MOTS-c Results: What Studies Measured and When
What published studies measured for MOTS-c, when those outcomes were measured, and what is still unproven.
What studies measured
Each outcome below comes from a published study, with its type and size, strongest design first. Animal and cell results are labelled as such and are not human results.
| Outcome | Result | Study type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Circulating MOTS-c with heat | Repeated heat treatment increased circulating MOTS-c (P = 0.033) and lowered muscle FGF21 (P = 0.027). | Human RCTn = 19 | Medicine and science in sports and exercise 2025, PMID 40674654 |
| Circulating MOTS-c with metformin | No significant change in circulating MOTS-c after 24 weeks of chemotherapy with or without metformin. | Human RCT | Aging 2022, PMID 36490309 |
| Circulating MOTS-c after exercise | Exercise raised plasma MOTS-c in non-Hispanic White survivors, but not in Hispanic survivors. | Human RCTn = 49 | Scientific reports 2021, PMID 34413391 |
| MOTS-c and body composition (association) | Post-exercise MOTS-c levels were associated with lower fat mass, body weight, HOMA-IR and CRP and higher lean mass in non-Hispanic White survivors (association, not a treatment effect). | Human RCTn = 49 | Scientific reports 2021, PMID 34413391 |
| Circulating MOTS-c after acute exercise | MOTS-c showed only a trend to increase after endurance exercise. | Human RCTn = 30 | Journal of applied physiology 2021, PMID 34351816 |
| Serum MOTS-c in obesity | Serum MOTS-c was 14.33 pg/mL with obesity versus 13.67 pg/mL at normal BMI, not significantly different. | Human observationaln = 85 | Archives of endocrinology and metabolism 2025, PMID 41004666 |
| MOTS-c response to lipid and insulin | Intralipid raised plasma MOTS-c in controls and PCOS subjects; insulin blunted the response. | Human observational | Clinical endocrinology 2019, PMID 31066084 |
| Circulating MOTS-c and endothelial function | Plasma MOTS-c was lower in patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction (p=0.007). | Human observationaln = 40 | International journal of cardiology 2018, PMID 29242099 |
| Immobilization-induced muscle loss | Immobilization reduced muscle mass by about 15%; MOTS-c attenuated this to a 5% reduction in mice. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism 2024, PMID 38170165 |
| Physical performance in mice | MOTS-c enhanced physical performance in young (2 mo.), middle-age (12 mo.) and old (22 mo.) mice. | Animal · mouse (plus human exercise samples) (not a human result) | Nature communications 2021, PMID 33473109 |
| Endogenous MOTS-c with exercise in humans | In people, exercise raises the body's own MOTS-c in skeletal muscle and blood. | Animal · mouse (plus human exercise samples) (not a human result) | Nature communications 2021, PMID 33473109 |
| Hyperglycemia and islet inflammation | MOTS-c ameliorated hyperglycemia and reduced islet-infiltrating immune cells in NOD mice. | Animal · mouse (plus human serum) (not a human result) | Cell reports 2021, PMID 34320351 |
| Serum MOTS-c in type 1 diabetes | Patients with type 1 diabetes had lower serum MOTS-c than healthy controls. | Animal · mouse (plus human serum) (not a human result) | Cell reports 2021, PMID 34320351 |
| Myostatin and muscle atrophy signalling | MOTS-c prevented palmitic acid-induced atrophy in C2C12 myotubes and decreased plasma myostatin in diet-induced obese mice. | Animal · mouse (plus C2C12 myotubes and human plasma) (not a human result) | American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism 2021, PMID 33554779 |
| Ovariectomy-induced obesity | MOTS-c prevented ovariectomy-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | Journal of molecular medicine 2019, PMID 30725119 |
| Bone loss | MOTS-c treatment significantly alleviated bone loss on micro-CT in ovariectomized mice. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | Biochemical and biophysical research communications 2016, PMID 27237975 |
| Obesity and insulin resistance | MOTS-c treatment prevented age-dependent and high-fat-diet-induced insulin resistance and diet-induced obesity in mice. | Animal · mouse (not a human result) | Cell metabolism 2015, PMID 25738459 |
| Type I collagen synthesis | MOTS-c increased type I collagen synthesis in cultured human osteoblasts. | In vitro (not a human result) | European review for medical and pharmacological sciences 2019, PMID 31081069 |
- No study found in PubMed as of 2 October 2026 gave MOTS-c to people for any of the listed goals. Every human paper here (34413391, 34351816, 40674654, 36490309, 31066084, 29242099, 41004666, 34320351 serum arm) measured the body's own circulating MOTS-c, not an injected peptide. One of them (34413391) is an exercise RCT in which MOTS-c was an outcome.
- The efficacy evidence is mouse and cell work. Mouse results cover diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance (25738459), physical performance in young to old mice (33473109), autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice (34320351), ovariectomy-induced obesity and bone loss (30725119, 27237975) and immobilization muscle loss (38170165). Osteoporosis evidence includes a cell-culture study (31081069).
- No evidence at all for fibromyalgia or fatigue as clinical conditions (the mouse physical-performance study is the only fatigue-adjacent data), and nothing in people for menopause, osteoporosis, strength or athletes beyond how endogenous MOTS-c responds to exercise.
- No half-life value for MOTS-c was found (three records, none with a value). No stability study was found. MOTS-c is not an approved drug and has no FDA label.
- Dose, route and schedule are not stated in most of the mouse studies above, and human doses cannot be inferred from them.
Typical timeline
When the studies above measured their outcomes. This is the study schedule, not a promise of when anyone will notice a change.
| When | What was measured | Study type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 weeks | MOTS-c in fasting plasma | Human RCTn = 49 | Scientific reports 2021, PMID 34413391 |
Before-and-after photos
We don't publish before-and-after photos. They can't be verified, rarely show dose, diet or other drugs, and only the most dramatic results get posted.
Common questions
How long does MOTS-c take to work?
The studies we summarise measured outcomes at set points, for example MOTS-c in fasting plasma at 16 weeks. Timelines outside studies vary.
Do you show MOTS-c before and after photos?
No. Photos can't be verified, rarely show dose, diet or other drugs, and only the most dramatic ones get posted. We summarize measured outcomes instead.
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.PricePrice per mg and per week from dated listings. No vendor links.Legal statusFDA, compounding and WADA status with dates.How to injectSites, syringe types and hygiene, step by step.
Sources
- 1Repeated 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
- 2Circulating levels of MOTS-c in patients with breast cancer treated with metformin.Aging · 2022PMID 36490309Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 3Effect 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
- 4Acute endurance exercise stimulates circulating levels of mitochondrial-derived peptides in humans.Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985) · 2021PMID 34351816Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 5MOTS-C levels ın ındividuals with and without obesity and ıts association with ınflammation, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction.Archives of endocrinology and metabolism · 2025PMID 41004666Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 6Lipids and insulin regulate mitochondrial-derived peptide (MOTS-c) in PCOS and healthy subjects.Clinical endocrinology · 2019PMID 31066084Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 7Downregulation of circulating MOTS-c levels in patients with coronary endothelial dysfunction.International journal of cardiology · 2018PMID 29242099Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 8Mitochondrial-derived microprotein MOTS-c attenuates immobilization-induced skeletal muscle atrophy by suppressing lipid infiltration.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2024PMID 38170165Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 9MOTS-c is an exercise-induced mitochondrial-encoded regulator of age-dependent physical decline and muscle homeostasis.Nature communications · 2021PMID 33473109Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 10Mitochondrial-encoded MOTS-c prevents pancreatic islet destruction in autoimmune diabetes.Cell reports · 2021PMID 34320351Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 11MOTS-c reduces myostatin and muscle atrophy signaling.American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism · 2021PMID 33554779Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 12MOTS-c peptide regulates adipose homeostasis to prevent ovariectomy-induced metabolic dysfunction.Journal of molecular medicine (Berlin, Germany) · 2019PMID 30725119Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 13Mitochondria related peptide MOTS-c suppresses ovariectomy-induced bone loss via AMPK activation.Biochemical and biophysical research communications · 2016PMID 27237975Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 14The mitochondrial-derived peptide MOTS-c promotes metabolic homeostasis and reduces obesity and insulin resistance.Cell metabolism · 2015PMID 25738459Accessed 2 Oct 2026
- 15MOTS-c improves osteoporosis by promoting the synthesis of type I collagen in osteoblasts via TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway.European review for medical and pharmacological sciences · 2019PMID 31081069Accessed 2 Oct 2026
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