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Coffee Boosts Muscle, Cuts Fat Without Weight Gain
15 Sep
Summary
- Higher coffee intake linked to more skeletal muscle.
- Coffee drinkers showed less total and visceral fat.
- Body composition benefits appeared despite similar BMIs.
A European study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, involving 2,264 middle-aged Finnish adults, revealed a potential link between coffee consumption and improved body composition. Participants who drank more coffee tended to have greater skeletal muscle mass and lower levels of total body fat and visceral fat.
The study's most striking observation was that these positive body composition changes occurred despite participants having similar BMIs across different coffee intake groups. This suggests that coffee's impact on metabolism and fat distribution might be significant even if body weight doesn't change.
However, researchers caution that this cross-sectional study cannot establish a cause-and-effect relationship. Coffee intake was self-reported, and body composition was estimated. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to confirm these findings and identify specific coffee compounds responsible.
Additionally, the study noted other metabolic associations, such as lower levels of certain amino acids in frequent coffee drinkers. Men who drank more coffee also exhibited healthier blood sugar and insulin markers, indicating potential gender-specific effects on metabolism.
