Recovery & repair peptides

Class. Synthetic 15-amino-acid peptide derived from a protein found in gastric juice (Body Protection Compound).

What it does. Animal studies show consistent effects on tendon, ligament, muscle, and gut healing — including angiogenesis, fibroblast migration, and modulation of NO and growth factor pathways.

FDA status. Research compound — not approved for human use anywhere.

Evidence. Tier 3 across all indications. Animal data is large and consistent; published human RCTs are absent.

This information reflects community practice — there are no controlled human trials defining a dose.

Common protocols. 200–500 mcg once or twice daily, subcutaneous.

Local vs systemic. Many users inject near the affected area (e.g., near a tendon injury) under the rationale that local administration may concentrate effect, though this is mechanistic speculation.

Cycle length. Most community protocols cap continuous use around 30 days. The cap reflects unknown long-term human safety, not a known toxicity threshold.

No clinical data on optimal timing in humans.

Common community framing. Many users dose around mealtimes or rest periods; some split AM/PM. Specific timing is less consequential than dosing consistency.

Worth noting. BPC-157 in animal studies is often given orally (gastric origin makes oral absorption plausible), but injectable use is the dominant community protocol.

Class. Synthetic peptide marketed as a Thymosin Beta-4 fragment (typically the 17–23 actin-binding region).

What it does. Promotes cell migration and angiogenesis in animal and in vitro studies. Often paired with BPC-157 in community recovery protocols.

FDA status. Research compound — not approved.

Evidence. Tier 3. The fragment marketed as TB-500 has not been studied in published human RCTs; full-length Tβ4 has been in early human pilot trials (cardiac, dry eye), but those don't transfer to the fragment.

Important. Thymosin Beta-4 is on the WADA prohibited list (S2). Both full-length and fragment forms are banned for competitive athletes.

This is community practice — no human RCTs of the fragment exist.

Loading phase. 2–5 mg twice weekly for 4–6 weeks.

Maintenance. 2–5 mg once weekly thereafter, or pause until needed.

Stacking. Frequently combined with BPC-157 — community calls this the 'injury stack' under the rationale that BPC acts more locally and TB-500 more systemically. No human data validates the combination.

No clinical guidance on optimal time of day.

Common practice. Users typically pick fixed dosing days (e.g., Mondays/Thursdays for twice-weekly) regardless of time of day. Half-life is long enough that within-day timing doesn't matter much.

Reminder. WADA-banned for competitive athletes — applies to both full-length Tβ4 and the marketed fragment.

Class. Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine + copper. A copper-binding tripeptide.

What it does. In skin: promotes collagen synthesis, modulates wound healing, anti-inflammatory effects.

Evidence. Tier 2 for topical skin and wound applications — multiple human studies support cosmetic and wound-care use. Tier 3 for injectable / systemic use — the topical evidence does NOT transfer to a different route of administration.

FDA status. Cosmetic ingredient (topical). Not approved as an injectable drug.

Topical (the evidence-supported route). • Cosmetic creams: 0.1–2% concentration applied twice daily on cleansed skin. • Wound healing: clinical formulations vary; follow product instructions.

Injectable / systemic. No clinical guidance — community use is variable. The topical evidence does not extrapolate to systemic effect; safety and efficacy at injectable doses are not established.

Topical. Morning and evening on cleansed, dry skin. Layer under sunscreen in the morning and other actives at night. Tolerability is generally good.

Injectable / systemic. No published guidance on time of day. Community use is variable and not supported by clinical evidence.