RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PROTEIN INTAKE AND DYNAPENIA IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between protein intake and dynapenia. Design: a cross-sectional/observational study. Setting: Department of Kinanthropology at the university of Quebec at Montreal. participants: Seventy-two non-frail postmenopausal women aged between 50 to 75 years were recruited. Measurements: Body weight (BW), lean body mass (lBM; %) and skeletal muscle mass (bio-electrical impedancemetry analysis), maximum voluntary handgrip strength (using hand dynamometer), aerobic capacity (Vo2peak) and dietary intake were measured. Women were divided according to dynapenia criteria. Results: the strongest correlation between muscle strength and protein intake was observed when we express the amount of protein in g/d/BW. no differences for age, BMi, status of menopause, fat mass and Vo2peak were observed between non-dynapenic, type i dynapenic and type ii dynapenic women, independently of the criteria used. We observed significant differences in protein intake (g/d/BW) between nondynapenic and type ii dynapenic (p<0.01) as well as between type i dynapenic and type ii dynapenic (p<0.01) when dynapenia was expressed in kg/BW and in kg/lBM, respectively. it should be noted that no differences in lBM between the three groups were observed when dynapenia was expressed in kg/BW and kg/lBM. protein intake for all groups respected the rDa of 0.8 to 1.2 g/d/BW (non-dynapenic: 1.44/1.38; type i dynapenic: 1.30/1.33; type ii dynapenic: 1.05/1.08 g/d/BW). Conclusions: protein intake seems to play a role in the development of dynapenia particularly at the level of type ii dynapenia. therefore, an increase in the recommended daily allowance for protein intake may be warranted