Prospective association of protein intake during puberty with body composition in young adulthood

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/m2. 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.