Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Prospective association of protein intake during puberty with body composition in young adulthood
K E Assmann1, G Joslowski, A E Buyken
1IEL-Nutritional Epidemiology, University of Bonn, DONALD Study at the Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Germany.
Objective:
To examine the association of habitual animal and plant protein intake during the potentially critical period of puberty with body composition in young adulthood.
Design And Methods:
Multivariable regression analyses were performed on data from 140 female and 122 male participants of the DONALD Study with ≥2 3-day weighed dietary records during puberty (girls 9-14 years; boys 10-15 years) and anthropometric measurements in young adulthood (18-25 years). Fat-free mass index (FFMI) and fat mass index (FMI) were estimated from four skinfolds.
Results:
In women, a higher pubertal animal protein consumption was independently related to higher levels of FFMI (ptrend = 0.001), but not to FMI (ptrend = 0.5). Adjusted means of FFMI in energy-adjusted tertiles of animal protein intake were 15.3 (95% confidence interval: 15.0, 15.5), 15.4 (15.1, 15.7), 16.2 (15.9, 16.6) kg/m(2) . In men, a higher animal protein intake was related to a higher FFMI (ptrend = 0.04) and a lower FMI (ptrend = 0.001) only after adjusting FFMI for current FMI levels and vice versa. Plant protein was not associated with body composition among either sex.
Conclusions:
Our results show that a higher pubertal animal protein consumption may yield a higher fat-free mass in young adulthood.
Related Concept Videos
Signs of Puberty
Overview of Protein Metabolism
Amino acids play various roles in the body once they are absorbed into cells. They are restructured...
Proteins: Dietary Sources and Requirements
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Nature and Nurture
Regulation of Food Intake