A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Vitamin D on Muscle Strength and Mobility in Older Women with Vitamin D Insufficiency
1. Kun Zhu PhD,
2. Nicole Austin PhD,
3. Amanda Devine PhD,
4. David Bruce MD,
5. Richard L. Prince MD
Article first published online: 4 NOV 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03142.x
© 2010, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2010, The American Geriatrics Society
Volume 58, Issue 11, pages 2063–2068, November 2010
Zhu, K., Austin, N., Devine, A., Bruce, D. and Prince, R. L. (2010), A Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effects of Vitamin D on Muscle Strength and Mobility in Older Women with Vitamin D Insufficiency. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 58: 2063–2068. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.03142.x
1. From the *School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; †Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia; and ‡School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
- Correspondence: Address correspondence to Kun Zhu, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia. E-mail: kzhu at meddent.uwa.edu.au
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of vitamin D treatment on muscle strength and mobility in older women with vitamin D insufficiency.
DESIGN: One-year population-based, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.
SETTING: Perth, Australia (latitude 32°S).
PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred two community-dwelling ambulant elderly women aged 70 to 90 with a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration less than 24 ng/mL.
INTERVENTION: Vitamin D2 1,000 IU/d or identical placebo; calcium citrate (1 g calcium/d) in both groups.
MEASUREMENTS: Lower limb muscle strength and mobility as assessed using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUAG).
RESULTS: At baseline, mean±standard deviation serum 25(OH)D was 17.7±4.2 ng/mL; this increased to 24.0±5.6 ng/mL in the vitamin D group after 1 year but remained the same in the placebo group. For hip extensor and adductor strength and TUAG, but not for other muscle groups, a significant interaction between treatment group and baseline values was noted. In those with baseline values in the lowest tertile, vitamin D improved muscle strength and TUAG more than calcium alone (mean (standard error): hip extensors 22.6% (9.5%); hip adductors 13.5% (6.7%), TUAG 17.5% (7.6%), P<.05). Baseline 25(OH)D levels did not influence patient response to supplementation.
CONCLUSION: Vitamin D therapy was observed to increase muscle function in those who were the weakest and slowest at baseline. Vitamin D should be given to people with insufficiency or deficiency to improve muscle strength and mobility.
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And this was with only 1000 IU of vitamin D2. - much better results have been found with 2,000 IU of vitamin D3