Study Links Higher Levels Of Lean Muscle Mass With Lower Alzheimer's Risk

A study published in BMJ Medicine found that individuals with lifelong higher lean muscle mass had a 12% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and higher cognitive performance on average. 

For this study, researchers evaluated genetic data from 450,253 participants via the UK Biobank (a large-scale database with genetic and health information) to measure lean muscle mass and fat mass. For reference, lean mass is the quantity left when you subtract fat mass from overall body mass—so it includes bone and fluid weight as well.

A total of 21,982 people with Alzheimer's and 41,944 without were included in the independent sample. In a replication sample to confirm findings, 7,329 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 252,879 people without it participated. 

After reviewing the data, researchers concluded lean mass was positively associated with better cognitive performance and lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

These findings suggest that lean muscle mass might be a protective factor against cognitive decline. However, further research is needed to investigate the underlying cause of this association. 

While previous research studies linked obesity with an increased risk of Alzheimer's1, this finding stands out as another piece of the puzzle beyond clinical obesity. In the study summary, researchers present a few ideas as to why muscle mass might have a protective effect against Alzheimer's: For one, having more muscle could help improve certain dementia risk factors like insulin resistance and blood pressure. Certain myokines (proteins that are secreted in response to muscular contractions) could also have a neuroprotective effect2, they note.

It's important to remember that the naked eye cannot evaluate lean muscle mass—two people could look and weigh the same with completely different lean muscle mass measurements. It's all about what's inside. 

Along with these muscle-supporting tips, you can support healthy cognition by stimulating your brain as you age. Do this by signing up for new hobbies, playing light sports, engaging in brain games or exercises, taking a class you're interested in, or simply socializing more often—research shows this helps to prevent cognitive decline6. 

Make sure you focus on consuming brain-supporting foods as well. A few of the best include kefir, lentils, cashews, berries, microgreens, and sprouts.