose and acute sickness.
Added to tirzepatide by users chasing insulin sensitivity and energy during a cut. Watch glucose; low readings are reported with GLP-1 stacks.
Pitched as fat loss through two pathways: MOTS-c 5 mg twice a week plus 5-Amino-1MQ 50 to 100 mg a day by mouth, for 8 to 12 weeks.
Fat-loss stack from one user: AOD-9604 0.75 mg a day (5 on, 2 off) with MOTS-c 10 mg a week in 3 morning shots. They asked about sharing a syringe; a clinic guide says never mix MOTS-c with another peptide in one syringe.
Body composition stack: MOTS-c 10 mg 3 times a week with tesamorelin 1 mg and ipamorelin 300 mcg. Users debate whether AMPK activation blunts GH and IGF-1.
Run with MOTS-c in body composition stacks, often with tesamorelin. Users debate whether AMPK activation blunts the GH response.
A fellow mitochondrial peptide. One guide runs MOTS-c 5 mg 3 times a week with humanin 2.5 to 5 mg 2 to 3 times a week, on alternating days.
Listed in longevity stacks by dosing guides. No dosing evidence for the pair.
Listed in recovery stacks by dosing guides. No dosing evidence for the pair.
Listed in longevity and recovery stacks by dosing guides. No dosing evidence for the pair.
Compare MOTS-c
Evidence and legal status
Evidence: animal data only
No completed human trial of MOTS-c itself, so the dosing evidence is animal only. In mice, 0.5 mg/kg a day left high-fat-diet animals about 20% lighter, and late-life dosing raised median lifespan from 912 to 970 days. In people, exercise raises natural MOTS-c, an observation rather than a dosing study. The analog CB4211 (25 mg a day, 4 weeks, 88 enrolled) cut ALT 21% vs 4% on placebo, with weight only a trend. A Phase 2a trial in 120 adults with prediabetes started in 2026.
FDA and WADA
Not FDA approved
An approval withdrawn, or removed from FDA's compounding lists.
Not FDA approved and not a legal dietary ingredient. Left the 503A Category 2 list on April 22, 2026 because its nomination was withdrawn, which does not make it compoundable. FDA staff advised against adding it to the 503A bulks list. A July 2026 advisory committee voted to recommend it, reported as 7 to 5 with 2 abstaining. No final FDA action as of October 2026.
WADA bans it at all times as an AMPK activator under S4.4.1 (metabolic modulators), with no therapeutic use exemption. Sources disagree on whether it was first named on the 2024 or 2025 list. The advisory vote is non-binding; listing would still need FDA rulemaking, estimated at 8 to 12 months. FDA staff cited poor characterization, no human safety or efficacy data and immune reaction risk.
WADA: Prohibited
MOTS-c questions
How much MOTS-c should I take?
There is no established human dose. FDA found no human exposure data for MOTS-c by any route. Two camps dominate. Dosing guides favor 5 mg 2 to 3 times a week, or 5 to 10 mg a week in total, run in cycles. A daily camp on r/Peptides runs 0.5 to 2 mg a day. On one tracking site, self-reported shots have a median of 2 to 3 mg, with 5 mg and up the most common bucket.
How often do people inject it?
1 to 3 times a week is the guide standard. A clinic plan uses every 5 days for 4 shots over 20 days. The daily camp injects once a day or every other day.
How much water goes in a 10 mg vial?
1 mL (10 mg per mL) or 2 mL (5 mg per mL) are the most common. At 1 mL, 5 mg is 50 units on a U-100 syringe. Some use 0.5 mL (5 mg is 25 units) or 3 mL. Use the calculator for any other mix.
When should I take MOTS-c?
Morning, fasted or before a workout. Evening doses keep many people awake, as commonly reported on r/Peptides. One guide doses 1 to 2 hours before training; another within an hour after.
Where do people inject it?
Under the skin of the belly, flanks, thighs or the back of the arm, rotating sites. Subcutaneous is the route in every source. Intramuscular use gets asked about on Reddit but has no settled answer.
Why cycle MOTS-c?
Nobody has data on it. Users who go looking find no literature, and one guide calls cycling precautionary. Rest periods in guides range from 4 weeks to 4 months.
How long until it works?
One guide's anecdotal timeline puts energy changes at 1 to 2 weeks and body composition at 6 to 12 weeks. One r/Peptides user on 5 mg every 3 days said it took about 6 weeks to kick in.
Is it safe to take with retatrutide or tirzepatide?
This is the loudest warning on Reddit. One user on 2 mg a day plus retatrutide saw CGM glucose drop below the measurable range within 5 days. Another got a spinning head, sweats and vomiting for about 6 hours after 1 mg with retatrutide. Guides say watch glucose with GLP-1s, insulin or sulfonylureas.
What is the half-life of MOTS-c?
Nobody has measured it in people. FDA found no in-vivo pharmacokinetic study; the only data is a lab study showing fast breakdown in human blood. Figures of about 1 hour, roughly 4 hours, 2 to 4 hours or 4 to 6 hours on other sites are estimates. After exercise, the body's own MOTS-c is back to baseline in about 4 hours.
How long does mixed MOTS-c last?
In the fridge, claims run from 2 to 7 days (a supplier note quoted by FDA) to 30 days. Most guides say 2 to 4 weeks. Never freeze it. Users ask whether a 40 mg vial can last a month after mixing; nobody has tested research vials.
Why did my mixed vial go cloudy?
Users report MOTS-c turning milky white overnight in the fridge, and some vials arriving with no vacuum and particles after mixing. No authoritative answer exists.
Is MOTS-c FDA approved or legal to compound?
Not approved, and not a legal dietary ingredient. FDA dropped it from the Category 2 list on April 22, 2026 because the nomination was withdrawn, which does not make it compoundable. FDA staff advised against adding it to the 503A bulks list. In July 2026 an advisory committee voted to recommend it anyway, by a reported 7 to 5 with 2 abstaining. The vote is advisory; FDA must still act through rulemaking, and had not as of October 2026.
Is MOTS-c banned in sport?
Yes. WADA prohibits it at all times as an AMPK activator under S4.4.1, and no therapeutic use exemption is available. Sources differ on whether it was first named on the 2024 or 2025 list.
Does MOTS-c cause insomnia or a racing heart?
Both are reported by users and listed by USADA from online buyer reports, with no rates. Morning dosing is the usual fix for sleep. One user had chest tightness and a heart-rate spike about an hour after 5 mg.
Can MOTS-c be taken nasally or by mouth?
One guide lists 2 to 5 mg per dose up the nose as community practice, and notes there is zero human data for that route. No nasal product or Reddit nasal protocol turned up. A vendor guide says the peptide would break down if swallowed.
Where do MOTS-c doses come from?
Mostly mice. Studies used 0.5 mg/kg a day by injection into the belly cavity for 8 weeks, 5 mg/kg a day, and 15 mg/kg 3 times a week late in life. Body-surface conversion to a 70 kg adult gives anything from low single-digit milligrams to about 28.5 mg, depending on the guide. These are not human doses.
Is there a human trial of MOTS-c?
The first one is running. A Phase 2a trial is testing once-daily injections for 12 weeks against placebo in 120 adults with prediabetes and overweight. It started 2026-02-02, with primary completion estimated for 2027-02-14. The dose is not disclosed. The only finished human trial used CB4211, a modified analog, at 25 mg a day for 4 weeks.
Ask about MOTS-c
Answers come from this site's pages only, with a link to each source.
Sources
67 sources, each checked by date. Record updated Oct 24, 2026. Numbers are restated in our own words and labelled by where they came from.
Clinical study7
- CohBar announces topline results from the Phase 1a/1b study of CB4211BioSpace, via a news report · checked Oct 23, 2026
- MOTS-c and metformin research perspectiveAging (Albany NY) · checked Oct 23, 2026
- PubMed search: MOTS-c pharmacokinetics or half-lifePubMed · checked Oct 23, 2026
Regulatory9
- Interim 503A bulks listFDA · checked Oct 24, 2026
- Bulk Drug Substances Nominated for Use in Compounding Under Section 503A (updated April 22, 2026)FDA (Internet Archive copy) · checked Oct 24, 2026
- Certain Bulk Drug Substances for Use in Compounding that May Present Significant Safety RisksFDA · checked Oct 24, 2026
Media report2
- PEPTIDE-L WAVE! PCAC approves four bulk drug substances for the 503A listFDA Law Blog · checked Oct 23, 2026
- Public Citizen testimony to the FDA compounding advisory committee on MOTS-cPublic Citizen · checked Oct 23, 2026
Vendor guide3
- MOTS-c dosage protocol: 4-injection cycleperfectb.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- MOTS-cpeptidedeck.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- 5-Amino-1MQ vs MOTS-ctrimrx.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
Competitor guide10
- MOTS-c quick start protocolpeptidedosingprotocols.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- MOTS-c 10 mg vial dosage protocolpeptidedosages.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- MOTS-cpeptiq.io · checked Oct 23, 2026
Community-reported36
- MOTS-c 20 mg vial, mixing and injection stingr/Peptides · checked Oct 23, 2026
- MOTS-C: the mitochondrial peptide nobody explains properlyderekpruski.substack.com · checked Oct 23, 2026
- MOTS-c 1 mg a day; mixed vial went milkyr/Peptides · checked Oct 23, 2026