How To Enhance Vitamin D In Body ~ Rubye Top Nutrition

How To Enhance Vitamin D In Body

Study under review: A Systems-Based Investigation into Vitamin D and Skeletal Muscle Repair, Regeneration and Hypertrophy

Introduction

Why is Vitamin D such a popular supplement, among both researchers and the general public? One reason is that it potentially acts on a broad spectrum of health and performance measurements. Researchers have examined the effects of this fat-soluble vitamin on chronic pain^[1], cystic fibrosis^[2], multiple sclerosis^[3], and the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality^[4] (covered in Study Deep Dives #7).

Many people are not getting enough of this vitamin. Recent estimates have indicated that 37.3% of the world's population^[5] may have an inadequate level of vitamin D. The Institute of Medicine has defined blood concentrations between 30 to 50 nmol/L of vitamin D to generally be considered inadequate. Although sometimes defined at different cutoff points, risk of deficiency can be characterized by levels lower than 30 nmol/L, while an adequate, healthy range is usually considered to be between 50 and 125 nmol/L.

We'll be using units of nmol/L throughout this article, although many labs report vitamin D levels in ng/mL. You can see how these two units relate to each other in Figure 1. One possible downstream effect of these inadequacies may be a decrease in the body's ability to regenerate muscle tissue. Researchers have known since 1985 that there are vitamin D₃ receptors on muscle^[6] cells, and in the past few years research on vitamin D in the context of boosting performance has become popular. One intervention trial in well-trained athletes showed an improvement in sprint times and vertical jump^[7] with supplementation. Further studies have associated higher vitamin D status^[8] with a more rapid recovery of skeletal muscle strength after an acute bout of intense exercise.

The growing body of data^[9] showing that vitamin D plays an important part in the function of skeletal muscle^[10] suggests this vitamin may be a potential ergogenic aid. The fact that vitamin D₃ is a relatively inexpensive and widely-available supplement makes it all the more attractive to athletes. Around 56% of athletes have^[11] vitamin D levels of 80 nmol/L or lower, so supplementation could help combat deficiency. Although previous research has indicated^[12] vitamin D may help with improved muscle healing, a causal relationship has not yet been firmly established. The study under review looked further into this connection to determine if there is a potential cause-effect relationship between vitamin D and muscle repair, regeneration, and hypertrophy.

Figure 1: Converting nmol/L to ng/mL

Vitamin D plays diverse roles in maintaining health, and has been investigated for beneficial effects on a host of conditions. A developing line of research has looked into the roles this vitamin could play in the context of boosting physical performance. The present study investigated vitamin D to determine how it affects muscle repair, regeneration, and hypertrophy.

Who and what was studied?

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