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Vitamin D improves muscle quality

Spikykite

Spikykite

Senior Member
Feb 14, 2011
183
14
vitamindsup2.jpg



Most people on this planet have too little 25-hydroxy vitamin D in their blood, and as a result their muscle quality is below optimum. Radiologists at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles discovered that the muscles of young women contain up to 20 percent more fat if their vitamin D levels are too low.

Countless people have less vitamin D in their blood than is good for them. Initially researchers recorded this vitamin deficiency in people living in northern countries, where the sun hardly shines, and where much of the population works indoors. Well, that used to be the story.

More recently research has shown that, even in sun-drenched countries like Turkey, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, India and Australia, 30-50 percent of the population is low on vitamin D. [N Engl J Med. 2007 Jul 19; 357(3): 266-81.] In Brazil the figure is 60 percent among young adults. [Ann Nutr Metab. 2009; 54(1): 15-21.]

Sufficient vitamin D is necessary for strong muscles. One theory is that vitamin D is responsible for getting nutrients like calcium and phosphorus into the muscles. As a result muscles can contract better, and growth and fuel burning processes are also enhanced.

Animal studies have shown that rats put on a fattening diet develop more muscle and less fat when given extra vitamin D. In human studies, test subjects burn more calories after eating a breakfast that contains 0.5 g calcium and 9 mcg vitamin D. Elderly people who take vitamin D supplements are physically stronger, as are athletes who have high levels of vitamin D in their blood.

The researchers in this study made scans of the muscle and body composition of 90 young women aged between 16 and 22. Of these, 37 had sufficient vitamin D in their blood and 53 had too little. The more vitamin D the women had in their blood, the less fat they had in their muscles. Fatty muscle tissue is less strong and less sensitive to insulin. By the way, none of the women complained of having weak muscles.


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Low levels of vitamin D in the blood were also associated with more subcutaneous fat [SF] and more abdominal [or visceral] fat [VF] Women with high levels of vitamin D also had more leg muscle, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Vitamin D is not the most exciting nutritional supplement in the world. Pills containing vitamin D don't sound as interesting as exotic plant extracts or high-dose amino acids. But it looks as though lots of athletes could be that little bit stronger, muscular and slimmer if they increased their vitamin D intake.

Source:
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Apr; 95(4): 1595-601.
 
Spikykite

Spikykite

Senior Member
Feb 14, 2011
183
14
Extra vitamin D: more muscle, less fat

If you fatten rats using a high-fat or a high-sucrose diet, of course they’ll get fatter. If you give them extra vitamin D and calcium in their food then something happens that bodybuilders might find quite interesting. The animals don’t get fat so quickly but they do build up more muscles.

In the US, as in all other rich countries, the population is getting fatter and fatter. For this reason nutritionists at Purdue University are studying whether it’s possible to do something about the problem by making simple changes in people’s eating habits. And because some epidemiological studies claim that dairy consumption inhibits obesity, the researchers were curious to know whether their lab animals would get fatter less quickly if they were given extra vitamin D and calcium in their food.

The researchers fattened up rats in two ways: with food to which they added soya oil [high fat] and food to which they added sugar [high sucrose]. Half of the rats in each group got food containing a ‘suboptimal’ amount of calcium and vitamin D [LD]. One kg of food in the LD group contained 400 IE vitamin D and consisted of 0.25 percent calcium.

The other half of both groups got food containing 10,000 IE vitamin D [HD]. The HD group’s food consisted of 1.5 percent calcium.

When vitamin D and calcium were added to the food, the animals started to eat more. But they didn’t get fatter. In fact the researchers noticed that the HD rats became thinner in the 13 weeks that the experiment lasted. And a tiny bit more muscular.



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On top of that, the vitamin D and the calcium made the HD rats burn more fat.


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When they examined the rats’ muscle cells the researchers discovered the mechanism they think is involved. The HD rats’ cells made more of the molecular linking protein PGC-1alpha. PGC-1alpha works in combination with the fat sensor PPAR-gamma and steers the making of mitochondria. Put simply: the better PGC-1alpha works, the more easily muscle cells burn fat.


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In the rats in the high-fat group, the mix also increased the manufacture of insulin receptors.

Now the calcium intake in rich countries is already on the high side. So extra calcium won’t help strength athletes who are bulking to build a better body. When it comes to vitamin D it’s a different story. It seems that vitamin D supplements can help power athletes to develop a better body composition. It’s the vitamin D intake in the rich countries of the northern hemisphere that is too low.
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
that is really interesting. it also helps with mental outlook. UV stimulation FTW!
 
hugerobb

hugerobb

VIP Strength Advisor
Sep 15, 2010
2,027
56
I have always taken vit.D
 
Rottenrogue

Rottenrogue

Strongwoman
Jan 26, 2011
6,595
1,882
Interesting.I live up here in the grey and rainy NW.Winter time training always is a struggle.I wonder if lack of Vit D has something to do with it.
 
Spikykite

Spikykite

Senior Member
Feb 14, 2011
183
14
Interesting.I live up here in the grey and rainy NW.Winter time training always is a struggle.I wonder if lack of Vit D has something to do with it.

never hurts too try RR..

Let us know if it helps..
 
AllTheWay

AllTheWay

TID Lady Member
Mar 17, 2011
4,240
411
Interesting.I live up here in the grey and rainy NW.Winter time training always is a struggle.I wonder if lack of Vit D has something to do with it.

try tanning, amazing what the UV stim does. i live in the land of much sun and tanning will always improve my mood. it is actually prescribed for some people with depression for the vit D production.
 
NDLessPSYcle

NDLessPSYcle

MuscleHead
Apr 1, 2011
838
209
I take 4,000IU of Vit D daily. I do believe it helps mood but also increases your ability to fight off illness.
 
Get Some

Get Some

MuscleHead
Sep 9, 2010
3,442
648
Vitamin D is ABSOLUTELY necessary. If you live in a s place where your skin is exposed to the sun all the time then you probably get more than enough vitamin D on a regular basis. But, if you don't get outside much then you need to supplement Vitamin D capsules 2,000 - 4,000 IU per day. It WILL make a difference, especially over time....not to mention the added benefits like skin complexion
 
W

wormking

Member
Jun 10, 2011
13
0
I agree with Get Some 100%. Vitamin D is extremely important to supplement with. There are many benefits from keeping bones strong(it helps absorb calcium) to healthy skin complexion and others in between.
 
H

Healthgain

New Member
Jun 29, 2011
4
0
Hi,

Yes ..that is true..!
Consumption a nutrient-rich diet is vital. And that doesn’t mean focusing only on calcium, which is found in all plant foods as well as in dairy. Also eat lots of plant foods that are high in other bone-promoting nutrients such as vitamin K. Get adequate vitamin D, either through sunlight or enriched foods. Although supplementation is advised, it’s always better to meet nutrient needs through food sources.
 
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