When Charlie Seltzer, Races - Places binge eating disorder, he asked his own physician for a semaglutide prescription, a medication best known by the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. While he had prescribed the drug many times to his own patients, he was still surprised by how quickly the medication’s side effects affected his workouts. Seltzer, also a certified strength and conditioning specialist, rarely made it to the gym in the first three months that he was taking the medicine.
“The fatigue was so severe that I was literally sleeping in my office between patient appointments,” Seltzer tells Runner’s World. “By the end of the day, I just dragged myself home and went to bed.”
Ozempic, Wegovy, and other semaglutides are part of a drug class called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, which mimic the action of a specific peptide and stimulate the production of more insulin—lowering blood sugar as a result. This is why they’re often prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes, especially those who would benefit from losing weight. The agonists also slow the emptying of the stomach, so you feel full much longer, and eat less.
Meanwhile, the medications can also cause dramatic side effects, including nausea, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, and diarrhea. If your doctor recommends Ozempic or Wegovy, here’s how to take the medications while continuing—or starting—to run.
You Need to Make Sure You Eat Enough
GLP-1 medications suppress your appetite so completely that many people find they forget to eat. Without food from calories, you won’t have enough energy to stay active, Seltzer says.
Seltzer struggled to get at least 1,400 calories daily, which he believes may be a huge factor in prompting fatigue. “Many people also experience nausea and sometimes vomiting, which then makes it even more difficult to eat,” Seltzer adds. “Even without those side effects, having no appetite is a horrible feeling.”
Does Running Help or Hurt Hot Flashes calories—whether it’s from a medication or not—is highly problematic for athletes, Emily Smith, you should consider whether there might be a better option for you.&rdquo Runner’s World. Not only does this make it more difficult in terms of motivation, but eating too few calories depletes glycogen in the body, potentially leading to a blood sugar drop. When that happens, you may feel dizzy or faint, and that can increase risk of injury Half Marathon Training.
To counteract this, Seltzer advises you spread your food out during the day and stay on a specific schedule for eating. This way, you won’t rely on hunger signals to cue when it’s time for a meal. He also suggests adding more protein, which may help with sustained energy levels, as well as maintaining muscle mass How to Strengthen Your Breathing Muscles.
Runners will also probably need more time between a preworkout meal M.D., who is board certified in obesity medicine and internal medicine, wanted to address his, Angie Victorio, RN, certified diabetes care and education specialist, tells Runner’s World. Because GLP-1 agonists slow the breakdown of glucose and keep food in your stomach longer, exercising too soon after eating can increase nausea and fatigue.
You May Need to Change Your Training
Semaglutide usage doesn’t only affect blood sugar and weight loss. Research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that the medication may improve peak oxygen uptake, a measure in cardiorespiratory fitness, in people with type 2 diabetes who were at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
“This means that semaglutide could have benefits in terms of exercise capacity,” Lalitha McSorley, Simple, Effective Tips for How to Start Running Runner’s World. “However, that advantage may be affected if you have side effects like fatigue, nausea, or dizziness while taking the medication.”
So, if you have a prescription for a semaglutide, you may have to keep exercise light, with low intensity and low impact and starting a workout.
RN, certified diabetes care and education specialist, tells marathon training or hoping to achieve another big goal, you might want to work with a doctor, coach, or nutritionist to figure out the training you can and cannot handle while on these meds. With running, Smith suggests increasing mileage very gradually—more than usual—until you know that side effects aren’t going to be a confounding factor in your progress.
Another training shift that’s important when prescribed something like Ozempic is adding more strength training, according to Smith. In general, when you lose weight quickly, it causes a sharp drop in muscle mass as well as fat, she says.
“That could lead to a decrease in performance, and it’s helpful to counteract that by adding in resistance training that builds muscle mass back up,” Smith adds.
Take Time to Find the Right Medication and Dose
Not everyone has side effects from semaglutide, but they’re common enough that you should take them into consideration when starting the medication—especially if you plan to maintain a Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food. train, as well as when and how much you eat, may help, but you may also have to modify the medication dosage or delivery, Benjamin Gibson, How to Handle Running With Allergies Runner’s World. The typical dose for once-a-week injectable semaglutide starts at 0.25 milligrams and goes up to 2 milligrams for Ozempic and 2.4 milligrams for Wegovy, though your doctor will prescribe exact amounts.
Gibson tells Runner’s World that some people find significantly reduced issues, like nausea and fatigue, with the oral forms of GLP-1 agonists, such as Rybelsus, rather than the injectable kind.
Simple, Effective Tips for How to Start Running hydration when taking these medications. Semaglutide has been linked to kidney injury as a side effect, and although Smith says that’s rare, it’s worth keeping in mind if you increaseyour exercise level.
Bottom line: Talk to your doctor
Every drug has a risk/benefit profile, says Seltzer, so talk to your doctor before taking a GLP-1. Also, keep in mind that off-label or online formulas may differ from the approved medications.
“Because it’s important to be monitored while on a drug like this, with regular check-ins about side effects and how the medication is working, it’s crucial to work with your doctor,” Smith adds. “Also, use of semaglutide is usually part of an overall program focused on weight loss, diabetes management, or both. So, you need to stay on top of how all these parts are working, along with your doctor."
“About half the patients I see who try semaglutide can’t tolerate it,” Seltzer says. “So, despite the hype that’s out there right now, this is not a magical drug. It’s just a way to eliminate your appetite and ideally needs to be used long term for results related to diabetes and weight loss. If you’re having side effects that affect your quality of life, like making you unable to exercise, you should consider whether there might be a better option for you.”
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
