The Study
The Effects of Glucagon‐Like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonists and Sodium‐Glucose Co‐Transporter‐2 Inhibitors on Lean Body Mass in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
This study looked at lots of different experiments where people took these weight-loss drugs and measured their muscle. It found that, on average, people lost a little bit of muscle along with fat. But it didn’t prove the drugs directly hurt muscle—it just shows they’re linked to muscle loss, probably because people lost weight overall.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
These medicines help people lose weight, but they also cause some muscle and bone loss along with fat.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Losing muscle this much is similar to aging a decade — it can weaken strength and movement, even if weight loss is good for health.
- 2GLP-1 drugs cause about 1.5 kg of muscle loss; SGLT2 drugs cause about 1 kg.
- 3Together, about 28% of total weight lost is muscle and bone — similar to what happens when people lose weight by eating less.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews
Year
2026
Authors
R. Jobanputra, J. Sargeant, T. Plekhanova, Emily James, Abdullah Almaqhawi, David R Webb, Melanie J. Davies, Thomas Yates
Related Content
Claims (10)
When people lose weight using GLP-1 agonist medications, the amount of lean mass lost relative to total weight loss differs between studies, ranging from as low as 15% to as high as 60%.
People taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss lose muscle mass in addition to fat mass.
When people lose weight using GLP-1 agonists, about half of the weight lost comes from muscle and bone tissue.
In adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes who are losing weight, SGLT2 inhibitors are linked to an average loss of 1.04 kilograms of lean body mass, which makes up about 21% of the total weight lost.
In adults with obesity or diabetes, about 28% of weight lost from GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT2 inhibitors comes from lean body mass, which is the same proportion seen when people lose weight through dieting, suggesting the loss reflects total calorie reduction rather than a drug-specific effect.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors cause a similar reduction in lean body mass across different sexes, ages, and initial health conditions.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.