Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsys, and other forms of Semaglutide drugs (including Tirzepatide) are insanely popular and effective at helping people lose weight.
Studies show Semaglutide causes an average of 15% body weight loss, and that could be massively beneficial for a cyclist.
But what about the risks? It’s still a relatively new drug, so the long term risks remain unknown, but the known risks of gastric distress, including slowed gastric emptying, the negative impact on hunger signals could be disastrous for cyclists and push them into an energy deficiency.
Additionally, there is conflicting evidence in the literature concerning whether Semaglutide causes an inordinate amount of lean mass loss compared to situations where the same amount of weight is lost without the use of Semaglutide. However, if it does cause excessive lean mass loss, again, this drug seems highly risky to take for a cyclist.
But all of that said, power-to-weight ratios are the largest determinant of performance in cycling, and this drug could be hugely beneficial in making cyclists faster.
And for some reason, nobody is talking about how athletes could be using this very expensive drug to improve their performance, and most shocking, is that as of recording this video, it is an approved substance by WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency.
At $1,000-2,000 per month, it is only available to those with substantial resources, so does a drug like this violate the “spirit of sport”?
Is this how the peloton got so shockingly lean and seemed to be able to maintain that low body fat percentage since 2012?
Let us know in the comments below.
// STUDIES AND RESOURCES REFERENCED IN THIS VIDEO
– A quick guide to the STEP trials – https://trainerroad.cc/STEP
– Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity – https://trainerroad.cc/Wilding2021
– Semaglutide 2·4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial – https://trainerroad.cc/Davies2021
– Effect of Subcutaneous Semaglutide vs Placebo as an Adjunct to Intensive Behavioral Therapy on Body Weight in Adults With Overweight or Obesity – https://trainerroad.cc/Wadden2021
– Adipose Tissue, Appetite, and Obesity: INTEGRATED PHYSIOLOGY OF OBESITY AND METABOLIC DISEASE – https://trainerroad.cc/JournalOfEndocrineSociety2021
– Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 5 trial – https://trainerroad.cc/Garvey2022
– Efficacy and safety of semaglutide on weight loss in obese or overweight patients without diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials – https://trainerroad.cc/Gao2022
– Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension – https://trainerroad.cc/Wilding2022
– How Does a Substance Become Prohibited? (WADA) – https://trainerroad.cc/WADA
– GlobalDRO (Is your medication banned in sport?) – https://www.globaldro.com
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20 Comments
Excellent work Jonathan!
Just be clear the Ozempic is not FDA approved for weight Loss. Different from Wegovy (also semaglutide in larger dosage).
Just Unsubscribed.
From my Master Nutritionist wife – the patients she sees who have chosen to use it have bounced back, often to greater max weights, after stopping its use. Also, we really don't know the long-term implications of its ongoing usage. We don't know how this drug affects "fit cyclists" because it's not for us. All that said, you do you… I'm not ready to roll my "health dice" on it!
I got obese in this 2-3 years, and my obesity level is actually clinical one, so I thought about using Ozempic.
But since I have good training history with Trainerroad in the past, I decided to talk with a coach and working with him now.
Excellent review! Thorough research. Will be interesting to gauge long-term effects, performance enhancement, and future product bans…
Can't see it being effective at the elite pro level as they would not have any excess fat to loose. Same for those in the elite/high amateur level. probably more detrimental if it's also reducing lean muscle. For those not at the high level and have weight to lose, maybe of benefit, but only time will tell.
The people I've talked to that are taking it say it's anything but a performance enhancer
I like food too much😂
ppl who work hard and care alittle about the earth, the future generations and what they put in their body will have no use for the drug. but your basic fat lazy, ignorant person could use it
You never see a fat pro cyclist 🚴🏻 so why would it be beneficial in the pro peloton?
I think it’s going to be used mainly by the keen amateur who wants to race faster and look better.
One of the problems I see is that a lot of cyclists and runners have eating disorders/disordered eating and it could lead to serious problems .
When I had anorexia I would have taken it if it had been available then.Just glad it wasn’t.
It should definitely only be available with a doctor’s certificate.
As for the pro cyclist I don’t think it s worth banning.
So long as it’s not proven to harm their health (which isn’t known yet long term)
💰 this is it.
Right, so it's just a fancy appetite suppressant? Wouldn't riders eventually become reliant on it or complacent, eating all sorts of junk because it's now "ok" to do so?
Thumbnail nailed it. Just say no people.
Taking ozempic as athlete is so stupid. You can’t train any longer when taking that shit
This should be placed on the banned substance list for sure. Do they ever even test armature cyclist for peptides? I think the same racers that are using Ozempic are also using Sermorelin with it.
If it would be banned, how could you check the (not) usage ?
Sound like potentially disastrous „Bonkempic“ to me.
If I understand it right, there is a serious shortage of ozempic due to doctors prescribing it off label (ie: for weight loss). This makes it difficult to obtain for the people whose life may be saved by this drug (type 2 diabetes in particular). As a person born with type 1 diabetes, I know how hard it can be to get life saving drugs in America. Please please please do not use this drug to improve on your cat 3 parking lot finish.
I could see Masters riders really using this to try and get back to high school weight. It’s easy to get at compounding pharmacies. My bet is that this stuff is being heavily used already by athletes.