MOTS-c Dosage Protocol (Printable Chart)

Print this single table. It covers every injection across a standard 10-week cycle for the two most common protocols: the 5 mg once-weekly beginner cycle and the 10 mg split performance cycle.

Weekly totals: the beginner column delivers 5 mg per week (50 mg over the cycle). The split column delivers 10 mg per week (around 90 mg over the cycle once you account for the single-dose ramp and taper weeks). Pick one column and stay in it for the whole cycle.

After Week 10, take a 4-week washout before any repeat cycle. The off-cycle break prevents AMPK pathway tolerance and lets you assess what the cycle actually changed. For the reasoning behind cycle length and rest periods, see the MOTS-c cycle length guide.

Each protocol below maps to a column or variant of the chart above. All use subcutaneous injection into abdominal fat.

MOTS-c dosing is not strictly weight-based, but body size and goal shift where you land in the 5 to 10 mg range. Use this table to pick your starting point, then follow the cycle chart above.

More is not better with MOTS-c. The peptide works through a saturable pathway, so doubling the dose does not double the effect. Heavier users may justify the 10 mg split, but every cycle should still start at 5 mg per week for the first two weeks.

MOTS-c activates AMPK, the same energy-sensing switch that exercise and fasting trigger (Lee et al., 2015). Timing the injection to overlap with those states is the logic behind the three options below.

Fasted morning dosing is the default. Inject on an empty stomach before your first meal. AMPK activity is naturally higher in a fasted state, so the peptide reinforces an existing signal rather than fighting against a fed-state insulin spike.

Pre-workout dosing suits performance users. Inject 30 to 60 minutes before training so MOTS-c signaling stacks with the AMPK activation that exercise produces. Reynolds et al. (2021) showed exercise itself raises endogenous MOTS-c up to 11.9-fold in skeletal muscle, which is why the pre-workout window is popular.

Keep timing consistent. Pick fasted-AM or pre-workout and stay with it across the cycle so you can attribute results cleanly.

Lyophilized MOTS-c arrives as a dry powder and must be mixed with bacteriostatic water before injection. The table converts a 10 mg vial into per-dose units on a standard U-100 insulin syringe.

Add the water slowly down the vial wall, never straight onto the powder. Swirl gently and let it dissolve on its own. Do not shake. Once reconstituted, store the vial refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius; peptides in solution degrade faster at room temperature and most stay stable for about 4 weeks refrigerated (Brange et al., 1992, on peptide solution stability). Run your exact numbers with the reconstitution calculator before drawing your first dose.

Start low, hold, then build. Inject 5 mg once weekly for the first two weeks before moving to any split or higher frequency. This ramp lets you catch side effects early instead of stacking a high dose onto an untested tolerance.

Rotate injection sites and keep technique sterile. Alternate sides of the abdomen each session, swab with alcohol, and use a fresh needle every time. Track each injection against the printed chart so you never double-dose or lose your place in the cycle.

Stop the cycle and consult a healthcare provider if you notice persistent dizziness, unusual fatigue, signs of hypoglycemia (shakiness, sweating, confusion), or any injection-site reaction that spreads or does not settle within a day or two. MOTS-c affects glucose handling, so anyone on diabetes medication should not start without medical supervision. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals should not use it at all. For broader handling rules, see the peptide safety guide and the master peptide dosage chart.