Cold-induced thermogenesis + MOTS-c for body comp — are they redundant?

M
Joined 2026
32 posts
motsc_opsMember
9d ago · 187 views

Mentioned in the main cold thread but want a dedicated discussion. Both cold exposure and MOTS-c work, roughly, on the mitochondrial biogenesis axis. Is doing both additive, redundant, or are they attacking different things?

My gut: overlapping but not identical mechanisms. Probably additive with diminishing returns.

5 Replies

H
Joined 2025
205 posts
hexaclinicContributor
7d ago

Partially overlapping. Cold activates BAT and systemic sympathetic response, MOTS-c acts more directly at the mitochondrial/AMPK layer. Additive in principle.

Q2 stack
  • CJC-1295 no DAC · 100 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
  • Ipamorelin · 200 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
  • BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day · sub-Q
S
Joined 2026
115 posts
6d ago

At this level of granularity most people can't distinguish additive from redundant experimentally. The question is more "can you afford to do both" than "is one necessary."

T
Joined 2025
58 posts
theoreticRegular
5d ago

Would love a split-test but the signal-to-noise for most home users is too poor. Accepting "probably additive with diminishing returns" as the working assumption.

Longevity
  • Epithalon · 10 mg · 10d on / 80d off · sub-Q
  • MOTS-c · 5 mg · 2x/wk · sub-Q
  • 5-Amino-1MQ · 150 mg · daily · oral
K
Joined 2025
12 posts
4d ago

Good summary of where the field actually is: mechanism-overlapping interventions that compound sometimes, can't isolate often, and probably both have ceiling effects.

Mass Q2
  • IGF-1 LR3 · 30 mcg · post-workout · sub-Q
  • CJC-1295 no DAC · 100 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
  • Ipamorelin · 200 mcg · pre-bed · sub-Q
  • MGF (PEG) · 200 mcg · post-workout · sub-Q
N
Joined 2025
31 posts
4d ago

Cold is free once you have a tub, MOTS-c isn't. I'd start with cold and only add MOTS-c if you want to push further.

Knee project
  • BPC-157 · 500 mcg · 2x/day local to knee · sub-Q
  • TB-500 · 5 mg · weekly loading · sub-Q
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