Muscle and GLP-1
GLP-1 /GIP medications like Tirzepatide are becoming our favorite option for weight management with increasing interest in it’s effects on skeletal muscle. Here I take a little deeper dive into how it interacts based on the most recent data and research.
I recently had a doctor say to me “I don’t like how GLP affects protein synthesis on the muscle cells”. I had actually learned that it can help with protein synthesis but we’ve all heard the media hype that you lose muscle on these medications. SO, the big question - is that doctor correct or was what I had previously read correct?
So I decided to look into what the most recent data says about what exactly it does when it comes to muscles! I found a meta-analysis (which means a paper that combines the results of multiple studies on the same topic) from this year on exactly this topic which I’ll link.below. Interestingly this review showed that tirzepatide promotes substantial weight loss primarily through reduction in FAT while PRESERVING lean mass and even IMPROVING muscle composition! (head explosion emoji here)
Further- these results were consistent across demographic subgroups- age, sex, dosing of med, and degree of weight loss.
An MRI done in one substudy focused on skeletal muscle quality in adults with type 2 diabetes on Tirzepatide. The results of the MRI saw significant reduction in muscle fat infiltration and preserved fat free muscle volume!
TLDR: sorry doc! turns out the medication actually not only allows for preserving skeletal muscle mass but IMPROVES muscle composition.
I find it interesting that the doc I spoke with thought the opposite. It goes to show that we need to continue to look at research and evidence and stop allowing media to sway our medical and consumer opinions.
You’ve heard it before but lets say it again, this medication DOES NOT cause any muscle wasting. The more you can support your body and do some form of exercise while making sure to get adequate protein intake (90g will do most people good) the more you will benefit. You can absolutely be on this medication and BUILD muscle baby. It’s all up to you!
Get started today. Schedule a consultation with me and we will go over how best to protect your muscle while losing weight!
If you want to get into the weeds with me here’s the study!
