Natural Molecule Found in Coffee and Human Body Improves Muscle Function During Aging

A research consortium led by Nestlé Research in Switzerland and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), has recently discovered that the natural molecule trigonelline, which is found in coffee, fenugreek and also in the human body, can help improve muscle health and function. This is especially essential for people with sarcopenia.

Increasing NAD+ Levels to Maintain Muscle Function During Ageing

Sarcopenia is a condition in which cellular changes that occur during aging gradually weaken the muscles in the body, leading to accelerated loss of muscle mass and strength and decreased physical independence. A major problem with sarcopenia is that the cellular cofactor NAD+ decreases as we age and the mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of our cells, produce less energy. The study team discovered that trigonellin levels were lower in older people with sarcopenia. Administration of this molecule in preclinical models led to an increase in NAD+ levels, increased mitochondrial activity and contributed to the maintenance of muscle function during aging. NAD+ levels can be increased with various dietary precursors such as the essential amino acid L-tryptophan (L-Trp) and vitamin B3 forms such as nicotinic acid (NA), nicotinamide (NAM), nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).

These findings expand the current understanding of NAD+ metabolism through the discovery of trigonelline as a novel NAD+ precursor and increase the potential for the introduction of interventions with NAD+-producing vitamins for use in both healthy longevity and age-related diseases. Diet and physical activity are important lifestyle recommendations to maintain healthy muscles during aging. Researchers discovered that a natural molecule found in food interacts with cellular features of aging. The benefits of trigonelline on cellular metabolism and muscle health during aging open up promising translational applications.

Early Interventions for Sarcopenia

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have investigated how various factors such as gender, age, education level, housing situation, lifestyle and chronic diseases affect the development of sarcopenia in people over the age of 60 over a 12-year period. Over 3,200 people from the SNAC-K study (Swedish National Study on Ageing and Care in Kungsholmen) were included in the study. The study suggests that the early stages of sarcopenia could be counteracted with timely measures to maintain physical and cognitive function and manage chronic disease.

At the start of the study, almost 10 percent of participants had sarcopenia, 27 percent had probable sarcopenia, and just over 63 percent did not. Measurements such as grip strength, walking speed, speed of getting up from a chair five times and calf circumference were used to assess muscle strength and mass as well as physical performance. Perhaps the most interesting finding was that after five years, a roughly equal proportion (just over 10 percent) of people with probable sarcopenia had either improved or worsened. This suggests that sarcopenia is a dynamic condition that is changeable, especially in the early stages, which is a hopeful message. Factors associated with a higher chance of recovery and lower mortality included physical activity and better cognitive test scores, while a higher number of chronic diseases, male gender and older age had the opposite correlation. With the right interventions, muscle loss and the associated impairment of quality of life can probably be counteracted.