Associations of urinary glyphosate with sarcopenia and muscle mass: Insights from NHANES

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide, and it is related to a variety of negative health effects. Although experimental studies have suggested potential muscle-related effects of glyphosate, its association with sarcopenia in population-based studies remains unclear.

This study included 3177 participants from the 2013-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Weighted logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to assess the association of urinary glyphosate with appendicular skeletal muscle mass adjusted for body mass index (ASM/BMI) and sarcopenia. Subgroup analyses examined the stability of relationship between sarcopenia and glyphosate within different populations. Mediation analyses explored the potential roles of oxidative stress and inflammation biomarkers.

Higher urinary glyphosate concentrations were associated with lower ASM/BMI, with a significant interaction by sex; negative associations were observed in males, while RCS analyses revealed nonlinear associations in both males and females. Urinary glyphosate was positively associated with sarcopenia, showing a nonlinear relationship, with stronger associations in males and non-hypertensive participants. Mediation analysis suggested that alkaline phosphatase (ALP) may partially mediate the association between glyphosate and sarcopenia.

Our results suggest that urinary glyphosate concentration was associated with sarcopenia and reduced muscle mass, and that ALP may partially account for this observed association.