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- Jun 19, 2013
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Introduction:
Ozempic and the novel drug that followed it in its class, Mounjaro, are considered game changers in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity.Both diabetes and obesity are directly and strongly correlated with the risk of heart disease, which is the leading cause of death globally. These diseases impose the highest toll on the medical care system and, of course, go hand in hand with our quality of life.
To put things into perspective, the annual market value of this class of medicines is over $25 billion, and the market cap of the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk (the owner of Ozempic) almost tripled since the launch of of this drug, crossing over $500 billion.
There is an abundance of available information on both Ozempic and Mounjaro, including their mechanisms of action, effects, benefits, and results. In the following weeks, I'll review these topics in a concise manner along few assays, step by step, and shed some light on what has not been addressed in the general media specifically - and matters to us the most - the implications and applications of both in fitness, sports, and bodybuilding.
So what are Ozempic and Mounjaro?
Both Ozempic (generic name semaglutide) and Mounjaro (generic name Tirzapatide) are Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists.What is a GLP1 agonist?
GLP1 is a peptide that is naturally secreted in our body. An agonist means that it triggers identically the same mechanism as the natural peptide, practically mimicking its effect.GLP1 is an incretin hormone. What is an incretin hormone?
It is a hormone released in the intestine in response to nutrient intake and stimulates pancreatic beta cell activity, secreting insulin. This means that they improve glucose control and processing by favorably effecting insulin secretion, which is highly important for healthy metabolism, especially for athletes with high bio-energetic demands. This trait manifests itself in increased insulin sensitivity, a term most of you have heard and understand its importance for health and optimal performance.GLP1 also has other important metabolic functions: it reduces food intake by affecting target tissue in the brain and delays gastric emptying, which has a direct satiety effect. This optimizes the processing of food, lowers peak glucose levels for better glucose control, and signals to our body that we're fed.Mounjaro vs Ozempic:
Mounjaro, unlike Ozempic, is not only a GLP1 agonist but also a novel, first-in-kind GIP (Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide) agonist. GIP is considered the most potent incretin hormone (to remind us, this means that it triggers our body to secrete more insulin in response to food consumption), thus better controlling glucose metabolism.Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, exhibited enhanced improvement in insulin sensitivity and insulin secretory responses compared to semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic), leading to lower concentrations of prandial insulin and glucagon. While both medications resulted in similar reductions in appetite, tirzepatide yielded greater weight loss.Having said that, I've learned over multiple recent scientific literature which I reviewed, that the exact mechanism of action of GIP (unlike GLP1) in the human body is not fully understood. While GIP reduces food intake and body weight in rodents, these effects have not been demonstrated in humans. Moreover, it remains to be shown that GIPR agonism can improve insulin secretion in type 2 diabetic patients who have been noted in previous studies to be unresponsive to GIP
