A Simple Guide to Peptides - AJAC

Level 2 - Value Investor

Welcome Avatar! We’re taking a quick break from the crypto craziness and talking about an emerging topic of Peptides. None of this is health or medical advice and all of this is written by AJAC who has been researching the space for a significant amount of time. With that here is the overview.

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Hello BowTied readers. If you are active on X (I presume all of you are), you have likely seen talk about “peptides” and would like to know more. Depending on who you follow, you might have seen peptides discussed as miraculous agents for healing injury, or fat loss, or maybe even nootropic purposes of some kind.

However, X is still a short form platform, and peptides are a complex subject.

This article will cover the basics of peptides; their origins, what they are, what they can do, their usage in the biohacker community, and their availability for cutting edge individuals to experiment with and take their healthcare into their own hands.

Understand, nothing in this article is to be taken as medical advice. I am not a doctor, just a well-read bro and personal trainer who has seen first hand what they can do for people, and wants to help you make informed decisions about their health.

Let's get started.

When Were Peptides Discovered? Peptide science started in 1901, when Glycylglycine was first synthesized by Emil Fischer and Ernest Fourneau. Consisting of just two amino acids, it is the simplest peptide in existence. The discovery was groundbreaking and launched a biochemistry explosion of research. Fischer won the Nobel Prize for the discovery in 1902, and by 1910 he had synthesized 100+ peptides, and his work with amino acids would change medicine forever.

What are peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids linked together by peptide bonds. A peptide bond is a covalent chemical bond that links amino acids together in a chain to form a protein or a peptide. Specifically, a peptide bond forms between the amino group (-NH2) of one amino acid and the carboxyl group (-COOH) of another amino acid, resulting in the release of a water molecule (H2O). This process is known as condensation or dehydration synthesis.

Unless you are a biochemist, the specific chemistry is probably not interesting, but understand that the human body is MADE of amino acids. Peptides are naturally occurring biological molecules found in all life on earth. Amino acids are the proverbial building blocks. Then peptides, then finally larger proteins. The picture illustrates this neatly.

In layman's terms then, peptides are simply chains of amino acids.

Typically, a peptide will contain between 2 and 50 amino acids. If there are more than 50, then it becomes polypeptide. Polypeptides which have enough mass (10,000 daltons specifically) get classified as a protein.

There are somewhere around 7000 different peptides produced internally and used by our bodies on a daily basis. Peptides are important because they do stuff in the body, A LOT of stuff.

What do Peptides do? Everything. That is not hyperbole, it is fact. Peptides are involved in essentially every physiological process in the human body. To speed run some examples

Peptides act as growth hormones- Many peptides function as hormones or hormone precursors, and control physiological processes such as growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Some examples that you have likely heard of would be growth hormone, IGF-1, and prolactin.

Peptides are integral to Neurotransmission-Peptides act as neurotransmitters or neuromodulators in the nervous system, facilitating communication between neurons. Neuropeptides are regulators for activity, mood, appetite, and stress response. Well known examples would be norepinephrine (which stimulates activity), endorphins (the feel good hormone that comes from exercising), and oxytocin (the social bonding hormone).

Peptides are immunomodulators-Peptides contribute to the body's immune defense by regulating immune cell function, inflammation, and antimicrobial activity. Thymosin Alpha 1 for example is a peptide produced by the thymus that can broadly enhance immune system function

Peptides are part of the digestive system-Peptides derived from dietary proteins play a crucial role in the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract. The well known healing peptide for example, BPC-157 is a digestive peptide.

Tissue Repair and Wound Healing-Certain peptides, such as growth factors and cytokines, promote tissue regeneration, wound healing, and repair of damaged tissues (e.g., skin, muscle, bone, and cartilage) by stimulating cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix synthesis. BPC-157, arguably the most well known peptide, its most proven effects are in connective tissue healing

When do People Take peptides? This depends on the condition and context of application. I will link to deeper resources at the end, but understand that peptides are not something you take casually, you take them for a specific purpose. Remember that there are 7,000+ peptides in the human body. Ironically, the most commonly used peptide is one you have already heard of, INSULIN.

Injectable insulin was the first therapeutic peptide, discovered and brought to market in 1923. Today there are over 80 therapeutic peptide drugs on the market, and more in development.

Some other examples you might have heard of;

• Semaglutide for appetite suppression (Ozempic and Wegovy)

• ACE Inhibitors to control blood pressure

• Glutathione, an immune system boosting peptide that you can supplement with

There are currently somewhere around 170 different peptide drugs in clinical trials, with many more in development.

My perspective is that the peptides that help with connective tissue recovery, brain health, and fat loss will become the most popular over the next decade. These are the ones that have the most human use evidence and have obvious benefits in treating injuries and overcoming obesity.

In the Biohacker Community, there are 4 Common Use

Cases:

Number 1 would be recovery from injury. The two peptides that are constantly described for their “wolverine” like healing ability are BPC157 and TB500

Number 2 would be increased Growth hormone production and fat burning. Ipamorelin is the most well known for this

Number 3 would be exclusively fat burning. The peptide Tesamorelin is popular in the bodybuilding world for this reason

Number 4 is nootropic peptides. The most well studied is Semax, which has neuroregenerative properties and originates from Russia for the treatment of brain injuries

Understand that this is by no means an exhaustive list. I am sharing commonly used peptides that you can easily find content on if you choose to explore your own research with them.

Why Have I Not Heard of Peptides Before? You probably have and did not realize. As mentioned, insulin is a peptide. The fat loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy are both peptides. Specifically they are GLP-1 peptides. They mimic the GLP-1 satiety hormone in our bodies and this reduces appetite and helps control blood sugar.

There are also many peptide medications already in existence, but they are used to treat specific diseases, not “health enhance” in the way biohackers do.

Here is a list of all peptide drugs currently on the market.

That said, understand that medicine and pharmaceutical drugs are extremely regulated in the USA. Peptides are difficult to patent, and both Big Pharma and the FDA (which is essentially the government arm of Big Pharma) do NOT support the idea of people “being their own doctor”

The practice of people bypassing the medical system and taking their health into their own hands using non approved compounds that Big Pharma and the FDA do not approve of is not something that the government or any mainstream governing bodies are going to encourage.

And I do not expect that to change anytime soon

For this reason, any kind of peptide that requires injection and is not approved for human use, it will only ever be sold as a research chemical.

You do your own research if you purchase them.

What Peptides Do I Recommend? My entirely personal NOT medical advice opinion is that the best use case for peptides is for connective tissue HEALING. Specifically connective tissue healing, meaning muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.

With my professional background in personal training, I have seen firsthand how many people live with chronic pain. I have seen how injuries can be a major setback to people's quality of life, and for athletes, their career.

The two peptides for this are: BPC-157 or Body Protective Compound-157

This is a synthetic peptide derived from a naturally occurring peptide called Body Protection Compound (BPC) that is produced in the gut. It is composed of 15 amino acids and has been studied since 1992 for its therapeutic effects, particularly in promoting tissue healing and reducing inflammation.

BPC-157 has shown promise in preclinical studies for its ability to accelerate wound healing, repair damaged tissues (such as muscle, tendon, ligament, and nerve), and reduce inflammation in various animal models.

Additionally, some research (and anecdotal practice) suggests that the oral form may have protective effects on the gastrointestinal tract and could potentially help with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease

For connective tissue healing it is the injectable version that MUST be used. The most common dosage is once daily, at 300mcg. This is a subcutaneous injection at the site of injury

TB-500 also known as Thymosin Beta-4 Another synthetic version of a naturally occurring peptide found in most mammalian cells. It plays a role in various cellular processes, including cell migration, differentiation, and proliferation. TB-500 like BPC157 has been studied for its potential therapeutic effects, particularly in promoting tissue repair and wound healing.

Research suggests that it can have several potential applications:

• Tissue Repair

• Anti-Inflammatory Effects

• Cardiovascular Health

• Neuroprotection

TB-500 is also an injection, and the most commonly recommended dosage is 2.5mg twice a week.

Word of Caution: Again, I must remind everyone these are research chemicals, so if you purchase them, it must be because you are doing research. You are in a legal gray zone.

How do people INJECT Peptides when doing Research?

How do people INJECT Peptides when doing Research? Let's assume you got peptides from Limitless Life Nootropics. I have bought from them for years, have an affiliate partnership with them, and can vouch for their product quality (this is an AJAC affiliate link in the paragraph).

Most likely you purchased BPC157 and perhaps TB500. You have an injury or chronic pain in a joint or muscle you want to heal. You ordered your peptides, they showed up, AND...

1. You have a very small bottle (or two) with powder you are not sure what to do with

2. You realize you need to make this a liquid

3. You realize you actually need to get syringes with needles to inject it

4. You realize you have never done this before, and have absolutely NO IDEA what to do

STEP #1-Getting the Necessary Supplies

What you will need

-Bacteriostatic water (affiliate link)

-Insulin syringe (affiliate link). I suggest the 50 unit insulin syringes with a 1/2 inch needle.

-Sanitizing wipes, because hygiene is paramount

Contrary to what you may think, you can purchase these from Amazon. Or your local pharmacy or medical supply store.

Step #2-Adding the Water and turning them into a liquid

Okay, so time to add the bacto water. Reminder, sanitize everything before starting. I will make this simple

Watch this video

The bottle tells you how much to add. A 3ml bottle means you add...3 ml of bacto water You will add the bacto water slowly, not blast it into the vial. Fill it and allow it to mix on its own. Don't shake it up. Peptides are delicate.

Once all the water is added, give it time to mix naturally. You want to store your peptides in the fridge to preserve them. Don't leave them out at room temperature.

Step #3-How much do you inject? Peptides DO involve math. THANKFULLY, there is an Online calculator that does this for you Peptide Calculator

Let's pretend we DON'T use that though, and learn how to do the math

We will do math together

To use the BPC157 example again

BPC157 comes in 10mg amounts, inside a 3ml vial 10mg=10,000mcg

That means that 1 ml=3,333mcg If I look a 100 unit needle, that is 100 centiliters per 1ml 3333 divided by 100 =333.333333333 (to infinity)

Rounding off 10 units=333 mcg

That means if you want to inject 300 mcg of BPC157, then inject just about 9 units to slightly more than that

FYI-You will see 250mcg of BPC157 recommended. I never bother calculating that in the vial (it's about 7.5 units). Personally I always inject 10 units, because it makes the process simple. I suggest you do the same

Step #4-Injecting

Okay, so we are really doing this. Reminder to sanitize the bottle, the syringe, and the area you are injecting. Firstly, do NOT just stick the syringe into the vial. That will lead to you pulling out air and creating a vacuum every time inside of it. What you do is measure out the amount you want to extract, then inject that amount of air into the vial. HUH Again, learn by observing

Watch this video, it explains how to inject air correctly

Next, inject yourself like a champ.

Remember, it's subcutaneous. WELCOME TO THE DARKSIDE YOU ARE NO LONGER NATTY

Just kidding, peptides are not steroids.

But yes, good job at doing research. I am proud of you.

What Peptides have you used? There are 3 peptides I have personally utilized in my research. -BPC157+TB500-I have used these to recover from injury (MCL tear, elbow ligament tear, patella tendinitis). I found them both to WORK. I used both for 4 weeks on 3 separate occasions. BPC157 I actually injected twice a day, 300mcg at a time. It is my personal opinion that more is better for injecting BPC157, and that 500-600 mcg daily is well tolerated.

TB500 I used 3 mg twice a week. I had zero side effects from either, and my recovery was rapid. Pain went away and I was able to resume normal training. It effectively cut healing time in half for all my injuries

HGH-That means human growth hormone. Yes, growth hormone is a peptide.

Now, this is NOT something you can purchase online, but I used it when I was overseas in Thailand, where laws are much looser and you can purchase actual pharmaceutical GH and have it delivered to you. Did it work? 100% YES. I used it when I severely hyperextended my right elbow and partially tore a ligament. I used it for 12 weeks. I was back to punching by week 6 and able to resume normal Muay Thai training. Aside from the healing effects, it also got me slightly leaner in bodycomposition, and I slept fantastic.

Were I ever injured again, I would try to obtain GH again. Or I would use the peptide Ipamorelin and increase my GH levels that way.

Those are the only peptides I have used that are injectable. If there are other peptides that interest you, you will need to DYOR (Do Your Own Research).

Where to buy Peptides:

Limitless Life Nootropics is where I have always ordered from. You can use affiliate code “ajac” for 15% off any order

Best Peptide Education Resources

Therapeutic peptides: current applications and future directions This free article in Nature is a great 101 science based breakdown. It should assuage anyones fears about peptides being a potent form of medicine

Optimize Your Health with Therapeutic Peptides by Jay Campbell: the best book on the market that covers dozens of peptides, their history, pharmacokinetics, and protocols for usage. Jays website is also a goldmine of information, as is his peptide course

Injecting: Yes, many peptides need to be mixed at home and injected, and it's scary if you've never done it. This video shows how to do it step by step In Summary Peptides are here to stay, and are powerful medicine. I will be talking about them more on my own substack in 2024, and sharing my experiences and research. If you have any questions, feel free to message me on X, and I will be happy to help you however I can.

In Summary

Peptides are here to stay, and are powerful medicine. I will be talking about them more on my own substack in 2024, and sharing my experiences and research. If you have any questions, feel free to message me on X, and I will be happy to help you however I can.

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Disclaimer: None of this is to be deemed legal or financial advice of any kind. These are *opinions* written by an anonymous group of Ex-Wall Street Tech Bankers and software engineers who moved into affiliate marketing and e-commerce.

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