GLP-1 Weight Loss and Muscle Mass?

Let’s dive into the latest consensus regarding the effects of GLP-1 on muscle mass.

The prevalence of Glucagon-Like-Peptide-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound means that many people are well on their way to a healthier weight and lifestyle. Semaglutide treatments have been associated with loss of lean mass up to 40% at the end of the treatment. What this means is that of the total weight lost during the GLP-1 treatment, up to 40% of that comes from muscle loss. 

The science behind the biomechanism that facilitates this weight loss is well established and being built upon continuously. The general consensus is that those who are obese and receiving GLP-1 treatments should be tracking their muscle health and making lifestyle adjustments that include physical training and exercise to prevent sarcopenia. What is Sarcopenia? An article published by the NIH presents it as “Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass and function… Sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength and it is strictly correlated with physical disability, poor quality of life, and death” (Santilli et al., 2014). The consequences of weight loss is general muscle loss associated with the body’s natural physiological tendency to remain in homeostasis. 

SO HOW DO I KNOW IF MY WEIGHT LOSS IS MUSCLE OR FAT? 

INTRODUCING POMMA-GRAM!

You get an Echocardiogram for your heart, a Mammogram for your breast, what about your muscles?

Just like the other -grams, POMMA-GRAM tracks and records your muscle strength over time to provide valuable insight to the progress of your ongoing strength training. We integrate data from 5 assessment tools for data granularity. When combined with a comprehensive bio-impedance scan the assessments provide deep data regarding your muscle strength and functional strength. Granular Records Assess Muscle! The better the data granularity and the longer the record, the more insight we have regarding our health, strength, and longevity. If you are curious about your functional strength, book an appointment with us today!

References:

Santilli, V., Bernetti, A., Mangone, M., & Paoloni, M. (2014). Clinical definition of sarcopenia. Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism: The Official Journal of the Italian Society of Osteoporosis, Mineral Metabolism, and Skeletal Diseases, 11(3), 177–180. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25568649/

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