DOES COFFEE HURT MUSCLE GAINS? A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS IT CAN BOOST MUSCLE GAINS!

DOES COFFEE HURT MUSCLE GAINS? A NEW STUDY SUGGESTS IT CAN BOOST MUSCLE GAINS SUMMARY

• It has been suggested that coffee hurts muscle gains by increasing cortisol.
• Animal studies have found that coffee has a beneficial effect on muscle mass improvement.
• A recent study found those who frank more coffee had more muscle mass.

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COFFEE, CAFFEINE AND MUSCLE GROWTH

Coffee drinkers rejoice!! Your morning cup of coffee may not only energize you to start the day, but it may be better for muscle mass! In fact, previous research has shown that coffee has a number of potential benefits for muscle health. Before we delve into the details of the latest study, let’s take a closer look at some of the key findings from previous research.Animal studies have found that coffee has a beneficial effect on muscle mass improvement. (1, 2)

DOES COFFEE HURT MUSCLE GAINS?

In the realm of muscle building, there is an intriguing theory: that coffee’s anti-inflammatory properties, coupled with its ability to counteract the muscle-suppressing effects of myostatin, and its enhancement of the anabolic actions of insulin-like growth factor, play a significant role in muscle growth. However, the exact mechanisms through which coffee aids muscle growth remain a mystery.

Shifting our focus to empirical evidence, particularly human studies, two cross-sectional studies stand out. These studies have consistently found a positive correlation between higher coffee consumption and increased muscle mass.

Delving deeper into the specifics, one particular study highlighted an interesting observation: men who consumed at least three cups of coffee per day exhibited a lower incidence of muscle mass loss compared to their counterparts who consumed less than one cup per day. Remarkably, this trend persisted even after adjusting for a myriad of factors, including age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, exercise habits, education level, household income, occupation status, protein intake, and overall energy intake.

DOES COFFEE HURT MUSCLE GAINS?

The latest cross-sectional study, comprising 2538 middle-aged and older men and women, examined the relationship between coffee consumption and muscle mass. Consumption frequencies of coffee (<1 cup/week, 1–3 cups/week, 4–6 cups/week or 1 cup/day, and ≥2 cups/day). In terms of coffee consumption, 10.0% (208 people) consumed <1 cup/week, 10.9% (228 people) consumed 1–3 cups/week, 32.6% (679 people) consumed 4–6 cups/week or 1 cup/day, and 46.5% (970 people) consumed ≥2 cups/day of coffee.

There was an inverse association between coffee consumption and low muscle mass. Those who drank more coffee had a lower risk of having low muscle mass. The inverse association between coffee consumption and low muscle mass prevalence was similar between men and women. The results of the study found that coffee consumption is associated with a lower prevalence of low muscle mass.(6)

 

REFERENCES

1.         Guo Y, Niu K, Okazaki T, Wu H, Yoshikawa T, Ohrui T, et al. Coffee treatment prevents the progression of sarcopenia in aged mice in vivo and in vitro. Exp Gerontol. 2014;50:1-8.

2.         Dirks-Naylor AJ. The benefits of coffee on skeletal muscle. Life Sci. 2015;143:182-6.

3.         Jang YJ, Son HJ, Kim JS, Jung CH, Ahn J, Hur J, et al. Coffee consumption promotes skeletal muscle hypertrophy and myoblast differentiation. Food Funct. 2018;9(2):1102-11.

4.         Iwasaka C, Yamada Y, Nishida Y, Hara M, Yasukata J, Miyoshi N, et al. Association between habitual coffee consumption and skeletal muscle mass in middle-aged and older Japanese people. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2021;21(10):950-8.

5.         Chung H, Moon JH, Kim JI, Kong MH, Huh JS, Kim HJ. Association of Coffee Consumption with Sarcopenia in Korean Elderly Men: Analysis Using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2008-2011. Korean J Fam Med. 2017;38(3):141-7.

6.         Kawakami R, Tanisawa K, Ito T, Usui C, Ishii K, Muraoka I, et al. Coffee consumption and skeletal muscle mass: WASEDA’S Health Study. British Journal of Nutrition. 2022:1-33.

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