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A higher alkaline dietary load is associated with greater indexes of skeletal muscle mass in women

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Abstract

Summary

Conservation of muscle mass is important for fall and fracture prevention but further understanding of the causes of age-related muscle loss is required. This study found a more alkaline diet was positively associated with muscle mass in women suggesting a role for dietary acid–base load in muscle loss.

Introduction

Conservation of skeletal muscle is important for preventing falls and fractures but age-related loss of muscle mass occurs even in healthy individuals. However, the mild metabolic acidosis associated with an acidogenic dietary acid–base load could influence loss of muscle mass.

Methods

We investigated the association between fat-free mass (FFM), percentage FFM (FFM%) and fat-free mass index (FFMI, weight/height2), measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 2,689 women aged 18–79 years from the TwinsUK Study, and dietary acid–base load. Body composition was calculated according to quartile of potential renal acid load and adjusted for age, physical activity, misreporting and smoking habit (FFM, FFMI also for fat mass) and additionally with percentage protein.

Results

Fat-free mass was positively associated with a more alkalinogenic dietary load (comparing quartile 1 vs 4: FFM 0.79 kg P < 0.001, FFM% 1.06 % <0.001, FFMI 0.24 kg/m2 P = 0.002), and with the ratio of fruits and vegetables to potential acidogenic foods.

Conclusions

We observed a small but significant positive association between a more alkaline diet and muscle mass indexes in healthy women that was independent of age, physical activity and protein intake equating to a scale of effect between a fifth and one half of the observed relationship with 10 years of age. Although protein is important for maintenance of muscle mass, eating fruits and vegetables that supply adequate amounts of potassium and magnesium are also relevant. The results suggest a potential role for diet in the prevention of muscle loss.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Wellcome Trust, The Chronic Diseases Research Foundation and UEA research funding for dietary assessment.

Conflicts of interest

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, NR4 7TJ, Norwich, UK

    A. A. Welch, A. J. MacGregor, J. Skinner & A. Cassidy

  2. Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, King’s College London, SE1 7EH, London, UK

    T. D. Spector & A. Moayyeri

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  1. A. A. Welch
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  2. A. J. MacGregor
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  4. T. D. Spector
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Correspondence to A. A. Welch.

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Welch, A.A., MacGregor, A.J., Skinner, J. et al. A higher alkaline dietary load is associated with greater indexes of skeletal muscle mass in women. Osteoporos Int 24, 1899–1908 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-012-2203-7

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