Peptides: performance-boosting, anti-aging drugs or harmful snake oil?

UPI

8 hours ago

Today over 100 peptide medications are approved, including semaglutide – better known as Ozempic and Wegovy. Photo by Haberdoedas Photography/ Pexels
For a growing number of middle-aged men, aging no longer means surrendering to sagging skin, sore joints or slowing metabolism. Instead, it's becoming a science experiment.
The new frontier? Injectable peptides -- experimental compounds that promise rapid recovery, fat loss and muscle gains with the ease of a twice-daily to weekly jab.
Once confined to elite labs and obscure bodybuilding forums, these amino acid chains are now flooding wellness spaces, social media feeds and online marketplaces. Although they are marketed as "next-generation biohacks" and "research chemicals, "many peptides are not approved for human use and lack basic clinical testing.
Still, their popularity is growing -- fueled by testimonials, influencer hype and the seductive promise of turning back time.
But beneath the surface of glossy marketing and fitness fantasies lies a far more sobering truth: many of these substances operate in a medical gray zone, with unknown long-term risks, questionable manufacturing standards and, in some cases, life-threatening side-effects.
Peptides aren't entirely new to medicine. The first peptide drug -- insulin -- was isolated in 1921 and became commercially available in 1923. Today, more than 100 peptide medications are approved, including semaglutide -- better known as Ozempic and Wegovy.
But the compounds now circulating in fitness communities represent a very different category. They're experimental substances that have shown promise in animal studies but have never undergone proper human trials.
The 'Wolverine stack'
One such compound, first discovered in human gastric juice, that is attracting lots of attention is BPC-157. Early animal studies suggest it may help repair damaged tissue throughout the body.
Researchers tested it on mice, rats, rabbits and dogs without finding serious side-effects. The compound appears to support healing of the tendons, teeth and digestive organs, including the stomach, intestines, liver and pancreas.
Scientists don't yet fully understand how BPC-157 works, but animal studies suggest it triggers several biological processes essential for healing. The compound appears to help cells move to damaged areas and encourages the growth of new blood vessels, bringing nutrients and oxygen to tissues in need of repair.
Another compound gaining attention is TB500. It is a synthetic version of thymosin beta-4, a naturally occurring protein fragment that plays an important role in repairing and regenerating damaged cells and tissues.
It also helps protect cells from further harm by reducing inflammation and defending against microbes. The combination of BPC-157 and TB500 has earned the nickname "the Wolverine stack," named after the Marvel superhero famous for his rapid healing.
Then there's IGF-1 LR3, a modified version of a natural protein (IGF-1) linked to muscle growth. This synthetic compound was shown to increase muscle mass by 2.5 times in animal studies, though it has never been studied in humans.
The limited human research that does exist for these compounds offers inconclusive results. For example, a study showed that over 90% of patients experienced reduced knee pain after BPC-157 injections. However, the study had no control group and several methodological issues, so the results should be viewed with caution.
Hidden dangers
Even though the early results seem exciting, these experimental compounds can be dangerous. Making them involves special chemicals called coupling agents, which can trigger serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis -- a life-threatening condition.
The health consequences extend well beyond allergic reactions. Long-term injection of performance-enhancing substances can lead to heart failure that can occur rapidly with little warning, as documented in recent medical case studies of young bodybuilders.
Injection-related injuries pose another significant threat. "Compartment syndrome" can develop at injection sites in leg muscles, causing numbness, blood clots and muscle spasms that result in permanent loss of function.
In severe cases, skin and underlying tissue can suffer necrosis (tissue death), requiring antibiotics or surgery to treat. More alarming still are reports of users contracting HIV, hepatitis B and C, and serious eye infections from contaminated injections.
These compounds don't just target muscles -- they affect the entire body in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. Some interfere with natural insulin production, while others activate biological pathways that healthy cells use for growth and repair.
The concern is that these same pathways are exploited by cancer cells. The VEGF pathway, which promotes blood vessel growth, is active in about half of all human cancers, including melanoma and ovarian cancer. Laboratory studies suggest that thymosin beta-4 may play a role in helping colorectal and pancreatic cancers spread.
While there's no direct evidence linking compounds like BPC-157 or TB500 to cancer, researchers emphasize that the long-term effects remain unknown because these substances have never undergone proper human trials. The World Anti-Doping Agency has banned these compounds, noting they lack approval from any health regulatory authority and are intended only as research tools.
A growing problem
Yet, their use appears to be spreading rapidly. A 2014 study found that 8.2% of gym members used performance-enhancing drugs. By 2024, a comprehensive review suggested the figure could be as high as 29%. Perhaps most concerning: only 38% of users recognized the health risks involved.
These experimental compounds represent a dangerous gamble with long-term health. Unlike approved drugs, they haven't undergone the rigorous testing required to understand their safety profile in humans. While they may promise enhanced performance and healing, they deliver it at a cost that users may not fully understand until it's too late.
The appeal is understandable -- who wouldn't want faster healing and better muscle tone? But the reality is these substances remain experimental for good reason. Until proper human trials are conducted, users are essentially volunteering as test subjects in an uncontrolled experiment with their own bodies.
Adam Taylor is a professor of anatomy at Lancaster University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions in this commentary are solely those of the author.