Current Research on Vitamin D Supplementation against Sarcopenia: A Review of Clinical Trials

Int J Sports Med DOI: 10.1055/a-2116-9240Vitamin D plays an important role in skeletal muscle function and metabolism. The aim of this review was A) to discuss the clinical evidence of vitamin D supplementation either alone or combined with other strategies in the prevention of sarcopenia in non-sarcopenic individuals and B) to critically discuss the clinical evidence on the effect of vitamin D combined with other strategies on muscle strength, mass and function in sarcopenic individuals without vitamin D deficiency. Sparse clinical data on non-sarcopenic individuals indicate that vitamin D alone has a subtle beneficial effect on knee extensor strength at doses 880–1600 IU/day without improving handgrip strength or muscle mass. When co-administered with other supplements such as protein, mixed effects appear to prevent the decline of muscle mass, possibly delaying the onset of sarcopenia in non-sarcopenic individuals, at doses of 800–1,000 IU/day over 6–12 weeks. In sarcopenic individuals, vitamin D 100–1,000 IU/day co-supplementation with protein results in increased handgrip strength between 9.8–40.5%. However, there is no strong clinical evidence that vitamin D dosage correlates with changes in muscle strength or mass. Potential sources of discrepancy among studies are discussed. Future studies w...
Source: International Journal of Sports Medicine - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Tags: Review Source Type: research