How obesity drugs and exercise affect muscle and body fat in adults with obesity and diabetes
Official title: Changes in Body Composition including Muscle with Anti-Obesity Medications, both with and without Exercise
Funded at University of Kansas Medical Center · NIH-11416732 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how obesity medications, with or without exercise, change muscle and fat in adults who have obesity and adult-onset diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kansas Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $748,266 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK141779-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11416732 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with obesity and adult-onset diabetes who are receiving NuSH-RA therapies or are eligible to begin them, and are able to participate in an exercise program.
✕Less likely to help
If you have obesity but are not on NuSH-RA therapies or cannot participate in the exercise component, you may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you have obesity and adult-onset diabetes, this study will look at how current obesity medicines affect both fat and muscle, using precise methods to measure muscle mass. Researchers will compare outcomes with and without an exercise program to see if exercise helps preserve lean mass during treatment. They will use a new way to measure muscle directly and accurately, alongside standard body composition assessments. The study is led by the University of Kansas Medical Center and includes a co-investigator who helped develop this measurement method.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could improve how obesity drugs are used to maximize fat loss while preserving or building muscle.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows strong weight loss with NuSH-RA therapies but little data on effects on muscle mass; this study adds precise muscle measurements.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Kansas Medical Center
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jakicic, John M — University of Kansas Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Jakicic, John M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.