Final up to date on March 18th, 2025
GLP-1 weight reduction medication like Ozempic and Wegovy are making headlines, however are they stripping away muscle and fats? That query was not too long ago posed to Dr. Layne Norton, PhD in Dietary Sciences. Whereas there’s some reality to the priority, Dr. Norton identified that these medicines stay the simplest weight reduction remedy accessible.
With GLP-1 mimetics now we have, on common, folks lose about 15-20% of their physique weight and hold it off.
—Dr. Layne Norton
Sure, Dr. Norton says these medication can result in a discount in lean muscle mass, however the identical can occur with weight loss program and train. Fat loss isn’t localized, and any weight reduction technique usually includes some extent of muscle loss. The secret is minimizing this muscle discount by way of high quality vitamin and strength training.
[Related: Fat Burn Isn’t Fat Loss. Here’s Why]
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How GLP-1 Medicines Work; Affect on Lean Mass
GLP-1 medication mimic a hormone (glucagon-like peptide-1) that regulates blood sugar and suppresses appetite, making them highly effective instruments for weight reduction. They have been initially developed for kind 2 diabetes. They may also help customers shed a big proportion of their physique weight, an possibility that, for some, is extra interesting than conventional weight-reduction plan and train.
They’re merely essentially the most highly effective urge for food suppressants now we have ever encountered.
—Dr. Layne Norton
Whereas these medicines might be life-changing for weight reduction, not all misplaced weight is pure fats. DEXA scans present that lean mass is measured as an entire, which incorporates muscle, water, meals within the intestine, organs, bones, and even some fats tissue (about 13% of fats is lean).
Key Takeaways
GLP-1 meds don’t magically burn belly fat, and so they don’t boost metabolism. They merely curb starvation, making adhering to a calorie deficit simpler. (1) Whereas muscle loss is a part of any weight reduction journey, resistance coaching, and protein consumption may also help reduce it.
Finally, these medication are a instrument, not a shortcut. Lengthy-term success nonetheless requires healthy nutrition, power coaching, and consistency with each.
Extra In Analysis
Reference
- Moiz A, Filion KB, Tsoukas MA, Yu OH, Peters TM, Eisenberg MJ. Mechanisms of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist-Induced Weight Loss: A Assessment of Central and Peripheral Pathways in Urge for food and Vitality Regulation. Am J Med. 2025 Jan 31:S0002-9343(25)00059-2. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.01.021. Epub forward of print. PMID: 39892489. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39892489/
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