Peptides are substances that are connected by peptide bonds, and their molecules are built from amino acid residues. These substances consist of tens, hundreds and even thousands of units (amino acids). Peptides can be both natural and synthetic, that is, artificially obtained.
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History of the creation of peptides
Peptides were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, then they were considered as drugs capable of rejuvenating the body. Initially, peptides had few units in their composition. But by 1953, the first peptide was created, consisting of a large number of amino acids that our body needs. To date, more than a thousand peptides have been studied, each of which has different effects on our body.
For a long time, peptides were not popular and had no practical application. But later athletes, including bodybuilders, drew attention to them. They felt that peptides could be beneficial and would help them achieve their goals (losing weight or gaining muscle mass). Therefore, pharmaceutical companies began to actively study and produce peptides, and after some time, about 2,000 new compounds were discovered.
At the moment, China is the leader in the production of peptides. Most of the peptides sold in the world are produced in China.
Peptides. What is this?
In simple terms, peptides are several linked amino acids. They are capable of being produced by our body independently to support various vital processes. Peptides are involved in the functioning of the endocrine system, that is, they can be used to influence the regulation of hormones. Peptides protect the body from toxins and free radicals; they are able to accelerate the processes of tissue regeneration and slow down the processes of destruction of the same tissues. These facts have long been known to medicine.
Peptides are not anabolic steroids, so athletes calmly take them even before major competitions. When they enter the blood, the peptides are quickly destroyed, leaving no traces for doping control. The production, distribution and use of peptides are not regulated in any way by law, so you can trade and use them without fear.
Benefits of peptides
Athletes, mostly bodybuilders, use peptides to:
1) Stimulation of the production of human growth hormone, and as a result, the building of lean muscle mass.
2) Losing weight (fat burning).
3) Protection against catabolism.
4) Strengthening the immune system.
5) Rejuvenation.
6) Accelerate recovery from injuries.
This is a good list of positive effects. As you can see, the main positive effect of peptides is that they are similar in their action to human growth hormone. Moreover, peptides are several times cheaper. The most common peptides, their positive effects, as well as combinations and dosages of cycle with peptides, are discussed in a separate article – Peptide cycles: GHRP-2, GHRP-6, Ipamorelin, Sermorelin, CJC-1295 DAC.
What about the side effects, you ask. It can’t be that such a drug is so good and has no side effects. Let’s figure this out.
Side effects of peptides
Judging by the list of positive effects, peptides are simply an irreplaceable drug. So why then is it not used so actively in medicine?
But medicine tells us that peptides and their effects on the human body have not yet been fully studied. Their basic effects are known, but how they can indirectly affect other organs and systems of the human body is questionable. Reviews from doctors do not deny the positive properties of peptides, but they also do not guarantee that they will not harm your body.
Peptides remain a fairly individual drug to this day. Reviews indicate that athletes taking peptides often do not achieve the results expected from them. It even happens that after a cycle of peptides, people begin to have health problems.
When you use peptides, you interfere with the endocrine system, so you can experience side effects equivalent to those from anabolic steroids. From my own experience of using peptides such as GHRP-2 and GHRP-6, I can say that peptides cause a fairly strong jump in prolactin in the blood. And as a result, you get all the accompanying side effects: fluid retention, high blood pressure, weakness and drowsiness. You can feel these effects after the first week of using peptides. Therefore, if you decide to take a cycle of peptides, be sure to monitor prolactin levels in the blood by regularly monitoring blood tests and using prolactin blockers.
I also want to note that the use of peptides during a cycle of anabolic steroids or immediately after it (during post-cycle therapy) is a very bad idea. During the steroid cycle, and especially after it (on PCT), your prolactin will be “naughty” even without peptides. And you will aggravate all this by taking peptides.
Common side effects include carpal tunnel syndrome. It manifests itself in the fact that your forearms, wrists and fingers begin to ache, your shoulders tighten, etc. This is due to the fact that bone tissue grows too quickly, and muscles, joints and ligaments cannot keep up with this growth. This is a typical side effect of human growth hormone, and since you are using its analogue, you most likely cannot avoid this side effect.
Individual peptides have their own, so to speak, individual side effects. For example, there is such a peptide as Melanotan – a product for tanning and increasing libido. So this peptide makes you very sick after injection. And for example, after an injection of the same GHRP-2, a feeling of hunger awakens very strongly, which is extremely difficult to control.
How to check peptides for quality
Continuing the topic of side effects, it is worth noting that very often you can find fakes of unknown quality on sale. Due to the high demand for these drugs and their low cost, manufacturers are trying in every possible way to reduce the cost of their manufacturing process in order to earn at least something. Therefore, you can often find fakes on the market, in which instead of the peptide you can find anything but it.
In addition, peptides must be stored at low temperatures (see below for more details). Therefore, if you find that the peptide is not working, then perhaps the reason may be that an unscrupulous manufacturer stored it incorrectly. But this is already a conversation, not entirely on topic, let’s return to methods for determining the quality of peptides.
There are several ways to test peptides for quality. The most effective method is to check the authenticity of the peptides by taking a blood test to determine the level of somatotropin in the blood plasma, immediately after administration of the drug. In fact, all methods of checking human growth hormone for authenticity are applicable to peptides.
The authenticity of peptides can also be determined based on side effects. If you remember the same GHPR-2, then after the injection you should have a beastly appetite. If this does not happen, then you should think about the quality of the peptide that you inject into yourself.
Peptide release forms. How to properly prepare and store them
Peptides are white powder. Manufacturers package it in sealed glass bottles with rubber caps for ease of further preparation.
Preparation of peptide solution
To prepare a peptide solution, you need to add bactericidal water or water for injection into this glass vial. These are slightly different substances, there is no need to confuse them. Water for injection is more affordable, but bactericidal water increases the shelf life of the finished solution by about a week. Both substances can be purchased at pharmacies.
Rules for preparing a peptide solution
1) When introducing water for injection into a vial, the liquid should flow down the walls of the vial.
2) It is prohibited to dilute different peptides in one bottle.
3) After introducing water for injection into the vial, the vial should not be shaken. The peptide should be stirred using rotational movements.
4) Before introducing water for injection into the vial, the vial must be gradually brought to room temperature.
Storage of peptides and finished solution
The powder (not the finished peptide) should be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of about +4 degrees. This way it can be stored for several months. If you want to store the peptide for several years, then you need to put it in the freezer.
The prepared (diluted) peptide solution must also be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of +4 to +8 degrees. This solution is stored for 7 to 30 days, depending on the type of peptide, as well as the method of its preparation (I mean with what substance you diluted it). The prepared solution must not be frozen.
Since peptide bonds are destroyed when exposed to the sun, it is recommended to avoid direct sunlight on bottles with peptides.
How to take peptides
The prepared peptide solution is drawn into an insulin syringe and injected subcutaneously. The best injection site is the fat fold on the abdomen, just above the navel. The needle should be inserted under the skin at an angle of 45 degrees. To reduce pain, it is recommended to alternate the side of needle insertion with each new injection. In addition, for the same purpose, it is recommended to slightly change the needle insertion site.
How to determine how much peptide to dilute and put into an insulin syringe
Insulin syringes come in two types: 0.5 ml and 1 ml. Each line (dash) on a 0.5 ml insulin syringe is equal to 1 unit. Each line (dash) on a 1 ml insulin syringe is equal to 2 units.
Most often, peptides are diluted with water for injection in a volume of 2 ml, which is equivalent to 200 units. If we have a peptide, for example GHRP-2, with an active ingredient of 5 mg = 5000 mcg, then after diluting it with 2 ml of water for injection, we get that in 1 unit of solution we will have 25 mcg of the active ingredient. 5000 mcg (5 mg) divided by 200 units (2 ml) equals 25 mcg per unit. In order to give an injection of GHRP-2 with a dosage of 100 mcg, you need to dial 4 marks in a 0.5 ml insulin syringe, and you will need to dial 2 marks in a 1 ml insulin syringe.
Let’s look at another example. Let’s say we diluted 2 mg of CJC-1295 DAC peptide in 2 ml of water for injection. It turns out that in 200 units of solution we have 2000 mcg of active substance. That is, 1 unit of solution contains 10 mcg of substance. In order to administer an injection of CJC-1295 DAC with a dosage of 1000 mcg, we need to draw 50 lines into a 1 ml insulin syringe. A 0.5 ml insulin syringe will not work for us.
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