GLP-1 weight-loss medications have changed the conversation around weight management. By helping to reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness, they can make it easier for people to eat less and achieve significant weight loss.
But when you're eating less, what you put back into your body becomes increasingly important.
Two areas worth paying particular attention to are hydration and maintaining muscle.
That's where electrolytes, creatine, good nutrition and regular resistance exercise can play an important supporting role.
When we lose weight, we don't necessarily lose fat alone. Some lean body mass can also be lost.
Research into GLP-1 and related incretin therapies has highlighted the importance of looking at the quality of weight loss, aiming to reduce excess body fat while maintaining as much muscle, strength and physical function as possible.
This is particularly important because muscle isn't just about how we look. It plays an important role in strength, mobility and our ability to remain physically active.
For anyone following a weight-loss programme, resistance exercise and adequate protein intake should therefore remain important parts of the conversation.
Creatine is one of the most extensively studied sports nutrition ingredients.
Its best-established role is supporting physical performance during repeated bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. The authorised UK health claim states that:
Creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise.
The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3g of creatine.
This can be particularly relevant if you're incorporating resistance training into your GLP-1 journey.
Research outside GLP-1 treatment also suggests that combining creatine with resistance training can support increases in lean body mass and strength.
Importantly, however, creatine should not be described as a treatment for GLP-1-related muscle loss. Direct clinical evidence specifically testing creatine in people taking GLP-1 medicines is currently limited.
Think of it instead as one part of a bigger strategy:
GLP-1 + adequate protein + resistance exercise + creatine + good hydration
with the aim of supporting a healthier, stronger approach to weight loss.
Hydration deserves particular attention when taking GLP-1 medication.
Reduced appetite can mean people naturally consume less food and sometimes less fluid. GLP-1 medicines can also cause gastrointestinal side effects including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) specifically advises people taking GLP-1 medicines to stay well hydrated, as vomiting and diarrhoea can sometimes result in significant dehydration.
When fluid losses occur, water isn't necessarily the only consideration. Electrolytes including sodium, potassium and magnesium are involved in normal physiological functions throughout the body.
This makes maintaining adequate fluid and electrolyte intake particularly relevant during periods of reduced food intake, exercise, hot weather or gastrointestinal fluid loss.
Halo Elevate Hydration + Creatine was designed to make hydration and daily creatine simple.
With 3.4g of creatine per serving, Elevate provides more than the 3g daily amount required for the authorised creatine physical-performance claim.
Simply mix one sachet with water for an easy way to incorporate creatine and electrolytes into your daily routine.
A successful weight-loss journey shouldn't necessarily be judged by one number.
How you feel, how you move, how strong you remain and how well you're nourishing and hydrating your body matter too.
If you're using a GLP-1 medication, consider the bigger picture:
Prioritise protein. Keep moving. Include resistance exercise. Stay hydrated. And think about maintaining strength as well as losing weight.
Because the goal isn't simply less weight.
It's better-supported weight loss.
If you are taking prescription GLP-1 medication, follow the advice of your prescriber. Speak to your doctor, pharmacist or healthcare professional before introducing supplements if you have a medical condition, take other medication or have concerns about dehydration or persistent gastrointestinal symptoms.
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