As we age, muscle mass and function naturally decline. A molecule that occurs in coffee and fenugreek, but also in the human body, could counteract this process.
An international research team including experts from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore has demonstrated that the natural molecule trigonelline can have positive effects on muscle function in old age. The corresponding study results are published in the specialist magazine “Nature Metabolism”.
Muscle loss with age
To a certain extent, muscle loss is completely normal as we age, but it can also take on pathological forms. In this case, the clinical picture is called sarcopenia and entails significant limitations in motor skills and an increased risk of falls.
Previous studies have already shown that in sarcopenia, the cellular cofactor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) decreases with age, while the mitochondria, the energy power plants in our cells, produce less energy, the researchers explain.
It is also known that various dietary precursors such as the essential amino acid L-tryptophan and various forms of vitamin B3 (e.g. nicotinic acid and nicotinamide) can increase the production of NAD+.
Trigonelline against muscle loss?
It has now been shown that trigonelline levels are also lower in older people with sarcopenia. And in preclinical models, delivery of the molecule, which is also found in coffee and fenugreek, led to an increase in NAD+ levels, the research team reports.
In addition, trigonelline increased mitochondrial activity and contributed to the maintenance of muscle function during aging. Therefore, dietary supplementation with trigonelline could be a promising therapeutic strategy against age-related muscle loss. (fp)
