Comparison
Magnesium Glycinate vs MOTS-c
Side-by-side of Magnesium Glycinate and MOTS-c. Every row below is pulled from the compound schema and will update as our data grows. For deeper reads, follow through to each compound page.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate supplement guide: chelated bisglycinate form, 200 to 400 mg dosage, sleep architecture benefits, low GI side effects, glycine co-effect.
MOTS-c
MOTS-c peptide is a 16-amino-acid mitochondrial-derived peptide. Preclinical signals for insulin sensitivity, exercise capacity, dosage notes.
Effects at a glance
Magnesium Glycinate
- •Shortens sleep onset latency in older adults and in deficient populations supplementing 200 to 400 mg elemental Mg
- •Improves subjective sleep quality scores (PSQI, ISI) modestly versus placebo over 4 to 8 weeks
- •Reduces nocturnal leg cramps and exercise-induced muscle cramping in some controlled trials
- •Lowers self-reported anxiety in mild-to-moderate cases, with smaller effect than first-line pharmacotherapy
- •Glycinate form delivers fewer GI side effects than oxide or citrate at equivalent elemental doses
- •Insufficient as a stand-alone hypertension treatment; small adjunctive blood-pressure reductions only
MOTS-c
- •16-amino-acid peptide encoded in mitochondrial DNA (12S rRNA region); discovered 2015
- •Activates AMPK in skeletal muscle and liver; improves insulin sensitivity in rodent models
- •Circulating endogenous levels decline with age, motivating the longevity-restoration hypothesis
- •CohBar's MOTS-c analog CB4211 discontinued after phase 1b NASH readout did not meet endpoints
- •Anecdotal protocols use 5 to 10 mg subcutaneously 2 to 3 times weekly
- •Not on the WADA Prohibited List as of 2026; future scrutiny likely given exercise-mimetic mechanism
Side-by-side
| Attribute | Magnesium Glycinate | MOTS-c |
|---|---|---|
| Category | supplement | peptide |
| Also known as | magnesium bisglycinate | Mitochondrial Open Reading Frame of the Twelve S rRNA-c, MOTSc |
| Half-life (hr) ↗ | 5 | 0.5 |
| Typical dose (mg) ↗ | 300 | 5 |
| Dosing frequency | daily (often evening) | 2-3x weekly |
| Routes | oral | subcutaneous |
| Onset (hr) | 1 | 1 |
| Peak (hr) | - | 4 |
| Molecular weight | - | 1880.18 |
| Molecular formula | - | C82H132N22O25S2 |
| Mechanism | Magnesium acts as a cofactor for 300+ enzymes and as a voltage-dependent antagonist at NMDA receptors; glycine serves as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and co-agonist at glycine receptors. | Mitochondrial-derived peptide that activates AMPK in skeletal muscle and liver, improves insulin sensitivity, and translocates to the nucleus under metabolic stress to modulate nuclear gene expression in retrograde mitochondrial signaling. |
| Legal status | Dietary supplement | Not FDA approved; research-use-only grey market; not currently on WADA Prohibited List |
| WADA status | allowed | unknown |
| DEA / Rx | OTC supplement | Not scheduled (research chemical) |
| Pregnancy | Generally considered acceptable at RDA doses; consult clinician | Insufficient data; not recommended |
| CAS | 14783-68-7 | 1627580-64-6 |
| PubChem CID | 84645 | 139599184 |
| Wikidata | - | Q24832108 |
Safety profile
Magnesium Glycinate
Common side effects
- mild GI upset at high doses
- loose stools (dose-dependent, less than with oxide/citrate forms)
Contraindications
- severe renal impairment
- myasthenia gravis
- heart block
Interactions
- tetracycline and fluoroquinolone antibiotics: magnesium chelates antibiotic, reducing absorption; separate by 2+ hours(moderate)
- bisphosphonates: reduced absorption of bisphosphonate(moderate)
- potassium-sparing diuretics: possible hypermagnesemia in renal impairment(moderate)
MOTS-c
Common side effects
- injection-site irritation
- transient fatigue
- headache (anecdotal)
Contraindications
- pregnancy
- lactation
- active malignancy (theoretical)
- severe hypoglycemia risk on concurrent insulin or sulfonylurea
Interactions
- insulin: additive insulin sensitization may increase hypoglycemia risk(moderate)
- metformin: both activate AMPK; theoretical additive metabolic effect, no controlled data(minor)
- sulfonylureas: increased hypoglycemia risk via additive insulin sensitization(moderate)
Which Should You Take?
Magnesium Glycinate comes out ahead for most readers on the criteria we weight: 3 catalogued goals, OTC dietary supplement, oral dosing, with a Tier-A outcome catalogued. MOTS-c is the right call when one of the conditionals below applies.
- → If your priority is sleep onset or sleep quality, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is post-training recovery, pick Magnesium Glycinate.
- → If your priority is healthspan extension, pick MOTS-c.
- → If your priority is metabolic health and glucose control, pick MOTS-c.
Edge case: If you want to avoid research-only / gray-market sourcing, Magnesium Glycinate is the more accessible choice.
Default choice: Magnesium Glycinate. Lower friction to source, a Tier-A evidence outcome catalogued, and broader goal coverage. Reach for MOTS-c only if your priority sits squarely in the goals it owns above.
This verdict is generated from each compound's schema (goals, legal status, evidence outcomes, dosing route). It updates automatically as our compound data evolves; the deeper read sits on each individual compound page.
Common questions
What is the difference between Magnesium Glycinate and MOTS-c?
Magnesium Glycinate and MOTS-c differ in category (supplement vs peptide), mechanism, and typical dosing. See the side-by-side table for full details.
Which has a longer half-life, Magnesium Glycinate or MOTS-c?
Magnesium Glycinate half-life is 5 hours; MOTS-c half-life is 0.5 hours.
Can you stack Magnesium Glycinate with MOTS-c?
Stack compatibility depends on mechanism overlap, legal status, and individual response. Check each compound page for specific interactions and contraindications before combining.
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