Strength Loss
Users on Reddit report a variety of experiences regarding strength and muscle loss while taking GLP-1 medications. Some users note a significant decrease in strength and athletic performance, while others have managed to maintain or even increase muscle mass with specific strategies.
Experiences with Strength and Muscle Loss:
Another user shared their experience with Ozempic: "I lost significant strength in my lifts, up to 20% at the worst... I have regained strength in the gym but still down 10% overall. "[11]
A CrossFitter on Mounjaro for 14 months stated, "My athletic performance has dropped dramatically... All my lifts are down by at least 15%, my cardio has suffered and I’m always tired. "[13]
One user noted, "I’m also noticeably weaker than before I lost the weight and there was no weight loss counseling or care because even my doc was surprised by how much I lost. I wish I’d known I’d lose that much or gotten counseling on what I should be doing to avoid loss of muscle mass. "[25]
Another user mentioned, "On Semaglutide I gained weight, had constipation, had mild anxiety... lost a lot of muscle (my running speed dropped to about 30% off my peak) and was really, really tired. "[22]
A user who stopped eating for a period experienced severe consequences: "There was a period of time where I simply quit eating (and I mean that) and lost serious muscle mass and bone density. "[18]
Some users attribute strength loss to the medication's effect on energy conversion: "GLP-1s reduce how quickly your body converts food into energy, and reduces the amount of energy you consume. Your body has less glycogen than it used to to use as energy, and that is what’s impacting your performance. "[14]
One user mentioned, "Pain in muscles, like after a hard work out but no reason for it. Difficult in performing endurance activities I would normally do. "[17]
Remedies and Preventions Recommended:
"Protein consumption is good but it’s useless without any form of resistance training. "[1]
"everyone absolutely needs to lift heavy weights, 2-4x per week. "[3]
"just start weight lifting and you’ll be fine. "[4]
"if you resistance train you’re telling your body that you’re using that muscle and not to break it down for energy... if you start resistance training, you’ll quickly regain the lost muscle much faster than it would take to build it from scratch. "[6]
"The medications can be a wonderful choice, but if you want lifelong success you absolutely need to also get your lifestyle habits in place. Additionally with GLP1s people tend to lose a lot of muscle if they are not actively working to maintain it—meaning adding consistent strength training and getting enough protein. "[10]
"All weight loss programs that don't include strength training lose lots of muscle mass. Strength training is the cornerstone of all weight loss programs. "[26]
One user who gained muscle while losing fat attributed it to "eating 1g of protein per pound for my goal weight and resistance training a full body workout 3 times a week. "[6]
A nutritionist advised focusing on "muscle building and less intensive forms of exercise. So walking and weight resistance. "[24]
Adequate Protein Intake:
"Nutrition therapy should ensure adequate intake and absorption of high-quality protein and micronutrients, which may require the use of oral nutritional supplements. " (paraphrasing a summary of a study)[0]
"Strength training and more protein help... but it doesn’t totally prevent muscle loss (spoken as someone on Mounjaro for T2D who eats about 140g of protein per day and regularly exercises and strength trains and loses 8-10 lbs per month, including muscle). "[8]
A user who successfully maintained muscle mass emphasized "weightlifting, eat a lot of meat, fruits, veggies, and fats, and I drink a lot of water. "[18]
"Muscle mass loss can be counteracted with weight training and a protein rich diet. "[23]
Carb Cycling:
"Or you can carb cycle while still maintaining your caloric deficit. Carb cycling would be where you have alternating days of high carb vs high protein in your diet while respecting the same caloric deficit. What carb cycling does is make sure your glycogen stores are adequately filled to supply your energy needs so the body doesn't have to resort to gluconeogenesis as much. "[7]
Ashwagandha:
"ashwaganda reduces cortisol levels. When cortisol is high, the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss shifts higher to the muscle loss. When cortisol is low, you lose more fat than muscle. "[7]
Alternate Day Fasting:
"The other alternative is alternate day fasting. Dr Jason Fung says that when you do alternate day fasting you don’t lose any muscle mass despite losing weight. "[7]
Electrolytes:
One user suggested, "Maybe you need to up your electrolytes? " when discussing tiredness and performance. [12]
Some users believe that muscle loss is an inevitable part of significant weight loss, regardless of the method. One commented, "The muscle loss is true for any significant weight loss without strength training, it is not specific to GLP-1 medications. "[10]
It's also mentioned that the rate of weight loss can impact muscle loss: "The faster you lose it, the more of it comes from muscle. People on GLP-1s lose weight fast. "[9] Another user added, "One issue is that people are abusing GLP-1s to lose weight faster than is healthy and thus are losing more muscle than they would with traditional weight loss methods or if they used a GLP-1 to only lose 1-2 lbs per week.
Experiences with Strength and Muscle Loss:
- One user, a competitive powerlifter, reported a significant loss of strength: "About the time I started taking trulicity I had a significant loss of strength.
Remedies and Preventions Recommended:
- Resistance Training/Lifting Weights: This is the most frequently recommended strategy.
Some users believe that muscle loss is an inevitable part of significant weight loss, regardless of the method. One commented, "The muscle loss is true for any significant weight loss without strength training, it is not specific to GLP-1 medications. "[10]
It's also mentioned that the rate of weight loss can impact muscle loss: "The faster you lose it, the more of it comes from muscle. People on GLP-1s lose weight fast. "[9] Another user added, "One issue is that people are abusing GLP-1s to lose weight faster than is healthy and thus are losing more muscle than they would with traditional weight loss methods or if they used a GLP-1 to only lose 1-2 lbs per week.