SEMAGLUTIDE: MUSCLE LOSS IN WOMEN

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 SEMAGLUTIDE: MUSCLE LOSS IN WOMEN







A new study suggests that semaglutide, a widely used weight-loss medication, may have an additional action beyond simply reducing fat. For women and older adults in particular, there’s a hidden downside: a significant loss of muscle mass. 

Researchers found that up to 40% of the weight lost with semaglutide comes from lean body mass, meaning not just fat, but muscle too. The risk is even higher for people who don’t eat enough protein, potentially undermining some of semaglutide’s benefits for blood sugar control.

The study, presented at ENDO 2025, followed 40 adults with obesity over three months. Some participants took semaglutide, while others joined a diet and lifestyle program called Healthy Habits for Life. Those on semaglutide lost more weight overall, but the percentage of that weight attributed to muscle loss was similar across both groups.

Digging deeper, the researchers observed that older adults, women, and individuals with lower protein intake lost more muscle mass while on semaglutide. And the more muscle they lost, the less they improved their blood sugar numbers.

“Older adults and women may be at higher risk of muscle loss on semaglutide, but boosting protein intake might help,” explains the study’s lead author, Dr. Melanie Haines of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. “Losing too much muscle could blunt the effect of semaglutide on blood sugar, so protecting muscle during weight loss is key to reducing insulin resistance and frailty in people with obesity.”

The takeaway? If you’re using a GLP-1 medication like semaglutide, especially if you’re older or female, paying attention to your protein intake might help safeguard your strength as you lose weight. More research is needed to find the best ways to keep muscle while losing fat, but for now, diet quality matters as much as the number on the scale.

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