Therapeutic Peptides in Sports Medicine: The 2026 Systematic Review

A systematic review published in Arthroscopy Journal in 2025 analyzes the state of knowledge on injectable therapeutic peptides in sports medicine.

BACKGROUND

High-level athletes and bodybuilders are constantly seeking new therapies to improve recovery. Injectable peptides represent an emerging trend in regenerative medicine research.

METHODOLOGY

Researchers analyzed 36 studies published between 1993 and 2024, mainly covering:

• BPC-157
• TB-500
• Other regenerative peptides

MAIN CONCLUSIONS

Preclinical studies (animals) show that BPC-157:

• Promotes healing by stimulating growth factors
• Reduces inflammation
• Improves outcomes in muscle, tendon, ligament and bone injury models

MAJOR LIMITATIONS

1. Lack of large-scale human clinical trials
2. Unknown long-term safety profile
3. No acute adverse events (<6 weeks) reported in animal models

AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS

"Due to limited high-quality clinical evidence, clinicians and athletes should exercise caution when considering BPC-157 use."

The peptide industry represents billions of dollars, but clinical orthopedic literature on these compounds remains scarce.