A New Shift In Supplementation : GLP-1 Agonists and Chromium Picolinate
Scientifically known as semaglutide, Ozempic is a drug that’s taken the world by storm, chiefly because of its successful weight management results. Originally developed to manage type-2 diabetes, it’s in a class of prescription drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists. This also includes Wegovy, an injectable drug that is approved for use as a weight loss medication in obese patients. While these medications show promise for weight loss, they’re not a panacea, and dieters should always consider all health avenues, whether or not a GLP-1 agonist drug is used. This includes diet, exercise, and supplements to fill nutritional gaps.
Savvy consumers and dietary supplement brands must keep this in mind when developing supplement stacks and products to support weight and health goals — users of GLP-1 medications represent a new and growing demographic in the market to assist.
The news surrounding GLP-1 agonists has highlighted many of their positive and negative effects, reinforcing the stance that diet, exercise, and supplementation need to be considered in all situations.
In recent weeks, new reports of Ozempic’s side effects have emerged, which can be summarized succinctly by reference to the Atlantic’s headline proclaiming that “Ozempic Makes You Lose More Than Fat”.[2] Unfortunately, it seems that treatment with this drug can cause significant amounts of muscle loss, as explored by an April 2024 systematic research review investigating six separate studies.[3]
Still – the same review found that even in larger trials where the reduction in lean mass was more evident, semaglutide treatment increased the study subjects’ proportion of lean mass, indicating a net improvement to overall body composition.[3]
Whether this makes Ozempic “worth it” for any given dieter is highly dependent on that person’s individual context. Some people can maintain a high-protein diet with resistance training, which may stave off many of these effects. Others also have more muscle mass to begin with. So, as always, you should ask your doctor if these findings may relate to you.
The first idea that comes to mind is protein and essential amino acid supplementation. Since high-protein diets have been shown to support body composition with nearly every dietary tactic,[10-14] it’s imperative to keep the critical macronutrient high, support as much muscle mass as possible. Protein shakes can certainly support these goals.
Dieters with lower appetites are likely to be dropping added fats, as well. This is a great opportunity to re-balance the omega-3:omega-6 ratio, which was historically closer to 1:1 before the industrialization of food. Higher omega-6 ratios are predictive of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, diabetes,] and obesity.
So the goal here is to reduce the industrial omega-6 fats, and boost omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to support critical metabolic biomarkers.
GLP-1 agonists are insulinogenic, which is actually not always a bad thing. As it turns out, these drugs only increase insulin secretion when blood glucose levels rise, which is why they can help decrease postprandial hyperglycemia without having an adverse effect on baseline insulin levels. Still, in order to optimize metabolic health, we want the body to use insulin as efficiently as possible, and that’s where Chromium Picolinate comes in.
Ingested chromium binds to a low-molecular-weight peptide complex referred to as low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance (LMWCr). This complex is composed of several amino acids that can chelate chromium ions, forming the active complex known as chromodulin.[48,49]
Though the exact mechanism through which chromium impacts insulin is still unknown, one mechanism is thought to relate to this chromium-chromodulin interaction. One study found that chromodulin activates the insulin receptor,[50] in a manner that roughly approximates insulin itself – but it also amplifies the effect of circulating insulin. One in vitro study has found that chromodulin can increase insulin’s signaling activity by an incredible 800%.[50] And when it comes to stimulating chromodulin activity, chromium is in a class of its own – there is no other mineral that’s been shown to have a similar effect on chromodulin.
In terms of dosage, Chromium Picolinate has been studied in dose ranges providing 200 micrograms to 1000 micrograms of elemental chromium. The two studies showing reductions in cravings provided 600 and 1000 micrograms of chromium.