Steer Clear of Online Peptides

While peptides have been popular for years, first making waves in products for skin and joint care, injectable peptides have recently become popular on social media thanks to claims of muscle growth, recovery, and a host of other benefits that may appeal to athletes.

Here, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Special Advisor Dr. Amy Eichner is explaining exactly what these peptides are and what athletes should know about injectables before hitting the ‘Buy Now’ button on illegal online pharmacies.

What are peptides?

At their most basic, peptides are short chains of amino acids. Basically, they are short proteins, explains Eichner. “There are a lot of peptides that we eat every day in our diet,” she explains. “When you eat a protein, that protein breaks down into the individual amino acids as you digest and process it.” Those amino acids act as building blocks in your body, helping your muscles repair, recover, and rebuild. Your body uses amino acids to synthesize all kinds of peptide hormones as well. While peptide supplements and injections seem like a shortcut to allow you to get to the amino acids faster, your digestive system is designed for the task of breaking down protein, so finding shortcuts is unnecessary.

There are some peptides—among them the currently popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs—that have been developed into prescription drugs that need to be injected directly into the bloodstream in order to have the intended effect. Unfortunately, while GLP-1s have been proven to work, there has been a rise in popularity of other peptides that come with a lot more risk. These peptides are touted to support everything from muscle growth to anti-aging, but these claims are largely unsubstantiated or would require off-label use of a regulated pharmaceutical.

Are injectable peptides dangerous?

The peptides that you and your athletes see advertised on social media and online, most of which won’t have approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tend to be injectables.

“The reason influencers claim that you have to inject peptides is to get them directly into your bloodstream,” she adds. “But anytime you’re giving yourself an injection, you need to be asking the question of what exactly you’re trying to achieve. These influencers hype up peptides and make claims about what they can do with no evidence to back them up.”

Eichner also explains that many of the illegal online pharmacies selling injectable peptides dodge around certain laws by selling these products and other drugs as ‘research chemicals’ that aren’t meant for human (or even veterinary) use. You may be able to go to a medical spa and get a professional injection, but most social media influencers are directing buyers to illegal online pharmacies to purchase the injector kits and peptides or are directing them to unlicensed nutrition practitioners who are simply purchasing from these online pharmacies and then marking up the price. Unfortunately, both the pharmacies and the practitioners can look quite professional and legal, so it’s up to consumers to pay close attention and understand the broader risks. Ultimately, you shouldn’t be able to purchase an injectable without a prescription, and if you’re able to, the site you’re purchasing from is likely not operating legally.

In addition to these online pharmacies being illegal, Eichner notes that there’s no guarantee that you’re getting the peptide you ordered. Second, there’s no guarantee of the product’s quality, safety, or efficacy. Third, injecting yourself with a needle purchased from an illegal pharmacy comes with basic safety risks, like the risk of a bacterial infection—especially if you need to mix the peptides with water to reconstitute them before putting them in the needle.

Finally, there are a few specific peptides that are banned in sport, including BPC-157, TB500, MOTS-c, and FGF-1. But even if the peptide you’re looking at online isn’t labeled with one of those sets of letters and numbers, beware. They may be listed under another name. In general, unless a medical professional has prescribed it, it’s best to steer clear of any injectables.

Why are injectable peptides so readily available?

Social media influencers, unlike media companies and businesses, are not liable for claims that they make. “Social media users and influencers can currently claim that a supplement or injectable builds muscle, leads to weight loss, speeds up recovery—they can say pretty much anything and won’t be held accountable for it,” she says. “As soon as you start giving advice or making claims, especially to get sales, then you enter into the advertising domain. And right now, social media influencers are getting away with that.”

It’s important to understand that the marketing of these products as ‘research chemicals’—a term that has no legal definition—appears to be an attempt to circumvent the FDA’s regulatory requirements that exist for supplements and pharmaceuticals.

Takeaway

Purchasing injectable peptides online is extremely risky, from both a health and sport perspective. Remember, you shouldn’t be able to purchase an injectable without a prescription, and if you’re able to, the site you’re purchasing from is likely not operating legally.