Daily Coffee May Help Burn Fat, Study Finds; Linked to Lower Body Fat and Higher Muscle Mass

A new study has found that people who drink more coffee tend to have a leaner body composition, with lower levels of total and abdominal fat and greater skeletal muscle mass.

Researchers from the University of Oulu analysed data from 2,264 adults aged 46 who were part of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. They examined participants’ coffee consumption alongside body composition, blood markers, glucose and insulin measures, and sex hormone levels.

More Coffee, Less Body Fat

Published in the European Journal of Nutrition, the study found that people in the higher coffee-consumption groups generally had:

• Lower body fat percentage
• Lower total body fat
• Less visceral fat
• Greater skeletal muscle mass
• Lower levels of certain branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs)

The differences were observed despite broadly similar BMI levels among coffee drinkers.

This is significant because BMI does not distinguish between fat and muscle. Two people with the same BMI can have substantially different amounts of body fat and muscle.

According to lead author Luca Verroest, a doctoral researcher at the University of Oulu, the findings revealed a distinct hormonal pattern that remained even after researchers accounted for BMI and lifestyle factors. Some of these associations also differed between men and women.

Does Coffee Actually Burn Fat?

Coffee contains caffeine, which can influence the nervous system and energy metabolism. Previous research has suggested that caffeine may increase energy expenditure and affect appetite and fat metabolism.

However, the latest study does not establish that coffee itself causes fat loss. The researchers analysed cross-sectional data, meaning coffee consumption and health measures were assessed at a specific point in time.

Therefore, the findings demonstrate an association rather than a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

Higher Muscle Mass Also Linked To Coffee

The researchers also found that higher coffee consumption was associated with greater skeletal muscle mass.

However, this does not mean coffee can replace exercise or adequate protein intake for building muscle. The study did not show that coffee directly stimulates muscle growth.

Metabolic Changes Seen In Coffee Drinkers

Higher coffee intake was also associated with lower circulating levels of branched-chain amino acids, including leucine, isoleucine and valine, in both men and women.

Elevated levels of these amino acids have previously been linked with insulin resistance and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. Among men, higher coffee consumption was additionally associated with a more favourable glucose-insulin profile.

Coffee And Sex Hormones

The study also identified differences in sex hormone patterns, particularly among men.

Higher coffee consumption was associated with higher total and bioavailable testosterone and higher levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). However, free testosterone and the free androgen index were lower.

Among women, the hormonal associations were more limited. Higher coffee intake was mainly associated with higher SHBG and lower free testosterone and free androgen index measurements.

The researchers stressed that these findings do not mean coffee should be used to deliberately alter hormone levels.

Overall, the study suggests that regular coffee consumption is associated with lower total and visceral fat and greater skeletal muscle mass, even when BMI is similar. Coffee intake was also linked to changes in metabolic markers and hormone profiles, but further research is needed to determine whether coffee directly causes these effects.