Ozempic Can Cause Muscle Loss—Eating More of This Nutrient Could Help

Eat less protein can be linked to greater muscle loss For people taking weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, According to a recent study presented on July 12 at the ENDO 2025 conference, the annual meeting of the endocrine company.

Rapid weight loss– Impossible of the way it is achieved – is known Reduce lean mass or muscles. Low muscle mass can increase the risk of falls and fractures, especially in the elderly and other groups sensitive to bone loss. It can also harm the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar.

But for those who take agonists from GLP-1 receptors, a class of new generation weight loss drugs, the diet can play a particularly vital role in preserving muscles, researchers revealed. The study has not yet been published in a review evaluated by peers.

“Our data suggests that Higher protein intake– specifically among semaglutide participants – can help Prevent a lean loss of mass, “ The author of the Melanie Haines, MD study, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School, said Health.

For the new study, hatred and colleagues recruited 40 adults with obesity (but no type 2 diabetes) who visited a weight loss clinic. Doctors have prescribed semaglutide, the active ingredient of Ozempic and Wegovy, at 23 patients, and the other 17 followed a program of weight loss and lifestyle.

After three months, the semaglutide group lost more weight than the food and lifestyle group, 6.3% against 2.5%. The two groups have lost a similar percentage of lean muscle mass.

In particular, in the semaglutide group, be older, woman and consume less protein At the start of the study, all were associated with The greatest lean mass losses. In this group, greater muscle loss was also linked to a lesser improvement in blood sugar.

Whether you take a GLP-1 or follow a new diet, you probably eat fewer calories overall. This means consuming less protein, which contains amino acids that help the body keep the muscles.

Although the study has not tested if the consumption of more proteins could help avoid muscle loss, researchers concluded that it seemed likely to do so.

“Our study was not a randomized controlled trial, so we have no direct evidence on the amount of protein,” said hatred. “But it seemed that more protein was better in terms of prevention of lean mass loss.”

It should be noted, however, that the study has certain key limits, including a Lack of peer exam. It is also small, and as most participants were white women, the results may not apply to a wider population, underlined Richard Siegel, MD, endocrinologist and co -director of Diabetes and Lipid Center at the Medical Center toft.

Although the study answers some questions, it raises others, as if people with regard to protein -rich diets lose less muscle and which muscles are most likely to atrophy during weight loss. Future studies should dig these issues, said hatred.

Although the study did not show in a conclusive manner that proteins – or any other nutrient – ready muscle loss, the ability of proteins to support muscle health is well known.

To alleviate muscle atrophy, Siegel recommends up to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for its patients, or about 0.7 grams per book. It means eating roughly 60 to 120 grams of protein per day. Protein -rich foods include:

• Seafood, lean meat and poultry
• Eggs
• Legumes such as beans, peas and lenses
• Soy
• Nuts and seeds

Other macronutrients and vitamins are also important. “You need fat, you need carbohydrates, you need fiber, you need balance,” said Siegel Health.

Experts also recommend Resistance training, Like pumps, squats or weightlifting, to help reduce muscle loss. A 2021 study revealed that, for people who took the Liraglutide of drugs GLP-1, resistance training has contributed to maintaining lean muscle mass.

“If you use drugs alone, without intelligent physical activity and intelligent nutrition, it puts patients at risk of problems,” said Siegel. “If your lean mass is down and your bone mass is declining, you are at risk of falls and fractures, which can ultimately increase morbidity and mortality.”

Some people taking GLP-1 drugs will suffer from nausea and other side effects and may not have much appetite, making it difficult to exercise or eat enough protein. She advises to find a dose with manageable side effects.

“I really encourage my patients that we do not try to pass the highest dose as soon as possible,” said hatred. “Starting low and slowly go with dose titrages can help reduce some of the gastrointestinal side effects.”