Associations of EAT-Lancet diet food groups with sarcopenia components, self-reported sarcopenia risk and health-related quality of life in older Australians performing exercise training, following their normal diet: Six-month pretest-posttest study

Abstract

Planetary health diets recommend plant rather than animal proteins. Since protein is important for skeletal muscle, the purpose of this study was to examine associations of the EAT-Lancet diet food groups with sarcopenia components (muscle strength, appendicular lean mass [ALM] and physical performance), self-reported sarcopenia risk (via SARC-F), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) via Assessment of Quality of Life (AQoL-4D} among older adults performing exercise training. Community-dwelling older adults (n = 66, mean age±SD 76.8 ± 6.6) were measured as above at baseline, and after 6 months of continuous training (average once per week) at Uniting AgeWell’s four gyms in Melbourne, Australia. Participants followed their normal habitual diets, which were assessed at baseline by the Australian Eating Survey and subsequently aligned to the eight food groups of the EAT-Lancet diet. At pretest, whole grains (r = 0.276), vegetables (r = 0.282) and fruits (r = 0.257) were all positively associated with the HRQoL mental health dimension (all p < 0.05). Similarly, beef/lamb/pork (r = 0.329, p < 0.01), dairy food (r = 0.258) and fish (r = 0.275) (both p < 0.05) were positively associated with the HRQoL relationships dimension. Pearson associations of the baseline diet with the changes occurring after 6 months of continued resistance training showed vegetables were positively associated with gait speed (r = 0.252), whereas added sugars were associated with lower chair stand time (r = −0.245) (both p < 0.05). Beef/lamb/pork (r = 0.349), and chicken/other poultry (r = 0.247), were positively correlated with self-reported sarcopenia risk (both p < 0.05), while they were negatively correlated with the HRQoL relationship dimension (beef/lamb/pork, r = −0.338, chicken/other poultry r = −0.360; p < 0.01). Given the benefits of whole grains, vegetables and fruits on the HRQoL mental health dimension, and dairy foods, red meats and fish on the HRQoL relationship dimension at baseline, and the negative effects of higher meat consumption on self-reported sarcopenia risk, older adults should include them as part of a balanced diet combined with exercise training at least once per week.