Mixed
Higher adherence to a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern is associated with better lower extremity functioning, mobility, and walking speed in older adults, but shows inconclusive or no association with measures of muscle strength (e.g., grip strength).
For older adults, prioritizing a Mediterranean-style diet (high in plants, olive oil, fish, moderate dairy/wine) is strongly linked to maintaining mobility, walking speed, and independence. However, do not expect this diet alone to significantly increase muscle strength (grip strength); resistance training remains essential for building strength, while this diet supports functional mobility.
Higher adherence to the MED (assessed by MDS, PREDIMED score, and other variants) was positively associated with lower extremity functioning, mobility, and better walking speed over time [84,86,87,89,91,93,94,99,102] but not with measures of upper body muscle strength in most of the studies [73,91,95,99,102].
Why this rating
Based on multiple systematic reviews of observational studies (cross-sectional and longitudinal), showing consistent positive associations for mobility but inconsistent results for strength; lack of randomized controlled trials limits causal inference.
Source
Dietary Patterns, Skeletal Muscle Health, and Sarcopenia in Older Adults
Antoneta Granic et al. · Nutrients · 2019
DOI 10.3390/nu11040745
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