Reference values of Appendicular lean muscle index in healthy Saudi young women: Nutritional perspective

Maha H Alhussain ^1* Samar A Alamro ¹ Abdullah F Alghannam ² Rawan A Alabdulataif ¹ Shaea Alkahtani ³

• ¹ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ² Health Science Research Center, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• ³ Department of Physical Education, College of Sport Sciences and Physical Activity, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background: Sarcopenia is defined as the age-related decline of muscle functions including muscle strength and muscle mass. It can be diagnosed using the appendicular lean muscle index (ALMI) for a specific population. However, reference values for ALMI among Saudi women are lacking.Aim: This study aimed to determine ALMI reference values among young Saudi women using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The relationship between ALM and dietary intake was also investigated.Methods: A total of 387 Saudi young women aged between 18-25 years participated in this study. They were recruited via a convenience sampling method between October 2020 and June 2021. Body composition was assessed with BIA (Inbody 770). ALMI was determined by calculating the sum of the lean tissue in the arms and legs divided by the height squared (ALM/h 2 ). The cut-off value was calculated by deriving -2 standard deviation (SD) value of healthy young women. A 24-h dietary recall was also collected, and energy and macronutrient intakes were assessed.The mean ALM/h 2 was 5.63 ± 0.77 kg/m 2 , and mean ALM/ht 2 , -2 SD value was 4.09 kg/m 2 for Saudi young reference group. There were significant positive correlations between ALM and protein (g/day) (r= 0.15; P < 0.001), protein (%) (r= 0.16; P = 0.002), fiber (g/day) (r= 0.21; P < 0.001) and cholesterol (mg/day) (r= 0.14; P = 0.007). However, ALM showed significant a negative correlation with Carbohydrate (%) (r= -0.11; P = 0.03).These findings give useful reference values for evaluating ALM in patients with a variety of diseases that impact ALM. Furthermore, a cutoff value for low ALM may aid in the diagnosis of sarcopenia in Saudi women as well as increase our understanding of the effects of total dietary nutrient intake on sarcopenia in women.