Jessica Frost GHRP and IGF-1 LR3 may sound like gibberish, but could be the answer to living longer.
It seems we’re forever on the quest to slow down the ageing process, reverse the signs it shows (particularly on our faces!) and look and feel younger for longer. Ageing is a factor of life, but modern technology and product innovation will have you believe it doesn’t have to slow down your body, or show on your complexion.
The latest innovation to hit the anti-ageing market? Peptides!
To learn more, we spoke with Ted McGill, Co-Founder of Biov8 and the Biov8 Clinics, a medical supplementation service that’s leading the charge in human optimisation using peptides.
Can you explain what peptides are?
Peptides are naturally occurring short chain amino acids that control many functions in the human body. They have been used for over a century by thought leaders in medicine, with modern clinical research recognising peptides as a powerful solution in the anti-ageing and performance enhancing industry, making them the future of personalised medicine.
Think of a peptide as a light switch – turning on certain mechanisms in the body that had previously laid dormant. Peptides are small proteins made up of amino acid sequences. The proteins that we get from our diet are usually larger and made up of one or more polypeptide molecules.
Peptides are so important for our body that they are broken down by specific gastric enzymes into smaller peptides. The smaller peptides, with distinct amino acid sequences, have different functions in our body, from healing to hormonal regulation, sleep, energy, neurological function and longevity.
What role do peptides play in the aging process?
As we all know, as our bodies age, we can’t recover from and repair injuries as quickly as we used to, and in some cases not at all. One of the underlying reasons for this is that our hormones, neurotransmitters and signalling peptides also start to deplete.
As we age, the body cycling of cells starts to slow down meaning muscles start to naturally waste, bone density reduces, cognitive functionality slows, and those niggling injuries start to appear more often. After the age of 30, ageing starts to take control and rapidly increases and the years stack-up, marking the shortening of your healthy lifespan.
As cells age, they become larger and less capable of reproduction, undergoing changes that eventually result in the loss of cellular identity. Our cellular repair process is complex, requiring efficient cell signalling and cellular metabolism. Cellular metabolism is regulated by peptides, hormones, enzymes, and their various transport systems.
How does peptide supplementation help to slow down aging? Can you explain the science behind this?
When it comes to biohacking to improve our health span, peptides are playing an increasingly important role in this space. Most peptides have multiple benefits as they regulate the activity of particular molecules, therefore influencing certain functions. Each of these functions has its own peptide bioregulator. When these bioregulators are active, cells, tissues and organs can regenerate faster.
For example, the Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide (GHRP) reduces body fat, increases lean muscle mass, improves cellular repair and skin health, and supports improved sleep cycles. IGF-LR3, or ‘Insulin-like Growth Factor – 1 Long Arg3’ responds to signals from growth hormone (GH) and is the most potent growth factor in the human body, which is why it is regularly used in the bodybuilding community. It is well known for rapid fat loss, anti-ageing, recovery speed, improved muscle performance and muscle mass and improved sleep cycles.
Fundamentally built on the scientific findings of Dr David Sinclair, an Australian geneticist at Harvard Medical School and expert at the forefront of this movement, Sinclair believes that medicine should view aging not as a natural consequence of growing older, but as a condition in and of itself. Sinclair is convinced that ageing should be considered a standalone, treatable disease. This is a more radical proposition than it may at first seem. It’s so radical, in fact, that no government in the world has endorsed this definition.
When we essentially look through the lens at a cellular level, we can understand the motivations of our cells and uncover an alternative roadmap to how they are programmed.
How do you determine a person’s suitability for peptide supplementation?
During the ordering process, clients complete a medical questionnaire which is then reviewed by our medical team. Clients then have a complementary telehealth consultation with a member of our expert medical team to ensure clients are able to ask questions and receive the right dosage protocols suitable to the individual.
Because peptides are a highly specialised medicine not every medical practitioner is equipped with the knowledge to offer sound advice. In fact, many GPs will have little or no knowledge of the growing range of peptides available, their uses and protocols. In many cases GPs will simply advise against the use of peptides as they do not have the required knowledge.
What would a typical routine look like using peptides to slow aging?
The anti-aging stack combines Growth Hormone Releasing Peptides (GHRP) and Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH).
Let’s start with the GHRH and GHRP – this is the easy part as most reputable peptide clinics will supply these as a perfectly balanced stack in the form of a transdermal cream or a vial for subcutaneous injection (injection being the preferred method). Moving on from this the stack introduces IGF-1 LR3, which are all taken together on a daily basis, generally following a protocol of five days on and two days off over a 10-week cycle. A good peptide clinic will offer professional medical advice on protocols in order to tailor the optimal stack for the individual.
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