What Can I Compare With The Pep Nation Lab Comparison Tool?

Any research-grade compound in the library can be placed side by side - up to four at a time. The tool compares mechanism of action, molecular target, evidence tier, molecular weight, amino acid sequence, reported half-life, and what each compound has been studied for, all drawn from referenced monographs.

What Does The Evidence Tier Mean?

The evidence tier reflects how extensively a compound has been studied in the referenced literature, from early preclinical signals through to compounds with human clinical data. It is a research-quality signal only, never a safety or efficacy endorsement.

How Are "X vs Y" Comparison Pages Built?

Each comparison page is generated from the same referenced compound database - a genuine side-by-side of mechanism, identity, pharmacokinetics, and evidence, plus data-derived key differences. They are curated, not auto-generated thin pages.

Is Any Of This Medical Or Dosing Advice?

No. Every comparison is for in vitro laboratory research use only. Nothing here is medical advice, a treatment recommendation, or dosing guidance, and no product is for human or animal consumption.

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MOTS-cA93

AICARB-80

Top Pick: MOTS-cTap to see full verdict & analysis

MOTS-c

0/100

Grade A

Leads in research coverage

Evidence

Safety

Science

Coverage

Handling

Depth

Unique: Weight Management & Fat Loss, Longevity

AICAR

0/100

Grade B-

Leads in data completeness

Evidence

Safety

Science

Coverage

Handling

Depth

Research Profile Radar - hover axes for details

MOTS-c

AICAR

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Attribute	MOTS-c A	AICAR B-
Research Summary	MOTS-c is known as the "exercise in a bottle" peptide. It targets your muscles and tells them to process sugar and burn fat as if you were running a marathon, boosting massive stamina and energy.	AICAR tricks your body into thinking it just did a massive workout, even if it was just sitting still. It turns on your fat-burning mode and makes muscles act like they have been exercising for hours.
Studied For	Metabolic homeostasisInsulin resistance / obesityExercise-mimetic researchAMPK activationGlucose metabolismSkeletal muscle uptakeLongevity and agingInflammation regulationMitochondrial stress responseObesity researchType 2 diabetes modelsMenopause-related metabolic changesNAD metabolismFolate-methionine cycleMitochondrial communicationPhysical endurance researchMetabolic flexibilitymetabolic regulationenergy boostAMPK activatorweight lossinsulin sensitivityexercise endurancemitochondrial function	AMPK / metabolic-stress researchInsulin-resistance modelsEndurance researchExercise mimeticFat oxidation via AMPKGlucose uptake enhancementCardiac protection / ischemiaObesity modelsMetabolic syndrome researchWADA prohibited performance substance researchMitochondrial biogenesisType 2 diabetes modelsCancer metabolism researchAMPK pathway signalingAnti-inflammatory via AMPKendurance enhancementfat burningmetabolic regulatorischemic protectionmuscle metabolism
Research Areas	MetabolicMitochondrial FunctionPerformance & MuscleWeight Management & Fat LossLongevity	MetabolicPerformance & MuscleMitochondrial Function
Best Stacked With	nad-plusss-31aicarl-carnitinebac-water	mots-cnad-plusl-carnitinebac-water
Overview
Category	Weight Loss & Metabolism	Weight Loss & Metabolism
Compound Class	Mitochondrial-derived peptide (MDP) encoded within 12S rRNA of mitochondrial genome	Purine nucleoside analog; cell-permeable AMPK activator (converted intracellularly to ZMP)
Molecular Target	AMPK activation; folate-methionine cycle; AICAR-independent AMPK signaling; nuclear translocation for gene expression regulation	AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation via ZMP (AMP mimetic); PGC-1alpha upregulation; GLUT4 translocation; mitochondrial biogenesis
Aliases / AKA	Mitochondrial ORF of 12S rRNA type-cMOTS cMOTS-c peptideMitochondrial peptide MOTS-cMitokine MOTS-c12S rRNA-encoded peptide	AcadesineAICA-riboside5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotideAICAR nucleosideZMP precursorAcadesine AICAR
Parent Compound	Mitochondrial MT-RNR1	ZMP precursor
Molecular Weight	2174.6 Da	258.23 Da
Amino Acid Sequence	`MRWQEMGYIFYPRKLR`	`small molecule nucleoside`
CAS Number	1627580-64-6	2627-69-2
Year Discovered	Not Listed	Not Listed
Pro-Angiogenic	No	No
GLP-1 Class	No	No
Purity	Not Listed	Not Listed
Identity
Evidence Tier
Risk Level
PubMed Citations	244 Good	2,818 Extensive
Clinical Trials	66 Active	Not Listed
Regulatory Status	Not FDA-approved; research chemical; WADA-prohibited (2024).	Investigational / research chemical; WADA-prohibited at all times (metabolic modulator, AMPK activator).
Evidence & Regulatory
Half-Life	~30 minutes	~2 hours
Typical Frequency	Not Listed	Not Listed
Administration Route	Injection Only	Injection Only
Mechanism / PK	Not Listed	Not Listed
Reported Findings	Mouse and in vitro studies show improved metabolic homeostasis and reduced obesity and insulin resistance. Controlled human therapeutic trials are lacking.	Mostly in vitro and animal: increased glucose uptake, fat oxidation, and running endurance. Acadesine reached human cardiac-surgery trials but was never approved. No established human metabolic or performance efficacy.
Side Effects Noted	No well-characterized human adverse-event profile; human safety is not established.	Transient hyperuricemia and headache in cardiac trials; broad AMPK activation can be context-dependently tumor-promoting; long-term human safety unknown.
Warnings	Not approved. WADA-prohibited effective 2024 (relevant for competitive athletes). Evidence is predominantly preclinical. Research use only.	Investigational with no safe non-clinical dose. WADA-prohibited at all times (AMPK activator). Research use only.
Pharmacology
Form	lyophilized	solid
Diluent	bacteriostatic or sterile water	water or DMSO for stock
Storage Temp	frozen/refrigerated, dark	cold, desiccated, dark
Light Sensitive	Yes	Yes
Freeze / Thaw	avoid	avoid
Handling Notes	Two methionines are oxidation-prone.	Use solutions fresh.
Reconstituted Shelf Life	28 Days Refrigerated	14 Days Refrigerated
Handling & Storage

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