Peptide Knowledge Base · Longevity

MOTS-c: what it is, what the evidence says, and its real status

Short version

A mitochondrial-derived peptide studied for metabolism and energy.

Education onlyEvidence grade D · Animal and lab evidence; human trials still to come

That’s the honest answer. Everything below is the detail.

A peptide made inside your mitochondria, studied for metabolism and energy. Young science.

Can you actually get it?

Plain-English verdict: Education only.

Regulatory status: PCAC recommended · rulemaking pending.

How does MOTS-c work?

A mitochondrial-derived peptide proposed to influence metabolic regulation and exercise response.

What it does — and what it does not do

What it does: Studied for metabolic and energy support.

What it does not do: It is not a proven metabolic treatment.

How honest is the evidence?

Evidence grade D — Animal and lab evidence; human trials still to come.

A grade measures how much human evidence exists, not whether a molecule is good, safe, or worth your interest. Read our grading methodology for what each grade means.

What we still don't know: Human data is preliminary; metabolic effects are not established.

WADA status: Not prohibited.

How it is taken

No established human clinical dosing; research-stage.

Who should not take it

Not characterized in humans; no established safety profile.

Sources

Lee et al., MOTS-c mitochondrial regulation, Cell Metab 2015

Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. We keep two signals separate and never collapse them: whether you can get something, and what the rule currently says. See the live FDA Peptide Tracker for status.

Join the founding list →

Embed this card on your site · free, CC BY 4.0, no key.

Last reviewed · Peptós.LIFE · Not medical advice.

Cite this page

MOTS-c. Peptós.LIFE Peptide Knowledge Base. Reviewed Jun 16, 2026. https://peptos.life/peptides/mots-c

Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0, with attribution and a link. Machine-readable: JSON · CSV · what is in the export.