MOTS-c vs DS5
Side-by-side comparison of key properties, dosing, and research.
- Summary
- MOTS-c is a mitochondria-derived peptide (MDP) encoded within the mitochondrial genome. It acts as a metabolic regulator, improving insulin sensitivity, enhancing exercise capacity, and counteracting age-related metabolic decline. It is often called a 'mitochondrial hormone.'
- DS5 is a synthetic variant of the delta sleep-inducing peptide (DSIP), a nonapeptide originally isolated from rabbit cerebrospinal fluid during slow-wave sleep. Like DSIP, DS5 is explored for sleep optimization, stress modulation, and circadian rhythm normalization, with proposed improvements in potency or stability over the parent molecule.
- Half-Life
- Estimated 1–2 hours
- Estimated 30-60 minutes (peptide degradation)
- Admin Route
- SubQ
- Subcutaneous, Intranasal (research)
- Research
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- Typical Dose
- 5–15 mg
- 200-500 mcg per dose
- Frequency
- 3–5 times per week
- Once nightly
- Key Benefits
- Improves insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism
- Enhances exercise capacity and endurance
- Reduces age-related metabolic decline
- Activates AMPK — the master metabolic regulator
- Promotes fat oxidation
- Anti-inflammatory effects
- May extend healthspan via mitochondrial optimization
- Increases energy and reduces fatigue
- Promotes delta-wave (deep) sleep and improves sleep quality
- May reduce sleep onset latency
- HPA axis modulation for stress reduction
- Non-addictive sleep support without tolerance development
- Potential circadian rhythm normalization
- Explored for insomnia, chronic stress, and PTSD-related sleep disturbance
- Side Effects
- Injection site irritation
- Fatigue during initial adaptation
- Unknown long-term profile (limited human data)
- Generally well-tolerated in research subjects
- Possible morning grogginess at higher doses
- Mild blood pressure fluctuations reported with DSIP
- Limited human safety data for DS5 specifically
- Stacks With
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