How to prevent muscle loss on Wegovy

The Sword Summary Warm-up

Don’t have time for the full workout? We’ve got you covered with a quick, high-intensity session. Here are the key takeaways:

• Up to 39% of weight lost while using GLP-1 medications like Wegovy is from lean muscle mass¹.
• Muscle is essential for strength, stability, confidence, and long-term weight maintenance.
• The best way to protect muscle is with consistent, resistance-based movement.
• Move, Sword Health’s whole-body movement solution, makes strengthening simple and personalized from home.

Wegovy users face a higher risk of muscle loss

Many people taking Wegovy feel their appetite decrease and their weight begin to move in the right direction. Daily choices feel more manageable, and progress becomes easier to see.

But along with fat loss, Wegovy can reduce lean muscle mass. Research shows that 20 to 50 percent of weight lost on medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound may come from lean mass¹. In semaglutide studies, that number has been as high as 39 percent.

Muscle loss matters because muscle does far more than support strength. It shapes your metabolism, mobility, comfort, and balance. Losing too much can make daily movement harder and increase the risk of regaining fat when medication stops. You can learn more in our dedicated guide to GLP 1 lean mass loss.

Why does Wegovy use often lead to lean mass loss?

Wegovy works, in part, by lowering appetite. When you feel less hungry, you eat less, which supports weight loss. But eating less also means your body receives fewer nutrients. Unless you intentionally prioritize protein, you may fall short of what your muscles need to stay strong.

A recent academic study found that people taking GLP-1 weight loss medications like Wegovy tend to eat less protein than their bodies require to maintain muscle². When protein intake is low and calories decrease, the body starts breaking down muscle tissue.

Another factor is movement. Many people unintentionally move less when starting Wegovy because of reduced appetite or lower energy. Fewer steps and fewer strength based activities increase the risk of muscle loss while using GLP-1s.

Experts reviewing clinical trials have found lean mass loss to be a consistent pattern across GLP 1 and GIP GLP 1 medications³. The good news is that even small amounts of strengthening movement can protect your muscle.

How does muscle loss on Wegovy affect your body?

Muscle plays a central role in how your body feels and functions. Losing it can create challenges that show up in daily life. Here’s how muscle loss can show up during your Wegovy weight loss:

• Your metabolism slows down: Muscle burns calories even during rest. Less muscle means fewer calories burned, which makes it easier to regain fat.
• Everyday movement becomes harder: Simple tasks like climbing stairs, lifting, or standing from the floor require more effort.
• Your joints take on more strain: Strong muscles protect your knees, hips, and spine. When muscle decreases, joints absorb more pressure and discomfort can increase.
• Balance and stability decline: Muscle supports coordinated movement and fall prevention.

Research shows that people who stop taking Wegovy often regain much of the weight they lost.In one major study, people regained about two thirds of their lost weight within a year after stopping the medication, and most of that regained weight was fat⁴. This is why maintaining muscle is essential for lasting results on Wegovy.

The best way to prevent muscle loss on Wegovy

Wegovy helps you eat less, but it cannot preserve muscle on its own. To keep your strength, you need movement that challenges your muscles in a safe and gradual way.

The most effective option is resistance based movement

These types of exercises help your body maintain and build muscle:

• Bodyweight exercises
• Resistance band exercises
• Light weights
• Short strength focused sessions

You do not need a gym. You do not need long workouts. Small, consistent actions protect your strength.

Research shows that combining resistance based movement with adequate protein helps make sure the weight you lose is mostly fat, not muscle³. For more specific advice, see our dedicated article on how to prevent muscle loss during weight loss.

Wegovy vs Ozempic vs Mounjaro: is the muscle loss risk different?

Many people wonder whether some medications protect muscle better than others. Current evidence shows that muscle loss is similar across Wegovy, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. Studies consistently show that 20-50% of weight lost on these medications may be lean muscle mass¹.

This means that your prevention strategy matters far more than the medication itself. Strength-based movement helps preserve muscle across all GLP 1 and GIP GLP 1 medications. You can learn more in our focused guide to semaglutide muscle loss.

Why movement does more than protect muscle

Building and preserving muscle during weight loss helps you:

• Maintain a steady metabolism
• Reduce joint and bone strain
• Improve balance and reduce fall risk
• Increase stamina and reduce fatigue
• Move with greater confidence and comfort

Muscle is your engine and your armor. Protecting it ensures your weight loss improves how you feel, not just what the scale shows.

Move: your partner for staying strong while using Wegovy

Move is Sword Health’s whole body movement program that helps you stay active, protect muscle, and build strength at home. The Move program combines clinical expertise with simple, guided exercise routines that fit into your schedule.

You can complete your personalized movement plan from the comfort of home, or anywhere else you like (and you can access your guided program 24/7 via the Sword mobile app).

Move is Sword Health’s whole body movement solution that helps you protect muscle, increase activity, and build strength from home. It was designed to make movement simple for people using weight loss medications.

Move is not a fitness program. It is a personalized support system led by a Clinical Specialist who helps you stay consistent, confident, and safe.

All Move members are paired with a dedicated Physical Health Specialist who holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. Your matched specialist designs a personalized weekly plan based on your specific goals, schedule, and ability.

You complete short guided sessions at home that take 5 to 15 minutes and all you need is the Sword mobile app and your Move Wearable (or you can pair your own Apple watch of Fitbit device to the Sword mobile app) that tracks your steps, activity, and movement patterns. Your specialist uses this information to update your plan.

Move helps ensure that the weight you lose on Wegovy is healthy weight loss, not the loss of strength you need for life.

Move is designed to help you build physical activity habits

Move is not a fitness app. It is a guided, supportive program built specifically for people who need a safe, effective way to:

• Preserve muscle
• Increase activity
• Reduce strain on joints
• Build lasting habits
• Improve confidence

This is especially important for people taking weight loss medications like Wegovy, where the stakes are high and movement is essential.

Stay strong with Move while losing weight on Wegovy

If you are using Wegovy, now is the ideal time to protect your muscle. Muscle loss begins early in treatment. Starting movement today will help you keep the strength you need for confidence, stamina, and long term weight maintenance. By pairing Wegovy with Move, you support healthy weight loss and build a stronger foundation for the future.

Sword’s Move program may already be covered in your health plan at no cost to you. Many US employers and health plans offer Move to their members. Check your eligibility now and you could get started right away.