University of Oulu study links coffee consumption to higher muscle mass

A study conducted by the University of Oulu in Finland suggests that high coffee consumption is linked to improved body composition and metabolic markers. Researchers analyzed data from 2,264 participants of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 at age 46.

Findings indicate that individuals consuming five or more cups of coffee per day exhibited higher skeletal muscle mass and lower levels of both total and visceral fat compared to those with lower consumption, even when accounting for similar body mass indices (BMI). The study also noted that high coffee intake correlated with lower levels of branched-chain amino acids, which are biomarkers associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk.

The research highlighted sex-specific associations with hormones. In men, higher coffee consumption was linked to more favorable glucose and insulin profiles, as well as higher levels of total and bioavailable testosterone. In women, the hormonal associations were more limited, primarily involving higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG).