Metformin. A panacea for GH related insulin resistance or a recipe for gastrointestinal disaster?
Metformin has been around in mainstream medicine since the 1950’s and is arguably one of the most well researched medications in history. The safety profile for Metformin is considered excellent among diabetics, of which is a very unhealthy population. In a nut shell, Metformin reduces the amount of glucose your liver releases into your blood. In turn, it also makes your body respond better to insulin. This is a valuable drug when an athlete is using Human Growth Hormone (HGH) because HGH will increase the amount of glucose in the bloodstream and decrease the bodies ability to respond well to insulin. This is known as HGH induced insulin resistance. We don’t know for sure if HGH induced insulin resistance in a muscular individual carries the same health risks (and performance detriments) as insulin resistance caused by conventional lifestyle factors, but I do not suggest you be the guinea pig. There are of course several other ways in which one can combat HGH induced insulin resistance with insulin peptides and other glucose metabolism regulators, but Metformin is considered the safest choice long term, alongside long term HGH use. Those who have used HGH can agree that long term HGH use is almost necessary to yield the drug’s maximal benefits; though that’s a story for another day involving words such as Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins and IGF-1. Let’s stick with figuring out Metformin for today. Oh, and for the lay person reading on confused, here is a simple viewpoint to consider:
– Increased insulin sensitivity = more muscle, less body fat and better health.
– Increased insulin resistance = less muscle, more body fat and worse health.
As far as the side effect profile for Metformin, the drug is considered excellent. Nothing major to report aside from gastrointestinal (GI) distress. It is well known that Metformin’s most common side effect (and perhaps only side effect likely directly caused from the drug itself) is GI distress. It is hypothesised that Metformin causes a rearranging of a user’s gut bacteria into a more “favourable” environment. This rearranging process comes to a complete halt in about 10-14 days after starting the drug (if you experience the side effects at all). There is however approximately 10% of individuals that will experience these side effects no matter what the dose or duration of the drug, making Metformin a poor choice at any stage.
In most users, Metformin increases muciniphila and Lactobacilli, which are microbe populations that are associated with individual’s who have healthy digestive systems or are without digestive issues. In some users, Metformin increases Escherichia microbes, which is thought to be associated with the 10% individuals who suffer chronic gastrointestinal distress. GI distress is no joke, as GI distress is associated with poorer immune function, cognitive function, mental health, malabsorption of essential micronutrients and just about everything you don’t want to experience as a human. If you’ve been taking Metformin for a couple of weeks and you’ve got gas, bloating, nausea or any other objective marker of GI distress, then I strongly consider you stop taking the drug altogether. The cascade of negatives downstream as a result of poor digestion is no joke. All one has to do is Google the phrase “gut brain connection” and a barrage of scary anecdotes will arise as a result of someone who’s cluster symptoms of insanity began as a mere case of bloating. Not to mention poor digestion usually means poor appetite. As per my last write up, poor appetite also means a scrawny man.
As amazing, safe, “side effect free” and multi functional as the use cases of Metformin can be, it is definitely not for everyone. I wanted to share this perspective to illustrate the biodiversity from one individual to the next. There is no magic formula for everyone. This goes for all of the buzz drugs like tren, HGH and anavar. It is not unreasonable to experience more negative from a drug than it provides positive. Common sense then tells you that a drug can potentially make you take a step backward, not forward in the direction you were wanting to go. Energy and wellness are subjective markers any human can use as gauges of whether or not a drug protocol is right for them. Wedged right amongst getting a good sleep is good digestion.
I hope this helps! Any specific questions related to this post do not hesitate to ask in the comments section below or email us at [email protected]
– Dave from Austeroids.is