GLP-1 & PCOS Breakthroughs: How Ozempic is Changing Women’s Health | Dr. Melanie Cree
The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show
Exercise, Diet, and PCOS Management
This chapter explores the intricate connection between body fat, cytokines, and insulin resistance, especially in the context of PCOS. It highlights the importance of exercise and dietary changes, revealing how they can improve insulin sensitivity and reproductive health, regardless of weight loss outcomes. Additionally, it discusses the role of GLP-1 medications in managing weight and hormonal balance for women with PCOS.
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Melanie Cree—physician-scientist, pediatric endocrinologist, and one of the leading researchers redefining how we understand and treat Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS affects millions of women, yet it's still underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and often mistreated. Dr. Cree cuts through the confusion, offering a deeply scientific yet compassionate look at what’s really driving this complex condition—from insulin resistance and mitochondrial dysfunction to skeletal muscle quality and fertility trajectories across a woman’s lifespan.
We cover:
- Why PCOS isn’t a single disease—and what two phenotypes may explain the full picture
- How muscle, liver, and fat interact in PCOS
- The misunderstood role of testosterone, insulin, and SHBG in diagnosis
- What muscle biopsies reveal about teenage girls with PCOS
- Intramuscular fat, mitochondrial impairment, and the true cost of sedentary muscle
- How early lifestyle and exercise interventions could change the future of PCOS care
- What GLP-1 agonists and amino acid supplements might offer for treatment
Whether you’re a clinician, patient, or advocate for women’s health, this episode will give you a whole new lens on PCOS—and why skeletal muscle may be the most overlooked (and powerful) organ in the conversation.
Who is Dr. Melanie Cree?
Dr. Melanie Cree is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist and Associate Professor at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she directs a leading multidisciplinary PCOS clinic. Her research bridges metabolic medicine and muscle physiology, with clinical trials exploring semaglutide, amino acid therapy, liver metabolism, and insulin resistance in adolescents.
Forever Strong Summit 2025:
The Forever Strong Summit is a live event on April 27, 2025 in Houston, TX, designed to help you build strength, resilience, and longevity from the inside out. Featuring top minds in medicine, military, and mindset, you’ll walk away with practical tools to upgrade your health, sharpen your focus, and take ownership of your life. Whether you're a clinician, athlete, or simply ready to step into your next level—this is where science meets action. Get your ticket now! https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong-summit-2025/
This episode is brought to you by:
- LMNT – Get your free LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase → DrinkLMNT.com/DRLYON
- Cozy Earth – Get up to 40% off with code DRLYON → cozyearth.com/DRLYON
- OneSkin – Get 15% off with the code DRLYON at → OneSkin.co
- Timeline Nutrition – Get 10% off → timeline.com/LYON
Find Dr. Melanie Cree at:
University of Colorado - https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/22449
Find me at:
- Instagram: @drgabriellelyon
- TikTok: @drgabriellelyon
- Facebook: facebook.com/doctorgabriellelyon
- YouTube:youtube.com/@DrGabrielleLyon
- X (Twitter): x.com/drgabriellelyon
- Apply to become a patient – https://drgabriellelyon.com/new-patient-inquiry/
- Join my weekly newsletter – https://institute-for-muscle-centric-medicine.ck.page
- Get my book – https://drgabriellelyon.com/forever-strong/
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction to PCOS: Why most women still don’t get real answers
03:00 – Dr. Melanie Cree’s mission: Advocacy, research, and uncovering a new liver
pathway
07:00 – PCOS is not one disease: Metabolic vs. reproductive phenotypes
12:00 – Why lifestyle changes work—and why the messaging around “just lose weight” is
all wrong
16:00 – Fertility, follicle congestion, and why some women with PCOS conceive more
easily at 35+
21:00 – Diagnosing PCOS in teens vs. adults, and why ultrasounds often mislead
26:00 – Testosterone testing: The lab mess, SHBG, and how women are misdiagnosed
36:00 – Muscle in PCOS: Why women with high testosterone don’t have more muscle
41:00 – Mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance in teen girls with PCOS
46:00 – IMAT, marbled muscle, and early signs of cardiovascular disease
53:00 – How fat inside and around muscle impacts insulin signaling and metabolic
health
59:00 – Targeting IMAT: What biopsies reveal, and why location of fat matters more
than total %
1:06:00 – Muscle protein synthesis, amino acids, and resistance training response in
obesity
1:16:00 – Lifestyle vs. semaglutide: Surprising diet findings from Dr. Cree’s recent
trial
1:22:00 – Low glycemic diets, liquid sugar, and reactive hypoglycemia in PCOS
1:26:00 – Protein, GLP-1s, and lean mass loss: What matters more than the drug itself
1:30:00– Why GLP-1s may eventually replace metformin—and the organ-wide benefits
emerging
1:37:00 – Can PCOS be reversed? Why Dr. Cree says “lifestyle managed” is more accurate
1:40:00 – Brain remodeling, hunger signaling, and GLP-1s in adolescents vs. adults
1:43:00 – Compounded GLP-1s, insurance gaps, and what's coming next in PCOS care
Disclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.
The AI-powered Podcast Player
