Dietary magnesium is positively associated with indices of skeletal muscle mass and may attenuate the association between C‐reactive protein and muscle mass (257.2)

Abstract

Background: Chronic age‐related muscle loss is one component of sarcopenia and dietary magnesium (Mg) intake may influence low‐grade inflammation, a risk factor for muscle loss. Therefore, associations between indices of skeletal muscle mass in women, and the potential attenuation by Mg of the relationship between C‐reactive protein (CRP) and muscle were investigated.Methods: A cross‐sectional study of 2570 women aged 18‐79 years with fat free mass (FFM) measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry, and with circulating HsCRP in 1658 participants. Dietary Mg was calculated using an FFQ and indices of FFM (FFM, as a percentage ‐ FFM% and FFM index ‐ FFMI ‐ FFM in kg/height2) calculated according to quintile of Mg using multivariate regression, and adjusted for age, physical activity, smoking, energy intake, anti‐inflammatory medication, HRT (for FFMI with BMI).Results: Significant positive associations were found between Mg and FFM% (P trend =0.004) and FFMI (P trend=0.001) with extreme quintile differences of 1.58% for FFM% and 0.5 kg/m2 for FFMI. The association between indices of muscle mass and CRP (per quintile of CRP) was ‐1.2 % P<0.001 for FFM% and ‐0.07 kg/m2 for FFMI which was attenuated by Mg by 0.7 % for FFM% and 5.4% for FFMI.Conclusions: We found significant positive associations between Mg and indices of muscle mass, and dietary Mg attenuated the associations between CRP and muscle mass. Dietary intervention studies are needed to confirm this finding.