Weight loss, but gain weakness? What OzemPIC might do for your muscles

New research in mice indicates that muscle mass changes less than expected, but the muscles may still be weaker, indicating an urgent need for clinical studies to stabilize the full effects of folk medicines.

“If we want to help individuals who may really lose muscle mass, we must know that they are already losing muscle mass,” says Funai, associate professor of nutrition and integrative physiology at the University of Utah University, and the higher author of the study. “We have data in mice that indicate that things are not as clear as they may look.”

The results are published in Cell metabolism.

Heavy anxiety

The researchers found that the weight loss caused by Ozambek had reduced the slim mass by about 10 %. Most of this missing weight was not a structural muscle, but instead of other tissues such as the liver, which reduces half of nearly half. The researchers emphasize that more research is needed to determine whether there are similar changes in the size of the organs that occur in humans – and whether these changes come with any risks.

“The loss of mass in the active organs in metabolism, such as the liver, is expected as part of a healthy weight loss,” says Ran Hu, a doctorate, a nutrition teacher and physiology in U of U-U-HELTH and the first author of the study. In both mice and humans, weight gain and loss can affect the size of organs such as the liver without affecting their function. “It is unlikely that the remarkable skin loss is a serious negative impact,” said Takoya Karasawa, post -PhD researcher on the U U and co -author of the study.

Some muscles of the skeleton have shrunk when mice lost weight – on average, about 6 %, not enough to explain the total loss in the meager mass. Other muscles remained the same size.

The researchers say that some of this loss in muscle mass is a return to the foundation line. The gains in fat also tend to lead to structural muscles gains, as the body must make more work to move. Therefore, fat loss can lead to muscle loss without affecting the quality of life in general.

Size is not strength

Interestingly, when the researchers tested the amount of strength that mice muscles could practice, they found that for some muscles, the force decreased with the loss of mice, even when the size of the muscles remained the same. For other muscles, strength has not changed. The researchers say it is not known how weight loss medications affect this balance in people.

The loss of potential strength when OzemPIC may be a special concern for adults over the age of 60, who are at risk of the highest foundation of muscle loss and reduction. “Loss of physical function is a strong indicator not only the quality of life but longevity,” Funai added.

Clinical experiments are needed

Beware of researchers from extrapolating their results directly to humans, because mice and humans gain and lose weight in different ways. In people, obesity is associated with low physical activity, but mice do not tend to become less active when they gain weight. In this study, mice in this study have become overweight because they ate a high -fat diet, while people become overweight for a wide range of reasons that include genetics, diet, sleep patterns and age.

Instead of drawing an individual to one in parallel with humans, the researchers say their results emphasize the need for more clinical studies. “There is still a great need to verify health in humans, especially with regard to muscle strength,” says Krasawa.

Funai adds that clinical trials should check the changes in muscle strength not only for OzemPic drugs but also in the future. Funai says: “There are many additional weights to lose weight in clinical trials and exit in the three years to the next five,” says Funai. “But with all of these clinical trials, if they are interested in measuring the loss of lean mass, they need to consider the physical function.”

“The results we find really interesting, but this is a pre -clinical model.” “We need this data in people.”

The results were published in Cell metabolism As “unexpected effects of semules on muscle mass, skeleton and the ability to generate strength in mice.”

This study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute for Diabetes and Diabetics and Kidney Diseases (DK107397 Grants and DK127979), National Institute for General Medical Science AG075, AG086328), and the National Cancer Institute (CA286584 Grant number), as well as by the grant at the Japanese Association to strengthen science colleagues (grant No. 24kj2039). The content is only the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.