Can GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Give Athletes an Unfair Advantage?

GLP-1 drugs can provide benefits that may boost an athlete’s performance, but do these medications give them the competitive edge? Getty Images/The Good Brigade Debates are emerging over whether GLP-1 drugs boost athletic performance. However, experts say the loss of lean mass associated with using these drugs may cancel out any competitive advantages. They say it’s essential to consider the legitimate medical uses of these medications before setting policy. More data is needed before sports organizations can make a decision that protects both athletes and sports. When do medications cross over from being about better health to providing an unfair boost to athletic performance? As more and more people, including well-known athletes like tennis champion Serena Williams, use popular GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro (her medication of choice), to lose weight and get back in shape, this question is being asked more frequently. “I’ve got more energy for my workouts,” Williams proclaims in advertising for tele-health company Ro, with Ro further adding that it “helped her get back to her strongest self.” But is that just adspeak? Or do GLP-1s actually give athletes a physical advantage over those who don’t use them? Williams herself told Women’s Health that, “Being on a GLP-1 definitely doesn’t take away from who I am as a professional athlete. “In fact, I am enjoying sports now more than ever. And my body feels good doing it,” she added, noting that she would “never take a shortcut to living a healthy life.” How can GLP-1 drugs give athletes a performance boost? Sergio Guiteau, MD, a board certified family and sports medicine physician and Medical Director at South Florida Advanced Rejuvenation, in Miramar, Florida, said that there are benefits to be had from GLP-1s, including improvements in insulin resistance and body fat composition, as well as weight loss. There can also be indirect impr