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The plain-English version
Most users run 5 to 10 milligrams (a small subQ shot) two to three times per week, for 4 to 8 weeks, then break for 3 to 6 months. There is no human RCT for this protocol - it is biohacker community consensus, not clinical data. Always with a doctor.
Route: subcutaneous injection. Evidence tier for the dose: Weak anecdotal. Anecdotal reports exist but without strong mechanistic backing for this specific use.
The dose at a glance
| What's typical | What's the max in research |
|---|---|
| Starting dose: 5 mg subQ (under-the-skin shot) twice per week for the first 2 weeks. | Max observed in research: Animal studies have used the equivalent of roughly 15 mg per dose in humans. No published human max - biohacker community consensus, not clinical data, sets the practical ceiling at 10 mg per dose. |
| Maintenance dose: 5 to 10 mg, 2-3 times per week. | |
| Frequency: 2 to 3 times per week. Most protocols pick fixed days (Mon/Wed/Fri) to make it routine. | Half-life: Plasma half-life is short (estimated under 1 hour). Tissue effects on AMPK signaling are believed to last days beyond plasma clearance, which is why thrice-weekly works. |
Titration (how to ramp the dose)
Most users skip formal titration (slow ramp-up). Some start at 2.5 mg to test tolerance.
Cycle length and time off
On cycle: 4 to 8 weeks per cycle.
Off cycle: 3 to 6 months between cycles.
Timing notes: Many users inject before workouts to lean into the exercise-mimetic mechanism. Inject in stomach or thigh fat.
What's commonly prescribed (per published protocols and clinical write-ups)
US compounding pharmacies will fill MOTS-c as a lyophilized (freeze-dried, shelf-stable) vial, typically 10 mg. Not FDA-approved for any indication. Most US doctors will not prescribe it; longevity clinics and some functional-medicine practices do.
Source: prescribing labels, published protocols, and clinical write-ups. We have not independently tested each prescriber pattern.
Reconstitution (mixing the vial)
Lyophilized 10 mg vials reconstitute (mix back into liquid) with exactly 2 mL of bacteriostatic water (sterile water with preservative, the kind compounding pharmacies sell for reconstituting peptides). At 10 mg per 2 mL, every 0.1 mL on the syringe equals 0.5 mg, so a 5 mg dose is 1.0 mL. If your pharmacy filled the vial with a different volume, recalculate from the mg/mL printed on your vial label - not from this page. Store reconstituted vial in the fridge, use within 30 days.
Reconstitution = mixing freeze-dried (lyophilized) powder with bacteriostatic water (sterile water with preservative) so you can draw a dose into a syringe.
Drug interactions to watch
- No documented drug interactions in the published research.
- Theoretical additive effect with metformin (also activates AMPK) - sparse data.
Who should not take this (contraindications)
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding (no safety data).
- Active cancer (no human safety data).
- Known hypersensitivity to the peptide.
Common side effects
- Mild fatigue or flu-like feeling in the first 2-3 doses.
- Injection-site soreness or small bruising.
- Transient headache.
Serious side effects (call a doctor)
- No serious side effects documented in published research; human data is thin.
- Allergic reaction (hives, swelling) - rare but stop and call your doctor.
What to monitor while you're on it
- Fasting glucose and insulin (HOMA-IR) at baseline and end of cycle.
- Resting heart rate and HRV (heart rate variability) trends if using a wearable.
- Body composition scan (DEXA or InBody) at start and end of cycle.
How to stop
Just stop at the end of the cycle. No taper needed.
Where this dosing comes from
- Lee et al., MOTS-c discovery and metabolic regulation (2015)
- Reynolds et al., MOTS-c and exercise capacity in mice (2021)
- US compounding pharmacy formularies (Tailor Made, Strive)
- Biohacker community consensus, not clinical data, for cycle frequency and dose timing
Where these doses come from
These doses are reported by users and clinics, but the evidence base is genuinely thin. We are tracking, not endorsing.
Always work with a real prescriber. Don't self-prescribe.
Safety reminder: None of this replaces a doctor. Peptides are gray-market in the US for most uses. Talk to a real prescriber before you change anything.
Where to go next
- Full MOTS-c directory entry - status, sourcing, studies, what to skip
- MOTS-c for metabolic health
- MOTS-c for exercise mimetic
- MOTS-c for mitochondrial function
- What are peptides - if you skipped the foundation
- How peptides actually work - mechanism in plain English
- Subscribe to the dispatch
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Last reviewed · 2026-05-07 · Page generated by Protocol One matrix engine. None of this replaces a doctor. Peptides are gray-market in the US for most uses. Talk to a real prescriber before you change anything.