An Intro to Peptides are They Natty or Not?

Buzz, Buzz, Peptides are Everywhere

If you’re a health and internet nerd like me, you can’t open your phone these days without hitting a podcast, video, or blog post raving about peptides. Heavyweights like Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan are name-dropping peptides left, right, and center. And we all know how much Joe likes his performance enhancers.

If you know anything about anything, you’re probably well aware that every celebrity under the sun who has played in an action role is juicing. The wealthy and famous are all covertly letting it slip that they're on the peptide bandwagon too. Steroids, they're trés passé; peptides, here to stay. But what exactly are these magic-sounding molecules, and why is the internet shoving them down my throat like a cheap beer at a frat party?

Peptides: The Layman's Lowdown

Peptides, in their most basic form, are small chains of amino acids linked by peptide bonds - the building blocks of proteins. Just like how a necklace or a taboo sex toy is made of individual beads, proteins are made of long chains of these peptides. Proteins, in turn, have crucial roles throughout our bodies - from building and repairing tissues to fighting off diseases.

Fun fact: Proteins are therefore also known as polypeptides.

Peptides, though smaller, pack a potent punch. They act as signaling molecules, telling our cells what to do and when to do it. Some naturally occurring peptides in our bodies can reduce inflammation, help us heal, boost our immune systems, or even stimulate our body to produce more growth hormone.

The intention with peptide therapy is to harness this signaling power, giving our bodies very specific instructions to help enhance our health, improve healing, aid in muscle growth, boost skin health, and more. So no, they aren't steroids, but their influence on our health and wellness is no less remarkable.

Peptides Vs. Steroids: Apples to Oranges

While both peptides and steroids have their place in the health and fitness world, it's crucial to understand that they aren't the same thing. Steroids are typically hormones that are either taken or synthesized to reduce inflammation and help with muscle growth. But they come with a bevy of potential side effects, from mood swings to hormonal imbalance, and a hell of a lot more.

Peptides, on the other hand, are thought of as gentler, more 'natural' or Natty if you will 😏. They are smaller, more specific, and they simply nudge our bodies in the direction we want to go, whether that's healing faster, growing more muscle, or even looking younger. So while both have their uses, it's easy to see why peptides are catching the public eye. Or at least that’s what we know so far.

The Science Behind the Buzz

The science of peptides comes down to one keyword: signaling. In our bodies, everything from our growth to our immune responses is controlled by signals - kind of like traffic lights telling our cells what to do.

When we introduce specific peptides into our body, they act as these traffic lights. Depending on the peptide, they can signal our cells to do things like increase growth hormone production, reduce inflammation, or even promote skin health.

For example, consider how collagen, a protein, keeps our skin firm. It's made up of several peptides. As we age, we produce less collagen, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin. But when we apply peptides topically or ingest them, they signal our skin to produce more collagen, effectively tricking our skin into acting younger. Another miracle of science for those seeking that supple complexion.

On the fitness side, peptides can signal our bodies to ramp up muscle production or fat burning. They can promote faster recovery from workouts and help with inflammation and injury, which is a big part of why they've been catching fire in the fitness community.

Notable Peptides and Their Uses

Now that you’re not a bozo - let’s dive into some specific peptides that I’ve learned about over these last few months. Namely:

1. BPC-157: This peptide, derived from a protective stomach protein, acts as a 'body protective compound.' Its magic lies in its ability to stimulate the growth of blood vessels, accelerating wound healing and tissue repair. Maybe Hayden Panettiere’s character in Heroes didn’t have a superpower after all, maybe she was just on that peptide diet. BPC-157 potentially influences various growth factors and inflammatory mediators, which aid in tissue regeneration and protection against damage. This leads to several benefits:
   

   • Accelerated healing of muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves

   • Improved gut health, potentially benefiting conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and stomach ulcers

   • Improved brain health, possibly countering depression and anxiety
     

2. TB-500 (Thymosin Beta-4): Naturally found in higher concentrations where tissue damage has occurred, TB-500 promotes the building of new blood vessels and muscle cells, and reduces inflammation. It does this by modulating the protein actin, which plays a vital role in cell structure and movement, thereby speeding up the healing process. I can see why old people are taking this stuff. . Key benefits include:
   

   • Rapid tissue repair, particularly in heart, skin, corneas, and inflamed joints

   • Reduced inflammation & faster recovery (where was this in high school?)

   • Potential aid in flexibility and hair growth
     

3. Sermorelin: A synthetic form of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), Sermorelin stimulates the pituitary gland to produce more growth hormone (similar to MK-677 from what I gather). This peptide harnesses the body's own biochemical mechanisms for hormone release, ensuring a more regulated, and thereby safer, increase in growth hormone levels. This results in several potential advantages:
   

   • Assists in fat loss and muscle growth

   • Contributes to tissue repair

   • May improve cognitive function and quality of sleep

   • Can increase bone density and boost the immune system

   • I’ve never done HGH or any steroid (because I’m Natty obvs) but from what I understand this is about 100x cheaper and has more benefits
     

4. Tesamorelin: This peptide shines in its ability to stimulate the pituitary gland to produce growth hormone, specifically targeting visceral fat. I’ve actually heard a lot of people make claims that it can help target belly fat through this mechanism. I looked into it and found something super interesting. In general the idea of spot reducing fat is completely false however there is actually some science behind it as it relates to patients with HIV and it being used to spot reduce belly fat. See the quote below*. It's a selective actor, meaning it primarily affects the metabolic processes related to fat accumulation and metabolism without widespread hormonal changes. The key benefits of Tesamorelin can include:
   

   • Reduction of HIV-related abdominal fat accumulation - I wouldn’t expect the same results if you don’t have HIV…

   • Improved cognitive function due to increased growth hormone levels

   • Enhanced sleep, muscle mass, and heart health

“Why is Tesamorelin prescribed?
Tesamorelin injection is used to decrease the amount of extra fat in the stomach area in adults with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who have lipodystrophy (increased body fat in certain areas of the body). Tesamorelin injection is not used to help with weight loss. Tesamorelin injection is in a class of medications called human growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) analogs. It works by increasing the production of a certain natural substance that can decrease the amount of body fat.”

👉 link to the United States National Library Of Medicine

While I don’t really know how to feel about peptides in general, they are absolutely fascinating. I’ll dive into these more over the coming months but here are some downsides I see out of the gate.

• A lot of them are injectable 💉 (kinda scary for a natty)

• Would you still be natty if you took them?

• You can’t just buy these over the counter in most cases and when you look online you’re going to find some sketchy grey-market company that doesn’t have to abide by any regulations and you have no idea what you’re actually putting in your body. High-key sketchy.

• I’m not 100% convinced that humans have had enough exposure to them to determine if there are material side effects that we do or do not know about.

• Will I take them? That depends on how much I listen to Andrew Huberman I guess.

Well, there you have it. Peptides may sound like science fiction, but the reality is, they are science fact. The only question I have for you is, if I start taking them, am I still Natty?