BPC-157 vs TB-500
Both are sold online as ‘recovery’ peptides. Neither is approved for use in people, both are banned in tested sport, and nearly all of the research behind them is in animals. The practical difference that matters most: BPC-157 is measured in micrograms and TB-500 in milligrams.
At a glance
The facts side by side. Tap a name for its calculator.
| BPC-157 | TB-500 |
|---|---|
| Evidence | |
| Animal studies only. No completed large human trials. | Animal studies only. No human trials of TB-500 itself. |
| Vial sizes | |
| 5, 10 mg | 2, 5, 10 mg |
| Usual dose range | |
| 200–600 mcg | 2–10 mg |
| How often | |
| 1–2× daily | 2×/wk load, 1×/wk maintenance |
| Unmixed | |
| Freezer −20°C | Freezer −20°C |
| After mixing | |
| Fridge 2–8°C, use within 28 days | Fridge 2–8°C, use within 28 days |
What they are
BPC-157 is a lab-made fragment of a protein found in stomach juice. TB-500 is a lab-made fragment of thymosin beta-4, a protein involved in cell movement and repair. In animal studies both have been linked to faster healing of tendons, muscle and other tissue. Those results haven’t been confirmed in people.
The mcg and mg trap
Doses quoted online are in micrograms (mcg) for BPC-157 and milligrams (mg) for TB-500. 1 mg is 1,000 mcg, so reading one as the other is a thousand-fold error. The calculator sets the right unit for each peptide and shows the unit next to every number.
Where people inject
BPC-157 is sometimes injected near an injury, on the assumption that closer is better, but that hasn’t been tested in people. TB-500 is usually injected under the skin of the belly, wherever the injury is.
Taking both
Some people take both at once, on the theory that they work in different ways. There is no human evidence that combining them helps, and two unregulated products means two sets of quality risks: the wrong amount, the wrong substance, or contamination.
The short version
Neither is approved, both are banned in tested sport, and the evidence for both comes almost entirely from animal studies. That leaves no good basis for choosing one, combining them, or picking a dose. If an injury isn’t healing, a sports-medicine doctor or physiotherapist has treatments with real evidence behind them.