Evidence record · ER-MOTSC-METABOLIC-016
Does injected MOTS-c improve metabolism or physical performance?
Injected MOTS-c improves metabolic health or physical performance in people
Injected MOTS-c has no dependable human exposure or outcome evidence for improving metabolism or physical performance. Cell and animal research supports a mitochondrial-signalling hypothesis, but it cannot establish benefit, human pharmacology or safety. FDA reviews have reported no identified human exposure data for MOTS-c drug products.
Claim boundary
What this verdict covers
The claim requires a defined injected product and direct human metabolic or functional outcomes. Endogenous peptide measurements and animal exercise findings do not count as treatment evidence.
- Compound
- MOTS-c
- Population
- Adults seeking metabolic or performance effects
- Outcome
- Metabolic or functional improvement
- Record ID
- ER-MOTSC-METABOLIC-016
Evidence synthesis
What the research can support
The discovery literature describes a mitochondrial-derived peptide with metabolic activity in experimental systems. FDA compounding reviews found no human exposure data for MOTS-c drug products, leaving the proposed intervention below the first-in-human evidence layer.
Why the confidence is very low
Without human exposure data, benefit, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity and adverse-event frequency cannot be estimated. A naturally occurring peptide is not evidence that a manufactured injection is safe.
Decision boundary
What this record cannot tell you
This record cannot identify the contents, strength, purity, sterility or stability of a particular vial. It does not provide a dosing plan, administration instructions or a personal treatment recommendation. A supported narrow outcome cannot be transferred to a different route, population or product.
This publication has not independently tested a product for this record. Product evidence belongs to a named batch and method; clinical evidence belongs to the intervention actually studied.
From our work: how we checked this claim
ER-MOTSC-METABOLIC-016 addresses one bounded question: Does injected MOTS-c improve metabolism or physical performance?. Yianni Kiromitis checked the search record, source descriptions, study design, population, intervention identity, comparator and patient-important outcomes against the published evidence method. The source ledger contains 4 primary or official sources. Each was assigned only the proposition it can support; a regulatory document was not treated as a treatment trial, and an animal or laboratory finding was not presented as a dependable human outcome.
The recorded evidence basis is Preclinical only, the verdict is Insufficient and confidence is Very low. Eleni Kiromitis reviewed study design, biomedical evidence, laboratory context and analytical limits. Dr Stavroula Nikitopoulou reviewed the clinical claim, adverse effects, contraindications, red flags and patient-facing safety wording. Both completed their assigned review on 10 August 2026. Yianni retained publication and correction responsibility. The review notes identify which source supports each material claim and which limitation must remain beside the conclusion.
No direct product testing, seller data, personal treatment experience or patient experience was used to set this verdict. The record cannot establish the contents, strength, purity, sterility or stability of a particular vial, and it does not provide dosing, administration or personalised treatment advice. A finding cannot be transferred to a different route, population, product or outcome without new evidence. We also checked the visible review date against the publication record and structured data. A new controlled study, regulator update, corrected source, analytical report or credible safety signal can trigger reassessment through the public correction route.
Source ledger
Evidence used for this verdict
Each source supports only the proposition stated beside it. Regulatory scope and study scope remain visible.
| Source | What it establishes | What it does not establish | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery study of MOTS-c | The study describes metabolic effects in cells and animal models. | It is not human treatment evidence. | 10 August 2026 |
| FDA MOTS-c compounding review | FDA assessed the evidence base and absence of identified human exposure data. | It does not test a particular online vial. | 10 August 2026 |
| FDA Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee material | The document records the current regulatory evidence assessment. | A committee briefing is not a clinical trial. | 10 August 2026 |
| WADA 2026 Prohibited List | MOTS-c is prohibited under the sport framework. | The rule does not establish clinical harm or benefit. | 10 August 2026 |
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
What is the verdict on MOTS-c for this claim?
The verdict is insufficient for the precise claim stated on this page. It combines the evidence type, directness, consistency and study limits; it is not a rating of the compound as a whole. The confidence field shows how readily new evidence could change the conclusion.
What evidence supports this verdict?
The discovery literature describes a mitochondrial-derived peptide with metabolic activity in experimental systems. FDA compounding reviews found no human exposure data for MOTS-c drug products, leaving the proposed intervention below the first-in-human evidence layer. The source ledger below links the primary or regulatory records used and states what each source cannot establish.
Does this evidence apply to a peptide vial sold online?
No. A study or authorisation applies to the exact material, formulation, route, population and controls that were evaluated. It cannot verify the identity, amount, purity, sterility, stability or delivery of a separate vial. Those are batch-specific product questions, not automatic extensions of an efficacy result.
Is MOTS-c authorised in the UK for this use?
No UK marketing authorisation was identified for this use or for a medicine sold under this peptide name. The MHRA products database should be checked for the exact product and presentation. The boundary matters because evidence, authorisation and product quality answer different questions and should not be merged into one conclusion.
What should competitive athletes know?
MOTS-c is named in the WADA prohibited framework for metabolic modulators and is prohibited at all times. The boundary matters because evidence, authorisation and product quality answer different questions and should not be merged into one conclusion. Read the cited source and stated scope together before relying on it.
What could change this verdict?
A regulated first-in-human programme followed by controlled clinical trials measuring prespecified metabolic or functional outcomes and systematic harms. Any update would be dated and recorded through the site correction and version process. The boundary matters because evidence, authorisation and product quality answer different questions and should not be merged into one conclusion.
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