It is often skipped in the morning rush – but making time for breakfast delivers extra health benefits for women, a study has found.
And what is tucked into seems to make little difference, just making breakfast a regular habit is enough to have a dramatic impact on muscle strength.
Scientists found that women who regularly eat breakfast have a significantly stronger hand grip than those who skip it. But the same benefit does not apply to men, possibly due to hormonal differences.
Medics say hand grip can indicate general health, revealing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The study suggests eating breakfast may reduce inflammation that can build in the body overnight and impact on muscle strength.
Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium in many breakfast foods may also help.
‘Breakfast habits have significant public health implications in preventing the decline of muscle strength,’ say the researchers from Southwest university in the Chinese city of Chongqing.
They analysed data on the grips of 25,819 men and women, aged up to 83, revealed using a dynamometer, which measures force.
Scientists found that women who regularly eat breakfast have a significantly stronger hand grip than those who skip it (Stock image)
Women who ate breakfast daily had up to 10 per cent more grip strength than those who did not. Pictured: A full English breakfast
The study suggests eating breakfast may reduce inflammation that can build in the body overnight and impact on muscle strength (Stock image)
Women who ate breakfast daily had up to 10 per cent more grip strength than those who did not.
Only the frequency of having breakfast seemed to be a factor, say the researchers, rather than the amount of food eaten.
They found that a third of people are not regular breakfast eaters.
Previous research has shown that those who regularly skip breakfast have higher levels of chronic inflammation.
Increases in inflammatory compounds, called cytokines, have been linked to reductions in muscle size and strength.
‘It can be speculated habitual skipping of breakfast may have a deleterious effect on muscle strength,’ says the study, in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.
It adds the research is further evidence that muscle strength is declining worldwide while related ailments such as type 2 diabetes are becoming more common.
