What Are Peptides? Peptide Therapy for Fitness and Chronic Illness Recovery
Key Points:
- Peptides are short strings of amino acids that (under the right conditions) create proteins in the body. Since proteins are found in every cell of the body, this means peptides are essential for cellular health.
- Many peptides are naturally anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and even antibacterial. In addition to the typical benefits of peptides (like muscle growth), many patients experience improvement in cognitive function, arthritis, chronic infections, and aging-related issues like joint degeneration.
- Peptides can quickly break down in the body, so science has created a few different ways to get the most out of your peptide supplementation through pills, nasal sprays, and injections.
Fact or fiction: peptides can be a great addition to your health and wellness journey.
Fact!
We realize the abstract idea of peptides, proteins, and amino acids may seem confusing at first. Making things worse, clever internet marketing seems to only make the benefits of peptides, what they do, or how they’re any different from plain old proteins more confusing. (We’re looking at you, skincare brands.)
So we’re breaking down the answers for you. No fluff, no clever marketing, just the facts. And here’s a fact — there are more than 7,000 known types of peptides in your body right now.
There’s a lot of science that explains the benefits and uses of peptides. But these short-chain strings of amino acids are still being studied and tested across the globe. So really, we’ve just scratched the surface of how amazing peptide therapy could be. Stay tuned in the coming years — we suspect peptides will be a major player in the health and longevity game.
Table of Contents:
- What are Peptides?
- Peptide Benefits for Fitness
- Peptide Benefits for Wellness
- How to Get (and Take) Peptides
- Optimize Your Wellness Routine
What are Peptides?
Peptides are strings of amino acids that provide various benefits to the body. When organized in a group of 50+, these peptides form what we know as a protein.
Peptides are abundant in the body and constantly work to regulate hormones, optimize organ function, and keep your skin looking great. You might have heard of the more popular ones, like collagen peptides (for skin) and sermorelin peptides (for bodybuilding and anti-aging).
They’re also widely used within the medical community not only for physical and athletic performance, but also for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties.
Peptides vs. Proteins: Are They The Same Thing?
Amino acids create peptides and peptides create proteins. Make sense? For those of us who aren’t medical pros, this may seem confusing at first, but we promise — it makes sense. Let us explain.
Let’s say you’re building a house. Think of a peptide as different parts — walls, the roof, floors, windows — that may become a complex structure aka the home as a whole (the protein) — when organized correctly. While peptides are required to build proteins, they aren’t proteins themselves, just as walls and a roof on their own can’t be called a house. Amino acids are the building blocks of both peptides and proteins (in this example, the raw building materials like wood, glass, and insulation).
Proteins are found in every cell of the human body, so if you want to have more of them (and you should), peptides are essential. This explains why peptides are often prescribed to help with fitness goals and illness recovery.
Peptide Benefits for Fitness, Muscle Building, and Weight Loss
Peptides are perhaps most well-known for their fitness benefits. Since they create proteins, a targeted peptide supplement along with a balanced diet can help you reach your muscle-building or weight loss goals faster and more efficiently.
Not only are they great for muscle, but peptides also help to protect your organs and skin as they adapt to the stress of higher activity levels.
Best Peptides for Muscle Growth & Weight Loss
Not sure where to start? With peptides, it’s a good idea to consult with a professional to find the right option for you, but here are a few popular peptides for fitness enthusiasts:
- Follistatin — Aids in cell turnover and muscle repair
- BPC-157 — Great for recovery days, it promotes wound healing and can provide natural pain relief
- Collagen — Associated with weight loss, muscle gain, and skin health
- 5-Amino-1MQ — A newer peptide that has promising effects for weight loss
Peptide Therapy: Benefits for Wellness
While certain peptides have a popular reputation in the physical fitness community, other types of peptides have even more clinical benefits. Doctors may prescribe peptides for hormone regulation, organ function, gut health, cognitive function, and skin health.
Brain Fog Relief
Because many peptides are anti-inflammatory, it makes sense that peptide therapy can help reduce inflammation in the brain — gradually relieving brain fog in some patients.
One exciting study shows the peptide Dihexa as a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The peptide Selank may be used (alongside brain retraining) to rewire neurological pathways and relieve anxiety and mental stress.
Psst. We have another trick up our sleeve for brain fog and cognitive function — BodyBio PC! This liposomal phospholipid complex helps improve brain function and mental clarity, as well as repairing cells for a healthier you.
For Skin, Nail, and Hair Health
Collagen peptides are extremely popular around the world for their beauty benefits. This is because they promote collagen production and cellular regeneration, improving elasticity and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Many people swear that a daily scoop of collagen cured their dull skin and brittle nails. When it comes to hair, these peptides can strengthen follicles and reduce breakage. This is because they form the proteins that support the integrity and appearance of our skin, hair, and nails.
Gut Health
In addition to healing and pain relief, BPC-157 has been studied for its potential gut health benefits. Some studies suggest that it may help to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut microbiome, which can improve overall gut health. Additionally, BPC-157 may help to support the integrity of the gut lining and protect against damage from harmful substances. This, in turn, may improve gut function and help to reduce the risk of digestive disorders.
Reduced Joint Pain
Peptides are great for muscle repair and inflammation management — which means peptide therapy is a promising treatment for arthritis. Even if you’re dealing with another joint pain illness (like Lyme Disease), peptides can be a great symptom management tool while you work on other root cause treatments.
For example, someone with joint pain could use prescription pain relievers or they could try collagen peptide injections to strengthen the joint itself. Collagen is found in connective tissues, cartilage, and skin, so it’s a more natural and productive way to boost healing.
Anti-Aging Properties
When we use peptides for aging, we aren’t just talking about wrinkle prevention and skin elasticity (those are icing on the cake). Peptide supplements are used to increase organ, muscle, brain, joint, and tissue health (basically anything that has to do with the physical structure of your body), which means they may help you avoid some of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with aging.
For example, Sermorelin injections may help to improve sleep, strengthen bones, and lower cholesterol. Targeted peptide use can help us avoid over-the-counter drugs with a laundry list of side effects — and potentially allow us to treat the root cause of an issue, not just manage the symptoms.
How to Get (and Take) Peptides
Some peptides are readily available in skincare products and over-the-counter supplements. Other forms include additives in fitness drinks or protein powders, as well as anti-aging creams.
However, if you’re working with a doctor, they may recommend prescription peptides to target a specific health issue. You can have these prescribed in supplement form or you can opt for peptide therapy through injection, nasal spray, or topical application:
Peptide Supplements
The most common way to get your daily peptides is through supplements. Pills can be helpful, but powder supplements in a morning smoothie are typically more effective and bioavailable. Plus, a scoop of powder can provide a much higher dose than one or two pills.
Peptide Nasal Sprays
Peptides have low metabolic stability, meaning it’s tough for them to cross the blood-brain barrier on their own. Nasal spray is used as a means to deliver peptides more directly to the brain. It’s non-invasive, convenient, and — we promise — not as weird as you think.
A great example of this type of delivery is vasoactive intestinal peptide spray, which is often used in the final stages of mold and chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) recovery.
Peptide Injections
Peptide injections aren’t for everyone, but they can be extremely beneficial for athletes and the elderly, or provide a much-needed boost for those fighting chronic illness. By delivering peptides straight to the bloodstream, these healing compounds can be absorbed at a much higher rate and completely bypass the digestive system. If you’re interested in peptide therapy, look for a Seeds Certified practitioner.
Potential Side Effects of Peptides
While peptides offer promising health benefits, it's also important to be aware of potential side effects. For injections, the site might experience redness or swelling (this is because synthetic peptides can be seen as a foreign substance by the immune system). Some users may experience headaches, dizziness, or blood pressure changes. Oral peptides can sometimes cause gastrointestinal disturbances, and hormonal peptides may cause mood swings or sleep pattern changes.
As with all supplements, quality matters — impure peptides pose additional risks.
Despite these side effects, many find peptides to be effective and well-tolerated when used appropriately.
Optimize Your Wellness Routine
Our bread and butter at BodyBio is cellular health and all of the benefits that come with making your cells the number one priority in your health journey — but we’re always learning about new innovations in the health and longevity space.
We’re always keeping up with the latest information in health optimization and healing chronic illness. Whether you’re dealing with a health condition or looking to get in the best shape of your life, you need a holistic approach to wellness — this includes things like peptides, phospholipids, diet, and so much more! This can be a steep learning curve, so we’ve collected and organized related resources for those looking to learn more and improve their health:
References
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