An In-Depth Scientific Breakdown on Metformin and Telmisartan for Biohacking Physique and Performance
As an anti-aging biohacker and metabolic health expert, few things get me more excited than discovering promising new applications of established pharmaceuticals for enhancing human performance and longevity. So when I came across a live stream discussion between IFBB pro bodybuilder Logan Guthrie and prominent fitness personalities Justin Mihaly and Jason Theobald regarding the benefits of two such medications – metformin and telmisartan – my interest was intensely piqued.
In this no-nonsense science-based guide, I’ll provide detailed background on each drug and unpack the anecdotal experiences that suggest metformin and telmisartan can help bodybuilders push muscle growth, body composition, and workout performance to new heights when used strategically.
The Origins of Metformin – From French Lilac to Diabetes Treatment
First synthesized in 1922, metformin was derived from a compound found in the plant Galega officinalis, more commonly known as French lilac. Used as a traditional herbal medicine, French lilac was believed to relieve frequent urination and other early symptoms of diabetes. This sparked research into isolating and testing the bioactive ingredient, discovering that the organic biguanide compound ‘metformin’ displayed clinically relevant blood glucose lowering effects.
Initially studied as an anti-diabetic therapy in the 1950s, metformin proved to effectively lower blood sugar levels by suppressing liver glucose production and improving cellular glucose uptake. But due to the FDA’s stringent policies, metformin wasn’t approved for US sale as a prescription medication until 1995, despite decades of widespread use in Europe and Canada.
Now recognized as highly safe and the foremost globally prescribed oral therapy for type II diabetes, recent estimates suggest over 150 million prescriptions are filled annually for metformin in the US alone. However, its still largely untapped effects extend far beyond glycemic control, as the fitness community is beginning to discover.
Mechanistically, researchers have identified metformin’s primary pathway is activation of AMPK, which functions as a master metabolic regulator inside cells. Turning on AMPK mimics the beneficial gene expression and enzymatic adaptation seen during exercise to increase insulin sensitivity, crank up metabolism, stimulate autophagy, reduce inflammation and lower oxidative stress – all effects believed to promote longevity.
The Expert Perspective – How Metformin Can Enhance Body Composition
While medically targeted as a diabetes therapy, many prominent biohackers and medical practitioners like Drs. Tommy Wood, Gary Fettke and Peter Attia recognize and endorse the utility of metformin specifically for enhancing athletic performance, training recovery and optimizing body composition when muscle building is the primary priority.
As Dr. Fettke recounted, he began investigating metformin after stumbling onto hard training Olympic and NHL athletes already self-experimenting with the drug under top medical supervision. Expert biohacker and podcaster Ben Greenfield has also detailed his first-hand experiences using therapeutic metformin dosing to modify body composition and accelerate fat loss during contest prep or intense training phases when rapid visible improvements are sought after.
Anecdotally, IFBB coaching legend Victor Black reports consistently seeing metformin’s benefits for muscle building manifest visually on his top-level bodybuilders when they pair the drug’s metabolic stimulation and heightened cellular insulin sensitivity with a high carbohydrate intake necessary for supporting maximal rates of muscle protein synthesis.
Corroborating claims of enhanced muscularity due to metformin helping shuttle nutrients into muscle tissue, IFBB pro John Jewett has credited adding metformin into his stack year-round alongside growth hormone peptides and androgens for pushing his freaky mass and shredded conditioning to the next level. For bodybuilders, this ability to utilize more insulin without going into a diabetic range is invaluable when striving for maximum size.
In fact, when tops pros like Logan Guthrie posit most national level competitors are likely taking metformin, it seems reasonable to speculate that those battling for Mr. Olympia may be leaning on its muscle building perks even more extensively. Of course, without definitive drug testing, we can only theorize on how widely adopted metformin is at the upper echelons.
Why Has Discussion of Metformin Been So Hushed? Competition and Capitalism!
Justin Mihaly astutely points out that metformin and telmisartan don’t align financially with the highly profitable supplement industry, and thus companies have little incentive to market or openly sponsor athletes using generic pharmaceutical preparations readily available at low costs. Quite oppositely, the industry has financial disincentives against bringing more publicity to metformin’s utility for muscle building when OTC supplements are trying to be sold.
Considering many consumers trust flashy sponsored athletes and MetRX style “science” more blindly than evidence-based medicine focused on quantifiable outcomes instead of hypothetical mechanisms, we shouldn’t expect those with financial stakes in the game to start spreading information about pharmaceuticals allowing competitors to gain real advantages. Capitalistic greed over profits has tainted the incentive structures around transparency regarding PEDs. But Mihaly and Theobald’s stream represents a push back against misinformation.
By combining metformin with tried and true bodybuilding nutrition fundamentals focused on high protein, moderate fat and ample carbohydrates to support energetic demands, much anecdotal evidence indicates leverage can be gained. So for enhanced muscularity, athleticism and general health, those willing to put in hard work can still likely benefit from biohacking metformin.
Actionable Recommendations – Who Should Consider Metformin and How to Use It
Based on the wealth of experiential reports and robust mechanistic rationale, I believe metformin holds promise for assisting serious athletes in sculpting a lean, muscular and aesthetic physique. But exactly who stands to benefit from strategically incorporating metformin and what sensible protocols are recommended?
Ideal candidates for potential metformin response have higher starting body fat percentages in the 15-25% range since the drug directly targets pathological metabolic dysfunction like insulin resistance stemming from contemporary obesity. Fitter individuals with lower body fat may see negligible real world effects or require overly high doses that increase possible side effect risks.
Another key indicator used to predict likely metformin response includes family history of type II diabetes or heart disease – essentially some genetic susceptibilities indicating impaired glucose regulation or lipid metabolism. Individuals with these genetic risk factors could gain protection from metformin’s pathway activations.
In terms of practical application for leveraging metformin’s body composition manipulation potential, experts advise starting with very low daily doses in the 500-1000mg range, taken 1-2x before meals higher in carbohydrates to target shuttling glucose directly into muscle. This helps avoid triggering digestive issues, which present the main side effect risks, especially during initial adjustment period.
Ramping dosage up slowly while monitoring biomarkers like fasting glucose, HbA1c and c-peptide for positive changes allows finding the minimal effective threshold dose on an individual basis. Some find strong benefits from just 500-1000mg intermittent low dose metformin, others report utilizing up to 2000mg daily.
With long term steady use, periodic cycling down or cessation may help avoid cellular adaptation and declining effects. As always, working under close medical supervision for bloodwork safety monitoring is highly recommended when adding pharmaceuticals like metformin to any training regimen or contest prep protocol.
The Blood Pressure Medication Telmisartan – Versatile Effects for Bodybuilders
Originally developed by Boehringer Ingelheim and launched commercially as Micardis in 1999, telmisartan acts as highly selective antagonist of the angiotensin II receptor subtype 1 (AT1). Classified as an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), telmisartan works to lower blood pressure by binding and blocking activation of AT1 receptors dotting smooth muscle vasculature.
Blocking the AT1 receptor inhibits constriction of blood vessels, allowing them to relax and widen resulting in lower blood pressure. This also reduces the workload on the heart. Unlike earlier ARBs, telmisartan also acts as a partial agonist of the Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) pathway to deliver unique insulin sensitizing effects.
Through a 2011 licensing deal with Abbott Laboratories, Micardis became one of the best selling ARB medications globally, topping $1 billion in annual sales by 2016 before going off patent and seeing much expanded generic telmisartan availability.
While medically targeted for reducing hypertension, telmisartan’s versatile effects have made it of growing interest amongst bodybuilders and biohackers. As Justin Mihaly explained in detail during his livestream breakdown, different telmisartan dosages confer different advantages – covering blood pressure reduction, left ventricular hypertrophy regression, blood thinning vascularity, and general cellular sensitization.
Starting at just 10-20mg doses, telmisartan offers noticeable blood thinning effects resulting in enhanced vascularity coveted for improving muscular definition. This makes sense since inhibiting AT1 relaxes blood vessels, allowing for greater blood flow and nutrient delivery into working tissues.
Bumping telmisartan dosage up to the 40-80mg daily range better targets pathological left ventricular hypertrophy – effectively the enlarged ‘swole heart’ cardiac muscle growth that can occur with exogenous anabolic use. Telmisartan has proven medical efficacy for regressing LVH changes, making it a useful component alongside cardio protective supplements when on cycle.
Higher doses also increase cellular sensitivity and augment nitric oxide generation – both effects helping maximize gym pump intensity during brutal workout sessions. When paired strategically with other ergogenics targeting muscle growth and recovery, telmisartan fits perfectly into a fully comprehensive enhancement protocol.
Closing Thoughts – Open Dialogue Allows Learning and Progress
While often stigmatized and demonized, an objective view recognizes that all humans, especially athletes constantly pursuing peak performance, will inevitably experiment with any small edge granted through proprietary knowledge, technology or chemicals. Rather than denial or avoidance, we should foster openness, transparency and honest dialogue regarding pharmaceutical agents like metformin and telmisartan with potential body composition and training benefits worth monitoring closely.
Suppression of speech is no panacea for complex socioethical issues surrounding PEDs. Driving discourse underground risks lives and hampers progress towards harm reduction. As Logan Guthrie, Justin Mihaly and Jason Theobald’s livestream demonstrated – more conversation, education and rational debate offers the path forward. I applaud them for taking the first step. My hope is this guide provides actionable foundations for interested readers to build further knowledge upon.