Dr Mark Benton

Medical doctor

About

I’m a Melbourne-based General Practitioner with a specialist interest in Sports and Exercise Medicine, and over 18 years of clinical experience in Australia and the UK. I practice at North Brighton Medical and Physiosports Brighton. I also work as an AFL doctor with the North Melbourne Football Club. My focus is on musculoskeletal injuries, preventative health, and helping patients recover, perform, and stay well. I provide practical, evidence-based care with an emphasis on collaboration, long-term outcomes, and supporting people to lead active, healthy lives.

Medical Disclaimer

Please remember that medical information provided by myself, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered an educational service only. This blog should not be relied upon as a medical judgement and does not replace a physician’s independent judgement about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or condition for a given patient. I will do my best to provide you with information that may help you make your own health care decisions.

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25th November 2025

As a sports doctor, I spend an alarming amount of time talking people down from peptide ledges. Someone's torn their hamstring for the third time this year, they're desperate to get back on the field, and suddenly their Instagram algorithm has decided they need to know about BPC-157—the "Wolverine peptide" that'll have them healing like a superhero.Spoiler alert: you're not Wolverine. And those vials from that very professional-looking website? They're not adamantium either.Look, I get it. The appeal is intoxicating. Who wouldn't want a shortcut to faster recovery, better performance, and turning back the aging clock? Your feed is probably drowning in before-and-after transformations and influencers with suspiciously specific "recovery stacks." It's tempting. It's shiny. And it's been a whole decade since the Essendon and Cronulla supplements scandals, so surely we've learned something, right?Well, yes. We've learned that we're about to do the whole thing again.The Research (Or Lack Thereof)Here's the uncomfortable truth that nobody wants to hear: the entire peptide evidence base is built on rats. Actual rats. Small, furry rodents who live for two years and whose primary life achievement is navigating mazes for cheese.Yes, BPC-157 makes rat tendons heal faster. Congratulations to the rats. Unfortunately, rats aren't just small humans in fur coats. Their metabolism is different. Their immune systems are different. Their healing processes are fundamentally different. You know what else heals differently? Everything.Between 2023 and 2025, the TGA looked at the peptide compounding industry and basically said, "Absolutely not." Quality control was dodgy, sterility was questionable, and—here's the kicker—the safety data simply wasn't there. If this sounds familiar, it's because it's the exact same reasoning behind their October 2024 ban on compounded weight-loss peptides. The pattern is clear, and it's not encouraging.The big names in the peptide world—BPC-157 (the aforementioned "Wolverine peptide"), Ipamorelin, CJC-1295—now sit on restricted lists like teenagers who've been caught shoplifting. The US FDA didn't even try to be diplomatic: these substances present "significant safety risks." Not "potential risks." Not "theoretical concerns." Significant. Safety. Risks.For athletes, the message is even simpler: peptides are banned. Full stop. ASADA and WADA have these compounds squarely in their crosshairs, and they're not interested in your excuses. Get caught and you're looking at a multi-year ban from your sport, regardless of whether you were using them for "legitimate" injury recovery or because your mate Dave said they worked brilliantly.The Risks Nobody Wants to DiscussThe theoretical risks aren't exactly trivial. We're talking about potential cancer promotion—especially with the peptides that grow new blood vessels (brilliant for healing, less brilliant when microscopic tumors need those same blood vessels to become macroscopic problems). There's immune system chaos, insulin resistance, and cardiovascular issues on the table.And here's the absolute kicker: nobody's done the long-term human studies to know if these risks are real, rare, or catastrophic. We're running this experiment in real-time, and you're the guinea pig. Except guinea pigs probably get better quality control.That online supplier with the slick website and the testimonials from "Dr. Mike" (who may or may not be a doctor, may or may not be named Mike)? Their "pharmaceutical grade" peptides come from unregulated labs, often overseas. Contamination, incorrect dosing, mystery ingredients—it's basically a roulette wheel where you're betting your health, and the house always wins eventually.What This Actually Means for You (The Bit Where I Get Real)Let's be brutally honest: thirty years of mouse studies can't tell us what happens when you inject this stuff twice weekly for a year. Or five years. Or whether it matters if you're 25 versus 55, or if you have a family history of cancer, or if you're combining it with other substances.The legal peptide train has left the station in Australia. If someone's offering you performance peptides outside legitimate medical channels, they're operating in the shadows—and you're the one taking all the risk while they take your money.That "research chemical" website looks professional, doesn't it? Great web design, scientific-sounding descriptions, maybe even a logo that looks vaguely medical. But there's zero accountability. You're injecting something that might contain what it claims, might be sterile, or might be cut with who-knows-what. It's a trust-fall exercise where nobody's standing behind you to catch you.Athletes, listen up: This is career suicide in a vial. ASADA's testing is sophisticated, their resolve is iron-clad, and "but I was injured and desperate" won't save your registration. The ban comes regardless of your intentions, your desperation, or how unfair you think it is.The cancer thing? Not fear-mongering—it's just biology. Peptides like BPC-157 create new blood vessels, which is fantastic for healing that dodgy tendon. It's also exactly what tiny, currently-harmless tumors need to become very-much-harmful tumors. Roll those dice long enough and the house eventually wins.Meanwhile, boring old evidence-based medicine actually works. Eccentric loading for tendons. Shockwave therapy. PRP injections. Optimized sleep and nutrition. Not sexy. Not fast. Not going to make compelling Instagram content. But proven in actual human trials with actual human outcomes that don't involve a potential ASADA hearing.What I Can Actually Do to HelpBe the adult in the room. I know, annoying. But we don't prescribe things based on Instagram testimonials and rodent research. Proper medicines go through proper approval processes for excellent reasons, and those reasons are usually written in the medical disasters of the past.Dig into the why. People don't seek out peptides because life is going swimmingly. Usually there's overtraining, poor recovery, nutritional gaps, or an undiagnosed issue like iron deficiency or sleep apnea lurking underneath. Let's find that and fix it properly.Offer proven alternatives. Structured rehab programs, load management, and when appropriate, interventions like PRP that have actually cleared the evidence bar. Not as exciting as a "Wolverine peptide," but significantly less likely to end badly.Give athletes the straight goods on ASADA. Even the rare legitimate medical prescription won't protect you from a sporting tribunal. The rules are black and white, and the tribunal doesn't care about your hamstring drama.Screen for damage if you've already gone down the peptide path. Check for metabolic dysfunction, organize age-appropriate cancer screening, and look for side effects you might not have connected to your peptide use.Connect you with professionals who can actually help. Strength coaches who understand periodization, sports psychologists who can work on the mental game, and dietitians who can optimize your nutrition without a syringe in sight.The Bottom Line (The Bit Where I Sound Like Your Mum, Sorry)Look, I genuinely understand the appeal. When you're sidelined with an injury that won't quit, when you're watching your performance decline, when you're desperate to get back to what you love—the idea of a magic injection that fast-tracks everything is intoxicating. The testimonials sound convincing. The mechanism seems logical. Your mate Dave swears by it.But medicine isn't built on "seems" and "sounds like" and "Dave reckons." It's built on rigorous human trials, proper safety data, and accountability. Peptides don't have any of that.The regulatory crackdown isn't bureaucrats killing your gains—it's a response to serious quality control issues and a complete absence of long-term safety data. When patients tell me peptides "worked," I have no way of knowing if they're crediting the peptide for healing that would've happened anyway, for benefits from their concurrent physio work, or for a placebo effect that's well-documented in pain and recovery research.The TGA has shut down clinics over safety violations. Online peptide vendors are playing fast and loose with your health for profit. "First, do no harm" isn't a suggestion—it's the absolute foundation of medical practice. Right now, recommending peptides would violate that principle spectacularly, and I'm not willing to do that just because Instagram thinks it's a good idea.Here's the thing nobody wants to hear: the fundamentals work. Proper periodization, adequate recovery, smart nutrition, quality sleep, and stress management aren't going to make great content for your socials, but they're backed by mountains of human research. They're also legal, safe, and won't end your sporting career or land you in front of a medical tribunal.If you're drawn to peptides, pause and ask yourself why. What's really driving this? Because often, when we unpack it properly, there's an addressable issue underneath—overtraining, poor recovery protocols, inadequate nutrition, psychological pressure, or an actual medical condition that needs proper investigation.And addressing those things properly means you don't need to gamble on unproven, unregulated substances from websites that may or may not still exist next month.Come See MeIf you're considering peptides, or you've already started using them and want to know what to do next, book an appointment. We can have an honest conversation about what's driving this decision, what the actual risks are, and what evidence-based alternatives might actually get you where you want to go.No judgment. Just proper medicine, proper advice, and a plan that won't end with a ban, a tumor scare, or a contaminated mystery substance from an overseas lab.Let's do this properly.Disclaimer: This blog contains medical advice wrapped in sarcasm. The sarcasm is free, but the medical advice is serious. If you're currently using peptides, please actually come see me.

Getting Back in the Game: A GP's Guide to Exercise in Your 40s and 50s (Without Destroying Yourself

3rd of December 2025

So, you've hit your 40s or 50s and suddenly realized that the most athletic thing you've done this year is sprint to catch the bus, or perhaps chase your kids around the park before collapsing in a heap of regret and wheeziness. Welcome to the club! As a GP with a specialist interest in sports and exercise medicine, I see this epiphany roughly seventeen times a week.The Lightbulb Moment (Usually Accompanied by a Groan)Let me paint you a picture. You're watching your 10-year-old absolutely dominate at football/netball/whatever-the-kids-are-into-these-days, and you think, "I could totally do that!" Spoiler alert: you probably can't. At least not yet. But here's the beautiful thing—you absolutely could, with the right approach.The motivations for getting back into exercise are usually fantastic. Maybe you want to actually play sports with your kids without needing a paramedic on standby. Perhaps you've realized that your social circle has shrunk to "work colleagues" and "that neighbor who always catches you in your ratty trackies taking out the bins." Or maybe you've had a little health scare and your doctor (hello, that's me) has gently suggested that your current exercise routine of "walking to the fridge" might need upgrading.Exercise in midlife isn't just about fitting into those jeans from 2003 (let them go, they're not coming back). It's about making genuine connections with like-minded people, improving your mental health, keeping up with your kids, and generally not feeling like you've been hit by a truck every time you stand up.The Inevitable Hamstring IncidentNow, let's address the elephant in the room—or rather, the hamstring that's currently staging a protest march in your leg.Here's what happens to roughly 89% of my patients (this is a scientifically calculated figure based on absolutely nothing): They get inspired, dig out some ancient trainers from 2007, and immediately sign up for a 5K race or join a very competitive basketball game. Within a week, they're limping into my office clutching their hamstring, calf, or Achilles like it's a newborn baby they're presenting for inspection."Doc," they say, "I don't understand. I used to be able to do this!"Yes, friend. Used to. Past tense. That was when you were 25, indestructible, and could survive on kebabs and optimism.The cruel reality is that our bodies in our 40s and 50s are like vintage cars—still absolutely capable of impressive performance, but requiring a proper warm-up, better quality fuel, and significantly more maintenance. You can't just turn the key and expect it to go from 0 to 60. Well, you can, but you'll be calling a mechanic. Or in this case, me.The Art of the Gradual Return (Or: How Not to Wreck Yourself)Right, so how do we actually do this without ending up as a cautionary tale?Start with your end goal in mind. Want to play tennis? Great! But you probably shouldn't start by booking yourself into a three-hour tournament next weekend. Want to run a marathon? Lovely! But maybe begin with running to the end of your street without requiring an oxygen tank.The three-month rule: I generally suggest giving yourself at least three months to build up to your goal. This feels like forever, I know. But it's better than three months off work with an injury, which is the alternative.Gradual loading is your best friend. Think of your body like a student who's been on summer holiday for three months. You can't suddenly expect it to sit through eight hours of lectures. Start with small, manageable sessions. Three 20-minute walks per week? Perfect. Gradually increase either the frequency, duration, or intensity—but never all three at once. That's just asking for trouble.Cross-training is not just for fancy athletes. If you want to get back into football, don't just play football. Swimming, cycling, or even yoga will build your overall fitness and reduce the risk of overuse injuries. Your hamstrings will thank you.Listen to your body (but also recognize it's a bit of a drama queen at first). There's a difference between "I'm working hard" discomfort and "Something is genuinely wrong" pain. If you're hobbling the next day, you've probably overdone it. If something hurts sharply during exercise, stop. This is not a case of "no pain, no gain." It's a case of "that pain is your body desperately waving a red flag."The Social PrescriptionHere's something that doesn't get talked about enough: the best bit about getting back into exercise isn't actually the exercise—it's the people.Joining a local running club, tennis group, or gym class means you'll meet actual human beings who aren't your work colleagues or your kids' friends' parents. Revolutionary, I know. These connections can be genuinely life-changing, especially if you've realized your social calendar has become alarmingly sparse.Plus, there's accountability. It's much harder to bail on a morning run when you know Sarah is waiting for you at the park gates, judging you with her very punctual, very fit presence.The Bottom LineGetting back into exercise in your 40s and 50s is absolutely, 100% doable. It's actually brilliant. But it requires patience, planning, and acceptance that you're not 21 anymore (sorry, I don't make the rules).Start slowly, build gradually, listen to your body, and for the love of all that is holy, do a proper warm-up.Come See Me!If you're thinking about getting back into exercise and want to do it properly—without the inevitable hamstring disaster—come see me in clinic. We can work out a plan that suits your goals, your body, and your realistic schedule (yes, I know you have seventeen competing demands on your time).Whether you want to play football with your kids without wheezing, join that hiking group, or finally nail that 5K, I can help you get there without needing to spend three months with an ice pack glued to your leg.Book an appointment, and let's get you moving again. Properly this time.Disclaimer: This blog post contains medical advice wrapped in humor. The humor is free, but you should probably still come see me for personalized advice. Your hamstring will thank you.