Losing Weight Isn’t The Only Goal: Why Muscle Matters For People With Diabetes

For people living with diabetes, managing the condition is often closely associated with losing excess weight. However, experts say that focusing only on the number on the weighing scale may overlook another important aspect of metabolic health: maintaining or building muscle. Skeletal muscle plays a major role in taking up glucose from the bloodstream, making muscle health an important consideration in long-term blood sugar management.

According to Dr Paras Agarwal, Director of Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolic Clinic at CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, skeletal muscle is the body's largest site for glucose disposal. After a meal, active muscles use glucose for energy, helping clear sugar from the bloodstream. Regular physical activity, particularly resistance exercise, can also improve insulin sensitivity, allowing muscle cells to respond more effectively to insulin and take up glucose.

Weight loss can be beneficial for many people with type 2 diabetes, especially when excess body fat contributes to insulin resistance. However, losing weight through calorie restriction alone can result in the loss of both fat and muscle. Since muscle contributes significantly to glucose uptake, preserving muscle while reducing excess body fat may be more beneficial than focusing solely on achieving a lower body weight.

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Resistance training can help support muscle strength and metabolic health. Bodyweight exercises, resistance-band workouts and appropriately selected weight exercises can stimulate muscles without necessarily requiring intense gym sessions. Dr Agarwal said consistent strength training two to three times a week can be valuable, although the type and intensity should be tailored to a person's age, fitness level, joint health and other medical conditions.

Nutrition is another important component of maintaining muscle. Protein supplies the amino acids required for muscle repair and maintenance, but individual protein requirements can differ based on factors such as age, body weight, kidney health and overall health. People with diabetes, particularly those with kidney disease, should discuss their nutritional and protein needs with a doctor or dietitian rather than making major dietary changes independently.

The broader approach, therefore, is to consider body composition and metabolic health alongside weight management. A person may become lighter while losing muscle, while another may see little change on the scale but gain strength and improve glucose control through regular activity. For people with diabetes, a sustainable approach can combine appropriate nutrition, physical activity and resistance training, with weight management remaining one part of a wider strategy for improving long-term health.

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