Effect of sleep duration on muscle mass in Korean non-elderly adults

Objective: This study investigated the association of sleep duration and muscle mass in non-elderly adults. Methods: The present study analyzed young (19-39 years) and middle-aged (40-59 years) men and women who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Muscle mass was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan. A self-reported questionnaire was used for assessing sleep duration, which was categorized into ≤ 6, 7, 8, and ≥ 9 h per day. Results: Participants with low muscle mass were more prevalent in the longer sleep group, among men and women. Furthermore, in subgroup analysis, in which participants were classified into a young and middle-aged group, height-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass was inversely related to sleep duration, regardless of sex. After adjusting for covariates, the probability of low muscle mass was increased in longer sleepers, and sleep duration and low muscle mass showed a positive dose-dependent correlation in men and women. Conclusion: In young and middle-aged adults, longer sleep duration may be related to decreased muscle mass, in both sexes.