Side-by-side comparison of mechanisms, dosing, interactions, and stacking potential.
| CJC-1295 (with DAC) | MOTS-c | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Peptides | Peptides |
| Standard Dose | Research indicates 2 mg administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection. | Research indicates 5-10 mg administered 3-5 times per week via subcutaneous injection. |
| Timing | Evening administration preferred (aligns with natural GH pulsatility). Inject on an empty stomach — food (especially carbohydrates) blunts GH release. | Morning administration preferred. Can be dosed pre-workout for enhanced exercise performance. |
| Cycle Duration | 12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks between cycles. | 8-16 week cycles. |
| Evidence Level | moderate_human | Emerging (strong preclinical) |
CJC-1295 with DAC (Drug Affinity Complex) is a synthetic 30-amino acid GHRH analog with four amino acid substitutions rendering it resistant to DPP-IV proteolytic inactivation. The DAC moiety covalently binds to endogenous serum albumin via a disulfide bond after injection, extending half-life to 5.8-8.1 days. It stimulates pulsatile GH release from anterior pituitary somatotrophs through GHRH receptor activation, producing dose-dependent 2-10 fold increases in plasma GH for 6+ days and 1.5-3 fold IGF-1 elevations for 9-11 days per injection.
Research indicates 2 mg administered once weekly via subcutaneous injection.
Evening administration preferred (aligns with natural GH pulsatility). Inject on an empty stomach — food (especially carbohydrates) blunts GH release.
12-24 week cycles with 4-8 week breaks between cycles.
MOTS-c is a 16-amino acid mitochondrial-derived peptide encoded by the 12S rRNA gene of the mitochondrial genome. It primarily acts through the folate-AICAR-AMPK pathway: by regulating the folate cycle and de novo purine biosynthesis, it increases AICAR accumulation, which phosphorylates and activates AMPK. This enhances glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, improves insulin sensitivity, and mimics exercise-mediated physiological responses. Skeletal muscle MOTS-c levels increase 11.9-fold in response to acute exercise in young men.
Research indicates 5-10 mg administered 3-5 times per week via subcutaneous injection.
Morning administration preferred. Can be dosed pre-workout for enhanced exercise performance.
8-16 week cycles.
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