Muscle mass preservation strategies for effective weight loss

Effective weight loss should focus on reducing body fat while preserving muscle mass. Dr. Pilar García Durruti, an endocrinologist at Ruber Internacional Centro Médico Habana, emphasizes that weight loss should not equate to muscle loss. To achieve this, she recommends four key strategies: ensuring adequate protein intake, engaging in strength training, avoiding excessively rapid weight loss, and maintaining professional medical supervision.

Protein is essential as the building blocks for muscle, particularly when appetite decreases due to treatments like GLP-1 receptor agonists. Additionally, strength training is vital because skeletal muscle acts as an endocrine organ. When muscles contract, they release myokines that communicate with other organs, such as the liver, brain, and pancreas, helping to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose control.