Preserving Muscle Mass During Incretin-Induced Weight Loss

NCT07761923 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2026-03191-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Treatment with appetite suppressant drugs, including incretin-based receptor agonists, generally leads to clinically meaningful weight loss and reduced cardiometabolic risk. However, weight loss may include not only loss of adipose tissue but also loss of skeletal muscle mass, which ultimately may impair physical function and metabolic health. Resistance training is an effective strategy to maintain or increase skeletal muscle mass during weight loss, but its effects during treatment with appetite suppressant obesity medications have been studied insufficiently. This study will investigate whether unilateral resistance training during incretin-based receptor agonist treatment can preserve or improve skeletal muscle mass. Additionally, the study will determine whether preservation of muscle is accompanied by the preservation of muscle function and/or molecular adaptations in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue and blood. Participants will be adults with obesity who are about to start treatment with an incretin-based receptor agonist as part of routine clinical care. During the 13-week intervention, participants will perform supervised unilateral resistance training two times per week, training one leg while the other leg serves as an internal control. Data and tissue collection will take place before treatment start and after 13 weeks. Assessments include whole-body magnetic resonance imaging, blood sampling, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue biopsies, physical function tests, questionnaires, and monitoring of physical activity.

Conditions

Obesity (BMI > 35)

Keywords

Obesity; Incretins; Skeletal muscle; Resistance training; Exercise training

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Anterior Thigh Skeletal Muscle Volume

  Change in skeletal muscle volume (L) of the anterior thigh muscles, measured by magnetic resonance imaging from baseline to 13 weeks. The primary comparison will be the difference in change from baseline to 13 weeks between the trained leg and the untrained contralateral leg.

  From baseline to 13 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Change in knee extension strength

  From baseline to 13 weeks

• Change in muscle fatigue tolerance

  From baseline to 13 weeks

• Change in whole-body skeletal muscle mass

  From baseline to 13 weeks

• Change in total body fat volume

  From baseline to 13 weeks

• Change in liver fat fraction

  From baseline to 13 weeks

Other Outcomes (14)

• Change in body mass

  From baseline to 13 weeks

• Change in blood pressure

  From baseline to 13 weeks

• Change in skeletal muscle molecular profile

  From baseline to 13 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Incretin treatment combined with unilateral resistance training

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will initiate incretin-based receptor agonist treatment as part of routine clinical care. The study intervention consists of supervised unilateral resistance training performed twice weekly for 13 weeks. No incretin-based medication is assigned or administered by the study.

Behavioral: Unilateral Resistance Training

Interventions

Unilateral Resistance Training BEHAVIORAL

Supervised resistance training of one leg, two sessions per week for 13 weeks, during incretin-based receptor agonist treatment. The trained leg will be randomly assigned, and the contralateral leg will serve as an internal within-participant control.

Incretin treatment combined with unilateral resistance training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 64 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged 18-64 years with obesity.
• Planned initiation of incretin-based obesity pharmacotherapy as part of routine clinical care.
• Able to participate in supervised unilateral resistance training.
• Able to complete physical function tests.
• Able to attend study visits at the study center.
• Able to provide written informed consent in the Swedish language.

You may not qualify if:

• Contraindication to magnetic resonance imaging.
• Medical condition preventing resistance training or physical function testing.
• Medical condition preventing skeletal muscle or adipose tissue biopsy.
• Inability to understand study information in Swedish or provide informed consent.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Karolinska Institutet: lead
• Region Stockholm: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Karolinska Institutet

Stockholm, 17177, Sweden

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Eric B Emanuelsson, PhD

CONTACT

+46730266626; eric.emanuelsson@ki.se

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Postdoctoral Researcher

Model Details: All participants undergo incretin-based receptor agonist treatment as part of routine clinical care and complete a 13-week unilateral leg resistance training intervention. One leg is trained and the contralateral leg serves as an internal within-participant control.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 30, 2026
• First Posted: August 12, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2029
• Last Updated: August 12, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

SE (1)