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MOTS-c Half-Life: How Long It Stays in Your System

How long MOTS-c stays in the body, how that shapes dosing frequency, and what is known about drug testing.

Medically reviewed by Juan Pablo Frías, MD · · DisclosureMitochondrial-derived peptideUpdated
Half-life
Not found
No published half-life found (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026)
Dosing interval
Varies by study
as used in studies
WADA
Prohibited (S4.4.1)
In and out of competition
Detection window
1 finding
from anti-doping studies, below

MOTS-c half-life

Half-life: no published half-life found (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026). A half-life depends on the route (under the skin, into a vein, by mouth or nasal spray), so we report it per route with the study it came from.

What half-life means

Half-life is the time it takes for the amount of a drug in the blood to fall by half. After one half-life, about 50% is left; after two, about 25%; after four to five, only a few percent remain.

  • A long half-life lets a drug be dosed less often, for example once a week.
  • A short half-life means levels rise and fall quickly, which is why some peptides are given daily or more often.
  • Effects can outlast blood levels, so half-life alone does not tell you how long a drug works.

What it means for dosing frequency

Dosing intervals used in published studies of MOTS-c:

Changing the interval changes how much drug builds up between doses, so it is not a free choice.

Drug tests and sport

Prohibited by WADA (S4.4.1)

MOTS-c is named in S4.4.1 (metabolic modulators: AMPK activators), prohibited at all times.

Detection findings from anti-doping analytical studies:

  • A plasma (blood) test for MOTS-c has been validated to WADA standards. · PMID 30394592

Tested athletes should treat it as prohibited (s4.4.1) at all times.

Common questions

How long does MOTS-c stay in your system?

We found no published half-life for MOTS-c (PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026). As a rule, most of a dose is cleared after about four to five half-lives.

What is the half-life of MOTS-c?

No published half-life was found in our PubMed search, 2 Oct 2026. We add one with its source and route if a study reports it.

Is MOTS-c on the WADA prohibited list?

Yes. Prohibited by WADA (S4.4.1).

More on MOTS-c

DosageDoses used in published studies, with the source for each.CalculatorVial, water and dose to syringe units.Side effectsWhat labels and studies report, and what is unknown.ResultsStudy outcomes and when they were measured.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.

Sources

  1. 1Certain bulk drug substances for use in compounding that may present significant safety risks (Category 2; 'nominated but withdrawn' table, content current as of 22 Apr 2026)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  2. 2Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee meeting, 23–24 Jul 2026 (agenda and materials)U.S. Food and Drug Administration · 2026fda.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  3. 3World Anti-Doping Code International Standard Prohibited List 2026World Anti-Doping Agency · 2026wada-ama.orgAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  4. 4Development of a mass spectrometry based detection method for the mitochondrion-derived peptide MOTS-c in plasma samples for doping control purposes.Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM · 2019PMID 30394592Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  5. 5Repeated Heat Stress Modulates the Levels of the Mitokines MOTS-C and FGF21 in Active Men during Calf Muscle Immobilization.Medicine and science in sports and exercise · 2025PMID 40674654Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  6. 6Circulating levels of MOTS-c in patients with breast cancer treated with metformin.Aging · 2022PMID 36490309Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  7. 7Effect of aerobic and resistance exercise on the mitochondrial peptide MOTS-c in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White breast cancer survivors.Scientific reports · 2021PMID 34413391Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  8. 8Acute endurance exercise stimulates circulating levels of mitochondrial-derived peptides in humans.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2021PMID 34351816Accessed 2 Oct 2026
  9. 9PubMed search: ("MOTS-c"[tiab] OR MOTSc[tiab]) (262 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  10. 10PubMed search: ("MOTS-c"[tiab] OR MOTSc[tiab]) AND (humans[mh] OR human[tiab] OR participants[tiab] OR patients[tiab] OR volunteers[tiab]) (179 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  11. 11PubMed search: ("MOTS-c"[tiab] OR MOTSc[tiab]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR "clinical trial"[pt] OR "meta-analysis"[pt] OR "systematic review"[pt]) (5 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  12. 12PubMed search: ("MOTS-c"[tiab] OR MOTSc[tiab]) AND (mice[tiab] OR mouse[tiab] OR rat[tiab] OR rats[tiab]) AND (injection[tiab] OR treatment[tiab] OR administration[tiab] OR treated[tiab]) (72 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026
  13. 13PubMed search: ("MOTS-c"[tiab] OR MOTSc[tiab]) AND (half-life[tiab] OR pharmacokinetic*[tiab]) (3 results)PubMed · 2026pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govAccessed 2 Oct 2026

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