Longitudinal association between soft drink consumption and handgrip strength in adults: a prospective analysis from the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systemic Inflammation and Health (TCLSIH) cohort study

Soft drink consumption has become a highly controversial public health issue. Given the pattern of consumption in China, sugar-sweetened beverage is the main type of soft drink consumed. Due to containing high levels of fructose, a soft drink may have a deleterious effect on handgrip strength (HGS) due to oxidative stress, inflammation and insulin resistance. However, few studies show an association between soft drink consumption and HGS in adults. We aimed to investigate the association between soft drink consumption and longitudinal changes in HGS among a Chinese adult population. A longitudinal population-based cohort study (5-year follow-up, median: 3 center dot 66 years) was conducted in Tianjin, China. A total of 11 125 participants (56 center dot 7 % men) were enrolled. HGS was measured using a handheld digital dynamometer. Soft drink consumption (mainly sugar-containing carbonated beverages) was measured at baseline using a validated FFQ. ANCOVA was used to evaluate the association between soft drink consumption and annual change in HGS or weight-adjusted HGS. After adjusting for multiple confounding factors, the least square means (95 % CI) of annual change in HGS across soft drink consumption frequencies were -0 center dot 70 (-2 center dot 49, 1 center dot 09) for rarely drinks, -0 center dot 82 (-2 center dot 62, 0 center dot 97) for < 1 cup/week and -0 center dot 86 (-2 center dot 66, 0 center dot 93) for >= 1 cup/week (P-for trend < 0 center dot 05). Likewise, a similar association was observed between soft drink consumption and annual change in weight-adjusted HGS. The results indicate that higher soft drink consumption was associated with faster HGS decline in Chinese adults.