PROTEIN FORWARD SUPPORTS GLP-1 MEDICATIONS

“Visit MRC Murfreesboro to Find Out What Works Best for You “

Experts say that up to 40% of weight lost using GLP-1 medications may come from loss of important lean muscle rather than fat. Although muscle loss due to aging (sarcopenia) is common, muscle is much more metabolically active than the same amount of fat. Muscle tissue roughly uses three times the energy per pound than adipose (fat) tissue. Additionally, higher muscle mass raises your basal metabolic rate (BMR) that allows you to burn more calories at rest, even when you’re not active.

People naturally have different types of body fat, but the three main ones are upper body subcutaneous fat, lower body subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat that  is the deep belly fat that impacts your liver. Overall, your body stores the fat you eat after a meal and releases fatty acids when your body needs an energy boost. Instead of even distribution, older adults tend to gain more visceral fat. For example, older women typically have 300% more visceral fat, while older men can have over twice as much.

Aging also affects how your body burns calories. As people become less active with age, they often lose crucial lean muscle mass. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, losing it naturally slows down and reduces daily metabolic efficiency. Furthermore, growing older means fat tissue becomes less efficient at storing fatty acids. Instead of being stored properly, the excess fat from your meals or snacks can end up in your lean tissues, where it can interfere with how your body uses glucose for fuel.

Metabolic roles of GLP-1 and hepatic hormones...

While researchers often focus on how aging impacts your muscles and body fat, the liver is just as crucial for your overall metabolic health. When it comes to how your body processes glucose, many of the differences between younger and older adults actually comes down to body fat and where it is stored. Moreover, aging itself directly affects how the liver handles insulin. As you grow older, your hormone levels shift. For instance, insulin secretion can easily become delayed, and your body produces higher levels of digestion-related hormones like fasting plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) after you eat protein. Because these factors overlap, it is tricky to separate the natural aging of the liver from the hormonal changes that happen at the same time. Older men and women are more likely to develop increased liver fat as mass and blood volume drop by up to 40%, which is linked to increased risks of metabolic disorders with how your skeletal muscle and adipose tissues are changing.

PROTEIN SUPPORTS GLP-1 FAT LOSS NOT MUSCLE TISSUE

To maximize fat loss (both subcutaneous and visceral) while preserving critical muscle tissue using prescription GLP-1 weigh loss medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide, your body needs high-quality sources of both animal and plant-based proteins that provide a complete profile of essential amino acids. For example, whey protein is rich in leucine that is critical for muscle protein synthesis. Moreover, plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese provide a steady stream of muscle-sparing amino acids via casein that helps to keep calorie intake lower.

It is important to monitor your daily needs for food intake while taking GLP-1 (semaglutide) or glucagon-like peptide-1 combined with glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (tirzepatide) as both suppress hunger, which can make it easy to fall short. So, to ensure the weight you lose is pure fat and not muscle tissue, pair your daily dietary intake of protein-forward foods with structured resistance training several times each week. Based on needs, this type of strength training can be with weights in the gym or at home using resistance bands.

Overall, high-quality animal and plant-based proteins support the use of prescription GLP-1 weight loss medications by preserving more lean muscle tissue as your reduce caloric intake and start to lose weight more rapidly. Plus, a protein-first eating strategy following a protein-forward daily menu plan helps your body prioritize fat reduction. After all, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists will naturally deplete both fat and muscle without dietary interventions and the addition of regular exercise routines.

___________________

In addition to personalizing a protein-forward menu plan, both men and women using prescription GLP-1 weight loss medications can benefit from prioritizing protein by consuming it first before other macronutrients for optimum preservation of crucial muscle mass. Additionally, eating protein first and starting first thing every morning helps stabilize blood sugar to reduce unwanted food cravings. Moreover, if you combine high-quality sources of protein with non-starchy high-fiber vegetables, you can better manage common GLP-1 side effects while preserving muscle. If you’re trying to decide whether a prescription-based weight loss plan or a more holistic metabolic weight loss program is right for you, contact MRC Murfreesboro today. One of our weight loss coaches will be in touch to discuss how hormone imbalances, genetic factors and key lifestyle habits may have slowed your metabolism and led to unintended weight gain. After all, hormonal balance can be restored and disrupted metabolic rates can be reset with a personalized approach.