Peptide therapy may very well be the future of regenerative medicine and sports medicine. Peptides are short chains of amino acids; basically they are smaller versions of proteins.
Essentially, we are able to use the human body to further enhance and speed up the healing process in the body. This post will be an introduction to peptides, peptide therapy and how it works.
Brief Overview of Peptides
What Are Peptides?
Let’s start with the basics. Apologies in advance, this post will be a bit sciency. I’ll try to keep it on the simple side.
What are peptides? In simple terms, peptides are smaller versions of proteins. These are naturally occurring in the body.
They are made up of short chains of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins if you recall high school anatomy). They play a crucial role in a variety of biological functions, such as hormone regulation, immune response, and cell-to-cell communication.
Peptides are compounds consisting of two or more amino acids linked in a chain. The bonds connecting these amino acids are known as peptide bonds. Peptides are just smaller versions of proteins. Proteins contain 50 or more amino acids, peptides are typically made up of less than 50.
How Does Peptide Therapy Work?
Your body naturally produces peptides to carry out many functions in the body from hormone regulation to immune system function. In the world of sports medicine and rehab, peptides have gained popularity due to their potential to boost certain natural bodily processes, namely healing and neuroprotective benefits.
Peptides work in various ways depending on their structure and the type of amino acids involved. They can function as hormones, neurotransmitters, or growth factors, influencing and regulating many bodily functions. For example, some peptides might work as neurotransmitters, carrying signals between nerve cells, while others might function as hormones.
Peptides can also stimulate certain processes in the body, such as cell growth or immune responses. I’ll touch on some common benefits below, but the list is far from comprehensive.
Peptide Therapy Benefits
Peptide therapy has many benefits including:
- Improved Immune Function – Peptides can help the immune system identify foreign substances quicker and in turn, this leads to a faster and more efficient immune system response
- Enhanced Wound Healing – Peptide therapy can promote angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels) which improves blood flow and healing
- Hormone Regulation – Peptides can signal certain hormones to have their production increase or decrease. bringing balance
- Increased Muscle Mass – Some peptides can trigger the release of growth hormone, which = gainz
- Improved Skin Health– Peptide therapy can improve collagen elasticity which keeps the skin healthy (Note. This is not our domain. If you care about skin check out Skincare Stacy)
- Neuroprotective Effects – Peptides protect from damage by free radicals and assist with delaying/preventing neurodegenerative conditions
- Improved Bone Health – Some peptides stimulate growth hormone receptors, which promote tissue growth
For the sake of rehab and our concerns, the benefits we are looking at are enhanced wound healing.
There are 2 peptides of which this is their primary function. They are listed below. For more information of them, click the links below.
Disclaimer time
While peptides are very promising, they do not have adequate trials in humans, yet.
As such, they are only legally allowed to be used for “research purposes”. If you compete in any sports, know they are banned by WADA