articleCell Reports MedicineMar 1, 2026GOLD OA

Weight loss with GLP-1 medicines does not result in a disproportionate loss of muscle mass or function in obese mice and humans

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin · University of California, Davis · +9 more institutions

PubMed
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Abstract

The large decrease in body weight with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medicines raises concern about a loss of lean body mass (LBM) and skeletal muscle. In this work, we present four pre-clinical studies and a proof-of-concept clinical trial that address this issue. We report that in obese mice, GLP-1 medicines predominantly reduce body fat alongside a small but significant decrease in LBM. Among lean tissues, loss of liver mass exceeds change in muscle mass. While absolute muscle mass and strength decrease, relative muscle mass and strength improve, resulting in better running performance. Interestingly, while atrophy is similar during immobilization, GLP-1 medicines have a distinct effect on the muscle…

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4
total citations
FWCI
73.37
Percentile
100%
References
53
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Authors

22

Topics & keywords

Keywords
  • Weight loss
  • Function (biology)
  • Muscle mass
  • Obesity
  • Loss function
  • Skeletal muscle
UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Zero hunger
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