The alarm blares at 5:45 AM and you just had another terrible night’s sleep. You’re foggy, rather groggy, and even that 3rd cup of coffee doesn’t quite bring back your usual sharpness. Besides your brain feeling like it needs rewiring, your body is also aching with every step and you feel as if you were run over by a truck. Sound familiar? There’s a reason for those aches and pains after a poor nightʻs sleep that you may not be aware of: good sleep is crucial for muscle growth and repair, and may help you maintain muscle mass.
What does sleep have to do with our muscles? While we are asleep, this is the time when the body releases growth hormones in the greatest amounts. These hormones such as testosterone and HGH, stimulate muscle protein synthesis, allowing the body to repair damaged muscle tissue and build new muscle fibers. Additionally, deep sleep helps reduce cortisol levels, a stress hormone that can break down muscle tissue.
So if you are sleeping poorly, youʻd be at risk for a problem known as sarcopenia: the abnormal loss of muscle mass. This loss of muscle mass can be a serious health risk and a major factor in increased frailty, falls, and fractures, and is even associated with a shorter life span.
Letʻs think about this problem in the context of the GLP-1 medication revolution in the treatment of obesity. I’m sure you’ve heard of those by now, all over TV and social media – you or a loved one may even be taking one currently. So what are GLP-1s, and what do they have to do with muscle mass?
From this Cleveland Clinic article on GLP-1 Agnosists:
GLP-1 agonists are a class of medications that help manage blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. They also have anti hunger properties which make them extremely effective in helping to treat obesity. Some of these brand names for these medicines include Zepbound®, Ozempic®, Mounjaro®, and WeGovy®.
Just how popular are GLP-1s? According to this KFF research 12% of American adults have taken a GLP-1. And, that number climbs to 22% of adults who have taken GLP-1s when a doctor has told them they are living with excess weight. Given that more than 100 million adult Americans are estimated to have obesity, the popularity – as a measure of usage – of these weight loss medications can not be disputed.
Losing More than Fat: The Reality of Muscle Mass Loss
To explain the relationship between weight loss and muscle mass loss while on GLP-1s, we like this paraphrased passage from a UCLA Health article because it uses plain, concise language:
So while these popular GLP-1 medications are extremely effective, people dropping pounds [on GLP-1s] are losing not only fat, but also muscle mass. As muscle mass diminishes, so do strength, stamina and resting metabolic rate, meaning you can easily gain back weight you lose if you stop the medication. And, this can even lead to sarcopenia.
Note, we’ve paraphrased the above because a specific brand medication was used in the original, however, the description of potential consequences of muscle loss were well stated.
The good news is when it comes to protecting your muscle on GLP-1s, thereʻs lots you can do with respect to your nutrition and activity. But in addition, and even more importantly: good sleep health could be your secret weapon to maintaining more muscle mass.
If you are concerned about your sleep health, have poor sleep quality, or frequently feel fatigued, sleep apnea could be a possibility. Not only does sleep apnea increase your risk of cardiovascular problems, you could also be risking all the problems associated with muscle loss that Iʻve talked about. And it’s easy to get checked, and easy to get treatment! We encourage you to see how Ognomy Sleep can help you right from the comfort of your home. And yes, the vast majority of insurances can help cover your costs.
If you want to examine more detailed scientific studies on the reduction of muscle mass as a result of losing weight rapidly we recommend this study.
