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Off-season tissue + GH-axis → peak metabolic + endurance (WADA-banned throughout)

Competition Prep

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This protocol is for athletes preparing for competition who are using community-knowledge peptide stacks. The single most important framing for this entire surface: EVERY PEPTIDE IN THIS PROTOCOL IS ON THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING AGENCY (WADA) PROHIBITED LIST, both in-competition and out-of-competition. Users running this protocol while subject to drug-tested federation rules are violating those rules. The protocol does NOT pretend otherwise.

This protocol is intended for one of two contexts: (a) athletes competing in formats that do NOT drug-test (some recreational events, some non-affiliated competitions), or (b) athletes who have already chosen to operate outside the rules of their federation and want to do so with honest framing about detection windows and safety. If neither of those describes you, this protocol is the wrong tool — the right tool is your federation's allowable supplementation (creatine, caffeine, beta-alanine), proper periodization, sleep, nutrition, and recovery.

The protocol explicitly REFUSES the framing "safe to come off before testing." That framing is dangerous and incorrect — detection windows for GH-axis secretagogues + tissue-repair peptides extend far beyond plasma clearance via the Athlete Biological Passport (P-III-NP, IGF-1 trajectories, peptide-specific antibody panels). Anyone who tells you "discontinue X weeks before your test and you'll be clean" is misinformed at best, lying at worst. The cost of a positive test (suspension, lost competition years, lost income, lost sponsorship, public sanction) is asymmetric with the marginal performance benefit these peptides provide.

It is NOT for users with active cardiovascular disease, active malignancy, uncontrolled diabetes, or amateur athletes whose federation drug-tests. It is NOT a 'safer alternative to steroids' — anabolic steroids are also WADA-prohibited; switching to peptides changes neither the rule violation nor the detection reality.

Phases

  1. Phase 1 — Off-season foundation (tissue repair + GH-axis)

    off-season through ~12 weeks pre-meet

    Off-season is when training-load resilience and body-composition work are highest leverage. BPC-157 + TB-500 fragment 17-23 address tissue repair for the elevated training volume that defines off-season; CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin supports the GH-axis side of body composition and recovery. This is the LONGEST window in the protocol — anywhere from a few months to most of the year depending on competition calendar. Most users running competition-prep stacks spend the bulk of their peptide time in this Phase 1 block.

    • BPC-157500 mcg · twice daily · morning + evening

      500mcg SubQ twice daily during loading; 250mcg twice daily for chronic off-season support. Cycle 4-8 weeks on, 2-4 weeks off — long-term continuous use beyond ~30 days has no human safety data and the cycling pattern is community-standard.

    • TB-5005 mg · twice weekly (loading 4-6 weeks) → weekly (maintenance) · morning

      5mg (5000mcg) SubQ twice weekly for the initial 4-6 week loading block, then 5mg weekly for off-season maintenance. Community-standard dosing extrapolated from animal-to-human conversions; not validated by human RCTs.

    • CJC-1295 / Ipamorelin250 mcg · 5 days per week · before bed, fasted 2+ hours

      10 units SubQ (250mcg CJC + 250mcg Ipa) 5 days/week, before bed, fasted 2+ hours. Standard blend pattern. Must be discontinued well before any anti-doping testing window — IGF-1 trajectory remains abnormal on Athlete Biological Passport for extended periods after cessation, well beyond plasma clearance.

    What “working” looks like

    Training-load resilience improves — recovery between sessions feels better, soft-tissue niggles resolve faster, body composition shifts in the expected direction over 8-12 weeks. IGF-1 rises (this is the on-target effect AND the detection liability simultaneously — pull baseline IGF-1 BEFORE starting so the trajectory is documented if you ever face Athlete Biological Passport scrutiny). Sleep quality may improve from CJC/Ipa.

    Decision criteria

    Continue Phase 1 throughout off-season. Discontinue CJC/Ipa by the START of Phase 2 (12 weeks pre-meet) — the IGF-1 trajectory needs the longest washout window available, and even 12 weeks is NOT enough for ABP scrutiny in elite-tested athletes. BPC-157 + TB-500 continue into Phase 2 at the same off-season cadence; both have their own detection considerations but the timeline is different from CJC/Ipa.

    Labs to pull

    • Baseline IGF-1 BEFORE starting (critical for ABP context — having historical baselines documented may matter for federation review if you face scrutiny)
    • Fasting glucose + A1c (GH counter-regulatory)
    • Lipid panel + hs-CRP (cardiometabolic baseline)
    • Total + free T (some users see suppression with GH-axis work)

  2. Phase 2 — Peak block (metabolic + endurance shift, no new GH-axis)

    weeks 12-4 pre-meet (CJC/Ipa already discontinued)

    Peak block. CJC/Ipa is DISCONTINUED at the start of this phase — even 12 weeks is insufficient washout for elite-tested athletes facing ABP scrutiny, but it is the protocol's structural minimum. BPC-157 + TB-500 continue at the off-season cadence for tissue maintenance through high-intensity peak training. MOTS-c is added as the peak-block layer for metabolic + endurance support — mechanism well-characterized in rodents (insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial signaling, endurance), no human RCT for exogenous administration, but the indication aligns with the peak-block goal of maximizing energy systems in the final preparation window.

    • BPC-157250 mcg · twice daily · morning + evening

      Continue off-season maintenance dose (250mcg SubQ twice daily). Tissue support through high-intensity peak training.

    • TB-5005 mg · weekly · morning

      Continue off-season maintenance dose (5mg SubQ weekly).

    • MOTS-c5 mg · twice weekly · morning

      5mg (5000mcg) SubQ twice weekly. Community-standard dosing extrapolated from animal data; not validated by human RCT. Mitochondrial-derived peptide; mechanism supports the peak-block endurance + metabolic goals.

    What “working” looks like

    Endurance capacity holds or improves through peak block volume. Recovery between high-intensity sessions remains adequate. Body composition stabilizes (peak block is rarely the right window to chase body comp shifts; the goal is performance maintenance + sharpening). Insulin sensitivity may improve subjectively (less mid-session crash; steadier energy in long sessions).

    Decision criteria

    Approximately 4 weeks pre-meet: DISCONTINUE ALL PEPTIDES — MOTS-c, TB-500, BPC-157. Even with discontinuation, detection windows extend far beyond plasma clearance: TB-500 has been identified in elite-athlete cases months after cessation via specific antibody panels; MOTS-c detection methods are less mature but evolving; BPC-157 is on the WADA prohibited list and detection methods are improving. The meet day itself MUST be reached with NO active peptides AND with full awareness that 'discontinuation' is not 'undetectable.' Post-meet, off-season Phase 1 can resume.

Cautions

  • EVERY PEPTIDE IN THIS PROTOCOL IS ON THE WADA PROHIBITED LIST, in-and-out-of-competition. BPC-157, TB-500, MOTS-c, and CJC/Ipamorelin (and all GH secretagogues) are explicitly prohibited. Use during the period covered by any drug-testing federation is a rule violation regardless of whether you test positive. If your competition format drug-tests, this protocol is the wrong tool — your sanctions risk is asymmetric with the marginal performance benefit.
  • 'Discontinue X weeks before testing and you'll be clean' is FALSE for the peptides in this protocol. Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) tracks IGF-1, P-III-NP, and biomarker trajectories over time — even after plasma clearance, the trajectory abnormality persists for months and can trigger investigation. TB-500 has been identified in elite-athlete cases months after cessation via specific antibody panels. MOTS-c detection is evolving. BPC-157 detection methods are improving. Anyone telling you 'just discontinue before your test' is misinformed; the cost of a positive test (suspension, lost years, lost sponsorship, public sanction) is asymmetric with the performance benefit.
  • Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is the only legitimate route for any prohibited substance use in a drug-tested federation. TUEs require documented medical necessity, prior application, and federation approval. The peptides in this protocol do NOT qualify for TUE in healthy athletes — there is no medical indication that would justify community-knowledge use of BPC, TB-500, MOTS-c, or CJC/Ipa.
  • Active cardiovascular disease (recent MI, unstable angina, severe heart failure) is a contraindication. GH-axis stimulation has complex cardiovascular interactions; the safety calculus belongs with a cardiologist, not a community protocol. The combination with high-intensity competitive training amplifies any underlying CV risk.
  • Active malignancy is a HARD EXCLUSION. CJC/Ipa raises IGF-1, which is theoretically concerning in any tissue with cancerous cells. BPC-157 carries similar growth-factor concerns. The community framing 'I'll just take BPC for my Achilles' does not address the underlying systemic exposure.
  • Uncontrolled diabetes or severe insulin resistance: GH-axis peptides are counter-regulatory to insulin and transiently increase insulin resistance. Combined with competition-prep dietary patterns (often carbohydrate-cycled or low-carbohydrate during peak weeks), this can worsen glycemic control significantly.
  • Amateur athletes drug-tested by their league (NCAA, high school athletics, masters federations with USADA affiliation, weekend-warrior amateur federations that test top finishers) face the same WADA framework as Olympic-level athletes for prohibited substances. 'I'm not pro' is not protection — sanctions apply to amateur athletes too.
  • This protocol is NOT a 'safer alternative to steroids.' Anabolic-androgenic steroids are also WADA-prohibited; switching from steroids to peptides changes neither the rule violation nor the detection reality. If your priority is rule-compliant competition, neither category is available to you in drug-tested federations.
  • Pediatric and developing-athlete exclusion. This protocol is for adults 18+. Adolescent athletes are subject to additional protective frameworks under WADA and federation rules; the long-term health consequences of GH-axis manipulation in developing athletes are uncharacterized and the rule violations carry additional administrative weight.

Discuss with your clinician

  • Before starting: be honest with yourself about your competition context. If your federation drug-tests, this is the wrong tool and the conversation with a clinician should focus on rule-compliant performance optimization (creatine, caffeine, beta-alanine, periodization, sleep, recovery, nutrition) — not on which peptides to add.
  • If your competition is genuinely non-drug-tested and you are proceeding: baseline labs are documentation that may matter later — IGF-1, fasting glucose + A1c, lipid panel, hs-CRP, total + free T. Establish trajectories BEFORE starting; if you ever face scrutiny, having documented historical baselines may matter to your defense.
  • Discuss cardiovascular risk with your sports medicine physician or cardiologist BEFORE starting GH-axis work. Competition-prep training volume is already high cardiovascular load; adding GH-axis stimulation compounds the demand. Pre-existing CV risk factors (lipids, BP, family history) are the relevant gating considerations.
  • If you have any uncertainty about your federation's testing schedule, in-competition vs out-of-competition rules, or sample-collection process, contact your federation's anti-doping liaison directly. Do not rely on community forums or vendor marketing for this information — the rules change, the testing methods improve, and the consequences of misinformation are asymmetric.
  • Post-meet: if you complete a competition cycle on these peptides and intend to return to a drug-tested format, the realistic timeline to be 'cleared' for ABP scrutiny is 6-12+ months MINIMUM for GH-axis peptides, with significant uncertainty about TB-500 detection windows extending further. Anyone telling you a faster timeline is misinformed.
  • If you intend to disclose peptide use to a clinician (sports med, primary care, fertility clinic): the disclosure is medically valuable — clinicians can interpret labs accurately and screen for safety considerations only if they know what you're using. The clinician relationship is confidential; disclosure is not the same as federation reporting.
Evidence summary

Tier 3 protocol overall. Phase 1 (BPC-157 + TB-500 + CJC/Ipa) anchors at Tier 3 across the tissue-repair peptides — rodent evidence consistent, no published human RCTs for musculoskeletal or athletic indications. CJC/Ipa is Tier 2 for GH/IGF-1 axis restoration on component PK/PD data; Tier 3 for body-composition outcomes. Phase 2 adds MOTS-c, Tier 3 — mechanism well-characterized in rodents for insulin sensitivity + mitochondrial signaling + endurance, no human RCT for exogenous administration. The honest framing: there are NO peptides in this protocol with Tier 1-2 evidence for athletic-performance outcomes specifically; the rationale is mechanism + community experience + extrapolation from animal models. The performance benefit is real for some users but is not validated by the rigor that the prohibited-substance status implies. Combined with the asymmetric cost of detection in drug-tested federations, the risk-benefit ratio is unfavorable for any athlete subject to anti-doping rules.

Components (4)

Often combined with

  • Recovery from Injury

    BPC-157 + TB-500 are in both protocols. If active injury overlaps with the off-season window, the Recovery from Injury dose pattern (BPC 500mcg 2x/day, TB-500 5mg 2x/week loading) is the same as Phase 1 here — do NOT double-dose. Recovery's editorial framing is appropriate for users genuinely injured; this protocol's framing is for competition prep. Choose the protocol whose context matches and treat it as primary.

  • Body Composition

    CJC/Ipa overlap with Body Composition Phase 2. If you're using both protocols (off-season body comp work + competition prep), do NOT double-dose CJC/Ipa — single 250/250mcg blend 5x/week covers both surfaces. Body Composition's editorial framing does not address the WADA-banned status; Competition Prep does — use this protocol's framing as primary when you are actively in a competition cycle.

Ready to add this protocol to your stack?

Phase 1 entries start today; later phases are future-dated and ready to edit.