Coffee Drunk to Fight Drowsiness Actually Also Prevents Muscle Loss?

"Anti-inflammatory Components of Coffee May Have Had an Effect"
However, Coffee Alone Is Not Enough to Prevent Muscle Loss

A recent study revealing that the coffee people drink every morning to shake off drowsiness actually helps maintain muscle mass has become a hot topic.

On the 6th (local time), the U.S. health media 'Verywell Health' and others reported the analysis results of a research team from Guangxi Medical University in China, introduced in the international academic journal 'Frontiers in Nutrition.' The research team investigated the effects of coffee on musculoskeletal diseases and found that drinking coffee consistently every day can prevent sarcopenia.

The research team conducted the study based on records of 3,833 adults recorded in the U.S. 'National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey' data panel from 2011 to 2018. The average age of participants was 39.57 years, and 50.79% of them were female.

Coffee. [Image source=Pixabay]

The research team evaluated participants' muscle mass through bone density scan data and assessed their coffee consumption through self-administered questionnaires. The surveys were conducted twice during the entire study period.

As a result of an 8-year follow-up survey, the muscle mass of the experimental group who drank coffee daily increased by 11-13% compared to the beginning of the experiment. In particular, the more caffeine consumed, the more muscle mass increased. However, the correlation between caffeine and muscle mass did not apply to all participants in the study.

No significant muscle mass increase effect was observed in people who drank decaffeinated coffee, and coffee consumption did not lead to muscle mass increase in individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. In other words, healthy adults with a body fat percentage at or below the overweight level needed to consume a certain amount of caffeine to prevent muscle mass loss.

Experts believe that certain components of caffeine may have prevented musculoskeletal diseases. Dr. Dana Hennes, a clinical inpatient nutritionist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), told the media, "Coffee contains various anti-inflammatory components, and inflammation is related to muscle mass loss," adding, "Coffee components may have positively influenced muscle mass by blocking the action of inflammation."

However, this study did not determine how much coffee must be consumed to see preventive effects. Dr. Hennes also pointed out, "It should be considered that participants may not have accurately recorded their coffee intake in the surveys."

She also emphasized, "Drinking coffee alone cannot prevent muscle loss."