GLP1 and weight loss for Racers?

[Oldman]

Cyclingnews featured a teaser article about weight loss drugs and cycling. Be interested hearing experiences.

 

[Oldman]

I'll start: my Spouse tried several with help of a doctor assisting with hormone/perimenopause. She lost some weight, sleep and muscle mass. Her digestive system took a month to recover from the effects and the equal parts of body mass loss was disconcerting.
Wonder if the Hollywood types care if they might get weaker in the process?

 

[Unchained]

I'll start: my Spouse tried several with help of a doctor assisting with hormone/perimenopause. She lost some weight, sleep and muscle mass. Her digestive system took a month to recover from the effects and the equal parts of body mass loss was disconcerting.
Wonder if the Hollywood typed care it they might get weaker in the process?

I will put it in simple, short version, one of the more extreme, rare side effects, it basically paralyzes your stomach

 

[Sciatic]

If you mean pro racers then I think this discussion should go in the clinic. https://www.emjreviews.com/general-...-2026-winter-olympics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

 

[Oldman]

I will put it in simple, short version, one of the more extreme, rare side effects, it basically paralyzes your stomach

She shared that completely and her doctor acknowledged she was not the candidate. Good outcome: she returned to her old doctor that re evaluated her hormone uptake. Adjusted that down while she increased regular aerobic and anerobic workouts and she lost 20lbs and regained strength. A long trip starting with misdiagnosis for hormones by a female doctor. Women call it the "curse" and it can be tough.

 

[Oldman]

If you mean pro racers then I think this discussion should go in the clinic. https://www.emjreviews.com/general-...-2026-winter-olympics/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Racers are people. They, more than most would know it's not a performance benefit. Cyclingnews can weigh in on where they were going with it but the serious XC, Mtb and Alpine Olympians here know it's a fantasy for the narcissistic types; not athletes. General public should get this side of the story; particularly when sports celebrities begin to shill the stuff.

 

[Sciatic]

Racers are people. They, more than most would know it's not a performance benefit. Cyclingnews can weigh in on where they were going with it but the serious XC, Mtb and Alpine Olympians here know it's a fantasy for the narcissistic types; not athletes. General public should get this side of the story; particularly when sports celebrities begin to shill the stuf

Certainly the discussion for general health can be here, I don’t think the general public really shows up in any of the forums —I just think for our discussions it’s “cleaner” to discuss in the clinic when we’re discussing competition. I don’t think this will be any different than how we discuss albuterol. But I’m fine if folks want it otherwise.

 

[Cookster15]

Mod hat on: We decided to move this thread here so people can discuss more openly. I believe weight loss drugs e.g. Ozempic have been discussed at length in The Clinic.

 

[Oldman]

Mod hat on: We decided to move this thread here so people can discuss more openly. I believe weight loss drugs e.g. Ozempic have been discussed at length in The Clinic.

Ok. Your teaser article suggested as much: that it might tempt "racers" to employ that product. My point is Joe/Jill Average hobbyist might think it helps them. Evidence locally and elsewhere would dispute that but have at it.

 

[YellowSocks]

A long trip starting with misdiagnosis for hormones by a female doctor.

Throughout my life, I have received misdiagnoses from both male and female doctors, whether or not the issue involved hormones.

 

[VayaVayaVaya]

Ok. Your teaser article suggested as much: that it might tempt "racers" to employ that product. My point is Joe/Jill Average hobbyist might think it helps them. Evidence locally and elsewhere would dispute that but have at it.

Just curious, why do you think it wouldn’t benefit your average Joe to use it to drop from 20-25% body fat to 10-15%? Assuming they prioritize protein and continue to lift and cycle at same rates

 

[Unchained]

Just curious, why do you think it wouldn’t benefit your average Joe to use it to drop from 20-25% body fat to 10-15%? Assuming they prioritize protein and continue to lift and cycle at same rates

This is sort of chicken and egg, which comes first type of thing in American culture,
@75% of Americans are overweight or obese. Many conditions that follow like mobility issues, diabetes and heart disease are at epidemic levels. Athletes are a real fringe use group, almost fine tuning. Overall health system which is different than almost all in the world can use GLP-1 drugs to combat @5-6 serious conditions and it's essentially cheaper and side effects are of equal or less grave than other things that happen without using it.
One thing that is slightly unique about weight loss through exercise and weight loss using drugs in this class is fat displacement. In exercise related fat loss, your overall body fat is reduced, so if you have fat arms, legs, or stomach for example you can do specific exercises, lets say sit ups, crunches, planks trying to target problem area, it does not work, you will gain muscle from increasing exercise in the muscle group, but fat loss is general.
With GLP-1 certain areas start to reduce, for instance face and neck and data is reflecting that if you regain weight after discontinuing drug use some specific areas were fat loss happened don't restore. Another draw back to using the drugs as an athlete, minor muscle loss.
Big effect for advanced bike racers is nutrition, so if you are not taking a drug and struggling with effects of carb consumption and then take a drug that chemically alters your appetite, gels, gummies, bottles are going to be a more brutal form of force feeding. Cyclists may find themselves feeling like a goose at a foie grad farm.

 

[Red Rick]

Personally I would expect it to be extremely risky for a pro cyclist to *** around with semaglutide because of the huge energy demands you have as a rider and you need to eat heaps to maintain your body weight in the first place.

 

[Oldman]

Just curious, why do you think it wouldn’t benefit your average Joe to use it to drop from 20-25% body fat to 10-15%? Assuming they prioritize protein and continue to lift and cycle at same rates

The actual experience from users is the nutritional deprivation affects fat and muscle. The digestive system takes a beating. I wouldn't experiment with a dicey treatment when simple caloric reduction could accomplish the same thing while training. That, too can be a razor's edge to balance as it can expose the guinea pig to illness vulnerability.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Personally I would expect it to be extremely risky for a pro cyclist to *** around with semaglutide because of the huge energy demands you have as a rider and you need to eat heaps to maintain your body weight in the first place.

Waffles when he does his typical Crackhead diet to loose weight for the Tour?