In a recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, Chinese researchers delved into the link between coffee, caffeine intake, and skeletal muscle mass in U.S. adults. Their findings?
Drinking more coffee and consuming more caffeine are tied to higher muscle mass—unless you’re dealing with a BMI of 30 kg/m² or above, where the connection fizzles out.
Why This Matters
Sarcopenia, a condition marked by the gradual loss of muscle mass and strength, is a big deal, especially for older adults.
It can lead to more falls, fractures, and even higher mortality rates. After age 50, muscle mass drops by about 1–2% each year, and up to 40% of people over 80 are affected by sarcopenia.
Here’s where coffee steps in—packed with polyphenols and caffeine, it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that might just be the muscle-saving hero we need.
Past studies have hinted that coffee could help boost muscle mass and ward off sarcopenia, mainly by promoting cell function and muscle maintenance.
But most of this research has focused on Asian populations, like in Japan and Korea, and often with smaller sample sizes. The relationship between coffee consumption, caffeine intake, and muscle mass in Americans has been less clear, which is why this study is so important.
The researchers set out to explore whether coffee and caffeine could play a role in muscle health, providing much-needed guidance for those at risk of sarcopenia.
The Study
The study pulled data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2011 and 2018, covering 8,333 adults aged 20 and up. The average participant was 39.57 years old, and just over half were women.
They excluded anyone without muscle mass data, those who couldn’t complete dietary interviews, and anyone with a cancer history.
Muscle mass was measured using a method called ASMBMI, which adjusts for BMI and is calculated from DXA scans—a reliable technique in this field.
Coffee and caffeine consumption were tracked through dietary recall interviews, with participants divided into different intake levels.
The study also considered factors like demographics, energy and protein intake, vitamin levels, and lifestyle habits like smoking and exercise.
What They Found
On average, participants consumed 162.10 mg of caffeine and 284.15 g of coffee daily. Those with higher muscle mass (in the top quartile) also had higher caffeine and coffee intake compared to those with the least muscle mass.
These high-intake individuals were often younger, male, better educated, and more active, with smaller waistlines and lower rates of obesity, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension.
The study showed a clear connection between higher coffee and caffeine consumption and increased muscle mass.
Specifically, those in the top coffee-drinking group had a 13% higher muscle mass, while those who drank caffeinated coffee saw a 12% boost, and caffeine intake alone led to an 11% increase.
Decaffeinated coffee, however, didn’t show the same benefits. While caffeine and regular coffee had a straightforward positive impact on muscle mass, the effect of decaf was less clear and more complex.
Notably, the benefits of coffee and caffeine were consistent across gender, age, and ethnicity, but they didn’t apply to people with a BMI of 30 or higher.
The Big Picture
The study stands out for its large, representative sample of U.S. adults and its detailed analysis, offering valuable insights for tailoring dietary advice.
However, it does have some limitations, such as not assessing muscle strength, the potential for recall bias in dietary reporting, and the cross-sectional design, which makes it hard to determine cause and effect.
Bottom Line
The takeaway? Drinking more coffee or consuming more caffeine could help boost muscle mass and potentially reduce the risk of muscle loss as we age. It’s a compelling reason to consider coffee not just as a pick-me-up but as part of a muscle-friendly diet strategy.
