From the Desk of Dr. Z: AgelessRx Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sajad Zalzala offers his insightful perspective on topics related to longevity. With a wealth of experience and a deep-seated passion for disease prevention and extending healthy lifespans, Dr. Z is dedicated to sharing his knowledge on the secrets to longevity. Today, he shares his knowledge on how to maintain muscle mass with Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, and other GLP-1 medications.
Here’s what we’ll cover in this blog post:
- Does Semaglutide contribute to muscle loss
- Strategies to avoid muscle loss while losing weight
Whether you’re just getting started with GLP-1’s like Semaglutide or Tirzepatide, or you know someone who has, you may have heard that Semaglutide, along with any other weight loss regimen, can cause muscle loss.
It’s not the full story that Semaglutide causes muscle loss. However, maintaining muscle mass while losing weight is still crucial for overall health, metabolic function, and physical strength.
Here, we’ll do a deep dive into how Semaglutide can affect muscle mass and go over strategies to minimize muscle loss.
Does Semaglutide Cause Muscle Loss?
The truth is that any rapid weight loss can lead to loss of muscle mass. But this isn’t a unique mechanism of action for Semaglutide. In fact, this can happen with other medications, diets, and weight loss strategies. That’s why it’s so important to maintain our muscle mass when we’re losing weight.
Moreover, potentially losing muscle mass shouldn’t be a detractor from the potential benefits of Semaglutide. Studies show that the benefits of Semaglutide far outweigh the risk of muscle loss. More importantly, muscle loss on Semaglutide is not inevitable–it can be avoided.
Weight loss often leads to muscle loss due to the body’s metabolic adaptations. This is true for GLP-1’s including Semaglutide and Tirzepatide as with just about any other weight loss method because the body tends to shed muscle when there is less demand for it. As an example, if a person is 20lbs lighter, then their legs also don’t have to carry those 20lbs.
How to Prevent Muscle Loss with Semaglutide
Whether you’re just starting Semaglutide or Tirzepatide, or just getting into a new diet, you can avoid potential muscle loss with proper diet, regular exercise, and smart supplementation of protein, like a quality whey or pea protein.
Try to incorporate weight lifting or body weight exercises into your workout routine at least 2-3 times per week to stimulate muscle growth and maintenance. Combining cardio workouts with resistance training can also help achieve a healthy weight without compromising muscle mass. So long as you maintain your exercise schedule, you should maintain your muscle mass.
You should also try eat a moderate amount of protein every day, without over-consuming. Some recommend at least 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to support muscle protein synthesis, but this may not be appropriate for everyone. Though 1-2g/kg is more than enough for most, it may also cause some to over-consume. I’ve had the most success simply maintaining my usual, moderate amount of protein, which I would guess is no more than 50g—well below what’s recommended for this guideline. I don’t find myself often eating more than this amount of protein, except when I’m at BBQs or otherwise indulging—in other words, over-consuming.
But don’t just eat all your protein at once—spread your protein throughout your daily meals. If dietary restrictions make it difficult to get your daily protein, try taking protein supplements. Since these medications suppress appetite, we have to make a conscience and concerted effort to get enough protein without overeating.
You should also consult your primary care physician to get a sense of what strategies might be best for you. They may also recommend a DEXA body composition scan to better assess your body composition and adjust strategies as needed.
No matter what you do, make sure to do it consistently. Just as weight loss is a long-term goal, so is gaining and maintaining muscle mass. Overall, maintaining muscle mass while losing weight with GLP-1 treatments like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide is achievable with the right approach.
The potential loss of muscle mass on Semaglutide doesn’t make them any less valuable of a longevity tool. But Semaglutide is only one tool in your longevity toolkit. By incorporating resistance training, ensuring adequate protein intake, and making consistent lifestyle changes, you can enhance your overall health and body composition, so you can live a longer, healthier life.
Note: The above statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.