Standard
Community- Dose
- 5 mg
- How often
- 3 times a week, non-consecutive days
- How long
- 8–12 weeks, then 4 weeks off
Most common schedule. It copies the rhythm of mouse studies; no human trial has tested it.
Draw 50 units10 mg + 1 mL
PreclinicalMitochondrial-derived peptide
MOTS-c
Mitochondrial open reading frame of the 12S rRNA-c
- Common dose
- 5 mg, 1–3× weekly
- Cycle
- 8 weeks on, 4 off
- Vial sizes
- 10, 20, 40 mg
- Typical draw
- 50 units10 mg with 1 mL, 5 mg
A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA that acts as a metabolic signal. In mice it improved insulin sensitivity and exercise capacity.
Evidence. Animal studies only for native MOTS-c. A modified analog (CB4211) completed a small Phase 1b.
Status
- Approval
- Not approved as a drug in the US or EU.
- US compounding
- Nomination withdrawn, so no longer in FDA Category 2 (April 2026). In July 2026 FDA’s advisory committee voted 7 to 5, 2 abstaining, to recommend adding it to the 503A bulks list.
- Sport (WADA 2026)
- Banned in sportNamed on the 2026 list under S4.4.1 metabolic modulators (AMPK activators). Banned at all times, in and out of competition, as a non-specified substance.
Category 2 is FDA’s list of bulk substances that may present significant safety risks in compounding. The 503A bulks list adds substances that pharmacies may compound with. Advisory committee votes are advice; FDA makes the final decision. Sport status follows the WADA Prohibited List in force since January 1, 2026; athletes should confirm with their anti-doping organization. Checked October 5, 2026.
Protocol
Community
5 mg 1–3× per week is most common, up to 10 mg per injection.
Community
Alternative: about 1 mg daily, 5 days on and 2 off.
- Frequency
- 1–3× per week
- Route
- Subcutaneous injection
- Timing
- Morning or before exercise.
- Cycle
- 4–12 weeks on (often 6–8), then 4–8 weeks off.
8 weeks on, 4 off, shown over 26 weeks
Common protocols
The ways MOTS-c is most often run, each tagged with where it comes from.
Higher dose
Community- Dose
- 10 mg
- How often
- 2–3 times a week
- How long
- Up to 8 weeks, then 4–6 weeks off
Split across two sites. No human evidence that 10 mg works better than 5 mg.
Draw 100 units10 mg + 1 mL
Analog trial (CB4211)
Trial- Dose
- 25 mg
- How often
- Once daily
- How long
- 4 weeks
Phase 1b in 20 adults with fatty liver (11 on drug). A modified analog, so its dose doesn’t carry over to MOTS-c.
Taking it
Where it goes
Subcutaneous, rotating the site every dose. Guides split 10 mg doses across two sites to limit lumps. Often taken in the morning or 30–60 minutes before training.
If you miss a dose
No published guidance. Because it’s dosed a few times a week, take it the next day or skip it; don’t double up.
What to expect
- Days 1–7
Injection-site redness, itch or a small bump. In the analog trial these were the only side effect seen in more than 10% of people.
Trial - Week 4 (analog trial)
At 25 mg daily, ALT (a liver enzyme) fell 21% vs 4% on placebo and glucose 6% vs 0%. Liver fat fell in both groups.
Trial - Weeks 4–12
Guides claim better endurance and body composition, extrapolated from mice. No human data exist beyond 4 weeks.
Community
Side effects and what to do
Injection-site redness, itch or bumps
Most common. Rotate sites and split large doses. Lumps that last between doses mean back off.
Low blood sugar: shaky, sweaty, lightheaded
Likelier when training fasted or on insulin or sulfonylureas. Eat something and check glucose.
Infection at the site: spreading redness, heat, pus or fever
Stop and see a doctor.
Allergic reaction: hives, lip or tongue swelling
Stop and get emergency care.
Stop and get medical help
Stop and get help for low blood sugar with confusion or vision changes, chest pain, palpitations or fainting, hives or lip swelling, or a hot, spreading, pus-filled injection site.
Tracking and pairing
Worth tracking
- Fasting glucose
- ALT and AST (liver enzymes)
- Injection-site lumps
Human studies
No published human studies of MOTS-c turned up in our October 2026 review. The evidence note at the top of this page sums up what is known.
Mixing your vial
| Vial | Water | Common dose | Draw | Strength | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mg | 1 mL | 5 mg | 50 units (0.50 mL) | 10 mg/mL | |
| 20 mg | 2 mL | 5 mg | 50 units (0.50 mL) | 10 mg/mL | |
| 40 mg | 4 mL | 5 mg | 50 units (0.50 mL) | 10 mg/mL |
Dose chart
Syringe units for common doses at different water volumes. Select a cell to open it in the calculator.
| Dose | Water added | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 mL | 2 mL | 3 mL | |
| 1 mg | |||
| 2 mg | |||
| 2.5 mg | |||
| 4 mg | |||
| 5 mg | |||
| 7.5 mg | |||
| 10 mg | |||
U-100 insulin syringe: 100 units is 1 mL. Draws over 100 units show in mL. Faded values are under 2 units, which is hard to measure. Check that your vial holds the larger volumes.
Datasheet
- Half-life
- No reliable value has been published.
- Type
- Peptide, 16 amino acids
- Molecular weight
- 2,174.6 g/mol
- Formula
- C101H152N28O22S2
- Sequence
- MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR
- Storage before use
- Freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage; fridge is fine for short periods.
- After mixing or opening
- Refrigerate (2–8 °C) after mixing and use within about 4 weeks.
- Molecule: PubChem CID 146675088; UniProt A0A0C5B5G6
- Storage: Community Common practice for research peptide vials; no approved product label exists
Cautions
- No human trials of native MOTS-c.
- Injection-site reactions were the main side effect of the analog.
- Community weekly totals differ more than 10-fold.
Questions
What is MOTS-c?
A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA that acts as a metabolic signal. In mice it improved insulin sensitivity and exercise capacity.
Is MOTS-c FDA-approved?
Not approved as a drug in the US or EU. Nomination withdrawn, so no longer in FDA Category 2 (April 2026). In July 2026 FDA’s advisory committee voted 7 to 5, 2 abstaining, to recommend adding it to the 503A bulks list.
What is the usual MOTS-c dose?
From community reports, not established: 5 mg 1–3× per week is most common, up to 10 mg per injection. Alternative: about 1 mg daily, 5 days on and 2 off. These are the amounts sources reference, not recommendations.
How much water do I mix MOTS-c with?
There’s no single right amount, because the water only sets the strength. With 1 mL of bacteriostatic water in a 10 mg vial, the strength is 10 mg/mL, so 5 mg is 50 units on a U-100 insulin syringe. More water makes small doses easier to measure. The dose chart above shows other volumes.
How should MOTS-c be stored?
Before mixing: Freezer (−20 °C) for long-term storage; fridge is fine for short periods. Refrigerate (2–8 °C) after mixing and use within about 4 weeks. This is common practice; no product label covers it.
Is MOTS-c banned in sport?
Yes. Named on the 2026 list under S4.4.1 metabolic modulators (AMPK activators). Banned at all times, in and out of competition, as a non-specified substance.
Has MOTS-c been studied in people?
No published human studies turned up in our October 2026 review. The evidence note at the top of this page sums up what is known.
Sources
- Lee et al., MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis (Cell Metab 2015)
- FDA advisory committee backs 6 peptides for compounding (AJMC, July 2026)
For the protocol details
- CohBar: CB4211 Phase 1a/1b topline results (2021)
Doses tagged Community come from public dosing guides and user reports, checked against at least two of them. Those sites aren’t named here because many of them sell peptides or earn commissions on them.