Coffee consumption and skeletal muscle mass: A Cross-Sectional Study in NHANES 2011-2018

Background The impact of diet on people's health is indisputable. While animal and cell experiments may suggest a link between coffee intake and increased skeletal muscle mass, translating these findings to humans requires careful investigation. The aim of this research is to evaluate the correlation between adult American skeletal muscle mass and caffeine consumption. Methods This study was conducted among persons 20 years of age and above between 2011 and 2018, using information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We investigated the connection between skeletal muscle mass and caffeine intake using three multiple linear regression models. Afterwards, To look into variations in the correlation between caffeine consumption and skeletal muscle mass across several demographic attributes, such as gender, age, race, and body mass index (BMI) categories, subgroup analyses were conducted. Result A total of 8,125 participants met the inclusion criteria. All three multiple linear regression models indicated a positive correlation between caffeine intake and skeletal muscle mass. Age-stratified analysis showed significant positive correlations for participants aged 30 to 39 and 40 to 49 years old. BMI-stratified analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between caffeine intake and muscle mass among normal and overweight individuals Conclusions Our study results indicate a positive correlation between caffeine intake and muscle mass. Individuals aged 30–49 years and those with a normal or overweight BMI may potentially benefit more. Future cohort studies are necessary to confirm these conclusions and to explore the underlying mechanisms.