Abstract
Summary: The age-related loss of skeletal muscle and function are risk factors for osteoporosis and fractures. We found that higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet score was significantly associated with greater fat-free mass and leg explosive power suggesting a role for the Mediterranean Diet in prevention of loss of muscle outcomes.
Introduction: The loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function with age are contributing risk factors for the onset of sarcopenia, frailty, osteoporosis, fractures, and mortality. Nutrition may affect the progression and trajectory of these changes in skeletal muscle but the role of the micronutrient-rich Mediterranean diet (MD) has hardly been investigated in relation to these muscle outcomes.
Methods: We examined associations between the MD score (MDS) and FFM% (fat-free mass / weight × 100), FFMI (fat-free mass/height2), hand grip strength, and leg explosive power (LEP, watts/kg) in a cross-sectional study in 2570 women aged 18–79 years from the TwinsUK study. Measurements of body composition were made using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and dietary intake assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. FFM%, FFMI, grip strength, and LEP were compared across quartiles of the MDS after adjustment for covariates, with CRP measured in a subgroup (n = 1658).
Results: Higher adherence to the MDS was positively associated with measurements of muscle outcomes, with significant differences of 1.7 % for FFM% and 9.6 % for LEP (P trend <0.001), comparing extreme quartiles of intake, but not with grip strength or CRP concentrations.
Conclusions: For the first time in a northern European population, we have observed significant positive associations between the MDS and FFM% and LEP in healthy women that are potentially clinically relevant, independent of the factors known to influence muscle outcomes. Our findings emphasize the potential role for overall diet quality based on the MD in the prevention of age-related loss of skeletal muscle outcomes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3251–3260 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Osteoporosis International |
Volume | 27 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 14 Jul 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Nov 2016 |
Keywords
- C-reactive protein
- Fat-free mass
- Mediterranean diet
- Skeletal muscle mass
- Skeletal muscle power
Profiles
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Alexander Macgregor
- Norwich Medical School - Professor of Genetic Epidemiology
- Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging - Member
- Norwich Epidemiology Centre - Member
- Epidemiology and Public Health - Member
- Musculoskeletal Medicine - Member
- Nutrition and Preventive Medicine - Member
Person: Group Lead, Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
-
Jane Skinner
- Norwich Medical School - Lecturer
- Population Health - Member
- Norwich Epidemiology Centre - Member
- Epidemiology and Public Health - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research
-
Ailsa Welch
- Norwich Medical School - Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology
- Norwich Institute for Healthy Aging - Member
- Population Health - Member
- Nutrition and Preventive Medicine - Member
- Norwich Epidemiology Centre - Member
- Epidemiology and Public Health - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Research Centre Member, Academic, Teaching & Research