“Hi! I’m interested in buying peptides,” I wrote on WhatsApp. Two minutes later, I received a reply from a U.K. area code from someone calling herself Louise, whose profile picture was of a young woman with airbrushed skin. Louise shared a menu: testosterone boosters, synthetic growth hormones, weight-loss medications, and more.
Mindful of my expense account, I scoured the menu for a cheaper peptide, a term that describes a class of molecules that promise some type of wellness boost and include the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy. I settled on 5-amino-1MQ, a substance that one connoisseur later told me “makes a lot more sense for high-level competitive athletes,” not a first-time peptides buyer.
