Why Are People Injecting Themselves with Peptides? | The New Yorker

Health and wellness influencers are hawking unapproved treatments on the gray market. The future of the F.D.A.—and the health of consumers—is at stake.

Save this story Save this story About a decade ago, a group of competitive CrossFitters in Charleston, South Carolina, went looking for ways to improve their athletic performance without taking steroids. At the time, members of the fitness community were starting to inject themselves with peptides—short chains of amino acids, sometimes called microproteins, that often act as signalling molecules in the body. Certain peptides were said to enhance strength, energy, endurance, and recovery. They hadn’t been officially approved for use as drugs, however, and many had never been studied in humans.

related reading

• Inside Superpower, a peptide startup making people hotter, smarterbusinessinsider.com
• Inside the booming, gray-market world of injectable peptidesthehill.com
• Max Marchione (@maxmarchione) on Xx.com
• Making Vaccine — LessWronglesswrong.com
• Peptime (@ItsPeptime) on Xx.com
• Medical breakthroughs in 2025 - by Saloni Dattaniscientificdiscovery.dev
• Why Does Ozempic Cure All Diseases?astralcodexten.com
• Supplements | near.blognear.blog
• The Ozempocalypse Is Nigh - by Scott Alexanderastralcodexten.com
• The Island Where People Go to Cheat Death | The New Republicnewrepublic.com
• The Psychopharmacology Of The FTX Crashastralcodexten.substack.com
• Why the FDA Is Slow to Remove Drugspress.asimov.com