Impact of Alcohol Intake on Skeletal Muscle: A Large Cross-Sectional Analysis in Japanese Adults

To clarify the impact of alcohol intake on skeletal muscle mass (SMM) using data from Japanese health checkup recipients (8405 males and 11,509 females). The fat-free (FF) index was regarded as the FF mass divided by height squared (kg/m²).

The subjects were classified into four groups (type A (never drinker), B (chance or mild drinker), C (moderate drinker), and D (severe drinker)) according to the amount of alcohol consumed.

The average age in males and females was 52.2 and 50.1 years, respectively (p < 0.0001). The average FF index in males and females was 18.5 and 15.1 kg/m², respectively (p < 0.0001). The proportion of subjects of type A, B, C, and D was 36.5%, 44.2%, 5.9%, and 13.4%, respectively, in males, and 59.8%, 31.3%, 3.7%, and 5.1%, respectively, in females (p < 0.0001). The average FF index in type A, B, C, and D males was 18.43, 18.62, 18.12, and 18.16 kg/m², respectively (overall p < 0.0001). The average FF index in type A, B, C, and D females was 15.17, 15.14, 15.15, and 14.78 kg/m², respectively (overall p < 0.0001).

Habitual heavy drinking has a negative effect on SMM. However, from the standpoint of maintaining SMM, it is not necessary to completely abstain from alcohol.