History

SLU-PP-332 was developed in the lab of Thomas P. Burris with Bahaa Elgendy. The original work was done at Saint Louis University (Burris subsequently moved to the University of Florida, with co-authors at UHSP–St. Louis and WashU). It was first characterized as a pan-ERR agonist that induces an "acute aerobic exercise" transcriptional program in muscle without training (Billon et al., ACS Chem Biol 2023), followed by a metabolic-syndrome study (Billon et al., JPET 2024) and an orally active follow-up analog, SLU-PP-915 (JPET, 2025). All efficacy data to date are in mice and cell lines; no human trials have been reported.

SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small molecule sold and discussed in the “research chemical” market as an “exercise mimetic” — a compound meant to trigger some of the metabolic effects of exercise without physical training. Despite often being grouped with peptides online, it is not a peptide: it is a benzohydrazide-class small molecule that agonizes the estrogen-related receptors (ERRα/β/γ). Its reputation rests entirely on mouse and cell studies. There are no human trials, no human safety data, and any endurance, fat-loss, or longevity claims aimed at people are extrapolated from rodents.

What it is

SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small-molecule pan-agonist of the estrogen-related receptors ERRα, ERRβ, and ERRγ (chemically, 4-hydroxy-N′-(naphthalen-2-ylmethylene)benzohydrazide). It is not a peptide — marketing it as one is factually incorrect. It is most potent at ERRα, with reported half-maximal effective concentrations (EC50) of roughly 98 nM at ERRα, 230 nM at ERRβ, and 430 nM at ERRγ.

ERRα is a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, oxidative metabolism, and fatty-acid oxidation. Agonizing it induces an “acute aerobic exercise” transcriptional program in muscle without physical training — the most strongly upregulated shared gene in the primary work was the ERRα-specific gene DDIT4. That muscle-level effect is the biological basis for the “exercise mimetic” label, which is accurate to the primary literature. An orally active follow-up analog, SLU-PP-915, is also animal-stage and was reported in 2025.

The claims

In the consumer and research-chemical market, SLU-PP-332 is promoted for endurance and stamina, fat loss, improved metabolic health, and even longevity — often framed as “exercise in a pill.” These are extrapolations from rodent data. No human result supports any of them.

What the evidence actually shows

Humans: none. There is zero human efficacy or safety evidence — no registered clinical trial, no human pharmacokinetic, dose-finding, or safety data as of June 2026.

Animal and cell studies (real findings):

Endurance and body composition (Billon et al., ACS Chem Biol 2023): In mice, short-term dosing increased running endurance, raised the proportion of type IIa oxidative muscle fibers, increased mitochondrial respiration, energy expenditure, and fatty-acid oxidation, and reduced fat mass without reducing food intake or increasing physical activity. The endurance benefit was ERRα-dependent — deleting ERRα specifically in muscle abolished it.
Metabolic syndrome (Billon et al., JPET 2024): In diet-induced-obese and ob/ob mice, SLU-PP-332 reduced obesity, lowered cholesterol and triglycerides, and improved insulin sensitivity.

On the “20–30% running improvement” figure often quoted online: the primary mouse paper actually reports treated mice ran roughly 70% longer and ~45% farther than vehicle-treated animals. The “20–30%” number traces to secondary write-ups and understates the mouse data. Either way, these are mouse-only, approximate figures and should never be presented as precise or human-relevant.

Bottom line on evidence: biologically interesting, internally consistent rodent data with a clear ERRα-dependent mechanism — but nothing establishing benefit, dosing, or safety in people.

Legal and regulatory status

Not approved anywhere. SLU-PP-332 is preclinical research-grade material. It is not an approved drug, not a dietary supplement, and not a cosmetic. It is sold by research-chemical vendors as not-for-human-use reference material.
No human trials. No registered study (no NCT), no human PK/safety/efficacy data has been located as of June 2026.
Anti-doping (WADA): SLU-PP-332 is not listed by name on the WADA 2026 Prohibited List, and the USADA 2026 advisory does not name ERR agonists or SLU-PP-332. Secondary sources claiming it is explicitly listed are over-stating the situation. That said, the relevant category is S4.4 (Metabolic Modulators) within S4 (Hormone and Metabolic Modulators), which already names AMPK activators (e.g., AICAR), PPARδ agonists (e.g., GW1516/cardarine), and recent additions (MOTS-c added 2025; BAM15 added 2026). As a non-approved exercise mimetic, SLU-PP-332 would also plausibly fall under the S0 non-approved-substances catch-all. This is reasoned categorization, not a confirmed listing.
Detection is being prepared. A peer-reviewed doping-control method paper (Avliyakulov, Sobolevsky, Ahrens, Drug Test Anal 2026) characterized 22 in-vitro human-liver metabolites of SLU-PP-332 for urine detection, with an independent companion paper (Möller et al., Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom 2026) covering SLU-PP-332 and SLU-PP-915. This is a strong signal that anti-doping labs are getting ready to test for it. Athletes should assume it is bannable in sport.

Safety

Human safety is unknown. There is no human toxicology, pharmacokinetic, dose-finding, or long-term data of any kind.

Theoretical concerns — none of them characterized in humans — include: ERRα and mitochondrial pathways are broadly expressed (including in the heart), so off-target cardiac or metabolic effects are biologically plausible but unstudied; and chronically stimulating a master metabolic regulator has unknown long-term consequences. On top of that, grey-market “research chemical” material has unverified purity and identity, which is a real hazard independent of the molecule itself.

The honest bottom line on safety is that the evidence base is thin and entirely preclinical, so any human use is uncharacterized experimentation.

Bottom line

SLU-PP-332 is a synthetic small-molecule pan-ERR agonist — not a peptide — with genuinely interesting, ERRα-dependent “exercise mimetic” effects in mice, including improved endurance and reduced fat mass without changes in food intake or activity. But it is animal-stage only: there are no human trials, no human safety data, and no approved use anywhere. It is not yet named on the WADA list, though detection methods are already being published and athletes should treat it as bannable. Every human-facing endurance, fat-loss, or longevity claim is extrapolated from rodents, and using it in people is uncharacterized experimentation.

Evidence grade: Animal only.