3 strategies to adopt to avoid muscle loss from weight loss drugs

Weight loss drugs have soared in popularity in recent years, which is no great surprise, given their proven effectiveness in helping people lose weight. For those who have struggled with their weight their whole lives, these drugs can be life-changing, and many report feeling happier and healthier than ever before.

However, the speed with which patients are losing weight on these drugs has caused some concern amongst medical professionals, as it indicates that not all the weight being lost is fat – some of it will be muscle loss. Whenever you lose weight, some of that weight is muscle, but the faster you lose it, the higher the proportion of muscle being lost.

Why does losing muscle matter?

If you’ve spent decades dreaming of being slim, now that it has finally happened, it might feel petty to quibble about a bit of muscle loss. However, maintaining healthy muscle mass is crucial for things like:

Metabolism

Having a good amount of muscle helps keep your metabolism working, which will help you keep the weight off in the long term.

Insulin

Muscle helps to improve the effectiveness of the insulin in your body by taking the glucose from your blood and turning it into energy.

Bone health

Keeping your muscles strong helps support your bones and joints, which in turn prevents injury.

Daily life

Never underestimate the importance of muscles for just performing basic tasks, like standing up and sitting down.

How can I avoid muscle loss?

There is absolutely no need to stop taking weight loss drugs to avoid muscle loss, but you do need to be aware of this risk and take steps to prevent it.

Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) last month identified strategies to minimise muscle loss from GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

A six-month study of 200 adults with overweight or obesity found, in particular, that strength training and enough protein are key to keeping muscle while losing weight.

The things you can do to ensure that you maintain healthy muscle mass whilst continuing to lose weight are:

• Think about your diet – many people find that they just aren’t very interested in food when they are taking weight loss drugs. While this might be a relief if you feel that food has controlled your life up until now, it is still important to pay attention to what you are consuming. A diet that is high in protein – whilst still containing a healthy balance of carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables – will allow you to keep your muscles strong and healthy.
• Strength training – We advise our patients to keep up or adopt a regular exercise programme throughout. Ensuring that this routine includes strength and resistance training will help you maintain lean muscle mass.
• Drink plenty of water – particularly if you are working out regularly  –  to stay hydrated and support muscle function and recovery. If you have already lost muscle, this can lead to dehydration, as muscles hold a significant amount of water, making it even more vital that you stay on top of your water intake.

If you follow all these steps, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to lose weight quickly and safely on weight loss drugs without risking excess muscle loss.

Dr Justine Setchell, one of the partners of GP London W1, is passionate about the importance of strength training. “Following a nasty skiing accident a couple of years ago, having opted for the non-surgical route, I had to do months of rehab which involved weights. I gradually moved from physio to an S+C coach to a PT and weight lifting has now become a non-negotiable!

“I’m stronger than I’ve ever been and all aspects of my life are better for it – running’s easier, I was back on skis a year to the day with no brace, and I love that no-one can tell how much I can lift from looking at me! So no, Mr Postman, I don’t need a hand with that heavy package! If we don’t use it, we lose it, so try it and see – you never know, you might actually like it!”

For more advice on how to avoid muscle loss from weight loss drugs, get in touch to arrange a Weight Management consultation with one of our GPs.