Longevity and mitochondria
Compounds sold for energy, metabolism and ageing, from mitochondrial peptides to senolytics. Several are not peptides at all, and each page says so.
Which of these has the most human evidence? See Best Peptides for Energy, Ranked by Human Evidence.
Mitochondrial and metabolic
aka Mitochondrial ORF of the 12S rRNA type-c · MOTS-C peptide
Sold for metabolic health, fat loss and longevity. Studied in humans as a biomarker of exercise response.
Animal / lab onlyResearch use only
aka Elamipretide · MTP-131 · Bendavia
FDA-approved (accelerated approval, 2025) as Forzinity to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome, a rare genetic mitochondrial disease. Sold online as a longevity and cellular-energy peptide.
Moderate human evidenceFDA-approved · prescription only
aka HN
Sold online for anti-aging and neuroprotection claims. Studied almost entirely in cell cultures and rodents; no completed human efficacy trial was located for this page.
Animal / lab onlyResearch use only
aka NAD+ · Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide · NAD Injection
Sold by IV-therapy clinics and compounding pharmacies, by subcutaneous injection or IV infusion, for marketed energy, anti-aging, cognition and addiction-recovery claims.
Limited human dataUnapproved drug
aka SLU PP 332 · Exercise mimetic SLU-PP-332
A laboratory research chemical studied in mice as an "exercise mimetic" - it triggers some of the same muscle and metabolic gene programs endurance exercise does. Sold to consumers as a research chemical for that same effect, with no human study behind that use.
Animal / lab onlyUnapproved drug
aka Acadesine · AICA riboside · 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleoside
Studied as an AMPK-activating "exercise mimetic" that boosted running endurance in sedentary mice; separately studied in humans, under the name acadesine, as an intravenous cardioprotective drug during heart bypass surgery - a use large trials found did not work. Now sold to consumers as an unapproved research-chemical endurance and metabolic product.
Limited human dataUnapproved drug
aka Levocarnitine · Carnitor · Carnitor SF
FDA-approved, as CARNITOR, for treating carnitine deficiency (a defined metabolic/biochemical condition): the injection also for the prevention and treatment of carnitine deficiency in dialysis patients, and the tablets and oral solution (including sugar-free CARNITOR SF) for primary and inherited-metabolic-disorder carnitine deficiency. This page covers the injection. Sold off-label, and through compounding and aesthetic-medicine clinics, as a "fat-burning" or metabolism-support injection for people without diagnosed deficiency.
Strong human evidenceFDA-approved · prescription only
Mitochondrial and metabolic: side by side
Doses for unapproved compounds are common practice, not trial-established.
| Compound | Main use | Evidence | Usual dose | US status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOTS-c | Sold for metabolic health, fat loss and longevity. Studied in humans as a biomarker of exercise response. | Animal / lab only | 2.5-10 mg, 2 to 3 times a week is most common, with some protocols ramping toward daily dosing at higher amounts | Research use only |
| SS-31 | FDA-approved (accelerated approval, 2025) as Forzinity to improve muscle strength in Barth syndrome, a rare genetic mitochondrial disease. Sold online as a longevity and cellular-energy peptide. | Moderate human evidence | FDA label | FDA-approved · prescription only |
| Humanin | Sold online for anti-aging and neuroprotection claims. Studied almost entirely in cell cultures and rodents; no completed human efficacy trial was located for this page. | Animal / lab only | 0.5-5 mg, commonly once daily; some protocols use 2 to 3 times a week instead | Research use only |
| NAD+ (injection) | Sold by IV-therapy clinics and compounding pharmacies, by subcutaneous injection or IV infusion, for marketed energy, anti-aging, cognition and addiction-recovery claims. | Limited human data | 50-500 mg, 1-3 times a week by subcutaneous injection; many protocols start low, once weekly, and increase only if tolerated | Unapproved drug |
| SLU-PP-332 | A laboratory research chemical studied in mice as an "exercise mimetic" - it triggers some of the same muscle and metabolic gene programs endurance exercise does. Sold to consumers as a research chemical for that same effect, with no human study behind that use. | Animal / lab only | No consistent protocol | Unapproved drug |
| AICAR | Studied as an AMPK-activating "exercise mimetic" that boosted running endurance in sedentary mice; separately studied in humans, under the name acadesine, as an intravenous cardioprotective drug during heart bypass surgery - a use large trials found did not work. Now sold to consumers as an unapproved research-chemical endurance and metabolic product. | Limited human data | No consistent protocol | Unapproved drug |
| L-Carnitine (injection) | FDA-approved, as CARNITOR, for treating carnitine deficiency (a defined metabolic/biochemical condition): the injection also for the prevention and treatment of carnitine deficiency in dialysis patients, and the tablets and oral solution (including sugar-free CARNITOR SF) for primary and inherited-metabolic-disorder carnitine deficiency. This page covers the injection. Sold off-label, and through compounding and aesthetic-medicine clinics, as a "fat-burning" or metabolism-support injection for people without diagnosed deficiency. | Strong human evidence | FDA label | FDA-approved · prescription only |
Senolytic
aka FOXO4-DRI peptide · FOXO4 D-retro-inverso peptide
Sold online as a senolytic research chemical for anti-aging use. Designed in the laboratory to disrupt an interaction between the FOXO4 and p53 proteins inside senescent cells; not studied in humans.
Animal / lab onlyResearch use only
Senolytic: side by side
Doses for unapproved compounds are common practice, not trial-established.
| Compound | Main use | Evidence | Usual dose | US status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FOXO4-DRI | Sold online as a senolytic research chemical for anti-aging use. Designed in the laboratory to disrupt an interaction between the FOXO4 and p53 proteins inside senescent cells; not studied in humans. | Animal / lab only | 0.25-5 mg, reported protocols vary widely - some use daily dosing, others 3 to 5 days a week in short blocks | Research use only |