GLP-1s and Muscle Loss: April '26 AMA

A deep dive into GLP-1s and muscle, and what to do if you take them.

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Welcome to our monthly AMA.

In most AMAs, I answer a bunch of your questions. This month, we’ll go deep on a single question that keeps popping up in my inbox: Do GLP-1s cause muscle loss?

It’s a legit question. Some people theorize that GLP-1s lead to excessive muscle loss compared to diet and exercise alone.

The theory is this: If you were to use a GLP-1 and lose a bunch of muscle, you may actually end up less healthy than if you hadn’t lost the weight.

For example, in one study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition¹, normal-weight adults with low muscle and strength had more than 3x the risk of death compared with normal-weight adults with higher muscle and strength.

Important stuff. And so, today, we’ll explore how GLP-1s impact muscle.

We’ll cover:

• A fascinating new piece of research in Cell Reports Medicine. It made a groundbreaking finding about GLP-1s and muscle loss (it’s the first study of its kind).

• Other data on GLP-1s and muscle loss, and a brief history of GLP-1s and muscle loss.

• Exactly what I’d do if I were to start taking GLP-1s.

• How to understand the upsides and downsides of GLP-1s as they relate to muscle and health.

• A note: Even if you don’t take GLP-1:

  • 1. The post will help you understand them better and help you guide loved ones who are taking them or are interested in taking them.

  • 2. You might take a GLP-1 someday, so you might as well arm yourself with good information now.

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