α‐lipoic acid (ALA) might maintain muscle mass and fibers by enhancing the expression of muscle‐generation‐related proteins, such as MyoD, mTOR, and MyHC, and by reducing the expression of muscle‐degradation‐related proteins, including FOXO and Murf1, thus alleviating muscle atrophy in T2DM rats. Here, MYOD1 is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.