Dietary Magnesium Is Positively Associated With Skeletal Muscle Power and Indices of Muscle Mass and May Attenuate the Association Between Circulating C‐Reactive Protein and Muscle Mass in Women

ABSTRACT Age‐related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength are risk factors for sarcopenia, osteoporosis, falls, fractures, frailty, and mortality. Dietary magnesium (Mg) could play a role in prevention of age‐related loss of skeletal muscle mass, power, and strength directly through physiological mechanisms or indirectly through an impact on chronic low‐grade inflammation, itself a risk factor for loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. In a cross‐sectional study of 2570 women aged 18 to 79 years, we examined associations between intakes of Mg, estimated using a food‐frequency questionnaire (FFQ), dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)‐derived measures of muscle mass (fat‐free mass as a percentage of body weight [FFM%], fat‐free mass index [FFMI, kg/m2]), leg explosive power (LEP), and grip strength (n = 949 only). We also examined associations between circulating hs‐CRP (C‐reactive protein) and muscle mass and LEP, and explored the potential attenuation of these relationships by Mg. We compared our findings with those of age and protein intake. Endpoints were calculated by quintile of Mg and adjusted for relevant confounders. Significant positive associations were found between a higher Mg and indices of skeletal muscle mass and LEP, and also with hs‐CRP, after adjustment for covariates. Contrasting extreme quintiles of Mg intake showed differences of 2.6% for FFM% (p trend