Associations between albumin, globulin, albumin to globulin ratio and muscle mass in adults: results from the national health and nutrition examination survey 2011–2014

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inflammation and malnutrition play important roles in muscle loss. Although albumin, globulin and albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) are considered to be useful inflammatory-nutritional biomarkers, their relationship with muscle mass remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between them in adults. METHODS: We utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2014 for analysis. Data on albumin, globulin, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, body mass index (BMI) and potential confounders (sociodemographic characteristics, medical conditions, laboratory parameters) were extracted and analyzed. We conducted multivariate linear regression models and smooth curve fittings to investigate the association between albumin, globulin, AGR and muscle mass. Subgroup analysis based on gender and muscle mass were performed. RESULTS: A total of 4110 participants were included, there were 294 participants with low muscle mass (LMM) and 3816 participants with normal muscle mass (NMM). LMM individuals were older, had greater prevalence of diabetes, higher BMI, globulin and triglycerides, lower albumin and AGR. Albumin was positively correlated to muscle mass in men, but negatively correlated with muscle mass in women. There were negative association between globulin and muscle mass, and positive association between AGR and muscle mass among men, but no significant associations were detected among women. Moreover, a linear relationship between albumin, globulin and muscle mass, as well as a non-linear relationship between AGR and muscle mass in men were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The relationships between albumin, globulin, AGR and muscle mass were sex-specific. We speculate these indicators may be useful in assessing muscle mass in men. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03094-4.