Vitamin D supplementation does not improve human skeletal muscle contractile properties in insufficient young males
Abstract
Purpose Vitamin D may be a regulator of skeletal muscle function, although human trials investigating this hypothesis are limited to predominantly elderly populations. We aimed to assess the effect of oral vitamin D3 in healthy young males upon skeletal muscle function.Methods Participants (n = 29) received an oral dose of 10,000 IU day(-1) vitamin D3 (VITD) or a visually identical placebo (PLB) for 3 months. Serum 25[OH]D and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured at baseline and at week 4, 8 and 12. Muscle function was assessed in n = 22 participants by isokinetic dynamometry and percutaneous isometric electromyostimulation at baseline and at week 6 and 12.Results Baseline mean total serum 25[OH]D was 40 ± 17 and 41 ± 20 nmol L(-1) for PLB and VITD, respectively. VITD showed a significant improvement in total 25[OH]D at week 4 (150 ± 31 nmol L(-1)) that remained elevated throughout the trial (P < 0.005). Contrastingly, PLB showed a significant decrease in 25[OH]D at week 12 (25 ± 15 nmol L(-1)) compared with baseline. Despite marked increases in total serum 25[OH]D in VITD and a decrease in PLB, there were no significant changes in any of the muscle function outcome measures at week 6 or 12 for either group (P > 0.05).Conclusions Elevating total serum 25[OH]D to concentrations > 120 nmol L(-1) has no effect on skeletal muscle function. We postulate that skeletal muscle function is only perturbed in conditions of severe deficiency (<12.5 nmol L(-1)).
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In our laboratory, detrimental effects on muscle function have been reported when vitamin D concentrations are below 30 nmol/L, with no performance-enhancing effects of vitamin D supplements if the starting concentration is around 50 nmol/L.
“In our laboratory, we have reported detrimental effects on muscle function when concentrations are below 30nmol/L [140] with no performance enhancing effects of vitamin D supplements if the starting concentration is around 50nmol/L [145].”
From New strategies in sport nutrition to increase exercise performance (2016) · cites this paper as [145]
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- Authors
- Owens, D. J., Webber, D., Impey, S. G., Tang, J., Donovan, T. F., Fraser, W. D., Morton, J. P., & Close, G. L.
- Affiliations
- Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
- University of East Anglia (GB)
- Wrexham University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Close, Graeme L.
- ORCID
- Venue
- European Journal of Applied Physiology
- Published
- 2014-03-13
- Volume
- 114
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1309-1320
- ISSN
- 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
- 1439-6319
- 1439-6327
- OpenAlex
- W2080475625
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2
- FWCI
- 4.21
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UEA Digital Repository (University of East Anglia) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Vitamin D Research Studies
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Muscle metabolism and nutrition
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Keywords
- vitamin D supplementation, vitamin D3, skeletal muscle function, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin D deficiency, parathyroid hormone, isokinetic dynamometry, electromyostimulation, young men, muscle contractile properties
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Double-Blind Method, Humans, Male, Muscle Contraction, Parathyroid Hormone, Vitamin D, Vitamins, Muscle, Skeletal, Dietary Supplements
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