Gliclazide Enhances Exercise Performance and Recovery of Muscle Strength in Healthy Trained Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT To examine the acute effect of gliclazide on exercise performance and recovery of muscle strength in healthy participants. We conducted a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover clinical trial in 44 strength‐trained men. They were allocated to gliclazide modified release (MR) (90 mg, 8h before exercise sessions) or placebo, undergo three consecutive sessions of strength exercise (four sets, 80% of one‐repetition maximum [1‐RM] of bench press and free squat exercise). We evaluated total volume‐load (VL) (#repetitions x 80%1‐RM), range of motion (ROM), insulin and glucose levels, creatine kinase MM (CK‐MM), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), hemodynamic parameters, perceived muscle soreness and recovery scores. Gliclazide enhanced strength exercise performance with improvements in total VL (bench press 23.3%, p < 0.001; squat 23.2%, p < 0.001), and improved muscle recovery 24–48h post‐exercise: ROM (shoulder 1.1%, p < 0.001; knee 1.6%, p = 0.004), CK‐MM (−13.2%, p < 0.001), LDH (−12.8%, p < 0.001), TNF‐α (−17.4%, p < 0.001), IL‐6 (−5.3%, p < 0.001), muscle soreness (−17.7%, p < 0.001) and recovery scores (32.5%, p = 0.001). However, hypoglycemia events were observed in 3 participants in the gliclazide group. In conclusion, Gliclazide MR 90 mg, 8h before strength exercise, produced ergogenic effects (exercise performance and muscle recovery), although hypoglycemia was observed in 7% of subjects. Registration: “www.clinicaltrials.gov”, “NCT04443777” (Primary Completion: 01/08/2020; Study Completion: 31/10/2023)