We answer what is BPC 157, TB 500, Ipamorelin, and other peptides in this 101 series: Peptides 101. Keep reading for information you won’t find compiled anywhere else.
If you’re just skimming, and looking for the #1 peptides website to purchase from, we highly recommend Amino Asylum. Their high-quality products are second to none, and their shipping is ALWAYS on time.
PEPTIDES
BENEFITS:
- Heal Muscles, Bones & Tendons
- Improve Gut Health
- Accelerate Fat Loss
- Increase Muscle Mass
Use code “Enhanced20” for an exclusive 20% discount
Table of Contents
WHAT ARE PEPTIDES?
Peptides are chains of up to fifty amino (50) acids that are bound together by peptide bonds. There are thousands upon thousands of different peptides, many of which are naturally-occurring in the human body.
Unlike SARMs and AAS, peptides are extremely diverse and often have nothing in common with each other in terms of effects. In fact, the only thing that 99% of peptides have in common is that they need to be injected subcutaneously for optimal results, even though some are orally bioavailable and others work extremely well when applied topically.
There are peptides that improve skin quality, peptides that increase fertility, peptides that improve healing and recovery, peptides that improve libido, peptides that facilitate tanning, peptides that improve lipolysis, peptides that improve sleep, etc…
Therefore, it’s impossible to put all peptides in the same category and generalize about their pros & cons as we do with SARMs and AAS. With that being said, there are different peptide subcategories that we will discuss down below, especially answering what is BPC 157, TB 500, and Ipamorelin–arguably the best peptides on the market.
PEPTIDE BENEFITS AND SIDE-EFFECTS
In short, we can’t answer this!
You can ask someone what the side-effects of AAS or SARMs are, and they will give you a broad but acceptable description of the most common side-effects that can occur after using these substances. As you work your way through Peptides 101, you will realize that the same question cannot be asked regarding peptides, because they are too different from each other and the only thing two random peptides have in common is the fact that they are made up of less than 51 amino acids.
ARE PEPTIDES SAFE
Yes and no.
Even after we explain that peptides are remarkably diverse and have little in common with each other, people will keep asking about their safety as if we could provide them with a universal answer.
Lucky for you, we have the answer. Some peptides are 100% safe, some peptides will accelerate cancer growth, some peptides will allow you to have a baby if you are infertile, and some peptides will castrate you.
So, are they safe? It depends on:
- what you are taking
- how much you are taking
- how long you’ve been taking
- and many more variables
If you are still reading this, you are probably mature and smart enough to understand our answer. But do not worry, we will explain the possible side-effects of many peptides like BPC 157, TB 500, Ipamorelin, and more so that you can decide whether to take them or not.
ARE PEPTIDES LEGAL
The vast majority of peptides covered in this article are classified as research chemicals that have not been approved for human consumption, meaning that you can acquire them legally for research purposes only.
HOW PEPTIDES WORK
MECHANISM OF ACTION
(WARNING THIS COULD BE BORING FOR SOME)
We want to apologize right now for the ambiguity you may be experiencing. Not all of these answers have been straight forward and we swear if you keep reading, the answers will become very clear for each peptide like BPC 157, TB 500, Ipamorelin, Melanotan-ll, and more.
With that said, there isn’t a main mechanism of action. Many are actually indefinite.
However, there is a main concept we can briefly explain with how peptides work.
Peptides are “checked at the gate” by the membrane receptor which then are carried by the nucleotide Adenosine monophosphate (AMP) which absorbs these peptide bonds, turns into ATP Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the alpha subunit dissociates from the beta and gamma subunits which converts ATP into cyclic AMP (cAMP). cAMP is a second messenger that now activates the appropriate proteins to alter gene expression at the receptor level which is where the magic happens for what we intended this peptide to do for us to begin with.
If that wasn’t a mouthful, we’ll explain how to take peptides next where we dive into the world of how to reconstitute peptides and how to administer peptides.
HOW TO TAKE PEPTIDES
RECONSTITUTION
Reconstitution is the process by which we turn the powdered peptide inside a vial into a liquid solution that we can inject. This of course is assuming you’ve purchased your peptides and received them already. You can easily purchase peptides with our code “enhanced20” at Amino Asylum here.
Peptides are reconstituted with BAC (Bacteriostatic) water, a form of bacteria-proof water that contains 0.9% Benzyl Alcohol. Using Sterile Water instead is also possible, but most peptide vendors just sell BAC water and that is what we recommend you use.
To do the reconstitution you will need:
- The peptide vial
- A vial of BAC water (or Sterile Water)
- A syringe (needle can be of any size)
- Alcohol wipes
RECONSTITUTION STEP ONE
Remove the plastic caps from both vials and cleaning both rubber stoppers with alcohol wipes.
RECONSTITUTION STEP TWO
Once that is done, you can extract BAC water from one vial and inject it into the other. You can use anywhere from 1 to 5ml of BAC water, but given the size of Peptide vials, we personally recommend using 2ml of BAC water per vial. This helps the dosing issues you might encounter when the volume you need to achieve is almost not readable on the insulin syringe.
RECONSTITUTION STEP THREE
Now take the syringe and look at the measurements on the side. They will either be in milliliters (mL) or in units (I.U). 10 units = 0.1ml, so 2ml equals 200 units.
As stated previously, you can use any kind of syringe to do the reconstitution, but never use that same needle to do your first injection. Chances are your syringe will only have room for up to 1ml, so if you decide to use 2ml you will simply have to move 1ml from vial to vial at a time.
RECONSTITUTION STEP FOUR
This step is quite simple, just stick the needle into the BAC water vial and extract the desired amount (1ml or more, if possible).
RECONSTITUTION STEP FIVE
Now that your syringe is fully loaded, make sure there are no bubbles and proceed to introduce the needle into the peptide vial. Aim the tip of the needle towards either side of the vial and slowly inject the water into the vial, always making sure that the water slides down the walls of the vial before reaching the powder. If you aim the needle directly at the powder and you shoot the water right at it there is a chance that you will damage the peptide and decrease its effectiveness.
Repeat this process if your syringe cannot hold as much water as you need/want to use for the reconstitution.
Once all the water is inside the vial, do NOT shake it but swirl it gently and let the water do its job at dissolving the powder. It may take a couple of minutes, but the water will always fully dissolve the powder if both agents are pure.
Now that the vial is fully reconstituted, the peptide can finally be used. Always store the vial in your fridge.
IMPORTANT: Chances are you are good enough at math to understand the mg/ml concentration of a vial after reconstitution, but here is a quick recap:
For example, if your vial of X peptide contains 5mg of active ingredient and you reconstitute it with 2ml of BAC water, the approximate amount of active ingredient per ml will be of 2.5mg per ml.
ADMINISTATION
Time to inject!
Now, except for BPC-157 peptide, all the peptides we will cover in Peptides 101 have systemic effects, meaning that regardless of where you inject them, they will exert their effects throughout your entire body.
BPC-157 works best when injected locally, meaning that you must inject it as close to the area you are trying to treat as possible.
Most systemic peptides (not BPC-157) are injected into lower belly fat, but all peptide injections are executed subcutaneously, meaning that the needle should not reach muscle tissue, bone or any blood vessels. The best way to inject subcutaneously is to pinch some skin with abundant fat underneath and introducing the needle in such a way that you do not go past the layer of fat that you wish to inject into.
You will need:
- The peptide vial.
- Alcohol wipes.
- Brand new insulin needle (we recommend using 31G needles, but you can go as low as 28G. In terms of length go for 8 to 12mm).
ADMINISRTATION STEP ONE
Figure out exactly how much liquid you are going to inject. In the previous section of this chapter, we covered how to understand mg/ml concentrations. If we take that example again (2.5mg/ml) and you want to inject 500mcg, the amount of liquid you need to inject is of approximately 0.2ml (1000mcg = 1mg) or 20 units. If you want to inject 250mcg, you will need 0.1ml or 10 units, and so on and so forth.
ADMINISTRATION STEP TWO
The next step consists of cleaning the rubber stopper on the vial with an alcohol wipe and gently introducing the needle into the vial.
Turn the vial + needle upside down, and slowly pull out the desired amount (0.2ml if we take the previous example) while making sure that there are no major bubbles or air gaps in-between. Chances are there will be some small bubbles anyway, but you can get rid of them by pointing the needle upwards and gently tapping the syringe until the bubbles move to the top, allowing you to release them by carefully pressing the plunger. If you are unable to get rid of them, you can simply proceed with the injection. Injecting tiny bubbles subcutaneously is not harmful.
ADMINISTATION STEP THREE
Now that your syringe is loaded and ready to go, you have to prepare the injection site. To do so, remove any clothes that might get in the way of your shot, clean the area you wish to inject into with an alcohol wipe and let it dry.
ADMINISTRATION STEP FOUR
Time to pin. Pinch the skin and fat that you wish to inject into with two fingers and use the other hand to handle the syringe. You can either enter the needle at a 45 or a 90-degree angle, I personally find the 45-degree angle to be slightly less painful. Once you have penetrated the first layer of the skin, you can gently introduce the needle and slowly press the plunger to inject the peptide into your subcutaneous fat.
Carefully remove the needle (dispose of it accordingly) and massage the injection site with by applying pressure with an alcohol wipe in a circular motion.
Congratulations, you survived your first injection!
DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEPTIDES
There are many types of peptides. We’ll explore some of the main peptides to increase muscle, peptides for healing, and a few extras:
- GH Peptides
- Healing Peptides
- Sleeping Peptides
- Sexual Function Peptides
GH PEPTIDES
GH peptides can be classified into GHRPs (Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides), GHRHs (Growth Hormone Releasing Hormones), GH Fragments, and IGF-1 analogues.
GHRPS (GH RELEASING PEPTIDES)
GHRPs act as Ghrelin Receptor agonists. They stimulate both hunger and the secretion of Growth Hormone from the pituitary gland. The main GHRPs are GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Hexarelin and Ipamorelin. All 4 share the same pros and cons (with a couple of exceptions) and the main differences between them are half-life and strength. This is what you can expect from GHRPs as a whole:
GHRP-2, GHRP-6, HEXARELIN, & IPAMORELIN
PROS:
- INCREASED GROWTH HORMONE LEVELS
- INCREASED HUNGER (CAN BE A CON)
- CAN INDUCE LIPOLYSIS (FAT LOSS)
- IMPROVED RECOVERY AND HEALING
- IMPROVED HAIR & SKIN QUALITY
- IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY
- INCREASED IGF-1 LEVELS
CONS:
- INCREASED PROLACTIN & CORTISOL LEVELS (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF IPAMORELIN)
- INCREASED BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS & INSULIN RESISTANCE
- CAN GROW SOME BODY PARTS (LONG-TERM)
- CAN GROW PRE-EXISTING TUMORS
GHRHS (GH RELEASING HORMONES)
GHRH is a naturally-occurring peptide hormone that stimulates the release of Growth Hormone. GHRH peptides are synthetic analogues of this peptide hormone. Unlike GHRPs, GHRHs do not work through the Ghrelin receptor pathway so they do not increase hunger, prolactin or cortisol levels. The main GHRHs used by bodybuilders are CJC-1295 w/DAC, MOD GRF (aka CJC-1295 w/o DAC) and Sermorelin. Since the main difference between all of them is half-life, I will just explain the overall pros and cons of all 3.
CJC-1295 w/DAC, MOD GRF, & SERMORELIN
PROS:
- INCREASED GROWTH HORMONE LEVELS
- CAN INDUCE LIPOLYSIS (FAT LOSS)
- IMPROVED RECOVERY AND HEALING
- IMPROVED HAIR & SKIN QUALITY
- IMPROVED SLEEP QUALITY
- INCREASED IGF-1 LEVELS
CONS:
- INCREASED BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS & INSULIN RESISTANCE
- CAN GROW SOME BODY PARTS (LONG-TERM)
- CAN GROW PRE-EXISTING TUMORS
GH FRAGMENTS
There are two GH Fragment peptides: Frag. 176-191 and AOD-9604. Both peptides do essentially the same and AOD is just a slighlty modified version of Frag created for patenting purposes. But what are GH Fragments exactly? Growth Hormone is a chain of 191 amino-acids. The portion of that chain that’s responsible for inducing lipolysis (fat loss) goes from amino-acid 176 to amino-acid 191. Therefore, by using Frag.176-191 or AOD-9604, you can get all the fat-burning properties of Growth Hormone without any of the other benefits or side-effects that come with it.
FRAG 176-191 AND AOD-9604
PROS:
- CAN INDUCE LIPOLYSIS (FAT LOSS)
CONS:
- NO CONS PRESENTLY [R]
HEALING PEPTIDES
The main healing peptides (besides the GH ones) are BPC-157, TB-500 and GHK-Cu. These peptides are able to speed up healing by inducing angiogenesis, which is the formation of new blood vessels. Even though there is next to no scientific data about their effects on humans, you can find countless reports of people who have managed to heal all kinds of injuries with these peptides. In fact, many people describe them as “miraculous”, and for good reason.
BPC-157
BPC-157 is the KING of healing peptides and the go-to for 99% of people. BPC is derived from a naturally-occurring peptide found in gastric juices. It is very similar to TB-500, which acts through the same pathway but is rumored to have an effect on physical performance. The other main difference between the two is that BPC-157 must be injected as close as possible to the injury for optimal results, whereas TB-500 acts systemically. BPC-157 can also be used topically on any injury, or orally for gut healing.
You can buy 99.9% pure BPC-157 here with code “enhanced20“.
PROS:
- IMPROVED HEALING OF *ANY* INJURY THROUGH ANGIOGENESIS
- MAY EVEN HEAL CHRONIC INJURIES / PAIN
- IMPROVED GUT HEALTH
- NEUROPROTECTION
- HEPATOPROTECTION
- BALANCED BLOOD PRESSURE
- ANTI-INFLAMMATION
- MAY PROMOTE HAIR GROWTH
- MAY IMPROVE HAIR & SKIN QUALITY
CONS:
- MAY GROW PRE-EXISTING TUMORS (BAD SIDE OF ANGIOGENESIS)
TB-500
TB-500 peptide is a synthetic analogue of a naturally-occurring peptide known as Thymosin Beta-4. As mentioned before, it is similar to BPC-157 but it acts systemically and it can potentially improve physical performance. It can be injected into belly fat for systemic effects, or applied topically to the affected area. There is not much information about its effects when used orally, but some users report that it works too.
You can buy 99.9% pure TB-500 here with code “enhanced20“.
PROS:
- IMPROVED HEALING OF *ANY* INJURY THROUGH ANGIOGENESIS
- MAY EVEN HEAL CHRONIC INJURIES / PAIN
- NEUROPROTECTION
- HEPATOPROTECTION
- MAY CONTRIBUTE TO MUSCLE GROWTH & PERFORMANCE
- ANTI-INFLAMMATION
- MAY PROMOTE HAIR GROWTH
- MAY IMPROVE HAIR & SKIN QUALITY
CONS:
- MAY GROW PRE-EXISTING TUMORS (MAIN CON OF ANGIOGENESIS)
GHK-Cu
Even though GHK-Cu can also contribute to healing injuries, it is more commonly used as part of cosmetic products to improve skin quality and increase collagen production. It is also supposed to promote hair growth, but a variation of it called AHK-Cu is more appropriate for hair growth. It is almost always used topically for skincare purposes, and rarely injected to heal injuries.
PROS:
- IMPROVED HEALING OF *ANY* INJURY THROUGH ANGIOGENESIS
- MAY PROMOTE HAIR GROWTH
- IMPROVED HAIR & SKIN QUALITY
- INCREASED COLLAGEN SYNTHESIS
- ANTI-INFLAMMATION
CONS:
- MAY GROW PRE-EXISTING TUMORS (MAIN CON OF ANGIOGENESIS)
OTHER PEPTIDES
The other commonly used peptides in bodybuilding circles are too diverse to make it into specific subcategories. These peptides will not improve performance or improve healing, but as you will now see they can still provide multiple benefits to any athlete.
MELANOTAN-II
As the name indicates, this peptide is used for tanning. Melanotan-II increases melanogenesis, resulting in easier and faster tanning for everyone, including people who are naturally pale and prone to sunburns. It can be used intranasally, but it should be injected for best results.
PROS:
- FASTER & EASIER TANNING
- IMPROVED SEXUAL FUNCTION IN MEN
- MAY BURN FAT
- IMPROVED SEX DRIVE IN WOMEN
CONS:
- NAUSEA
- MAY CAUSE PRIAPISM
- MAY GROW MOLES
- MAY CAUSE HYPERPIGMENTATION OF SCARS
- SKIN FLUSHING
- HEADACHES & HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
PT-141
PT-141 is essentially Melanotan-II minus the tanning and the fat loss. It was recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. Like MT-II, it can be used intranasally but injecting it subcutaneously is ideal.
PROS:
- IMPROVED SEXUAL FUNCTION IN MEN
- IMPROVED SEX DRIVE IN WOMEN
CONS:
- NAUSEA
- HEADACHES & HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
- SKIN FLUSHING
DSIP
DSIP stands for Delta-Sleep-Inducing Peptide. The name is pretty self-explanatory, but this peptide can do a lot more than just induce a deep state of sleep. This is one of the most underrated but useful peptides a bodybuilder can take.
PROS:
- INDUCES DELTA SLEEP
- MAY INCREASE GH AND TESTOSTERONE LEVELS
- CAN NORMALIZE BLOOD PRESSURE
- HAS ANTI-OXIDANT PROPERTIES
- CAN FIGHT STRESS
- MAY ALLEVIATE ADDICTIONS AND NARCOLEPSY
- MAY FIGHT CERTAIN TYPES OF CANCER
CONS:
- NO CONS PRESENTLY
WHERE TO BUY PEPTIDES
Getting high-purity peptides is crucial for your research.
Not all of these peptide websites sell pharmaceutical-grade peptides. For instance. one peptide that is hard to get pure is Frag 176-191, yet many vendors will sell it at very low purity levels anyways.
Let’s explore the best peptide websites, and we’ll tell you who we think the best companies are in 2023.
All of the vendors on this list have been carefully picked by our team, and every one of them ensures high-purity active ingredients, moneyback guarantees, and touts high customer reviews.
1. AMINO ASYLUM
Amino Asylum is our favorite peptides source on the market in 2023.
One of the reasons we really like this company so much is because they have such a wide range of products for sale. From research chemicals to therapeutic compounds, anabolic steroids, CBD oil, and more, their product catalog is STACKED.
Here’s why we like Amino Asylum:
- Competitive Prices
- One-Stop Shop
- Good Customer Support
- Fast Shipping
- High-Quality Products
Amino Asylum is definitely one of the newer peptides and SARMs companies on the block but they’re very quickly starting to build up a good reputation for their company, due to many customers giving raving reviews for their products.
Amino Asylum gave us a 20% OFF coupon for our community. Use code “enhanced20” for any peptides, SARMs or other products on their website3
Here are the prices with a 20% discount of Amino Asylum peptides for sale:
- BPC-157 5mg = $27.99
- TB-500 mg = $31.99
- Ipamorelin 2mg = $15.99
- Melanotan-ll 10mg = $19.99
- CJC-1295 (NO DAC) 2mg = $19.99
- HGH Frag (176-191) 5mg = $35.99
- HCG 5000iu = $27.99
2. SWISS CHEMS
Getting high-purity peptides is crucial for your research.
Not all of these peptide websites sell pharmaceutical-grade peptides. For instance. one peptide that is hard to get pure is Frag 176-191, yet many vendors will sell it at very low purity levels anyways.
Our second favorite vendor for getting pharmaceutical-grade peptides is Swiss Chems, they have BPC-157, TB-500, Ipamorelin, and more for sale online.
Even further, they also have BAC water for sale which is crucial for reconstituting and storing your peptides properly.
In addition to this, if you use the code “enhanced10” when purchasing, you’ll save 10% off your BPC-157, your TB-500, and anything else you want to buy.
Here are some prices with a 10% discount from Swiss Chems:
- BPC-157 5mg = $33.25
- TB-500 5mg = $47.65
- Ipamorelin 2mg = $19.75
- Melanotan-ll 10mg = $31.45
- CJC-1295 (NO DAC) 2mg = $43.15
- HCG 5000iu = $31.45
3. MUSCLE GELZ
Muscle Gelz is a newer supplement company that specializes in topical products that help increase muscle mass, lose fat, & even repair muscle, bone, and ligaments!
All of their products are applied topically. The company uses a special formula to help the body better absorbs the active ingredients, thus resulting in a potent, fast-acting effect.
Here’s why we like Muscle Gelz:
- Unique Products
- Good Customer Support
- Fast Shipping
- 30-Day Returns
You can buy topical peptides like BPC-157, test boosters, and of course their 7-keto topical ANDROSHRED.
Here are the prices with a 20% discount of Muscle Gelz topical fat burners for sale:
- Heal (BPC-157) 5mg = $55.99
SUMMARY
In conclusion, peptides are a fascinating class of research chemicals, which when used responsibly, can yield massive muscle gains, sexual performance, and total body healing.
In this article, we’ve provided you with the best peptides and peptide websites on the market in 2023. All of these are highly-raved products sold by trusted sources to buy peptides online.
To recap things, here are the best suppliers to buy peptides from in 2023:
- Amino Asylum — Click here to shop
- Swiss Chems — Click here to shop
- Muscle Gelz – Click here to shop
If you use the discount code “enhanced[10][20]” for any of these companies, you’ll get anywhere from 10% to 20% off, so be sure to remember to use your discount code!
THE PEPTIDE HANDBOOK: BENEFITS, DOSAGE, ADMINISTRATION, AND MORE
This Peptides 101 article provides a very general overview of what peptides like BPC-157, TB-500, and Ipamorelin are.
Keep in mind that every user is different, and there is a good chance that your experience with these compounds won’t necessarily reflect all of these pros & cons. If you want an in-depth analysis of all these peptides as well as instructions on how to cycle, dose, and stack them properly, read our Peptide Handbook by clicking here!
Think of it like your personal cheat sheet for any cycle you have planned–don’t miss this.