The Morning Dose #12: Peptide Safety, Caffeine and Fat Loss, Reader Q&A

In this week’s edition of The Morning Dose:

Reader Q&A

 7 Habits for Optimal Mental Health

Research Spotlight: Use Caffeine to Burn More Fat

(My Doctor) Dr. Gillett’s Safety Warnings for BPC-157 and TB-500

Let’s inject this.

First time reading? I’m Matt, and this is The Morning Dose. Every week, our team scours hundreds of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t find elsewhere. All in 5 minutes.

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 Reader Q&A

Want us to answer your questions? Hit reply, ask us your training, nutrition, or peptide questions, and we’ll choose one to answer in each edition of The Morning Dose.

We can’t guarantee an answer, but we’ll pick an interesting question each week to share. And if you want to speak with us directly about your burning questions, our coaching team is available for consultations.

Here are this week’s questions.

“What are your thoughts on using enclomiphene instead of TRT? I’ve heard it has fewer side effects, will help maintain fertility, and doesn’t have negative side effects like clomid does. I’m on TRT, and considering switching.”

-K.B.

Hayim here: For over eight years, I battled undiagnosed low T, a struggle that seemed unending despite my active and healthy lifestyle. My journey began at 22, post my service in the Israeli Military, where I was fit and seemingly in my prime. However, my T levels were shockingly low, leading me to try various treatments and supplements, all to no avail. My body just wasn’t responding, and I felt broken, resigned to the idea that my T was destined to be in the 300 range.

Last year, my exhaustion reached new peaks, and my T levels were dropping even more. Every doctor I consulted recommended TRT and dismissed other alternatives. That’s when I discovered a different, more comprehensive approach that revealed my elevated prolactin levels and introduced me to Enclomiphene, a derivative of Clomid, designed to force my body to raise T production by suppressing estrogen.

The 30-day Enclomiphene cycle was a roller coaster, with some extreme thoughts, but I was determined to power through it. The results were groundbreaking. My testosterone was at an all-time high of 750, and I felt incredible—my energy levels, mental clarity, and libido were all back. No more afternoon naps or reliance on endless cups of coffee to get through the day.

However, the initial success with Enclomiphene was followed by a challenging second half. I gradually became extremely anxious, and after about four months, I realized that on days I didn’t take Enclomiphene, my anxiety was reduced. Eventually, the anxiety became unbearable, leading me to drop Enclomiphene completely, feeling that the downside was worse than low T.

It’s crucial to remember that Enclomiphene is NOT going to permanently raise your T, and if you’re not careful, the side effects can be severe. This journey has been transformative and tumultuous, but it’s been worth every moment, and I’m here to share every detail, hoping it might help others in their battles against low T.

For more, check out our complete guide to enclomiphene right here.

“Are there any peptides or supplements that can help with tendonitis? I’ve heard tendons heal much slower than muscle tissue, and I’m trying to speed up the healing process along with PT and rehab exercises.”

-M.B.

For peptides, the two most common and effective healing peptides are BPC-157 and TB-500, both of which have been shown to promote soft tissue healing.

TB-500 in particular seems to be helpful at repairing soft tissue and promoting proper healing of tendons and ligaments, preventing the formation of scar tissue and adhesions.

As for dietary supplements, there haven’t been many shown to be helpful with healing tendonitis.

Some people report that collagen paired with vitamin C can promote tendon healing, but the research isn’t entirely clear. It’s worth a try, but you may not see a noticeable difference.

Tendonitis isn’t inflammation, it’s damage to the tendon. Because of this, most other traditional healing supplements that work to reduce inflammation won’t really help much with tendonitis.

Many “joint supplement” blends work to promote healthy cartilage and joint capsule lubrication, which is great for painful joints, but won’t really help with tendon issues.

  7 Habits for Optimal Mental Health

Mental health isn’t fun to talk about, but it’s vitally important.

Over 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression, which usually starts around the fall season, and lasts until spring rolls around.

Less daylight and longer, colder nights can certainly take a toll on our mood–not to mention the lack of vitamin D and outdoor exercise.

In his revolutionary book Outlive, even world-renowned anti-aging expert Dr. Peter Attia stresses the importance of mental health when it comes to longevity.

Now, we like to focus on science around here… which is why we’re sharing new research from the University of Cambridge’s psychology department.

In this new study, which looked at over a quarter of a million participants over 9 years, researchers found 7 habits that reduce the risk of depression.

You can read the full paper if you’d like, but to save you some time, here are the 7 habits we should all be including in our daily lives.

Eat a healthy diet.

Exercise regularly.

Avoid smoking at all costs.

Limit alcohol consumption.

Enjoy frequent social connections.

Focus on getting adequate, high-quality sleep.

Avoid sedentary behavior.

Nothing on this list is particularly surprising, but it’s a great tool to self-audit your habits and make sure you’re doing what you can to stay healthy and happy.

Surprisingly, the researchers found that of the seven habits, sleep was the most powerful tool. 

Considering proper sleep is also associated with cardiovascular health, improved cognitive function, improved insulin sensitivity, and seems to make just about everything work better, cleaning up your sleep habits is a great way to optimize your health.

Last Week’s Results

Last we asked: How often do you check your bloodwork?

Here are the results:

More than once per year. 56%
Once a year. 20%
Every few years. 12%
I can’t remember the last time I checked. 12%

Overall we’re happy with these results, 56% check it once a year, we know that our audience are on top of their game!

 Research Spotlight: Use Caffeine to Burn More Fat

If you’ve ever worked out on a regular basis, there’s a good chance you’ve turned to caffeine at some point or another to give yourself a little boost.

Whether it’s a cup of coffee, an energy drink, or a scoop of the latest pre-workout, there’s no denying that a surge of energy can be just what you need if you’re feeling a little sluggish.

Bodybuilders have long used stimulants ahead of their cardio sessions in an attempt to burn more fat, but we weren’t sure if it was actually working, or just making them sweat more.

The research is in… And ingesting caffeine before your cardio sessions does increase fat oxidation.

Fat oxidation is the process by which your body actually burns fat–your body breaks down fat cells (triglycerides) and converts them into a usable energy source, which can then be burned.

This 2023 study found that when women ingested caffeine before their cardio session, they increased fat oxidation and fewer carbohydrates for fuel. Pretty cool!

But what about the men?

Well, this 2022 meta-analysis looked at 984 young adults, of which 84% were men, and found that ingesting caffeine increased fat metabolism all day long, independent of exercise and regardless of the dose.

In other words, whether you’re using a pre-workout beverage or simply consuming caffeine during the day, it’s quite clear that caffeine will directly increase fat burning.

Now, you still need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight, so don’t think you can simply double your coffee consumption and get shredded.

But if you’re already dieting and exercising, caffeine may be a great tool to help you feel better, have more energy, and burn more fat all day long. 

Of course, be sure to use safe doses, as too much caffeine can cause anxiety, irritability, chest pain, headaches, and insomnia. The FDA says that 400mg per day is safe, which is about 4-5 cups of coffee (or 1-2 energy drinks).

Dr. Gillett’s Safety Warnings for BPC-157 and TB-500

Hayim here: I was seen by Dr. Gillett when I joined Marek Health a few years ago to deal with low T, Dr. Gillett is extremely knowledgable and while he’s no longer at Marek Health he is a leading voice in modern anti aging and health optimization medicine.

If you’ve never heard of Dr. Kyle Gillett, he’s someone worth listening to.

A regular guest on the renowned Huberman Lab Podcast, Dr. Gillett is considered one of the leading experts in longevity and anti-aging.

Dr. Gillett and his team at Gillett Health specialize in helping men and women optimize their hormones, and he believes in a holistic approach, focusing on preventive care, integrative medicine, and a fully individualized approach to healthcare.

As we still don’t have much human research on best practices for safe peptide use, it’s always worth listening to the experts who have real-world experience using peptides with their patients.

In a recent interview with health influencer Thomas DeLauer, Dr. Gillett shared his best tips for safe use, particularly BPC-157 and TB-500.

He believes that both of these peptides should be used for no more than 6 weeks at a time, and oral BPC-157 should be avoided at all costs. 

If you’re wondering why anyone would take oral peptides in the first place, it’s because BPC-157 has been one of the few peptides that have been shown to be effective through oral intake.

Dr. Gillet’s main concern is that oral BPC-157, similar to human growth hormone, may speed up the growth of precancerous tumors which often begin to form in the gut around age 40.

Obviously, precancerous tumors in the gut are going to be nearly impossible to detect without thorough screening, and the last thing we want to do is make these tumors grow even faster.

His protocol? Use BPC-157 and TB-500 only for acute injuries, and try to inject near the injury site, for no more than 6 weeks at a time.