Samenvatting

Introduction: The society is aging. Sarcopenia is an age-related loss of muscle mass and physical performance. The cause of sarcopenia is multifactorial and nutritional intake has been addressed as an important factor. The intake of the minerals magnesium, selenium and calcium might play a role in muscle mass and physical activity of elderly people, however, this is poorly studied. Therefore we assess the association between the mineral intake and muscle mass and physical activity. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we studied the association of dietary mineral intake of magnesium, selenium, and calcium with appendicular muscle mass and habitual physical activity (PAL). The following confounders have were used: gender, age, the usage of diuretics, levothyroxine, tetracycline us, phenytoin, phenobarbital and the intake of protein and energy (kcal). Results: The study included 97 elderly men and women with an mean age of 72 years. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that magnesium was not significantly associated with muscle mass (β= - 0.16, P= 0.971) and physical performance (β= 0.00, P=0.374). Selenium also showed that there was no significant association with muscle mass (β= 38.30, P= 0.052) and physical activity (β= -0.00, P= 0.313). Likewise, calcium also didn´t showed a significant association with muscle mass (β= -1.34, P=0.251) and physical activity (β= -0.00, P= 0.188). Conclusion: The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that there is no significant association between magnesium, selenium and calcium intake with muscle mass and physical activity.