What the Trials Report
A systematic review of six semaglutide trials covering 1,541 patients found lean mass reductions ranging from almost none to roughly 40% of total weight lost, with the larger trials showing the more notable reductions.
A network meta-analysis of twenty-two randomized trials across GLP-1 medications put lean mass at roughly a quarter of total weight lost.
The encouraging news: because fat loss is often greater, lean mass as a proportion of body weight frequently improves.
That variability shows the outcome is shaped by what surrounds the medication, which is exactly what a program provides.
Sources: a systematic review of semaglutide and lean mass; a network meta-analysis of GLP-1 medications and body composition; a meta-analysis of lean mass as a proportion of body weight. Findings vary considerably across trials and populations.



