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🇰🇷 South Korea /Health & Science

Drinking 3 Cups of Coffee Daily Linked to Higher Muscle Mass, South Korean Study Finds

From Hankyoreh · (6m ago) Korean Positive tone

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A study by Seoul National University suggests a correlation between frequent coffee consumption and higher muscle mass indicators in adults.
  • The research analyzed data from over 15,000 adults, comparing coffee intake with body composition metrics like fat mass index and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index.
  • While the study found positive associations, particularly in women, researchers caution that it does not prove coffee directly causes these changes.

A recent study from Seoul National University's College of Medicine has stirred interest by suggesting a link between drinking coffee and having more muscle mass. The research, led by Professor Park Sang-min, analyzed data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2008 and 2011, involving over 15,000 adults.

The findings indicate that individuals who consume coffee more frequently tend to exhibit better body composition metrics related to muscle. Specifically, women who drank three cups of coffee daily showed lower body fat mass index and higher appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) and lean body mass index (LBMI) compared to those who drank only once a day. For men, drinking three cups daily was associated with higher ASMI and LBMI, although a clear link to body fat mass index was not observed.

Researchers propose potential biological mechanisms, such as caffeine's role in boosting energy metabolism, promoting fat oxidation, and influencing muscle function. However, they are careful to emphasize that this is a correlational study. The findings do not definitively prove that coffee consumption directly causes an increase in muscle mass or other positive changes in body composition.

Jina Jeong, the lead author of the study, highlighted that this research confirms a potential association between coffee intake frequency and muscle-related indicators in Korean adults. The team plans to conduct further studies to explore the relationship between dietary factors, muscle decline, and obesity. The study, titled 'Association between Coffee Consumption Frequency and Body Composition in Korean Adults Aged 20 and Over,' has been published in the 'Journal of Nutrition,' contributing to the ongoing scientific discussion about coffee's health effects.

This study confirmed that coffee consumption frequency may be associated with body composition indicators in Korean adults, particularly those related to muscle mass.

— Jeong Ji-naThe lead author of the study explains the key finding regarding coffee and muscle mass.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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