Vitamin D boosts strength–even in young adults

Article by Arnie Gitomer

Vitamin D boosts strength–even in young adults

Most vitamin D muscle studies have focused on older adults, but this review of seven studies covered 310 men and women aged 22 to 32. Participants in the studies took a placebo or vitamin D in doses of 4,000 IU per day up to 60,000 IU per week, and lasted from four weeks to six months.

Overall compared to placebo, those taking vitamin D saw greater improvements in upper and lower limb muscle strength. The average level of vitamin D at the start of all the studies was 12.3 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/mL); below the 20 ng/mL doctors believe is the minimum adequate level.

Additional Comment . . . from Don Goldberg

The dosage levels of vitamin D used in this study may seem high to some people. It is true that, theoretically, vitamin D accumulates in the body and too much over too long a period of time can result in toxicity. But recent interest in the impressive heatlh benefits of vitamin D, coupled with the increasingly common blood measurements by doctors, has revealed that most people are deficient in vitamin D, levels of supplementation are too low, and concerns about toxicity are significantly over rated.

What used to be considered a normal dose of vitamin D, 400 IU, is now considered inadequate. It seems that much higher doses are needed when trying to raise blood levels to the desired point. Many general purpose supplements now contain 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D. And many people commonly take more than that. Doctors recommend much higher levels. The “safe upper limit” for vitamin D, for adults, is 4,000 IU, but even that is now thought by many experts to be too low.

If you are looking for therapeutic benefit from vitamin D supplementation, talk to your doctor or nutritionist and be sure you are taking a high enough dose to properly evaluate its efficacy.

The pharmacists and nutritionists at Willner Chemists can help you select the proper vitamin D supplement for your needs.



Reference: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport; 2015, Vol. 18, No. 5, 570-80