Gyms are set to cash in on the fat jab craze as users flock to pump iron to combat the side effect of weak muscles.
Fitness bosses told The Mail on Sunday that rather than cancelling gym memberships after shedding the pounds, people are heading back to bulk up.
Some who would usually shy away from working out have also been inspired to start exercising after slimming down.
Weight-loss drugs, medically known as GLP-1s, can cause a loss of muscle mass alongside fat, so doctors advise that users take up strength training and eat enough protein to combat the unhelpful side effects.
Brands such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are taken as a weekly injection to trick the body into thinking it is full, meaning people eat less and therefore lose weight.
This has led to some gyms putting on specialist courses to help people build up their muscles after a course of fat jabs.
Will Orr, the boss of the Gym Group, which has 250 sites across the country, said the rise in fat jab use was ‘an opportunity for fitness operators to grow gym memberships in the UK’.
He noted that Ozempic, which is marketed as a diabetes treatment but commonly used as a weight-loss drug, could ‘deplete strength’ and users would need to exercise their muscles to offset the effects.
Weight-loss drugs, medically known as GLP-1s, can cause a loss of muscle mass alongside fat, so doctors advise that users take up strength training and eat enough protein to combat the unhelpful side effects
Brands such as Wegovy and Mounjaro are taken as a weekly injection to trick the body into thinking it is full, meaning people eat less and therefore lose weight. This has led to some gyms putting on specialist courses to help people build up their muscles after a course of fat jabs
‘We have begun educating trainers on how best to support members on these treatments, with advice on a fitness and strength programme,’ Mr Orr added.
Rebecca Passmore, group chief operating officer at the PureGym chain, said the company had set up a dedicated course for members to understand how fat jabs worked and the effects on the body.
‘We are seeing more members ask questions about GLP-1s and it’s important that our PureGym team become properly equipped to support them,’ she said.
Predictions of an uptick in gym memberships come as the use of fat jabs has exploded worldwide, with around 2.5million people estimated to be using the drugs in Britain alone.
Celebrities such as tennis star Serena Williams and TV show host Oprah Winfrey are among those admitting to having taken weight loss treatments.