Adherence
Exercise alone produces similar improvements in physical functional performance and cardiorespiratory fitness as the combined treatment of exercise and GLP-1 agonist, indicating that exercise is the primary driver of fitness gains independent of the pharmacotherapy.
You do not need to take medication to get the physical fitness benefits of exercise. A structured exercise program (150+ minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week) improves your stamina and functional performance just as well as combining exercise with GLP-1 medication. If you cannot or choose not to take medication, exercise remains the most effective way to improve physical fitness.
Exercise alone led to similar benefits, whereas liraglutide alone did not improve physical fitness... The combined treatment improved self-reported physical functioning compared with liraglutide alone and placebo... Liraglutide alone did not improve self-reported physical functioning.
Why this rating
RCT data showing no significant difference between exercise alone and combined treatment.
Source
Physical Fitness with Exercise and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment Alone or Combined After Diet-Induced Weight Loss: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Adults with Obesity
Simon Birk Kjær Jensen et al. · Sports Medicine · 2026
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