Energy, Metabolism and Performance

Understanding how the body produces and uses energy

Peptide research in this are helps understand how the body manages energy, nutrient use, and performance under different physiological conditions.

Research explores pathways relevant to:

• Weight management
• Metabolism
• Low energy or fatigue
• Difficulty maintaining muscle

Research

Peptide research in metabolic and performance physiology explores how short amino acid chains can enhance anabolic signaling, improve energy utilization, and support recovery. Among the most studied, IGF-1 LR3, a long-acting analogue of insulin-like growth factor-1, activates the PI3K–AKT–mTOR pathway, promoting muscle hypertrophy, myoblast differentiation, and satellite-cell repair. Both animal and human studies demonstrate that IGF-1 signaling sustains muscle strength, regeneration, and adaptive growth in response to training and injury [1,2].

CJC-1295 (a growth hormone-releasing hormone analogue) and Ipamorelin (a selective ghrelin receptor agonist) are often investigated together for their synergistic effects on the GH/IGF-1 axis. Controlled studies in humans show that CJC-1295 significantly elevates GH and IGF-1 levels for extended periods, while Ipamorelin induces pulsatile GH release without raising cortisol or prolactin, suggesting a physiological and targeted modulation of growth hormone secretion [3,4].

In metabolic research, Tesamorelin has gained attention for its ability to reduce visceral and hepatic fat and improve insulin sensitivity in randomized controlled trials [5]. Meanwhile, 5-Amino-1MQ, a potent nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) inhibitor, has shown in preclinical models to enhance NAD⁺ metabolism, increase mitochondrial efficiency, and reverse diet-induced obesity through improved energy expenditure [6–8].
Together, these peptides and small molecules represent promising tools in the study of muscle repair, fat metabolism, and energy optimization.

References

• Musarò A, McCullagh K, Paul A, et al. Localized IGF-1 transgene expression sustains hypertrophy and regeneration in senescent skeletal muscle. Nat Genet. 2001;27(2):195–200. PMID: 11175789
• Philippou A, Maridaki M, Halapas A, Koutsilieris M. The role of the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in skeletal muscle physiology. In Vivo. 2007;21(1):45–54. PMID: 17354613
• Teichman SL, Neale A, Lawrence B, et al. Prolonged stimulation of growth hormone and IGF-1 by CJC-1295 in healthy adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006;91(3):799–805. PMID: 16352683
• Raun K, Hansen BS, Johansen PB, et al. Ipamorelin, the first selective growth hormone secretagogue. Eur J Endocrinol.1998;139(5):552–561. PMID: 9849822
• Stanley TL, Feldpausch MN, Oh J, et al. Tesamorelin for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomized, double-blind, multicentre trial. Lancet HIV. 2019;6(12):e821–e830. PMID: 31611038
• Kraus D, Yang Q, Kong D, et al. Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase knockdown protects against diet-induced obesity and improves energy expenditure. Nature. 2014;508(7495):258–262. PMID: 24717514
• Neelakantan H, Brightwell CR, Graber TG, et al. Selective NNMT inhibition induces thermogenesis and attenuates diet-induced obesity. Biochem Pharmacol. 2018;147:141–152. PMID: 29155147
• Dimet-Wiley AL, Smith JL, Hernández AF, et al. NNMT inhibition with 5-amino-1-methylquinolinium improves metabolic function in obese mice. Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):330. PMID: 35013352