MOTS-c
MOTS · 10 mg · 5 on / 2 off
SCIENCE • STRENGTH • LONGEVITY
Before you draw anything. Every figure in this document assumes a 10 mg vial reconstituted with 2.0 mL of bacteriostatic water. Change either number and every unit measurement here changes with it. Confirm the milligram strength printed on your vial first.
RECONSTITUTION
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Vial | 10 mg |
| Bacteriostatic water | 2.0 mL |
| Concentration | 5 mg/mL |
| Conversion | 20 units = 1 mg · 10 units = 0.5 mg · 1 unit = 0.05 mg |
| Route | Subcutaneous |
| Timing | Morning, 5 days on / 2 days off |
| Cycle | 2 months on, 1 month off |
| Reconstituted storage | 2–8 °C, approximately 7 days |
| Frozen aliquots | −20 °C, 2–3 months |
| Lyophilized storage | −20 °C, 12+ months |
- Let the vial and the bacteriostatic water reach room temperature.
- Swab both stoppers with alcohol and let them dry.
- Draw the planned volume of bacteriostatic water into a sterile syringe.
- Aim the stream at the inside wall of the glass, never directly at the powder.
- Roll gently for 30 to 60 seconds until fully dissolved. Never shake — shaking damages the peptide.
- Confirm the solution is clear before use.
- Label with product, concentration, and date, then refrigerate.
SCHEDULE
| Phase | Units | Amount | Days per week | Weekly total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 10 | 0.5 mg | 5 on, 2 off | 2.5 mg |
| Week 2 onward | 20 | 1.0 mg | 5 on, 2 off | 5.0 mg |
Stability window. Reconstituted MOTS-c holds roughly seven days refrigerated. A full 2 mL reconstitution lasts about two and a half weeks at this schedule — more than double that window. Split the reconstituted vial into weekly aliquots in sterile vials and freeze what is not in immediate use.
Notes
- This is the conservative low-dose daily pattern. The alternative approach uses higher amounts two to three times weekly. Neither is better established than the other.
- A 10 mg vial covers week one plus roughly a week and a half at the maintenance amount.
- Where the day includes training, the common pattern places the dose beforehand.
- Rotate injection sites across abdomen, thigh, and flank.
- Reported effects are generally mild — injection-site redness, short-term fatigue, lightheadedness, and changes in sleep.
CAUTIONS
- AMPK stacking. MOTS-c activates AMPK. Metformin and berberine activate the same pathway by different routes, and layering them can lower blood glucose further than expected. The combined effect has not been characterized.
- Existing glucose-lowering medication, or type 1 diabetes.
- Fasted training is where a low-glucose episode is most likely to surface.
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding — no safety data exists.
- Prohibited by WADA as an AMPK activator and will test positive.
If combining with retatrutide
Run retatrutide alone for its first four weeks and add MOTS-c at week five, once tolerance is established. Retatrutide affects insulin response through the GIP receptor while MOTS-c affects muscle glucose uptake through AMPK, so the two engage separate glucose-lowering mechanisms simultaneously. Use a separate syringe and a different site when both fall on the same day — never combine compounds in one barrel.
Supplies
- U-100 insulin syringes, 0.3 mL / 30-unit. Half-unit gradations matter at these draw volumes.
- Bacteriostatic water, 10 mL bottle.
- Alcohol prep pads and a sharps container.
- Sterile empty vials for weekly aliquots if freezing.
Record keeping
Log the date, units drawn, and site for every injection, alongside any symptoms. This catches gradual dose drift, and if something does go wrong it identifies exactly which step it started on.