Vitamin D and Muscle Health

Muscle mass and strength tend to decrease with advancing age, primarily as a result of reduced physical activity. This loss of muscle mass, medically known as sarcopenia, has negative impact on one’s ability to perform activities of daily living. Fortunately, vitamin D supplementation may be an effective method of countering age-related muscle wasting and those caused by chronic medical conditions. There is an overwhelming body of clinical research supporting the muscle-enhancing properties of vitamin D:
1. In patients on hemodialysis, vitamin D treatment is associated with greater muscle size and strength. [424]
2. In patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), vitamin D treatment improves muscle function. [425-428]
3. In vitamin D deficient patients, vitamin D supplementation restores muscle mass and strength. [429-431]
4. In patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), vitamin D supplementation improves scores in a series of tests assessing muscle function. [432]
5. In women, higher blood levels of vitamin D are associated with better results in musculoskeletal function. [433]
6. In patients aged 65 years and above, higher vitamin D levels are associated with increased handgrip strength. [434]
7. In people aged 70 years and above, a weekly dose of 8400 IU vitamin D3 improves postural stability, muscle strength and safety. [435]
8. In professional male and female elite ballet dancers, 4 months 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 administration improves muscle strength. [436]
9. In athletes, vitamin D enhances the recovery of muscles shortly after intense exercise. [437]
10. In professional soccer players, vitamin D3 supplementation improves musculoskeletal performance measures such as sprint times and vertical jump height. [438-439]
11. In elite ballet dancers, vitamin D supplementation significantly increases muscle strength and musculoskeletal performance. [440]
12. In patients with sarcopenia, vitamin D supplementation improves muscle strength, muscle size and neuromuscular performance. [441-443]
13. Patients with higher vitamin D blood levels have better muscle performances of the lower extremities than patients with lower levels. [444-445]
14. In healthy males who underwent muscle damage through eccentric quad exercises, 4000 IU vitamin D administration improves muscle recovery and strength. [446]
15. In overweight and obese adults, vitamin D supplementation during resistance training induces an early improvement in peak power (measure of muscle strength). [447]