MOTS-c

Metabolic Research only Animal studies

Also called Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c

A 16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA. It acts like a hormone, activating the energy sensor AMPK and improving how muscle uses glucose. In mice it countered diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance and improved exercise capacity, and levels rise with exercise in people.

Evidence at a glance

Evidence: Animal studies — Not yet studied in people
Status: Research compound only
Dosing: No human study has set a dose

The human side is observational. No trials of giving MOTS-c to people.

What studies report

Prevented diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice
Improved exercise capacity and muscle glucose use in rodents
Natural levels rise with exercise and fall with age in people

How it works

Encoded inside mitochondrial DNA. Acts on metabolism — reported to raise ATP production during exercise and shift white fat toward brown fat.

Binds a receptor on the cell surface and signals inward

Where it acts

Pancreas

The library groups this compound under Metabolic. The diagram shows that target, not every tissue it reaches.

Illustrated

A single mitochondrion cutaway showing its double membrane and folded cristae, surrounded by a few softly out-of-focus cellular structures. No energy symbols.

AI-generated subject illustration; not a depiction of the compound or evidence of its effects.

Why people take it

Metabolic rate and fat lossExercise capacity and ATP productionInsulin sensitivityLongevityMetabolic health and insulin sensitivityExercise capacity

Reasons people seek it out — not a list of proven effects.

In practice Unapproved use

Run in cycles timed around training blocks rather than continuously
Often stacked with NAD+ and 5-Amino-1MQ as a metabolic combination
Popular with endurance athletes for perceived aerobic capacity

Reported real-world use, not evidence and not a recommendation.

Dosing

No human study has established a dose for this compound.

What people report using Not evidence

5–10 mg weekly is commonly cited
Cycled around training blocks rather than taken continuously

No human administration trials exist. Natural levels have been measured in people, which is not the same thing.

Reported for reference, not as instruction. Nothing here is a recommendation to take anything, and most of these compounds are not approved for human use.

Status: Mostly animal research. Not approved.

Route: Subcutaneous injection, from reconstituted lyophilised powder
Sequence: Met-Arg-Trp-Gln-Glu-Met-Gly-Tyr-Ile-Phe-Tyr-Pro-Arg-Lys-Leu-Arg
Formula: C101H152N28O22S2
Molecular weight: 2174.6 g/mol
CAS: 1627580-64-6
Available as: 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg

Search PubMed for MOTS-c → We link a live search rather than a fixed citation list, so it stays current and nothing here is a reference we have not checked.

Compared with

vs 5-Amino-1MQ →

Side-by-side pages for the compounds this one is most often confused with or taken alongside.

Educational information only. Nothing here is medical advice, a dosing protocol, or a recommendation to use any compound. Most entries describe substances not approved for human use. Talk to a licensed clinician before acting on anything you read here. How to read these entries.