Developed for people with type 2 diabetes and those living with obesity, nearly 12% of US adults have used weight loss injections according to a 2025 study, with another report claiming that 3.3 million UK adults are expected to use them in 2026.

Cycling has a longstanding and uneasy relationship with body image and weight, forged by a culture that’s trickled down from the pro ranks, where every kilogram matters and diet is continuously under the microscope.

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Of course, there are potential health risks posed by under-fuelling, too, with research still in its early stages and cultural stigmas aplenty. But for certain cyclists – several of whom we’ve spoken to, alongside experts, but did not want to go on the record or would only speak on condition of anonymity – could the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to weight loss drugs?

Performance and Strength & Conditioning Coach at Pure Sports Medicine.

“Their GPs have suggested they get on it, and our job has been working with them to increase their exercise and their activity.”

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Wegovy injection pens arranged in Waterbury, Vermont, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025. Novo Nordisk A/S is following in rival Eli Lilly & Co.’s footsteps by selling its hit weight-loss drug Wegovy directly to US patients at a discount. Photographer: Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg

Semaglutide is the key ingredient in the Wegovy weight loss injection pen (Image credit: Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg/Getty Images)

One study reported up to 40%, while another has found it to be around 10% of the weight lost. Regardless, the loss can negatively affect performance on the bike.

“Total mass may come down, but you’ll probably lose as much muscle as you will fat, so whilst you might get a very temporary, and this is only speculative, increase in watts per kilo that will shortly be followed by a big drop in total capacity to produce watts,” said Impey.

“Your durability will also go down, so your ability to do longer stages, particularly back-to-back days of riding, is going to be impaired as well.”

Cycling is already known to negatively impact bone density, and with the addition of GLP-1s, the risk becomes greater. This is particularly significant for cyclists over 50 due to sarcopenia, an age-related decline in muscle mass, as well as female cyclists who are post-menopausal due to higher rates of osteoporosis.

Weight resistance training and a healthy diet are important to mitigate this.

“On these drugs, up to 40% of the weight you lose can be from muscle mass and bone density, which means you need to be in the gym two or three times a week and you need to make sure that what you’re eating is correct,” said Williams.

Research claims that cycling has a high prevalence of eating disorders, and adding weight loss drugs into the mix could increase this while also perpetuating damaging body image ideals.

“The use of weight loss jabs in a context where thinness is already put on a pedestal and where eating disorders and disordered eating is already a concern, is a recipe for disaster,” said Dr Garcia Ashdown-Franks, research fellow at York St John University.

“I think the introduction of weight loss jabs is going to perpetuate those norms and expectations around having the lowest possible body weight.”

A cyclist riding a gravel bike on an unpaved road in the forest.

Weight loss drugs could further cycling’s already uneasy relationship with body image (Image credit: Susumu Yoshioka/Getty Images)

Williams emphasises that the drugs are not appropriate for people who do not fit the prescribed category.

“There will be people who already have a history of eating disorders or body image issues, or people who want to shed a few kilos, and that’s where the risks come in. It’s not appropriate for them,” said Williams.

However, the drugs have been criticised for being easy to access, and one source based in the US said, “getting prescribed is easier than getting a bag of sweets from the shops.”