Dairy Products Help Maintain Muscle Mass

13 Aug 2013 --- Consuming dairy products may help preserve muscle mass and improve the physical performance of elderly women, according to a new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Researchers were led by Kun Zhu, Ph.D., Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital in Western Australia. The team examined whether dairy intake was associated with body composition and physical performance using 1,456 women between the ages of 70 and 85 years.

The team used a food frequency survey to measure dairy consumption, requiring participants to report how much milk, yogurt and cheese they consumed in the past 12 months. By measuring participants' hand grip strength and mobility, researchers also evaluated physical performance, and subjects reported the number of falls they had within the past three months.

Women who consumed 1.5 or more servings of dairy per day had significantly greater whole-body lean mass and skeletal muscle mass than women who had less than 1.5 servings per day. Hand-grip strength was also greater in women who ate 2.2 servings of dairy per day. However, there was no association between dairy intake and number of falls. Researchers also took physical activity levels and smoking status into account.

Older women aren't the only ones who can benefit from adding dairy to their diets. Recent research reveals college students and teenagers should also increase dairy intake to maintain their health and prevent diseases.