The consumption of culinary preparations and ultra-processed food is associated with handgrip strength in teenagers

A nutrient-poor and hypocaloric diet may be associated with lower handgrip strength (HGS), whereas a high-quality or balanced diet may be associated with higher HGS. However, no study has used the NOVA system for classifying food by their degree of processing. To analyze the association between food consumption according to the degree of food processing and HGS in Brazilian teenagers. This cross-sectional study included teenagers aged 18 and 19 years old from the 1997/98 São Luís' birth cohort, Maranhão, Brazil. HGS (kilogram-force) was measured via a Jamar Plus + dynamometer. Food consumption was assessed using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. The energy intake of culinary preparations (unprocessed or minimally processed food and processed culinary ingredients), processed, and ultra-processed foods was evaluated in percentages and categorized in tertiles. The associations between each food group intake and HGS was estimated via crude and adjusted linear regression models. A directed acyclic graph was used to identify confounding factors. We evaluated 2,433 teenagers, 52.1% of which were girls. For boys, adjusted analysis showed an association between the highest HGS and the 3 tertile of culinary preparation consumption (β: 1.95; 95%CI: 0.80; 3.10) and between the lowest HGS and the 3 tertile of ultra-processed food consumption (β: -2.25; 95%CI: -3.40; -1.10). Among girls, the consumption of culinary preparations in the 3 tertile was associated with higher HGS (β: 0.76; 95%CI: 0.05; 1.46). Higher consumption of culinary preparations and lower consumption of ultra-processed foods can contribute to reduce the chance of lower HGS in adult life. Interventions to promote the development and preservation of muscle strength should include dietary recommendations.