The association of dietary patterns with muscle mass and strength in old age: The Hordaland Health Study

Abstract

Purpose: The single nutrient approach in nutrition research lacks the ability to account for synergistic relationships between dietary components. Current evidence suggests that diet quality, reflecting overall dietary intake, may influence muscle health. In a community-based observational study in Western Norway, we examined dietary patterns in relation to muscle mass and strength at age 67–70.

Methods: The current analysis was conducted in men and women of The Hordaland Health Study (HUSK), who participated in both the second (HUSK2) and third study wave (HUSK3). Dietary patterns were extracted by principal component analysis (PCA) on food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data. Individual dietary pattern scores (DPS) for HUSK2 (age 46–49) and HUSK3 (age 67–70), and overall DPS (oDPS) were calculated. Outcome variables were appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASMM) and handgrip strength (HGS) measured in HUSK3. The relationships of HUSK3 DPS and oDPS with ASMM and HGS were assessed by multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for potential confounding factors.

Results: We identified three distinct dietary patterns, labelled ‘Western’, ‘Healthy’, and ‘Sweets-focused’. A significant positive association was observed between the oDPS for the ‘Healthy’ dietary pattern and ASMM in both men and women at age 67–70. No significant associations were found between HUSK3 DPS or oDPS for any of the identified dietary patterns and HGS in our population.

Conclusion: Higher oDPS on a dietary pattern predominantly rich in fish, vegetables, nuts and seeds, fruit and berries, and eggs was associated with better ASMM at age 67–70. To establish the influence of diet quality on muscle health, further long-term studies with repeated dietary assessments are warranted.