Metformin for longevity but worried about blunting training adaptations, anyone running on it

Posted by student748 in Longevity & Anti-Aging - 1 points, 2 comments.

Been reading heaps about metformin for longevity, the AMPK activation and caloric restriction mimicry sounds sweet as on paper. But i keep seeing people say it can blunt mitochondrial adaptations from exercise because of the complex I inhibition. That kinda worries me given how much volume i run.

For what it is worth i am not on it yet, just weighing it up. The TAME trial framework stuff is interesting but i gather that is mostly older sedentary populations? Not sure how well that translates to someone doing 80-100km weeks.

Has anyone here actually taken metformin at like 500mg daily or even every other day while still training hard? Did you notice your endurance or recovery take a hit? Or was it fine and you just adjusted timing around sessions?

Also curious if people cycle it or just run it continuous. The B12 depletion thing is real, i have seen that clinically, so i would want labs done before and after a few months. Keen to hear what people actually felt versus what the theory says.

Comments

• sleep_coastal: The complex I inhibition thing is real but probably overstated for someone doing that kind of volume. Anecdotally I ran 500mg daily for about four months while doing moderate cardio, not your mileage but decent, and my aerobic capacity felt fine. What I DID notice was a subtle drag on interval work and anything all-out. Like my top-end just felt a little flat. Could've been other stuff going on though. Timing seemed to matter for me, taking it post-session rather than before felt better, less s
• student748: Chur that is really helpful, the post-session timing thing makes a lot of sense actually. I do a fair bit of threshold and VO2 type work so the top-end drag is what i am worried about, even if steady aerobic feels fine. Did you find the flatness stayed the whole four months or did it settle after a few weeks once your body adjusted? For what it is worth that is the bit i can't find much on, whether it is a transient thing or just how it is while you are on it.

Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.