Relationship between dietary protein and amino acid intake and handgrip strength in Korean adults: data from the 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
{"title":"Relationship between dietary protein and amino acid intake and handgrip strength in Korean adults: data from the 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.","authors":"Hyunji Ham, Sumin Kim, Kyungho Ha","doi":"10.1186/s12937-025-01131-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sarcopenia contributes to an increased risk of falls and fractures, and reduced mobility, and mortality. Supplementation with dietary protein and amino acids has been suggested as a potential strategy to slow or prevent the associated loss of muscle mass and strength. However, most previous studies have focused on dietary protein or limited populations, such as older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary protein and amino acid intake and handgrip strength (HG) in Korean adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used data from the 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 18,565 adults who participated in a 1-day 24-hour recall method were included. Protein intake was calculated as a percentage of total energy intake from food sources (animal and plant). Amino acid intake (g/day), including essential amino acids (EAAs), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and non essential amino acids (NEAAs), was assessed using a database expanded based on amino acid composition databases constructed by national institutions. Low HG was diagnosed based on the 2019 guidelines of the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the fully adjusted model, total and plant protein intakes were positively associated with HG levels (kg) (β = 0.04 and 0.07 per 1% increase, respectively; p < 0.05 for both). Participants aged ≥ 65 years in the highest NEAA intake group had a 42% lower risk of low HG compared to those in the lowest intake group (odds ratio 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.97; p for trend = 0.1026). A lower risk of HG was observed in older participants whose plant protein intake ranged from 8 to 10% of energy, compared to those consuming less than 7%. However, no association was found when intake exceeded 10% of energy.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that a high intake of NEAAs and a moderately high intake of plant protein may be associated with a lower risk of low HG among Korean older adults. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the effects of protein and amino acid intake on muscle mass and strength.</p>","PeriodicalId":19203,"journal":{"name":"Nutrition Journal","volume":"24 1","pages":"61"},"PeriodicalIF":4.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11998251/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Nutrition Journal","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-025-01131-7","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"NUTRITION & DIETETICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Sarcopenia contributes to an increased risk of falls and fractures, and reduced mobility, and mortality. Supplementation with dietary protein and amino acids has been suggested as a potential strategy to slow or prevent the associated loss of muscle mass and strength. However, most previous studies have focused on dietary protein or limited populations, such as older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary protein and amino acid intake and handgrip strength (HG) in Korean adults.
Methods: This study used data from the 2014-2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 18,565 adults who participated in a 1-day 24-hour recall method were included. Protein intake was calculated as a percentage of total energy intake from food sources (animal and plant). Amino acid intake (g/day), including essential amino acids (EAAs), branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), and non essential amino acids (NEAAs), was assessed using a database expanded based on amino acid composition databases constructed by national institutions. Low HG was diagnosed based on the 2019 guidelines of the Asian Working Group on Sarcopenia.
Results: In the fully adjusted model, total and plant protein intakes were positively associated with HG levels (kg) (β = 0.04 and 0.07 per 1% increase, respectively; p < 0.05 for both). Participants aged ≥ 65 years in the highest NEAA intake group had a 42% lower risk of low HG compared to those in the lowest intake group (odds ratio 0.58; 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.97; p for trend = 0.1026). A lower risk of HG was observed in older participants whose plant protein intake ranged from 8 to 10% of energy, compared to those consuming less than 7%. However, no association was found when intake exceeded 10% of energy.
Conclusions: These findings suggest that a high intake of NEAAs and a moderately high intake of plant protein may be associated with a lower risk of low HG among Korean older adults. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the effects of protein and amino acid intake on muscle mass and strength.
期刊介绍：
Nutrition Journal publishes surveillance, epidemiologic, and intervention research that sheds light on i) influences (e.g., familial, environmental) on eating patterns; ii) associations between eating patterns and health, and iii) strategies to improve eating patterns among populations. The journal also welcomes manuscripts reporting on the psychometric properties (e.g., validity, reliability) and feasibility of methods (e.g., for assessing dietary intake) for human nutrition research. In addition, study protocols for controlled trials and cohort studies, with an emphasis on methods for assessing dietary exposures and outcomes as well as intervention components, will be considered.
Manuscripts that consider eating patterns holistically, as opposed to solely reductionist approaches that focus on specific dietary components in isolation, are encouraged. Also encouraged are papers that take a holistic or systems perspective in attempting to understand possible compensatory and differential effects of nutrition interventions. The journal does not consider animal studies.
In addition to the influence of eating patterns for human health, we also invite research providing insights into the environmental sustainability of dietary practices. Again, a holistic perspective is encouraged, for example, through the consideration of how eating patterns might maximize both human and planetary health.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
