Coffee Drinkers Have Less Fat, More Muscle, And Surprising Sex Hormone Differences
Health31 August 2026ByDavid Nield
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A cup of coffee is something many of us reach for at least once daily, and researchers have long been interested in analyzing the health benefits and risks that come with regular doses of caffeine
In a new study published in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers looked specifically at coffee’s relationship to metabolites (chemicals produced by the body’s natural processes), cardiometabolic markers (heart and blood-sugar health indicators), and sex-related hormones (such as testosterone)
The study team, led by researchers from the University of Oulu in Finland, found that those who drink more coffee tend to have less stored fat in their bodies and greater skeletal muscle mass (the muscles linked to movement) – despite body mass index (BMI) scores being broadly similar
What stood out the most, however, was the sex hormone analysis
In men, higher coffee consumption was associated with a better glucose-insulin profile, higher concentrations of total and available testosterone, and levels of the protein sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which carries sex hormones around the body in the blood
The associations in women were weaker, with more coffee linked to more SHBG and less freely available androgen hormones (a group of sex hormones that includes testosterone)
“Coffee is consumed by millions of people every day, yet we still know surprisingly little about how it relates to our metabolism and hormones,” says nutritionist Luca Verroest, from the University of Oulu
“What stood out in our findings was a distinct hormonal signature that didn’t disappear even after we took into account BMI and lifestyle factors, with several of these associations differing between men and women.”
The study analyzed data from 2,264 participants aged 46, looking at coffee drinking habits and a variety of health markers at one fixed point in time – this study didn’t track the volunteers over an extended period
In addition to the other findings, the researchers also found higher coffee intake was linked to lower levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). Having too many of these protein-building blocks in the bloodstream has previously been associated with poorer metabolic health
“The inverse correlations between coffee intake and circulating BCAAs in both men and women are particularly noteworthy,” write the researchers in their published paper
“Although BCAAs are essential amino acids involved in key metabolic signaling pathways, chronically elevated levels are strongly associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease, and increased hypertension risk.”
Overall then, the results suggest coffee can improve metabolic health, and that hormonal pathways might be part of the reason why. This relationship is something researchers have been looking more closely at in recent years
“Higher habitual coffee intake groups showed a leaner body composition, correlated inversely with circulating BCAAs in both sexes, and were independently associated with a sex-specific hormonal profile that may be metabolically relevant, particularly in men,” write the researchers
From boosting your mood to elevating cholesterol, a lot of research time has gone into studying the effects of coffee. Given that the beverage contains over a thousand bioactive compounds, there’s a lot more to dig into
There are a lot of variables at play when it comes to coffee and health, too: how the coffee is roasted or brewed, how much of the stuff we have each day, individual genetics, and lifestyle factors (such as smoking) can all contribute in some way or another
That’s why more data is always welcome – like the data provided in this study – to get a better idea of what coffee is actually doing to us. The next step for this particular analysis would be to test these findings over a longer period, to see the influence that coffee drinking habits might have over time
“Future longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to establish causality and identify the coffee-derived bioactive compounds involved,” write the researchers
The research has been published in the European Journal of Nutrition
This article was fact-checked by Fiona MacDonald and edited by Fiona MacDonald. While we pride ourselves on our process, we are only human. If you spot a mistake, please let us know
