You (Probably) Don’t Need Peptides. You Need a Better Fitness Philosophy.

I don’t always love the direction the fitness industry is headed.

I particularly don’t like the overreach of many fitness influencers who are now recommending prescription medications to their audiences.

On this occasion, I’m talking about peptides (or more specifically: clinical incretin-based drugs). Things like tirzepatide (also known as Mounjaro), retatrutide (Reta), and Ozempic, for weight loss, in particular.

These prescription drugs are distinct but rely on similar mechanisms (more on that in a moment). Either way, they have generally been lumped together as “miracle weight loss drugs” by a lot of ill-informed content creators.

I’m actually going to focus on tirzepatide, specifically, for this post. Why? Because that’s the compound that seems to be gaining the most traction, lately, and because it serves as a microcosm of the problem at large.

One big fitness influencer actually said that “more people should be on tirzepatide than not.” This is so recklessly harmful that it’s actually mind-blowing. He also described it as a “health elixir” while leaving out all the important caveats to its purported benefits.

I will argue against the use of peptides, generally, and tirzepatide, specifically. Not for those that genuinely need it as advised by their doctors; but for those who just want a shortcut to lose weight faster. Or who have been fooled by this rhetoric into thinking it’s some kind of miracle drug.

I’m concerned about the health implications, as we’ll see. But I’m even more concerned about the philosophy behind these decisions.

Let’s take a look at why.

Why Tirzepatide (Almost Definitely) Isn’t For You

Tirzepatide is a GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist and a serious pharmaceutical. It should not be treated casually as something you “hop on” to lose a little bit of weight.

GLP-1 and GIP are “incretin” hormones. GLP-1 is glucagon-like peptide-1. This is a hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite. GLP-1 agonists work by mimicking this hormone to stimulate insulin release, slowing stomach emptying, and increasing satiety.

GIP, meanwhile, is glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide – a hormone that is produced in the gut after eating and which has a more direct role in fat metabolism and glucagon management.

Tirzepatide can be useful for people who have genuinely tried every other option for weight loss. Who perhaps struggle with hormonal imbalances that make it genuinely harder for them to get into shape. Who experience serious health risks as a result of being overweight that make peptides an acceptable risk to reward calculation.

I have friends and family who have used peptides like this to lose weight, in this way, and seriously: no judgement. From my coaching days I genuinely have great sympathy for those that do everything right and still don’t lose the weight. For the right people, tirzepatide could be life-changing.

But this should only be done through the help of a doctor who fully understands the risks and who can help guide the process.

And using these things to get a ripped physique or whatever? It’s painfully misguided and could lead to serious consequences.

Before anyone jumps in with the list of counter arguments, let’s address each of the common ones here.

Because, on paper, I can see why tirzepatide sounds like a fine idea. Tirzepatide encourages weight loss by suppressing appetite, slowing gastric emptying, improving insulin sensitivity/glycemic control, and possibly impacting reward pathways (dopamine).

That’s all: it’s not anabolic, and it’s not chemically addictive. The side effects are moderate and manageable.

Many people report gastric issues, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation… but these effects tend to ease off with time and they are all dose dependent. There is some evidence that these substances can lead to muscle loss but this appears to largely be a product of the weight loss itself – not a direct result of using tirzepatide.

So, in principle, if you use a low dose of tirzepatide and carefully manage your training and protein intake, you can maintain your muscle mass and look a lot leaner with minimal effort and few of the downsides. If you do notice side effects? Just cut the dose even further.

So, what’s Adam’s problem?

(Would it surprise you to know my family sometimes refer to me as “Square Bear?” Guess who else is square: Optimus Fucking Prime.)

First of all: choosing to use tirzepatide, or reta, or Ozempic is pretty much a lifetime deal. Because – what – you’re going to one day decide you don’t need to be that lean anymore? I always say that any fitness or health routine that can’t be maintained indefinitely is pointless.

And, yes, I’ve heard people say they’ll just get to the weight they want to and then maintain. But is that realistic? Given that the whole reason you’re using the drugs in the first place is that you can’t maintain that lower caloric input to begin with?

This is especially troublesome given that weight regain after withdrawal is a common, known issue. And there are additional, biological reasons for this: as stopping the drug could trigger a “rebound” effect due to issues like metabolic adaptation. In other words: rapid weight loss is harder to maintain because the body sees this as a threat and responds by trying to reinstate the previous status-quo.

In one trial, it was found that 50% of users regained lost weight after a year of stopping. In another, the average return to pre-treatment weight was recorded as 1.7 years.

But you’re probably not like those people… right?

The problem is that using these drugs doesn’t change the underlying issues. You’re not addressing any hormone imbalances that might have led to your unexpected weight gain. You’re not addressing lifestyle issues that cause over eating or low activity. You’re not working on addictive behaviours or psychological causes.

And you’re not building a routine and a diet that you can adhere to, for the long term.

If you tell someone to use tirzepatide, it’s very possible they’ll have to use it indefinitely to maintain their results.

That sure is some recommendation.

Slower Weight Loss = Better Weight Loss

Like so many things, it comes down to people wanting a quicker and easier solution. They want to skip straight to the most extreme option so that they get the benefits right away. But, actually, this rapid change introduces new issues all of its own. Go too aggressive and that’s when you risk losing muscle mass or bone density.

It’s also what results in the gaunt and sunken look of some of the people who use it – including some of the fitness creators I’ve seen peddling it in this space. You’ve heard of Ozempic Face – but now we’re dealing with Zepbound Face.

The leaner you are to begin with, the more this is likely to affect you facially. So, again, it’s just not for people who don’t need it.

It reminds me of celebrities getting extreme plastic surgery to look younger or more attractive, while everyone else looks on in horror at what they’ve done to their face.

And it’s crazy, again, given that most people rate those with body fat percentages in the double digits as appearing more healthy. It’s mad to me that people use tirzepatide to look better, ostensibly, but end up looking like vampires. I think it speaks to an underlying body dysmorphia or obsession.

Which really is pretty sad. I don’t imagine that tirzepatide helps with that relationship to food.

The Serious Long-Term Risks

Then there’s the thing that everyone wants to conveniently avoid talking about: the uncertainty over long-term use.

Again, I want to be fair and include the counter arguments here before I make my case. Some people will say that GLP-1 receptor agonists have existed for much longer than this current trend of taking peptides – perhaps pointing to exenatide being approved in 2005.

The mechanisms of GLP-1 agonism are well studied. Tirzepatide is just a peptide and peptides have been around since forever.

Except this is a very rose-tinted view of the situation. As mentioned at the start: tirzepatide is not just a GLP-1 agonist. It is also a dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist. This GIP receptor agonism is the novel part and that’s where long-term data is lacking.

And this could have far-reaching implications: GIP receptors are distributed widely throughout the body, including in the bone and brain.

While we have good short-to-medium term safety data, then, we simply don’t have sufficient data to draw conclusions as to the safety of its long-term use. Or the other more subtle effects it could have.

(Note that this is where the difference lies between these different peptides. Ozempic is only a GLP-1 agonist. Reta, conversely, is a triple agonist that targets GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors simultaneously.)

Here’s what I WILL say: no part of the body works in total isolation from the rest. You cannot simply increase or decrease one hormone or neurotransmitter without it having cascading effects throughout the body. Hormones controlling appetite are linked closely to wakefulness, mood, energy, bowel movements, motivation, and more. And all these things affect one another and interact with external cues.

Every hormone and chemical in the body is monitored closely by internal systems and used to “signal” various states, triggering the release and control of other chemicals. The body doesn’t think of it as “weight loss receptors.” It’s far, far more complex than that. Appetite, energy, mood, and wakefulness are all affected by ghrelin, GLP-1, and dopamine among many other chemicals.

And there’s reason to suggest this link is not purely hypothetical, as wrong doses of tirzepatide have been reported to cause notable central nervous system disruption. Some individuals have even reported hallucinations and paranoia – although this is currently not supported by mainstream evidence. These instances are rare and anecdotal but still prominent enough to warrant caution; and just because you aren’t likely to experience these extreme symptoms doesn’t mean there’s no effect occurring at a lower level.

And consider the (largely anecdotal) claim that tirzepatide helps combat other addictive behaviours. That sounds great – and it is! But if that’s the case, it’s likely because the drug is affecting your reward pathways and likely your motivation.

You can’t have it both ways.

As for the “just a peptide” argument – that’s completely redundant. Insulin is a peptide but no one is suggesting everyone should use that. Peptide simply means a short chain of amino acids and says nothing of safety or mechanism.

Magic mushrooms are “just” mushrooms… but, as with certain peptides, they certainly need to be treated differently from portobello.

Unknown Unknowns

But I’m not an expert. I had to do a lot of research to dig this up. I’m not saying “tirzepatide will cause serious health issues.” I’m well aware that nearly any medication carries risks and there’s always a calculation to be made, there.

What I’m saying is we genuinely don’t know. I could also point to the study that found high doses of Tirzepatide could lead to the formation of thyroid C-cell tumours in rats. We can’t apply findings on rats to humans and the doses used likewise limit the applicability.

But we also can’t rule out the possibility that this is an issue in humans. It could very well be relevant.

We also don’t know all the ways it could affect people with other conditions. From other backgrounds.

Do you really want to take that risk? For the sake of looking better on social media or whatever?

And that’s what drives me mad about these influencers confidently telling everyone they should take these drugs. There are only two possible explanations:

They understand the risks but recommend the drugs anyways.
They are genuinely arrogant enough to believe that their “deep research” on Google is enough to confidently recommend drugs to millions of followers. The FDA placed a black box warning on Tirzepatide regarding the thyroid issues observed in rodents. This caution advises doctors to think very carefully when prescribing it. You know better than them, do you?

Either way, these influencers need to stop.

There’s more, too. The makers of Ozempic are currently facing legal challenges regarding cases of blindness, intestinal blockages, and kidney damage – among other issues.

Now, the kidney damage comes from dehydration which is a secondary effect of behavioural change, triggered by GLPs (which doesn’t mean it can be dismissed, this is still likely to be an issue for some people). Intestinal blockages are real and potentially life threatening but again, could well be avoided with careful dosing.

But blindness is a real concern. Specifically, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) causes sudden, irreversible vision loss, which has been reported by an alarming number of users. The European Medicines Agency concluded this was a “very rare” side effect that could affect up to one in 10,000 people. This issue is only officially reported for semaglutide use, however the fact that tirzepatide uses the same GLP-1 mechanism, raises reasonable questions and certainly warrants further research.

Again, we need perspective. A lot of drugs come with the risk of blindness – if you read the possible side effects on many prescription medications it can be pretty daunting. So, while this might sound alarming, it’s still not a nail in the coffin.

If you need it.

Because for someone just looking to make their abs pop more, this is seriously short-sighted.

Which, yes, is somewhat ironic.

But… it’s Good for Other Stuff, Right?

And as for the other health benefits people are reporting – like how tirzepatide can blunt certain addictive behaviours? How it’s anti-inflammatory, particularly for the brain; how it can benefit kidney and heart health, or how it can normalise blood glucose.

Firstly, these are all wild extrapolations that still carry all the same issues. The human data for addiction is observational and the mechanistic data is looking at rodents. But also, as I already expressed, if this does work, it does so by blunting the dopamine response. Which, as you might have guessed, is FAR from a purely good thing.

Also… what happens when you stop? Next!

It’s similar for the inflammation stuff. Yeah, there are robust findings that look promising. But the neuroinflammation studies are, again, on rats. And those rats were in an “active state of inflammation.” This tells us very little about how it might benefit a healthy, human brain.

Of course it normalises blood glucose: it’s a diabetes drug. And if you have normal blood glucose already, you don’t need it.

Claiming this is some kind of wonder drug is remarkably cavalier and irresponsible. Again, this can only be due to either a misunderstanding OR a willingness to cause harm to others in exchange for money.

And honestly, making these sweeping claims without context, glossing over the caveats… it feels very calculated and manipulative.

More to the point: there are other ways to reduce inflammation. And normalise blood glucose. Through diet, exercise, sleep, better lifestyle habits.

I, personally, feel full of energy and strength. I have more energy than I did before I was a parent, in fact. I sleep better. My mood is great. I look at least good enough to run a fitness YouTube channel! I can leap over railings as high as my sternum.

I got that way through exercise – training more regularly without absolutely destroying myself and being generally more active. I got that way through improving my diet. And, crucially, I got that way by getting my mind right.

Again, I want to be clear: I’m not making sweeping statements about this drug. I’m not saying it’s terrible. I’m not saying doctors are bad for prescribing it. I’m not saying there aren’t use-cases for it.

I’m saying that influencers who recommend it to their entire following are not to be trusted. Especially when they present the drugs as being completely safe and a great idea for anyone to lose weight with.

Especially, especially when they’re selling the same substances or getting sponsored by companies that do.

Here We Go Again

But peddling potentially dangerous substances onto the masses is sadly nothing new.

There’s always something new for people to sell and it always falls by the wayside after a while. We saw it with Fen-phen – the miracle weight loss solution withdrawn from the market seven years later due to the severe cardiac risks.

We saw it with ephedra.

We saw it with SARMs.

But this actually reminds me more of the current craze for steroids and TRT. Too many fitness influencers casually flaunt their usage and make it look like a desirable lifestyle decision.

TRT has benefits for people with genuine hormone issues, when prescribed by a doctor and only after all other interventions have failed. Even in low doses, it has serious side effects and risks that would be foolish to invite into your life unless absolutely necessary.

If your argument is that you need TRT or PEDs to build more muscle and lift more, then you’re essentially signing up for life. Injecting yourself for life. If you’re dissatisfied with natural now, you’ll be dissatisfied later.

Sound familiar?

And you’re still not going to be able to compete with people who just take more than you. You’ll just be a small fish in an even bigger pond, unless you push yourself further. You’re no longer pushing the limits of what you can do naturally. And you’re certainly not pushing any other limits unless you start using seriously dangerous quantities.

So, what’s the point? Who are you trying to impress?

Does your sport simply become a matter of who can handle the most drugs without dying? Is that something you feel proud to accomplish?

A Better Fitness Philosophy

You don’t need to be able to bench twice your bodyweight to feel “legitimate.” That’s entirely a self constructed delusion. No one in your offline life cares.

The same goes for reaching single-digit body fat with peptides. This will have so little impact on your real life.

You can get incredibly strong and muscular without TRT. And if you’ve genuinely hit a wall, the more functional thing to do would be to work on other aspects of your performance or a new skill. Like your cardio, your mobility, your technique. Areas that offer limitless opportunity for growth and development with no need to suppress your natural hormone production, to alter your natural peaks and troughs that should be dictated by your internal rhythms, to accelerate hair loss, or give yourself a bright red face. No need to invite body dysmorphia, addiction, dependency, heart issues, liver issues. No need to fund an industry that’s happy to hurt people to make a profit.

That’s what I mean when I say steroids aren’t functional. It’s not functional to become such a specialist that you need to harm your body to get there. There’s simply no point.

When someone argues with me and says “no because actually this particular steroid doesn’t have that specific side effect when combined with this herb!” – they’re completely missing the point of what I’m arguing.

You’re putting your body at risk for narrow performance benefits that in no way benefit your performance outside of an extremely narrow definition.

Who gets to a 200kg bench press and thinks… you know what? I’m going to risk my health to add 10kg to that number!

And peptides are the exact same. You don’t need to use drugs to go from 12% body fat to 10%. It’s not going to improve your life in any meaningful way – certainly not to the point where the risks are worth it.

And those using it to go lower than 10%? That wouldn’t be particularly healthy even if it were achieved naturally. It can only be explained by severe vanity, desperation, or body dysmorphia.

You don’t need tirzepatide or other peptides, just like you don’t need steroids.

In other words: even if tirzepatide truly were a miracle weight-loss drug with zero side effects, I’d still be recommending you avoid it. It’s like… poor body image in a vial.

Learn to accept your limitations. Learn to enjoy the process. Have patience. Focus on health beyond the surface level.

You don’t need tirzepatide. What you need is a better fitness philosophy.