Cam follower

A cam follower or actuating a gas exchange valve of an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an elongate follower body, which is cold-formed from sheet metal, having a valve-side follower portion, a joint-side follower portion, and two sidewalls with inner faces transversely spaced apart from each other and connected to each other at the valve-side follower portion and the joint-side follower portion,
• the valve-side follower portion has a valve actuation surface and a first bottom portion extending from the valve actuation surface and a first end face extending transverse between the two side faces, and
• the joint-side follower portion has a joint socket for pivotably movably mounting of the cam follower and a second bottom portion with a second end face extending transverse between the two side faces, the joint-side follower portion has a variable cross-sectional profile with a U-shape taken along the second end face of the second bottom portion, the U-Shape merges into an M-Shape adjacent to the joint socket, the M-shape has a trough formed between two sidewalls and the clearances formed on the inner faces of the sidewalls, which widen conically toward the gas exchange valve and which extend at least partially between each of the sidewalls and the second bottom portion.