The Effect of Dampit Robusta Coffee Consumption and Submaximal Exercise on Myostatin Levels and Muscle Preservation in Adult Men: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Myostatin has been linked to the pathogenesis of age-related muscle loss. Aerobic exercise and coffee polyphenols may modulate myostatin, but their combined effect in humans is unknown. To evaluate whether 5 days of Dampit robusta coffee consumption plus a single session of submaximal exercise modifies serum myostatin levels in healthy young men versus placebo. Methods: A single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted in a university laboratory ( n = 20). Twenty healthy men (20–30 years old) were randomized into an intervention group (INT) (Dampit robusta coffee, n = 10) (INT) or a placebo group ( n = 10) (control group [CON]). On day 5, participants carried out a submaximal Young Men’s Christian Association step test. Serum myostatin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay before and 2 h after exercise. Wilcoxon signed-rank test for within-group comparisons and Mann–Whitney test for between-group comparison of Δ myostatin (α =0.05). Results: No statistically significant changes were found in myostatin levels in INT ( P = 0.114) and CON ( P = 0.445). INT showed a median decrease in Δ myostatin (−14,904 pg/mL) versus an increase in CON (+58,889.5 pg/mL), but the between-group difference was not significant ( P = 0.143). Conclusions: This pilot RCT found no statistically significant effect in the combination of 5-day Dampit robusta coffee supplementation and a single session of submaximal exercise on serum myostatin levels in healthy young adult men. The nonsignificant downward trend in INT represents an exploratory biomarker signal requiring confirmation in larger, adequately powered trials.