Post by KenNiemann on Aug 7, 2009 0:12:59 GMT -5
Low Vitamin D3 Levels Linked to Weaker Muscles
Breaking News
By VRP Staff
Adolescent girls who have the lowest blood levels of vitamin D3 suffer from reduced muscle strength, researchers report in a new study.
Previous studies have found that approximately 55 percent to more than 70 percent of healthy adolescents may be vitamin D3 deficient. This is particularly alarming given that a large body of past evidence has linked vitamin D3 deficiency to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Following up on this past research, the authors of the current study investigated how vitamin D3 affected the muscle strength in teenage girls.
Researchers recruited 99 adolescent girls between the ages of 12 and 14 at an inner city, multi-ethnic school in Manchester , United Kingdom . Blood samples showed that the average vitamin D3 levels were 21.3 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L), and ranged from 2.5 to 88.5 nmol/L. Although none of the girls had any physical symptoms of vitamin D3 deficiency, 75 percent of the screened subjects had low vitamin D3 levels.
The scientists measured muscle strength and force in the young female subjects using jumping mechanography, which calculates muscle power, velocity, jump height and score on a type of Fitness Index based upon each subject’s performance during a series of jumping exercises. The results indicated that girls with the highest blood levels of vitamin D3 performed significantly better in the jumping test. The girls with the highest levels of vitamin D3 also had greater muscle power, force, velocity and jump height compared to those with the lower vitamin D3 levels.
According to the researchers, "From these data we conclude that vitamin D was significantly associated with muscle power and force in adolescent girls."
Reference:
Ward KA, Das G, Berry JL, Roberts SA, Rawer R, Adams JE, Mughal Z. Vitamin D Status and Muscle Function in Post-Menarchal Adolescent Girls. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. February 2009;94(2):559-563.
Breaking News
By VRP Staff
Adolescent girls who have the lowest blood levels of vitamin D3 suffer from reduced muscle strength, researchers report in a new study.
Previous studies have found that approximately 55 percent to more than 70 percent of healthy adolescents may be vitamin D3 deficient. This is particularly alarming given that a large body of past evidence has linked vitamin D3 deficiency to osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Following up on this past research, the authors of the current study investigated how vitamin D3 affected the muscle strength in teenage girls.
Researchers recruited 99 adolescent girls between the ages of 12 and 14 at an inner city, multi-ethnic school in Manchester , United Kingdom . Blood samples showed that the average vitamin D3 levels were 21.3 nanomoles per litre (nmol/L), and ranged from 2.5 to 88.5 nmol/L. Although none of the girls had any physical symptoms of vitamin D3 deficiency, 75 percent of the screened subjects had low vitamin D3 levels.
The scientists measured muscle strength and force in the young female subjects using jumping mechanography, which calculates muscle power, velocity, jump height and score on a type of Fitness Index based upon each subject’s performance during a series of jumping exercises. The results indicated that girls with the highest blood levels of vitamin D3 performed significantly better in the jumping test. The girls with the highest levels of vitamin D3 also had greater muscle power, force, velocity and jump height compared to those with the lower vitamin D3 levels.
According to the researchers, "From these data we conclude that vitamin D was significantly associated with muscle power and force in adolescent girls."
Reference:
Ward KA, Das G, Berry JL, Roberts SA, Rawer R, Adams JE, Mughal Z. Vitamin D Status and Muscle Function in Post-Menarchal Adolescent Girls. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. February 2009;94(2):559-563.
