GLP1 as a PED

[Stewie Griffin Should Cox]

I'll risk upsetting people here.

From my experience, particularly with women, and this includes internationals, it is often the case that they carry "non propulsive weight" more often than men. Further, this added weight has a bigger impact on boat speed than with men. I think 10lbs of fat loss IS acute performance enhancement in a single scull.

Losing that "non propulsive weight" can be exceptionally difficult. Without GLP1 I suspect Serena, as she was at other times in her career, would have been burdened by an additional 15/20 lbs.

Here is another inflammatory view. Simona Halep had a very significant breast reduction in her late teens which then saw her reach world no1. It undoubtedly improved her ability to play tennis. Why is that acceptable? It, along with liposuction is not banned, but in cycling etc. small weight advantages are critical.

For transparency I am on GLP1 and weightloss has become simple. It is not difficult to be very specific in fueling and ensuring nutrition is optimized, actually it makes it easier. Add a few puffs of TUE steroid inhaler for asthma and my muscle bulk would be safe but a real athlete would be getting leaner without the pain.

It's tricky...

[sandor]

I'll risk upsetting people here.

From my experience, particularly with women, and this includes internationals, it is often the case that they carry "non propulsive weight" more often than men. Further, this added weight has a bigger impact on boat speed than with men. I think 10lbs of fat loss IS acute performance enhancement in a single scull.

Losing that "non propulsive weight" can be exceptionally difficult. Without GLP1 I suspect Serena, as she was at other times in her career, would have been burdened by an additional 15/20 lbs.

Here is another inflammatory view. Simona Halep had a very significant breast reduction in her late teens which then saw her reach world no1. It undoubtedly improved her ability to play tennis. Why is that acceptable? It, along with liposuction is not banned, but in cycling etc. small weight advantages are critical.

For transparency I am on GLP1 and weightloss has become simple. It is not difficult to be very specific in fueling and ensuring nutrition is optimized, actually it makes it easier. Add a few puffs of TUE steroid inhaler for asthma and my muscle bulk would be safe but a real athlete would be getting leaner without the pain.

It's tricky...

0.55 seconds per 1 kg over 2000 meters. As calculated by Valery Kleshnev.

[boston_1x]

I totally buy into the value of racing weight. If I'm 10lbs heavy at HOCR, I'm 30sec slower.

Kleshnev's 0.55sec/2K math is for a M8+ going 5:20.
Sloppy/linear math but you can extrapolate for slower times and longer distances, & its roughly consistent w above.

I don't get "GLIPS" for rowing (or any power/endurance sport)... training is too energy intensive, part of the weight loss is muscle and the appetite suppression that is a big part of it has you flirting with RED-S.

Maybe during early season base training if you were trying to cut from obese to normal, but for any kind of intense training and racing weight, seems like courting disaster.

[sandor]

I totally buy into the value of racing weight. If I'm 10lbs heavy at HOCR, I'm 30sec slower.

Kleshnev's 0.55sec/2K math is for a M8+ going 5:20.
Sloppy/linear math but you can extrapolate for slower times and longer distances, & its roughly consistent w above.

I don't get "GLIPS" for rowing (or any power/endurance sport)... training is too energy intensive, part of the weight loss is muscle and the appetite suppression that is a big part of it has you flirting with RED-S.

Maybe during early season base training if you were trying to cut from obese to normal, but for any kind of intense training and racing weight, seems like courting disaster.

My memory was off.

Newsletter Volume 9 No 5

Screenshot 2026-06-30 at 5.46.10 PM.jpg (116.33 KiB) Viewed 835 times

[Slim]

That analysis is for dead weight, not athlete weight.

[sandor]

That analysis is for dead weight, not athlete weight.

Correct.

Deeper dives could be done analyzing placement of that dead weight & the effects on boat speed (bow, stern, waist, feet, etc)


It actually reminds me of a paper published a while ago in regards to the negative effects of distal mass on O2 consumption. I was quick to blame my running woes on my size 47 shoes....

[fatsculler]

Just as an aside, I started on GLP-1 (Wegovy) last week, so far I'm 3.5Kg down (7.7lbs). No significant side-effects (yet) but I'm finding it a struggle to consume the 110g of protein my dr has recommended....finally bit the bullet today and bought some protein powder which should make getting 30-40g a little easier! Target is to lose c.20kg (44lbs) in 6 months.

[crewu]

The best training plan for every masters crew i ever raced with was "everyone just lose 25 pounds." I'm sure GLP-1s would help massively for that.

The other area in rowing where GLP-1s have been coming up recently is for weight loss for female rowers with PCOS. These rowers often tend to be astonishingly strong and pull massive erg scores. In fact there is a woman I met once who monitors erg score at various erg sprints around the country and if there is a 13, 14, or 15 year old girl who pulls an unbelievably fast erg score she reaches out to their parents and recommends they get their daughter tested for PCOS.

[lt.wolf]

Your masters crews are different than the ones I race in…