Serena Williams, GLP-1s, and the Rise of Peptides as Elite Performance Tools

Serena Williams is making a tennis comeback and crediting GLP-1 medications — the class of drugs that includes Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound — with helping her shed 34 pounds after her second child in 2023 and move more fluidly on court. She's a paid partner of Ro, a telehealth company that prescribes these drugs, in which her husband and Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian is a board member and major investor. In a high-profile Super Bowl ad, Williams highlighted improved mobility and steadier blood sugar as key benefits, framing GLP-1s as a health optimization tool rather than a performance enhancer.

Her endorsement lands at a moment when GLP-1 drugs — technically peptides — are surging in popularity well beyond their original clinical purpose of treating diabetes and obesity. Athletes, gym-goers, and bodybuilders are increasingly tapping into both prescribed and underground peptide markets, using compounds like BPC-157 for injury recovery and ipamorelin CJC-1295 for lean muscle growth alongside GLP-1s for fat loss. The community has dubbed GLP-1s essentially the next evolution in the long tradition of athletes using exogenous hormones to optimize their bodies.

At the elite end of the spectrum, bodybuilder and exercise physiologist Pat Davidson is preparing for Mr. Universe-style competitions this July by taking retatrutide — an experimental, not-yet-approved Eli Lilly GLP-1 drug sourced through underground research channels. He reports dropping over 30 pounds in three months without meaningful strength loss, calling it the most powerful fat-loss drug ever seen. Doctors strongly caution against unsupervised use of such compounds.

On the medical side, concierge longevity physician Dr. Nima Afshar at Private Medical in San Francisco says he now prescribes GLP-1s to dozens of elite clients who aren't necessarily obese but carry dangerous visceral fat — the metabolically active, deep-belly fat linked to heart disease and diabetes. Using InBody scans, ultrasounds, bloodwork, and blood pressure readings, Afshar targets visceral fat reduction and systemic inflammation rather than simply weight loss. He pairs prescriptions with maximum-recommended protein intake and movement programs to protect muscle mass. Dr. Mitch Biermann of Scripps Health in San Diego echoes the trend, noting that indications for GLP-1 prescriptions are expanding to cover joint pain, high blood pressure, and inflammation — conditions broadly tied to excess body fat. Some private insurers are now requiring patients to follow structured nutrition and exercise programs as a condition of GLP-1 coverage.