These Fitness Fans Took Bootleg Peptides. It Landed Them In The Hospital.

Forbes Daily Briefing · Sep 29, 2026 · 7m

Peptides are a large category of amino acid-based drugs that include legal ones, like GLP-1 weight-loss medications and insulin. More and more people are experimenting with loosely regulated peptides like secretagogues, which have become a hit among workout enthusiasts looking for an edge to train harder and look better. But there’s little scientific data on their safety or efficacy, and the FDA has not approved them for weight loss or workout recovery. These drugs are now readily available on the internet from sketchy sellers who hawk them with little oversight. In this shadowy online…