GLP-1 use may not lead to as much muscle loss as some expert feared

• The use of GLP-1 medications for weight loss continues to rise.
• One drawback associated with GLP-1 medications is that weight loss not only includes fat loss, but muscle loss as well.
• A new study found that over time, the majority of weight loss from GLP-1 medication was from fat loss, and not muscle loss.

The use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for weight loss, like Zepbound and Wegovy, continue to rise. Recent polls report that one out of every eight Americans are currently taking a GLP-1 medication to either help lose weight or treat a chronic disease.

And with the recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Wegovy pill for weight loss, researchers expect GLP-1 medication usage to continue to grow.

One potential drawback associated with GLP-1 medications is that weight loss not only includes fat loss, but muscle loss as well, with some studies finding that about 30% of the weight loss from GLP-1s may be contributed to loss of lean mass, or muscle mass.

Now, a new study published in the International Journal of Obesity has found that, over time, the majority of weight loss from GLP-1 medication was from fat loss, and not muscle loss.