Most athletes and serious lifters will likely contend with at least one injury during their careers. Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) are popular for soft tissue injuries and inflammation control recovery methods.
However, non-hormonal procedures like peptide injectable therapies are gaining traction in the sports and fitness communities, according to Mike O’Hearn and his guest on the Aug. 12, 2023, episode of The Mike O’Hearn Show, CEO of Titan Medical John Tsikouris.
The duo delved into discussing peptides and how they can improve recovery. Check out the interview below, courtesy of Generation Iron’s YouTube channel:
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Editor’s note: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. Talking to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine is always a good idea.
O’Hearn’s prioritization of his connective tissue health has helped him stay in shape and avoid severe injuries over his four-decade-long fitness career. O’Hearn inquired Tsikouris about ways to maintain soft tissue health and improve longevity.
Tsikouris recommended using TB-500 and BPC-157 peptides to boost connective tissue health and reduce the risk of injury while training. Tsikouris touted TB-500 and BPC-157 for potential healing and regenerative properties that can help repair damaged connective tissue. The former was found to be “a multifunctional regenerative peptide important in dermal repair,” according to the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, and the latter “promotes the ex vivo outgrowth of tendon fibroblasts from tendon explants and cell survival under stress,” per the Journal of Applied Physiology. (1)(2)
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Peptides For Shoulder, Knee, and Back Pain Prevention
“BPC-157 is more natural to the body than TB-500 as it’s isolated from the gastric juices in the stomach,” explained Tsikouris. BPC-157 is site-specific, whereas TB-500 works synergistically through the whole body.
Muscle tissue inflammation after an injury can obstruct the blood supply to the affected area, slowing recovery. According to the American Journal of Physiology, the “inflammatory response coincides with muscle repair, regeneration, and growth, which involve activation and proliferation of satellite cells.” (3) Per Tsikouris, BPC-157 and TB-500 increase blood, oxygen, and nutrient supply to the affected area to promote healing.
O’Hearn asked Tsikouris if BPC-157 and TB-500 could slow the aging process and if a healthy individual could use them to complement their nutrition and training program to improve his connective tissue health. “It can be used as a preventative,” replied Tsikouris, recommending BPC-157 and TB-500 for athletes and hobbyist weight lifters to improve shoulder, knee, and elbow health and reduce injury risk.
“How long can somebody take [BPC-157 and TB-500]?” asked O’Hearn. Tsikouris replied that a healthy individual could use these peptides multiple times yearly as a preventative. Those dealing with injuries could use them until they fully recovered. Tsikouris claimed that most people experience recovery within a period of 10 to 12 weeks when using peptides, though one should always consult their physician first.
References
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Treadwell, T., Kleinman, H. K., Crockford, D., Hardy, M. A., Guarnera, G. T., & Goldstein, A. L. (2012). The regenerative peptide thymosin β4 accelerates the rate of dermal healing in preclinical animal models and in patients. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1270, 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06717.x
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Chang, C. H., Tsai, W. C., Lin, M. S., Hsu, Y. H., & Pang, J. H. (2011). The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 110(3), 774–780. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00945.2010
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Tidball J. G. (2005). Inflammatory processes in muscle injury and repair. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 288(2), R345–R353. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00454.2004
Featured image: @mikeohearn on Instagram
