Eating More Protein Could Protect You From Common Semaglutide Side Effect

Women and older adults using semaglutide, a popular anti-obesity medication, may face a heightened risk of muscle loss.

A recent study suggests that women and older adults who use the weight-loss drug semaglutide could be more vulnerable to losing muscle. However, increasing protein intake may help reduce this risk. These findings are part of a preliminary study recently shared at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual conference in San Francisco, Calif.

Muscle loss (also referred to as lean mass loss) is a frequent consequence of weight reduction in people with obesity. According to lead researcher Dr. Melanie Haines of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, this type of muscle loss can negatively influence metabolism and bone health. That’s because muscle helps manage blood sugar levels after eating and contributes to bone strength.

Semaglutide, a medication classified as a GLP-1 receptor agonist and used to treat obesity, is associated with a notable loss of lean body mass. On average, about 40% of the total weight lost while using this drug comes from muscle and other lean tissue. Dr. Haines noted that it is still unclear which patients are most likely to lose muscle and how this muscle loss might impact blood sugar control.

To explore this further, researchers observed 40 adults with obesity over a three-month period. Of these participants, 23 were treated with semaglutide, while the remaining 17 took part in a weight-loss program called Healthy Habits for Life (HHL), which focuses on diet and lifestyle changes. The team monitored shifts in the participants’ muscle mass over the course of the study.

Similar Muscle Loss Across Approaches, But Risk Factors Identified

Study participants who were prescribed semaglutide lost more weight than those who participated in the diet and lifestyle program, but the percent of weight loss that was lean mass was similar between the two groups.

After accounting for weight loss, the researchers found that in the semaglutide group, being older, female, or eating less protein was linked to greater muscle loss. Also in this group, losing more muscle was linked to less improvement in blood sugar (HbA1c levels).

“Older adults and women may be more likely to lose muscle on semaglutide, but eating more protein may help protect against this,” Haines said. “Losing too much muscle may reduce the benefits of semaglutide on blood sugar control. This means preserving muscle during weight loss with semaglutide may be important to reduce insulin resistance and prevent frailty in people with obesity.”

Haines said that more studies are needed to find the best way to lose fat but keep muscle when using GLP-1 medications.

Meeting: ENDO 2025

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