Talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program. If you feel pain, stop immediately.
Currently, over 15 million Americans are losing weight on GLP-1 drugs. A 2023 study shows that drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovi and Moonjaro, originally created for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, produce excellent weight loss effects with little risk.
However, if you are taking one or considering it, it is important to remember to use it Appetite suppressant drugs It’s not just a contribution Fat reduction. Taking them can reduce muscle mass. How uncertainty is, anywhere between 15% and 60% of your body weight, what a person loses is lean muscle mass. This means that if you drop 50 pounds, you could lose 7.5-30 pounds of lean muscles.
“Many patients underestimate their weakness when they use these drugs until they appear functionally like they do when they go up stairs,” says Dr. Peter Wenger, an affiliate clinical assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Wenger is also a Family Medicine and Sports Physician in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and works regularly with GLP-1 people.
If you are using the GLP-1 weight loss program, it is important to develop a weekly exercise routine that includes strength training to protect your health and body independence. Strong muscles are key to maintaining sturdy bones and preventing falls, and are important for long-term metabolic health.
Exercise and strength training are especially important for those over the age of 65 to stop too much muscle loss.
“They’re also known as Virgin Shah, a director of diabetes clinical research at the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Sarcopenia is an age-related loss of muscle mass, strength and function. “If those people lose 10% to 15% of the lean mass, that’s still important because they have a low mass from the start.”
However, no matter your age, anyone will lose muscle mass.
“You’re very old because even when you’re relatively young, you lose muscle mass quickly from these drugs,” Wenger said.
Wenger and other experts share tips on how to safely build muscle strength while using GLP-1.
Before rushing to the gym to pump iron, please note that while using GLP-1, you can reduce appetite and nausea, especially during the dose adjustment phase at the start of treatment. You may also feel fatigue and dizziness.
As a result, strength training should start at a lower intensity than the average person and proceed to be heavier.
“We recommend shorter sessions to deal with nausea and fatigue,” Wenger said. “We also focus on complex dynamic movements such as squats and deadlifts, as they teach the adjustments to use different body parts simultaneously.”
Ideally, experts will develop a personalized exercise plan for you. If that is not possible, Shah’s general recommendation for GLP-1 patients is to do resistant exercise three times a week and aerobic exercise for another three days.
Regular moves are undoubtedly important, according to Stan Ward, senior personal training manager at Fitness Club Equinox, based in Plano, Texas.
“Motion is very productive for energy levels, even for low-level movements like walking or cycling,” Ward said. “And make sure you’re getting enough sleep. It’s generally overlooked.”
Experts emphasize the importance of getting enough protein every day, and this is the key to building muscle. Specifically, Shah said that people with GLP-1 require about 1-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight. For people weighing 150 pounds (68 kilograms), this is equivalent to 68-81.6 grams of protein every day.
The timing of your protein intake is also important, along with the carbohydrates you need.
“Because people with GLP-1 reduce their appetite and sometimes nausea, which can lead to burnout,” Wenger said. “They often don’t eat for long periods of time, but if you don’t plan your meal around your workout, it can contribute to even more muscle loss.”
This is because your body needs nutrients to fuel your workouts and then replenish your energy storehouse and repair your muscle tissue.
Wenger recommends eating for 1-2 hours before exercising, as GLP-1 is slower to digest.
“Getting too close to a workout can lead to bloating, nausea and convulsions,” Wenger said. “Especially in medium to high-intensity training.”
Liquid snacks such as smoothies are more tolerated than solid food, so the best snacks are best.
Refuel within 30-60 minutes after your workout. This is when your muscles are ready to get nutrients.
“If you have a low appetite, protein protein or small snacks are more manageable than a complete diet, such as Greek yogurt and fruit or chocolate milk,” Wenger said.
All of this plan may sound like a lot of work, but Ward said there is good news.
“It can be hard to see you need to put any thoughts on this when the medicine is doing all the work,” Ward said. “But if you’ve never exercised or exercised regularly, you can really see the great benefits of your body.”
He said that since using GLP-1 for weight loss is a new practice, more research will be needed to determine how to best help people use them, especially when it comes to specific recommendations on exercise, nutrition, and building lean muscle mass.
“There is no good data that says that ‘X’ type exercise or money will give you the best results,” Shah said.
Until then, even if you are not using GLP-1, try to incorporate strength training into your weekly exercise regimen.
“Studies have shown that your longevity and quality of life are all tied to your muscles,” Ward said. “And by increasing muscle mass, you can burn more calories at rest, so improving muscle mass should be part of your training program.
Melanie Radzicki McManus is a freelance writer specializing in hiking, travel and fitness.
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