Metformin hydrochloride is a tablet drug for the treatment of diabetes of the biguanide class, which has the ability to reduce weight, so it is often used for weight loss. Available on the market under the brand names: Metformin, Glucophage, Siofor, Bagomet, Metfogamma, Glycon, Methospanin, Glyformin, Glyminformin, Sofamet, Formetin, Langerin, Metadien, Formin Pliva, Novoformin, Diaformin. Metformin has virtually no side effects when used correctly and is not dangerous to your health, unlike most other fat burners. Metformin lowers harmful cholesterol and glucose levels, which are often elevated when overweight.
A new 2014 Cardiff University, UK, study of 180,000 people showed that Metformin increases life expectancy not only in diabetics, but also in non-diabetics. There was also evidence of slowing the aging process with treatment.
Mechanism of action in weight loss
Glucophage is used for weight loss due to its ability to accelerate fatty acid oxidation and inhibit fat synthesis, although in different tissues it affects several points of application at once, which is expressed in various changes in cellular metabolism. It has also been shown to reduce the absorption of carbohydrates from the digestive tract.
Glucophage activates AMP-kinase, thereby reducing glucose levels by inhibiting its synthesis in the liver (suppression of gluconeogenesis). Also, metformin increases insulin receptor sensitivity to insulin and improves glucose consumption by muscles. Reducing insulin in weight loss is necessary because this hormone promotes the deposition of consumed nutrients into fat, especially if the main problem area is the stomach. Immediately after a meal, blood glucose levels rise sharply, to which the pancreas reacts and produces insulin, which in turn forces tissues to consume glucose, depositing it in fat. This is why almost all weight loss diets recommend consuming fewer foods that cause blood sugar to rise.
Finally, insulin causes hunger, so metformin in weight loss helps suppress hunger.
The effectiveness of metformin decreases when blood acidity increases, so some authors recommend eliminating exercise during a course of glucophage because exercise leads to lactic acid formation. However, recent studies have shown that exercise has no effect on overall blood acidity, so you can exercise without restriction while taking metformin, thereby only increasing the effectiveness of the course.
Use in bodybuilding
The mechanism of action of metformin has been found to inhibit the mitochondrial respiratory chain, activation of AMP-dependent protein kinases, suppression of glucagon-induced cAMP formation, activation of protein kinase A, and suppression of the key anabolic mechanism mTOR via the RPS6 protein.
The anabolic mechanism of mTOR is very important for muscle growth, and it can be triggered by growth hormone, insulin, glucose, fatty acids, amino acids, etc. As a consequence, protein is synthesized in the muscle and cells begin to divide.
Thus, metformin and its analogues (glucophage) cause conditions in the body close to starvation or exhausting workout, with hypertrophy of muscles is almost impossible. Therefore, these drugs can be used only for weight loss, when muscle volume is of secondary importance. In addition, workouts are much heavier and have little effect on results, so these drugs are often taken without background physical activity.
A course of glucophage for weight loss
Glucophage (metformin) is a safe drug and is approved by official medicine to be used by healthy people for weight loss.
- Follow a diet for weight loss
- Eliminate fast carbohydrates.
- Metformin for weight loss is taken immediately before or with a meal, the dose is chosen individually.
- Most commonly prescribed at 500-850 mg, 2-3 times a day (maximum dose not more than 3000 mg/day).
- If you have diarrhea, you are consuming too much carbohydrate.
- If you experience nausea after taking metformin, reduce the dose. Slowly increasing the dose may improve gastrointestinal tolerance.
- Perform systematic aerobic exercise to maximize the effectiveness of the course.
- If after reducing the dose, the symptoms of side effects have not disappeared, stop taking the drug and urgently consult a doctor, as there is a possible risk of lactacidosis, which may be fatal!!! In the case of signs of lactacidosis, the patient should be hospitalized urgently and, after determining the concentration of lactate, confirm the diagnosis. The most effective measure for elimination of lactate and metformin from the body is hemodialysis. Symptomatic treatment is also carried out.
The duration of drug administration should not exceed 18-22 days, after which a break of 1-2 months is required. A shorter break leads to adaptation of the body, and metformin is not able to fully exercise the fat-burning properties. The course should be coordinated with a medical specialist.
Side Effects and Health Hazards
Do not take glucophage for weight loss if you have:
- Kidney disease accompanied by insufficiency
- Heart disease
- Other disease with hyperacidity of the blood
- Do not take glucophage with other blood glucose-lowering drugs or other medications without consulting your doctor
Possible side effects of glucophage (rare):
- Diarrhea (need to reduce carbohydrate intake)
- Headache (usually goes away quickly)
- Abdominal cramps
- Nausea (need to lower dose of metformin)
- Increased gas (need to reduce carbohydrate intake)
- Lactoacidosis (in the presence of predisposing diseases), (do not combine with alcohol!!! danger of lactocidosis)
Metformin side effects usually occur at the beginning of a course of treatment and then go away quickly.
