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Beneficial Role of Replacing Dietary Saturated Fatty Acids with Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Prevention of Sarcopenia: Findings from the NU-AGE Cohort.

School of Health Sciences, Örebro University, 702 81 Örebro, Sweden. Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Alma Mater Research Institute on Global Challenges and Climate Change (Alma Climate), University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy. Department of Applied Mathematics, Institute of Information Technology, Mathematics and Mechanics (ITMM), Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod-National Research University (UNN), Nizhny, 603950 Novgorod, Russia. Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, 40136 Bologna, Italy. Department of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, 6708WE Wageningen, The Netherlands. Department of Human Nutrition, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland. Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK. Unité de Nutrition Humaine (UNH), Institut National de Recherche pour L'agriculture, L'alimentation et L'environnement (INRAE), Université Clermont Auvergne, CRNH Auvergne, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France.

Nutrients. 2020;(10)
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Abstract

Dietary fat subtypes may play an important role in the regulation of muscle mass and function during ageing. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of isocaloric macronutrient substitutions, including different fat subtypes, on sarcopenia risk in older men and women, while accounting for physical activity (PA) and metabolic risk. A total of 986 participants, aged 65-79 years, completed a 7-day food record and wore an accelerometer for a week. A continuous sex-specific sarcopenia risk score (SRS), including skeletal muscle mass assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and handgrip strength, was derived. The impact of the isocaloric replacement of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) by either mono- (MUFAs) or poly-unsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids on SRS was determined using regression analysis based on the whole sample and stratified by adherence to a recommended protein intake (1.1 g/BW). Isocaloric reduction of SFAs for the benefit of PUFAs was associated with a lower SRS in the whole population, and in those with a protein intake below 1.1 g/BW, after accounting for age, smoking habits, metabolic disturbances, and adherence to PA guidelines. The present study highlighted the potential of promoting healthy diets with optimised fat subtype distribution in the prevention of sarcopenia in older adults.