Amount Rather than Animal vs Plant Protein Intake Is Associated with Skeletal Muscle Mass in Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Adults: Results from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study

Abstract

Background: Current literature does not indicate if the amount and animal vs plant protein are equally important in the prevention of muscle loss in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the associations between amount or animal vs plant protein and skeletal muscle mass in Chinese adults aged 40 to 80 years.

Design: A cross-sectional analysis of a prospective, community-based cohort was performed.

Participants/setting: Participants included 1,044 men and 2,169 women aged 40 to 80 years from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study 2011-2013 with body composition measurements by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.

Main outcome measure: The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was defined as appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by body weight. Participants in the lowest quartile of the sex-specific SMI were considered to have low muscle mass (LMM).

Statistical analysis: Analyses of covariance were performed to estimate the SMI across quintiles of relative dietary intake of total, animal, and plant protein and the ratio of animal-to-plant protein. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the associations between quintiles of protein intake and LMM.

Results: The SMI increased significantly across quintiles of relative dietary intake of total, animal, and plant protein (all P trends<0.001). Odds ratios (95% CIs) for LMM among participants in the highest (vs lowest) quintile were 0.3 (0.2, 0.4) for total protein, 0.3 (0.2, 0.5) for animal protein, and 0.4 (0.3, 0.7) for plant protein, respectively (all P trends<0.001). However, the ratio of animal-to-plant protein was not associated with either the SMI or the presence of LMM.

Conclusion: Higher dietary intakes of total, animal, and plant protein, regardless of the ratio of animal-to-plant protein, are associated with greater skeletal muscle mass in community-dwelling middle-aged and older Chinese adults with a mean protein intake above the current recommendation for protein of 0.8 g/kg per day.

Keywords: Animal protein; Dietary protein; Plant protein; Sarcopenia; Skeletal muscle mass.