What Are Peptides and Why Are They Discussed in Sport

The Latvian magazine Sporta Avīze has published an article in its November issue about peptides, substances increasingly discussed in connection with medicine and sport. The author sets out to explain what they are, where they can already be encountered and how they might potentially affect the world of sport. She also promises to separate claims that have a scientific basis from marketing tricks linked to the use of experimental peptides.

What peptides are

Peptides are short chains of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. They usually consist of two to roughly fifty amino acids. Longer chains of amino acids form proteins. Just as the amino acid profile of a protein shapes its effect on the body, peptides can also be built from different amino acids in different combinations.

Amino acids are organic compounds. They are divided into essential, semi-essential and non-essential ones. The body cannot produce essential amino acids and they must be obtained from food, while non-essential ones the body can supply on its own.

Some peptides are already in the body

A portion of peptides are biologically active, meaning they can influence how the body works, and the body makes them from amino acids. Hormones are also biologically active substances. For example, insulin is a peptide hormone synthesised by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels; it is made up of 51 amino acids. Glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) takes part in regulating appetite and the feeling of fullness and promotes insulin secretion.

Depending on its amino acid combination, a peptide can affect the body in different ways. Biologically active peptides can improve immune system function and tissue repair and growth, as well as reduce inflammatory processes.

The rest of the article is available in the magazine's November issue, which can be subscribed to in print or digital form.