As we all know, the foundation of an athlete’s success lies in three pillars: Proper nutrition, training and recovery.
If you’re an athlete seeking new ways to maximize your peak physical performance, chances are you might have heard about therapeutic peptides and their potential to take your game to the next level.
But before you dive in and take any peptide that promises a surefire victory, it’s critical to understand what peptides are, their legality, and most importantly how they can impact your athletic performance and recovery.
This article explores the top peptides for athletes and reveals if they are truly the game-changers you’ve been searching for.
What are Peptides?
Peptides are building blocks of proteins made up of unique sequences of amino acids that determine their specific shape and function.
These short chains of amino acids play a critical role in many biological processes, including:
- Tissue repair
- Muscle growth
- Reduced chronic inflammation (i.e. better pain management and faster recovery)
- Hormonal regulation
Peptide Therapy and Athletic Performance
Why have peptides recently become the go-to ergogens in the athletic world at large?
On top of conferring the health benefits just listed, there are also many short-term gains they can provide to any competitor seeking the highest levels of physical conditioning.
Some of these gains include stimulated muscle growth and repair, improved endurance, and a faster recovery time.
In the case of the former, peptides like Growth hormone-releasing peptides (GHRPs) can help ramp up the body’s growth hormone production, resulting in increased muscle mass and overall strength.
And the stamina-boosting effects make them especially valuable for endurance athletes like runners, swimmers, and cyclists.
This usually happens via elevated ATP production that provide muscles with the energy needed for prolonged exercise, explaining why many peptide users suddenly find themselves with a newfound ability to “push harder and longer” during moments of fatigue and exhaustion.
Finally, peptides can speed up the rate of injury repair by increasing blood flow to damaged tissue while simultaneously promoting new tissue growth.
So what specific peptides can provide you with all of these promising athletic benefits?
Keep reading and you’ll have your answer.
The Best Peptides for Athletes
Below are the most popular peptides that athletes use to improve their stamina, recover faster and build more skeletal muscle mass.
Best Peptides for Endurance and Stamina
Thymosin Beta-4 (TB-4)
Thymosin beta-4 works by binding with actin, which promotes the mobilization and migration of progenitor cells.
This process is essential in forming new blood vessels and aiding tissue regeneration.
TB-4 also reduces myofibroblasts (i.e. the cells responsible for tissue repair and healing), further helping to minimize scar formation in wounds.
Even outside of the world of competitive sports, TB-4 is best known as a multifunctional protein that helps people recover faster from various injuries and wounds.
But what most people DO NOT know about this peptide is it also acts as a decently potent endurance booster.
In a study published in the Journal of Cytotherapy, thymosin beta-4 helped patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) improve their exercise capacity and left ventricular function.
They were able to walk 37.5 m within 6 minutes after 6 months of taking the peptide:
“Ten patients with STEMI were included; they were randomized to 2 groups: EPC transplantation group (control group; n = 5) and Tβ4-pre-treated EPC transplantation group (experimental group; n = 5).
EPCs were pre-treated with Tβ4 24 hours before transplantation inthe experimental group.
Cardiac function was evaluated using echocardiography and emission computed tomography, as well as the 6-minute walking test before and 6 months after the intervention.
After 6 months of follow-up, the average 6-min walking distance was increased by 38.2 m (from 263 ± 42 m to 302 ± 34 m) in the control group and 75.7 m (from 264 ± 42 m to 340 ± 44 m) in the experimental group; the average difference of the 6-min walking distance was 37.5 m (95% confidence interval [CI], 28.7-56.3 m; P < 0.01).
In addition, the cardiac function in the experimental group was more significantly improved than that of the control group. There were no severe complications related to the procedure in either group during the follow-up.”
AOD-9604
For any human being, being a FAT inflamed dumpster fire puts additional unnecessary strain on their cardiovascular system that makes it more difficult for the heart to pump oxygenated blood and critical nutrients to the muscles.
This naturally leads to increased fatigue, lower endurance, and compromised physical performance.
ON the flipside, losing that stubborn fat will directly lead to improved cardiovascular function and endurance.
Anti-Obesity Drug-9604 (a.k.a.AOD-9604), a synthetic analog of human growth hormone, can help you achieve your weight and fat loss goals.
It works by stimulating the pituitary gland to speed up the body’s metabolism, resulting in faster fat loss per unit of time.
In a study by Australian researchers, patients given AOD-9604 daily lost 2.8 kilograms after 12 weeks of use without any troublesome side effects:
“The drug – codenamed AOD9604 – was taken orally once daily by 300 obese patients at five trial sites over 12 weeks. Six doses were used – 0 mg (placebo), 1mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg and 30 mg.
The group receiving the 1mg dose lost the most weight, averaging a weight loss over the 12 weeks of 2.8 kilograms, more than triple the weight lost by those on placebo, who lost an average of 0.8 kilograms.
The rate of weight loss was maintained throughout the treatment period, an encouraging trend for expectations of longer-term dosing.
The weight lost by the 1mg group was slightly more than that achieved by the world’s largest-selling prescription obesity medication in similar trials over the same period, without its troublesome side effects.
The trial results also demonstrated a small but consistent improvement in cholesterol profiles and a reduction in the number of patients with impaired glucose tolerance.”
Of course, it’s worth mentioning even the world’s best fat loss peptides WILL NOT override a crappy diet and/or a caloric surplus.
So if you’re an athlete or biohacker who is serious about being fully optimized, make sure you’re not using peptides like AOD-9604 to compensate for an unhealthy lifestyle.
Best Peptides for Injury Recovery and Healing
BPC-157
BPC-157 (a.k.a. Body Protecting Compound 157) comprises a 15 amino acid long sequence that occurs naturally in human gastric juices.
This peptide has been shown to promote healing and cell regeneration primarily through the process of angiogenesis.
(NOTE: Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is critical in the organization of the blood vessel network that facilitates the wound-healing process)
BPC-157 also promotes tendon-to-bone damage healing, speeding up recovery from musculoskeletal injuries.
In a study in the Journal of Medical Science Monitor, BPC-157 was shown to speed up muscle healing and full function restoration in rats with muscle crush injury compared to 6alpha-methylprednisolone, which aggravated the healing:
“After the gastrocnemius muscle complex had been injured, rats received BPC 157 (intraperitoneally or locally as a cream) and/or 6alpha-methylprednisolone (intraperitoneally) only once (immediately after injury, sacrifice at 2 h) or once daily (final dose 24 hours before sacrifice and/or assessment procedure at days 1, 2, 4, 7, and 14).
Muscle healing was evaluated functionally, macroscopically, and histologically.
Without therapy, crushed gastrocnemius muscle complex controls showed limited improvement. 6alpha-methylprednisolone markedly aggravated healing.
In contrast, BPC 157 induced faster muscle healing and full function restoration and improved muscle healing despite systemic corticosteroid treatment when given intraperitoneally or locally and demonstrated functionally, macroscopically, and histologically at all investigated intervals.”
Similarly, BPC-157 sped up ligament healing in rats, as it formed faster granulation tissue, reduced inflammatory cells, and boosted collagen production:
“To further confirm this result, we treated tendon fibroblasts with BPC 157 at different concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5 μg/mL) for 24 h and the expression of growth hormone receptor was found to increase in a dose-dependent manner.
More interestingly, BPC 157, at the concentration of 0.5 μg/mL, significantly induced the expression of growth hormone receptors in tendon fibroblasts time-dependently from day one to day three.
Both the RNA and protein levels were determined by RT/real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Up to sevenfold increases could be observed on day three.”
TB-500
TB-500 is the “active” part of Thymosin Beta-4 (i.e. not the entire peptide) isolated into its own synthetic peptide.
It has regenerative properties that can help athletes recover faster from soft tissue and muscle injuries, and this occurs via threeprimary mechanisms.
First, TB-500 upregulates a cell-building protein known as “actin.”
Actin helps restore and maintain cell structure, speeding up healing and the repair of tissue injuries and wounds.
Second, TB-500 also works similarly to BPC-157 in that it drives the formation of new blood vessels (i.e. angiogenesis).
Third, it promotes the expression of injury-healing growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates the development of blood cells.
This final mechanism further promotes blood flow, which I AM going to tell you once more is CRITICAL in the total and complete healing of any damaged tissue.
“Angiogenesis is deemed as the most important mechanism for Tβ4-induced cutaneous wound healing and cardioprotection…It is vital for tissue repair as cell survival and regeneration depends on a sufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen.”
In rats with transected ligament, those treated with TB-500 recovered their biochemical function and evenly regrew their collagen fibers:
“The medial collateral ligament (MCL) was sharply transected on the day of surgery. Then, the treatment group received 100 μL of fibrin sealant containing 1 μg of Tβ4 placed in the ligament gap.
Healing tissues were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin stain, transmission electron microscopy, and biomechanical test at 4 weeks after surgery.
Histologically, healing tissues in the Tβ4-treated group exhibited uniform and evenly spaced fiber bundles. However, the collagen fibers were not evenly spaced in control rats.
Moreover, the diameters of collagen fibrils within granulation tissue from the Tβ4-treated rats were significantly increased.
In Tβ4-treated MCLs, the mechanical properties of these healing tissues were significantly higher at 4 weeks after surgery.
In terms of the mechanical properties of the healing femur-medial collateral ligament-tibia complexes, the Tβ4-treated group had significantly better biomechanical properties than the control group at 4 weeks after surgery.
Local administration of Tβ4 promotes the healing process of MCL, both histologically and mechanically, in a rat model. These findings provide a basis for the potential clinical use of Tβ4 in repairing ligaments.”
Similarly, TB-500 was shown to help reduce pain in electroacupuncture tolerance in rats, as published in the Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience:
“Rats were treated with EA once daily for eight consecutive days to establish EAT, effect of Tβ4 on the development of EAT was determined through microinjection of Tβ4 antibody and siRNA into the cerebroventricle.
The mRNA and protein expression profiles of Tβ4, opioid peptides (enkephalin, dynorphin and endorphin), and anti-opioid peptides (cholecystokinin octapeptide, CCK-8 and orphanin FQ, OFQ), and mu opioid receptor (MOR) and CCK B receptor (CCKBR) in the brain areas (hypothalamus, thalamus, cortex, midbrain and medulla) were characterized after Tβ4 siRNA was administered.
Tβ4 levels were increased at day 1, 4, and 8 and negatively correlated with the changes of tail flick latency in all areas. Tβ4 antibody and siRNA postponed EAT.
Tβ4 siRNA caused decreased Tβ4 levels in all areas, which resulted in increased enkephalin, dynorphin, endorphin and MOR levels in most measured areas during repeated EA, but unchanged OFQ, CCK-8, and CCKBR levels in most measured areas.
Tβ4 levels were negatively correlated with enkephalin, dynorphin, endorphin, or MOR levels in all areas except medulla, while positively correlated with OFQ and CCK-8 levels in some areas.”
Best Peptides for Muscle Growth
CJC-1295
CJC-1295, a synthetic analog of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), is popular for its ability to boost muscle mass and strength.
It works by stimulating the pituitary gland to release growth hormone (GH), which in turn promotes muscle growth, protein synthesis, and repair.
Increased GH levels also increase nutrient utilization and improve muscle recovery to further facilitate increases in both muscle mass and strength.
And as anybody knows, more muscle tissue leads to a higher resting metabolic rate that allows an individual to burn more calories — and therefore more fat — than an under-muscled individual.
In a study published in the Growth Hormone & IGF Research Journal, CJC-1295 boosted protein synthesis in test subjects and this led to improvements in both their muscle mass and strength:
“Sera from 11 healthy young adult men before and one week after CJC-1295 injection were analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis for proteomic changes.
Serum proteins displaying significant changes before and after treatment were subsequently identified using mass spectrometry. In addition, correlations between these proteins and GH or IGF-1 levels were evaluated.
Two protein spots that displayed decreased intensities after treatment were identified as an apolipoprotein A1 isoform and a transthyretin isoform. Three protein spots upregulated by CJC-1295 treatment included beta-hemoglobin, a C-terminal fragment of albumin, and a mix of an immunoglobulin fragment and another C-terminal albumin fragment.
A linear relationship was found between the spot containing immunoglobulin and albumin fragments and IGF-1 levels.”
Similarly, a separate study found subcutaneous administration of CJC-1295 increased GH concentrations and IGF-1 levels, which also boosted the muscle mass and strength of the test subjects without any side effects:
“CJC-1295 or placebo was administered sc in one of four ascending single doses in the first study and in two or three weekly or biweekly doses in the second study.
The main outcome measures were peak concentrations and area under the curve of GH and IGF-I; standard pharmacokinetic parameters were used for CJC-1295.
After a single injection of CJC-1295, there were dose-dependent increases in mean plasma GH concentrations by 2- to 10-fold for 6 d or more and in mean plasma IGF-I concentrations by 1.5- to 3-fold for 9–11 d. The estimated half-life of CJC-1295 was 5.8–8.1 d. After multiple CJC-1295 doses, mean IGF-I levels remained above baseline for up to 28 d. No serious adverse reactions were reported.”
MK-677
MK-677 (a.k.a. Ibutamoren) stimulates the pituitary gland to enhance the production of growth hormone in a similar fashion to CJC-1295.
The peptide is also used as an anabolic substance by bodybuilders to build muscle mass and speed up fat loss simultaneously for rapid body recomposition.
In a study in the International Journal of Endocrinology, men who took MK-677 and did leg presses for 6 months showed increases in lower body muscle strength:
“Fourteen healthy men aged 50–70 years were evaluated at baseline for body composition and muscle strength (evaluated by leg press and bench press exercises, which focus primarily on quadriceps—lower body part and pectoralis major—upper body part—muscles, resp.).
Subjects were randomized into 2 groups: GH therapy (7 subjects) and placebo (7 subjects) and reevaluated after 6 months of therapy. Thirteen subjects completed the study (6 subjects in the placebo group and 7 subjects in the GH group).
Subjects of both groups were not different at baseline. After 6 months of therapy, muscle strength in the bench press responsive muscles did not increase in both groups and showed a statistically significant increase in the leg press responsive muscles in the GH group.
Our study demonstrated an increase in muscle strength in the lower body part after GH therapy in healthy men.”
The compound also helps minimize muscle wasting in adults suffering from older age and other medical conditions.
In GH-deficient adults, MK-677 helped boost their IGF-1 levels and this led to a noticeable improvement in their body composition.
Peptides and Doping Regulations
While some peptides are perfectly legal as a recovery aid after exercise, certain peptides are prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) because of their performance-enhancing effects.
So before you take any peptide, make sure to review WADA’s list of prohibited substances here to ensure you don’t get disqualified.
Moreover, it’s best to seek advice from a sports nutritionist or medical professional before adding any peptide to your supplement stack.
If you are an active person who loves sports and just wants to build lean muscle tissue, get stronger, and recover faster without taking part in professional competitions…
… these peptides can be an absolute game-changer for you.
Just make sure to follow my recommended dosing guidelines when taking any of these peptides to avoid unnecessary side effects.
Benefits of Peptides Over Steroids
Peptides have emerged as a popular alternative to steroids in the athletic world over the last 5-10 years.
One key reason for their rise in use among biohackers and bodybuilders is their much lower risk of side effects and organ toxicity.
Steroids, on the other hand, come with a long list of seriously harmful effects on the body: Liver damage, heart disease, and hormone imbalances are just the tip of the iceberg.
In contrast, peptides pose a lower risk of complications, making them a preferred choice for athletes seeking performance enhancement.
So no matter the athletic goal(s) you want to achieve, peptides are clearly the superior and safer choice to help you get there faster.
Best Practices for Athletes and Bodybuilders Using Peptides
Peptides should ALWAYS be used as an adjunct to – not a replacement for – proper nutrition, hydration, exercise, and recovery/rest.
Without a holistic foundation already in place (i.e. a fully optimized lifestyle), peptides will do nothing more than burn a big fat hole in your wallet.
Once you have the basics down pat, peptide therapy enhances your overall performance by COMPLIMENTING what you are already doing on a consistent basis.
Moreover, the dosage and cycling of peptides can vary based on the specific peptide and the athlete’s goals.
To safely and effectively incorporate peptides into your regimen, consult with a doctor specializing in peptide therapy as they can recommend the best peptides for your needs and guide you on dosage and delivery methods.
Again: Peptides HELP – not replace – healthy lifestyle habits.
Jay’s Closing Thoughts
Consider this article as a very surface-level introduction to how peptides can dramatically accelerate the speed of results you receive and the magnitude of results for any athletic goal you desire to achieve.
I AM recommending you to read the articles below if you want to go further down this rabbit hole:
- Wolverine Stack for healing any injury/wound completely and rapidly
- 5 Best Peptides For Energy if you want mind-blowing changes to your cardiovascular endurance
- 5 Best Peptides for Building Muscle if you desire a realistic understanding of why peptides are NOT the best choice for pure lean muscle gains
Peptides can do a hell of a lot of things, but they can’t do everything in the world for you.
Don’t expect them to transform a mediocre athlete into an NCAA Division 1 superstar. 😉
Choosing a Reputable Peptide Supplier
If you’re an athlete looking to build muscle mass and enhance your overall athletic performance, it’s crucial to source peptides from a reputable supplier.
Look for a supplier that offers safe, high-quality peptides when prioritizing your health and performance goals.
In our case, it’s Limitless Life Nootropics, the industry’s only source for third-party-tested products.
They have some of the best formulations of performance-enhancing peptides on the market.
And don’t forget they offer the BEST deals on both price and peptide purity.
Use code JAY15 at the checkout cart for 15% off!
But before you start injecting these peptides into your body recklessly, make sure you first read the Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Starting Therapeutic Peptides FREE PDF!
Seriously, this short e-book will save you a lot of wasted money and poorly spent time (not to mention preventing you from potential self-inflicted injuries).
And the emails I’ll send you after downloading the book contain an EXCLUSIVE 33% OFF code for my Peptides Demystified Course, so don’t miss out!
Raise Your Vibration To Optimize Your Love Creation!
PS — Are you an athlete looking to achieve peak performance through the smart use of therapeutic peptides and other Golden Age agents?
Join me and hundreds of other male and female biohackers in The Fully Optimized Health Private Membership Group to learn how you can use peptides to improve your athletic performance and optimize your health in your 30s and beyond.
We’re excited to discuss biohacking, health, and life optimization through peptide therapy with you.
See you on the other side!
