Tirzepatide and Retatrutide DON'T Preserve Muscle (Stop Believing The Marketing)
"Tirzepatide preserves muscle during weight loss." "GIP agonism protects lean mass." "Unlike semaglutide, retatrutide maintains muscle." I see this everywhere. Vendors say it. Influencers repeat it. Even some research papers imply it. Here's the problem: it's not true. Tirzepatide and retatrutide don't preserve muscle. They just lose less of it than semaglutide. And that distinction matters way more than you think. The mechanisms are real: - GIP improves nutrient partitioning - Glucagon ramps up fat oxidation - Both shift the fat-to-muscle ratio in your favor But here's what nobody tells you: you're still at serious risk for muscle loss if you're not prioritizing protein and training. The dual and triple agonists give you better odds. They create a more favorable metabolic environment. But they don't do the work for you. People hear "muscle preservation" and think they can skip protein targets. They think the peptide handles it. Then they lose 60 pounds and wonder why they look soft and feel weak. I broke down: - What GIP and glucagon actually do (vs what marketing claims) - Why the TRIUMPH-4 data doesn't show what people think it shows - The real hierarchy of what preserves muscle (hint: compound choice is #5) - When tirzepatide/retatrutide actually make a meaningful difference - How to optimize regardless of which compound you choose Read the full article here: https://open.substack.com/pub/derekpruski/p/tirzepatide-and-retatrutide-dont?r=4jq1x8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true Drop your thoughts below. Have you been prioritizing the compound over the fundamentals? RESEARCH USE ONLY. Not Medical Advice!