Coffee Linked to Less Body Fat and More Muscle, New Study Finds
A new Finnish study links higher coffee consumption with lower body fat, less visceral fat and greater skeletal muscle mass. Here is what the research really shows.
For millions of people, coffee is a familiar part of the morning routine. Now, new research from Finland suggests that the popular beverage may also be associated with a leaner body composition.
A study published in the European Journal of Nutrition examined coffee consumption among more than 2,200 middle-aged adults and found that people who reported drinking more coffee tended to have lower total body fat, less visceral fat and greater skeletal muscle mass. The findings are interesting, but they do not prove that coffee itself causes people to lose fat or build muscle.
What the New Coffee Study Found
Researchers from the University of Oulu analyzed data from 2,264 participants in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. The participants were 46 years old when the study data were collected.
Coffee drinkers were divided into groups based on their usual consumption. The study included people who drank one to two cups a day, three to four cups, and five or more cups. A smaller group reported drinking no coffee.
The researchers found a notable pattern. Participants who consumed more coffee generally had a lower percentage of body fat, lower overall fat mass and lower visceral fat. At the same time, they tended to have greater skeletal muscle mass. Interestingly, body mass index, or BMI, was broadly similar between the coffee consumption groups.
That distinction is important because BMI does not reveal how much of a person's weight comes from fat or muscle. Two people can have the same BMI while having very different body compositions.
Why Visceral Fat Matters
One of the findings that attracted attention was the association between coffee consumption and visceral fat.
Visceral fat is stored deep inside the abdomen around internal organs. Unlike the fat that sits directly beneath the skin, visceral fat is metabolically active and has been associated with a range of health problems, including insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
The Finnish researchers observed that people in the higher coffee intake groups had less visceral fat. However, the study was observational and cross-sectional, meaning researchers examined existing patterns rather than assigning people to drink specific amounts of coffee over time.
Therefore, the results should not be interpreted as proof that drinking several cups of coffee will directly remove abdominal fat.
Coffee and Muscle Mass
The relationship with skeletal muscle is another intriguing part of the research.
Higher coffee consumption was associated with greater skeletal muscle mass in the study population. This does not mean coffee should replace resistance training, adequate protein or other established strategies for maintaining muscle.
Instead, the finding raises questions about whether compounds in coffee may influence metabolic processes that are relevant to body composition.
Coffee contains caffeine as well as numerous other bioactive compounds, including chlorogenic acids, trigonelline and diterpenes. Researchers have suggested several possible pathways through which coffee and caffeine could affect energy metabolism, although the exact mechanisms remain uncertain.
Caffeine, for example, can stimulate the nervous system and temporarily increase energy expenditure. Previous research has also investigated caffeine's effects on fat oxidation and exercise performance. These mechanisms provide possible explanations for some of the associations observed in population studies, but they do not establish that ordinary coffee consumption produces long-term changes in body composition.
The Researchers Also Looked at Blood Markers
The study went beyond measuring body composition. Researchers also examined blood metabolites, hormones and markers related to glucose metabolism.
One particularly interesting observation involved branched-chain amino acids, commonly known as BCAAs. These include leucine, isoleucine and valine.
Higher coffee consumption was associated with lower circulating levels of these amino acids in both men and women. Elevated circulating BCAA levels have previously been linked with metabolic conditions such as insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.
However, it is important not to take this finding too far. The study did not demonstrate that coffee lowers BCAA levels or that changing coffee consumption would reduce diabetes risk.
The researchers also identified differences between men and women in some metabolic and hormonal associations. Men who reported higher coffee consumption showed several associations involving insulin and testosterone-related measures, while the patterns among women were generally less pronounced.
Does Coffee Actually Help You Lose Weight?
This is where the headline deserves some caution.
The study found an association between coffee intake and a leaner body composition. It did not prove cause and effect.
People who drink more coffee may differ from people who rarely drink it in other ways. Lifestyle, physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol intake and socioeconomic factors can all influence body composition and metabolic health.
The researchers adjusted their statistical models for several lifestyle factors, but observational research can still contain unknown or unmeasured influences.
In other words, the findings are promising, but they should not be interpreted as evidence that simply adding more coffee to your diet will cause fat loss.
How Much Coffee Is Reasonable?
The study itself does not establish an ideal number of cups for fat loss or muscle gain.
Coffee can also be very different depending on what goes into the cup. Black coffee contains relatively few calories, while drinks loaded with sugar, syrups, cream or other high-calorie ingredients can contribute substantially more energy to the diet.
Caffeine sensitivity varies from person to person as well. Some people experience sleep disruption, anxiety, rapid heartbeat or digestive discomfort after consuming caffeine.
For that reason, more coffee is not necessarily better.
A sensible approach is to view coffee as one small part of an overall healthy lifestyle rather than a weight-management treatment.
What This Means for Coffee Drinkers
If you already enjoy coffee, the new research offers another reason to view your daily cup as more than just a source of caffeine.
The Finnish study found that higher habitual coffee intake was associated with lower body fat, less visceral fat and greater skeletal muscle mass. It also identified interesting relationships involving blood metabolites and sex hormones.
But the most important word is associated.
The findings do not show that coffee directly burns belly fat, builds muscle or prevents metabolic disease. More research, particularly long-term and randomized studies, is needed to determine whether coffee itself produces these effects.
For now, coffee can comfortably remain part of a balanced routine for people who tolerate it well. Regular exercise, sufficient protein, a nutritious diet, quality sleep and appropriate calorie intake remain far more established factors for improving body composition.
Final Takeaway
The latest Finnish research adds to the growing scientific interest in coffee and metabolic health. People who consumed more coffee in this study tended to have less total and visceral fat and more skeletal muscle, despite having similar BMI measurements.
That makes the findings worth watching, but it is too early to call coffee a fat-burning or muscle-building drink.
Your morning cup may be associated with a healthier body composition, but the evidence does not yet show that coffee is the reason why.
Sources:
- Verroest L, et al. “Associations of habitual coffee intake with testosterone and cardiometabolic markers: the Northern Finland birth cohort 1966 study.” European Journal of Nutrition, published July 16, 2026.
- University of Oulu, Northern Finland Birth Cohort research information.
- New York Post, published August 16, 2026.